Worldwide interest in the travel behavior of people with disabilities reached a new milestone when Eden Social Welfare Foundation announced the first international conference dedicated entirely to travel and disability. To be held May 4 - 8, 2005 in Taipei, Taiwan, the conference will simultaneously launch the Asia Pacific Accessible Travel League (APTL).
Suite 101 allows for interactivity through the "Discussion" section following each article. Rather than wait to write about the conference after it is over, I want to give you the opportunity to shape it before it begins.
Below are the themes and some of the questions to be addressed in the breakout session. Post your answers to any or all of them and they will be presented to the various breakout session leaders.
Here's a chance to take part in something historic even if you don't plan to attend in Taiwan!
Accessibility and Transportation
(1) How tourism can bring about greater accessibility of buildings, places of interest and transportation: What models or case studies are available that illustrate a successful harnessing of tourism revenue toward local infrastructure development other than the Perth, Australia Convention Bureau's project, "Beyond Compliance?"
(2) Is there need for accessible tour buses and coaches to encourage families and friends to travel together? What are typical, or minimal, design criteria that could be circulated as guidelines?
Reform, Reconstruct and Build the Accessible Tourist Sites
(1) Inclusive Destination development is the systematic application of Universal Design in the planning and development of tourism sites in order to make them destinations of choice for the tourists with the broadest range of abilities. What exemplary destinations or projects are you currently aware of? What might a checklist of essential items to include in such a project look like?
(2) What new solutions have been developed recently to deal with difficult destinations such as steep/uneven terrain? Historical sites? Low-light or noisy environments?
Accessible Information
(1) Availability of accessible information in major tourism web sites, both governmental and private: What are the criteria for defining accessibility? What is the procedure for each site being accountable for accessibility? Who is the accountability contact for each site?
(2) Monitoring of accessible information in major tourism web sites: Is this already being done? What agency would be appropriate to take responsibility for this task? What conditions are necessary to make this service economically sustainable?
(3) Networking of disability based accessible tourism information web sites: Which sites? How to organize the network?
Human Resources in Accessible Tourism
(1)Influencing Employers to hire strategies with disabilities: Good strategies? Case studies?
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