Rebuilding Biloxi with Local Wisdom and Universal Design

We recommend that a universal livability approach be followed in meeting the needs of people with disabilities affected by recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement efforts in all regions affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Universal livability involves the application of planning and design principles to create communities where universal access and design are an integral part of life. A livable community strives to maximize peoples independence, assure safety and security, promote inclusiveness, and provide choice.

At the micro scale Visitability applies to private homes - the heart of socialization in a community. It specifies at least on step free entrance; doorways that are 32 inches wide to accommodate walkers, crutches, strollers, and wheelchairs; and a ground floor bathroom large enough for a wheelchair.

Shifting perspective to consider each community as a destination for travelers leads to applying Inclusive Destination Development. Inclusive Destination Development is "the systematic and strategic application of resources to render a location a destination of choice for persons with disabilities."

The goal of Inclusive Tourism is to accommodate the broadest range of tourists possible without stigma or the need for special accommodation.

Inclusive Tourism is one important means through which persons with disabilities participate in society at a distance from their homes. At the same time, the presence of these tourists provides a model - and source of funding - for the inclusive practices and infrastructure necessary for their presence. Inclusive Tourism partially funds Inclusive Destination Development. Inclusive tourism is an example of democratization and the dissemination of human rights through a market-driven mechanism.

Yes, Biloxi could be the center of the future.

Or, it might just settle for being the showcase for New Urbanist nostalgia for exclusionary architecture.

I'm sure the kind folks down the road in New Orleans would be happy to welcome the tourists that stay away in droves if Biloxi capitulates to exclusion by design.

Further Reading

Getting the Design Right - Inclusive Destination Development http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/trav...

Go To Page: 1 2