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ACCESSTOUR

Work Package 3 Accessible Tourism State-of-the-Art and Design

1 Accessible Tourism: definition and needs

Tourism is an enormous and widespread industry. It is found all over the world, so its impacts, social, economic, and environmental, are also worldwide. Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, enterprises, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations. Accessible tourism enables all people, also people with access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and environments. This definition is inclusive of all people including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors. You are limited when you are in an environment which does not allow you to function optimally1.

© vzw Grip More than 20% of the population have a longstanding health problem or disability (18-85 years), severe disabilities increases with age and more than 25% of the total population is older than 60. With these facts it is reassuring that our modern society is increasingly aware of the concept of integration of people with disabilities. Issues such as accessibility, design for all and universal design are featured in the international symposia of bodies. Steps have been taken to promote guidelines and best practices, and major resources are now dedicated to this field. A greater understanding of the needs for accessible tourism and the accessible tourism market have been promoted through research where a stakeholder analysis has provided an insight into the complexities of accessible tourism2. For accessible tourism, literature on tourism marketing differentiates between a macro- and micro-level

approach: at the micro-level the concrete services offered by a tourism enterprise can be seen as a tourism

product, at the macro-level tourism product is actually a tourism destination itself and the thematic services

offered to satisfy tourist needs3.

1 Lousã, Accessible Tourism Destination, Portugal, Toegankelijkheidsbureau & Ivor Ambrose, 2011. 2 OSSATE 2005, op.cit. commissioned by the European Commission 3 Design and development of touristic products, Gábor Michalkó, Szilvia Boros, János Csapó, Éva Happ, Pál Horváth, Anikó Husz, Mónika Jónás-Beri, Katalin

Lőrinc, Andrea Máté, Erzsébet Printz-Markó, Krisztina Priszinger, Tamara Rátz, Bulcsú Remenyik, Géza Szabó (2011) University of Pécs

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2 Accessible Tourism – Success factors

To speak of accessible tourism, some factors really should be achieved. A study of Ivor Ambrose (ENAT) highlights five success factors in the provision of accessible tourism product or destination for all namely: policies, strategies and evaluation (1), networks and partnerships (2), the accessible tourism value chain (3), destination and product development (4), and accessible tourism experiences (5).4 A successful accessible tourism business or destination is the product of not one but all of these actions.

Also various experiences across Europe have shown that in spite of different approaches, certain factors emerged which positively influence the development of a Tourism for All approach 5. These Success Factors have to be taken into account in order to ensure successful and satisfactory implementation.6 Case studies from all over Europe have shown that there is a strong link between the success of projects or initiatives and the simultaneous presence of all success factors. If one or more success factors is missing or disappears, there is a high risk of the project not reaching its expected goals or results. An additional reason for using success factors is because our experience and experience of cases already collected from other sectors have demonstrated that to succeed in putting Design for All principles into practice none of the Success Factors should be neglected. In the text below those five success factors will be explained more deeply. 2.1 Policies, strategies and evaluation The very first step in creating an accessible tourism enterprise and/or destination is the decision –maker commitment. This decision to start and follow the process should be taken at the highest level. After that decision is made, a policy and implementation strategy will guide the long-term development of any project. Having a set of principles and a clear understanding of the targets and the reasons why things are done in a certain way will enable those who take the initiative to stay on track, focus their energies and lead others to a successful result. Policies work best when they are made explicit – allowing them to be used for evaluation and adjustment.

4 Ambrose, I. (forthcoming, 2011). Introduction. In: Buhalis D., Darcy, S. and Ambrose, I. (eds). Accessible Tourism: Best Practices. Channel View Publications, Bristol. 5 Economic impact and travel patterns of accessible tourism in Europe, case studies, Service contract SI2.ACPROCE052481700, European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry 6 http://www.scandichotels.com/Always-at-Scandic/Special-needs/

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Develop an accessibility policy Accessibility Policy of the entrepreneur secures of work about accessibility. First you have to form your own views on accessibility policy. This will happen in relation to inclusive policies. The following questions arise:

- Do you design a society for all customers and visitors?

- What specific actions are there for accessibility so that vulnerable people are also able to use it

(infrastructure and service)? What do you want to achieve? How accessible do you want to be?

- Is accessibility a part of the policy (inclusive policy)?

To fill in the policy, it is good to look at the current situation and get answers to the following questions:

- Who is coordinating the issue of accessibility and who are involved (departments, employees,

government, politics, external parties)?

- What are the main problems with accessibility?

- Which complaints do you receive about accessibility?

- What knowledge and expertise do you have or do you have to hire?

Strategic planning There are several ways to shape the accessibility policy in the entrepreneur. For each product or destination, there is another ideal way to do that. Actions should be carefully planned in advance and all critical aspects should be defined. It is important to seek an appropriate form. Be inspired by the opportunities and resources you can use. Accessibility policy can be developed by establishing a policy and then work under that policy. Another option is to start with a concrete project and draw a general policy based on experiences. Model and legislation (very important in the macro-level)

- UN Convention: As a framework for access policy sets the standard rules of the UN Convention to

use and to accept Agenda 22 (Agenda 22, the Dutch development of the UN Standard Rule). The

Agenda describes a method in the municipal policy making on an equal footing by working with

organizations and using the knowledge and experience of experts.

- Legislation (federal, local,...)

- Anti discrimination legislation

Approach To achieve accessibility, adaptations are often necessary, for example on a macro scale by widening sidewalks, pruning shrubs and signage to adjust. You can adjust when you get a complaint, but you can also promote structural accessibility. For example if a road is repaved, take the sidewalks also into account and renew the signage. Think out of the box and keep in mind the total approach. You can also set up projects. For example, this year you change all signage. Coordinating and continuity: employee charged with accessibility Enforce accessibility policy and ensure that sufficient attention to accessibility takes attention, time and effort. If it is a logical part of the work, everyone will be careful. A responsible person should be in charge of the process and guarantee the continuity if key players change. An employee charged with accessibility helps to have attention to accessibility.

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This person may accompany a number of specific projects, but can also ensure that accessibility is increasingly being seen as a normal part of operations of the business or destination. Appoint an employee who deals with accessibility in all ways ( infrastructure and services). This person will take care of accessibility in all projects and during management. Therefore he/she has contacts with accessibility experts and with the various departments within and outside the business (planning, management, communication, etc.). Hotline accessibility problems To be aware of problems with accessibility quickly, you can set up a hotline. Examples of complaints received by such a hotline are: loose tiles, no ramp, brochures without accessibility information, et cetera. Complaints are quickly checked and then such a road worker or manager turned to the green problem. The hotline does not have access to stand alone, it is perhaps even better when there is a direct access which is integrally included. Most importantly, the focus on accessibility is guaranteed. Recourses: Devoting the appropriate human, technical and economic resources to the actions planned. Activities to maintain good accessibility, can cost additional money. Often the costs are part of the budget for management. That is the best way of thinking: accessibility as part of normal work that goes with it, the integrated approach. You can also set up specific projects designed to promote accessibility. For large projects, the bulk of the cost is in making the project (building,...). The costs are relatively low in the design phase. If you take right attention to accessibility in the beginning, the costs are also relatively low. These are working-hours of someone with expertise of accessibility. Also, the cost of accessibility modifications at the beginning of the project are very low. This way you prevent subsequent costs for necessary adaptations. As you know, retrofitting always costs extra money.

Encourage accessibility If you like a good community access policy, you are well on your way to an accessible society. But you are not responsible for all businesses, venues, activities, buildings and spaces and you can not force other businesses to make their property accessible. You can do this by encouraging dialogue with the other entrepreneurs to bring about awareness. On a macro scale, you can also go one step further and provide a subsidy. For example a grant to a social function with buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. Communication and marketing: Both in the sense of external communication in the usual dissemination tools but also acknowledge the contribution of all stakeholders. Focus on accessibility in the whole community will create an accessibility awareness. Organize a day of accessibility. Invite people to go for a walk through the city and into a building with/in a wheelchair, a scooter or a walker. Let them experience what the obstacles on streets, sidewalks and buildings are.

Assurance: activities to ensure accessibility To know how it is with accessibility in a business or in a destination, it is important to test regularly what is good and what isn’t. It is very valuable input from tourists, customers, citizens, .... They are confronted daily with the inconveniences that entails inaccessibility. Evaluation The analysis of complaints, as mentioned above, determine how the accessibility policy is doing. This allows you to evaluate the accessibility policy on a regular base. Are there less complaints? Are problems resolved so that the business or destination has become more accessible? There are a number of activities which will remain on the list of actions because they are continuously or regularly. Think of the good pruning of green close to sidewalks. The accessibility problem will never completely disappear, it deserves constant attention. However, you can assess whether you are pro-

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actively, whether you already have rectified such a shortcoming before you receive complaints. Based on the complaints you receive and how fast a complaint is resolved you can evaluate the situation. 2.2 Network and partnerships The internal and external stakeholders should be identified and should be involved in the process. Networks with multiple stakeholders (local, regional and national networks) are vital for developing the necessary know-how and building a deep understanding of customers’ needs and how to address these. Through online and face-to-face networking at events useful partnerships can develop. Businesses partners, NGOs, decision makers, public sector managers and researchers can mix across their usual sectoral boundaries and find each other. Networking also opens up opportunities for training, knowledge-sharing and innovation. Sometimes partnerships are difficult, especially on a macro level, because the members have different and sometimes conflicting interests. A good coordination and management will help you with that. Even if you cooperate with external parties, coordination and an integrated approach is important. Cooperation is important to achieve good results. It is also important to involve other partners like stake holders, the community,... Besides the importance of informing customers, citizens and tourists (with and without an impairment), it is also important to involve the knowledge and experience of those people where possible. For accessibility the input of expertise is a great value for the quality of policies and actions. Experts can help you with specific accessibility issues. 2.3 Accessible Tourism Value Chain – visitors journey Fundamental to delivering a satisfying tourism product or service is the need to consider the whole access chain (see figure). The customer’s needs are central to the design of any tourism operation so the connections between every place, every service and activity must be thoroughly worked out and tested in order to succeed. Staff will also play an important role in bridging possible access gaps or smoothing out unforeseen difficulties. Their training in disability awareness and customer care should not be overlooked. Equipment hire companies and other specialists are also important for providing adequate services.

Access chain Visitor’s journey The access chain includes all items of a visitors journey. This is a simple tool that helps to take a visitors view of what visitors want at every stage of a holiday or a short break. The journey starts when a visitor first decides to take a trip and ends when they return home and reminisce about their visit. Keep in mind

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that all visitors feel different emotions at each stage of their journey. For visitors with special needs, emotions can be stronger. When they plan a trip, visitors are likely to feel frustrated with a lack of information. When they arrive they might feel anxious about what welcome they will receive and whether their needs will be met. It is important to know so the tourism industry can help the visitors to feel more relaxed at every stages. Visitor’s journey

- stimulation, planning and anticipation

o Information: mouth to mouth advertising, marketing, booking systems, web sites & services:

information accessible to all

- ease of booking

o Information: marketing, booking systems, web sites & services: information accessible to all

- travel to the destination:

o Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users

- the destination experience:

o Barrier-free destinations: infrastructure and facilities

o High quality services: delivered by trained staff

o Activities, exhibits, attractions: allowing participation in tourism by everyone

o Travel at destination: transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users

- going home

o Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users

- recollection of the experience: memories, pictures,...

For each segment in the journey there exists a plethora of public and private sector bodies whose products and services can make or break the visitor experience. 2.4 Destination and product Development Accessible tourism requires the development of accessible enterprise and/or destinations with the necessary facilities, infrastructure and transport to make up a varied, stimulating and well-functioning environment. Isolation is the worst form of inaccessibility. However good the accessible accommodation, attraction or venue may be, it cannot deliver an optimal experience for the visitor if it is an “accessible oasis” within an inaccessible urban or rural landscape, served only by inaccessible transport. The public sector clearly has an important role in providing or encouraging local accessible services which, in turn, will support businesses in their efforts to attract customers who seek good access. It is important to remember that destinations have greater capacity than individual businesses. They must lead the way by marketing themselves boldly and clearly as being accessible and friendly towards disabled visitors, seniors and families. Destinations may develop their own accessible destination brand labels to enhance their visibility, as well as using existing labels.

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An important part of the product and destination development is the availability of accessible information.

Visitors need good and reliable accessibility information about the venue and its surrounding (transport,

other facilities, activities,…). Most of the time the information about that environment is not objective and

not reliable. It is very important that these extra information is objectively checked so the visitor will get the

reliable information he or she needs.

2.5 Accessible Tourism Experience Delivering accessible tourism experiences must be at the heart of the business model for any enterprise or destination which aims to succeed in this market. This means ensuring that the activities, facilities and services are designed as close as possible to the visitors’ needs and expectations. Gathering feedback from visitors is also essential to understanding the outcomes of the visitor experience.

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3 Accessible Tourism – problems and actions

In order to develop an accessible destination all success factors should be accomplished. On micro scale for an accessible enterprise and on macro scale for an accessible destination. If one or more success factors are failing, problems will be experienced by the customers. F.e. when there is no or no reliable information, visitors will have problems with booking or they will not get the service they expect and need. To increase the accessibility of those success factors actions should be taken in all those success factors. Examples of those activities can be found in the list below. Policy, strategy, evaluation:

- Decision makers commitment at the highest level.

- Strategy

- Raising awareness among stakeholders and economic operators in the tourism sector

- Maintain the involvement of the advisory board and users.

- Implement a visitor survey and repeat on a regular basis

- Ensure continued and increased incorporation of accessible tourism objectives in all policies

- Integrate accessible tourism in policies and actions by increasing awareness of all policy makers

- Policy is firmly adressed in the project period and should now be transfered to the standing policies

of the enterprise en be integrated in the overall tourism policy of the destination

- Maintain the use of the budget for problem solving, checking and advice, audits, control, grants,

promotion, marketing,…

- Appoint a responsible person (if needed with an accessibility team) to maintain responsibility for

accessible tourism at the highest level and delegate to all sectors: coordinating, continuity,

knowledge management, hotline for problems,…

- Evaluation + follow-up

o Continue using the system and gather the statistics in order to be able to monitor and

evaluate. Develop and use visitor surveys as a routine part of evaluations.

o A good certification system should be based on continuous improvement of "weak" areas,

allocation of resources and development of appropriate services to meet demand. The

accreditation program requires re-assessment and certification at the end of a two-year

period.

Networks and partnerships:

- The entrepreneur should take a leading role national developments and continue in participating in

international networks

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- Maintain the high level of stakeholders, users, advisory board,… involvement in destination

management and strategic planning

Implementation ( accessible tourism value chain)

- Incorporate accessibility in all steps of the access and visitors chain

- A systematic approach to the assessment of all services should be implemented

- Extend the assessment of services to all tourist enterprises

- Bring together all information about accessible tourism at the destination in one point. Develop

information products in different media and targeted to different visitors segments

- Develop information in greater detail and make it available through multiple channels and sites

- Develop a visitors card with a range of offers

- Develop training for all tourism enterprises throughout the destination

- Development of an information database of all services in the area & around and look for service

possibilities for tourists (demand oriented)

- Although some venues have been assessed by an auditor there has been no publication for the

tourists of the results, nor feedback about the audit to the owner. Therefore make the accessibility

information available and continue auditing the venues on a regular basis and update. Make on

overview of the accessibility of the destination and develop an overall action plan

- Register and monitor the number of the assessed venues

- Implement results of studies (accessible venues, mobility, activities,….)

- Register the offers and the proportion of the accessible undertake actions to increase the number

of accessible activities and offers

Destination product development

- Develop and implement a national and international marketing and promotion strategy

- Accessible destination brand label to enhance the visibility

Accessible Tourism Experience

- Deliver an accessible tourism experience

- Development of trainings for the stakeholders, employees,…

- Gathering feedback from visitors for evaluation

When all success factors are achieved the enterprise (micro scale) or destination (macro scale) is accessible. Unfortunately, lot of venues and/or destinations aren’t accessible at this moment. There is a

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severe lack of provision for the needs of tourists with disabilities. The market is not generally accessible. Some businesses are, others falsely claim to be, and some don’t care. Some would like to, but don’t know how. One way of rewarding the businesses that are truly complying with the accessibility goals is by giving them credible outside recognition and certification is a tool for doing so 7. The certification process can also teach businesses about better or exemplary practices, even if the business never gets certified. Of course it is not enough to certify individual venues and businesses. To get an accessible touristic area you have to investigate and certificate the whole region in all its different aspects. Certification sets standards and helps distinguish genuine accessible tourism from others that make empty claims. In the approach taken for development of a Accessible Tourism Destination Certification Programme, the goal should be to measure two things:

• excellence in accessibility infrastructure and service provisions, and

• quality of the accessibility policies, including management processes and procedures that aim to

guarantee and improve the level of accessibility for all visitors.

Certification is not an end in itself. It is one of a number of tools for motivating businesses and others to improve their environmental, social, and economic performance, while rewarding them for doing so. These rewards are sometimes tangible and sometimes not. There are a number of other reasons why certification is important. In a the study ‘A simple user’s guide to certification for sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism’ of CESD8 they have investigated these reasons. Applied to accessibility the benefits are: Benefits for certified businesses - It (usually) refers to a detailed specification of requirements or standards which service

providers must satisfy in order to receive the label (or other mark of approval). This gives providers

a clear set of targets to aim for, when developing their accessible services

- Certification helps businesses to improve themselves: going through a certification process is

educational. Many certified businesses have stated that one of the greatest benefits of the

certification process was to teach them the elements of accessibility in their operations and focus

their attention on the changes they needed to make in their businesses. A better-operating

business tends to be more efficient and to attract more clients.

- The process of implementing certification of accessible tourism is often accompanied by easier

access to technical assistance and financing for businesses to implement new technology – the

business is educated about these technologies, while donors and financial institutions are more

likely to offer low-cost financing.

- It provides the destination and the individual venue with a marketing tool (- usually in the form of a

label or pictogram) which can be used to catch the attention of potential visitors and inform

them about access, when choosing a destination, for example when searching magazines or the

Internet, before travelling;

7 Lousã, Accessible Tourism Destination, Portugal, Toegankelijkheidsbureau & Ivor Embrose, 2011. 8 Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD, undated) ‘A simple user’s guide to certification for sustainable

Tourism and Ecotourism’.

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- Potentially, certification can provide a marketing advantage to certified businesses, as consumers

learn to recognize credible certification brands. This has happened in other industries, such as

organic foods, wood products, clothing, wine, etc.

Benefits for consumers

- Certification provides tourists with impairments choices – it helps consumers to know which

businesses are truly accessible and to make choices on this basis. As certification programs

become better known, this may produce tangible benefits in a business’s reputation and popularity.

An access certification label can be used at the destination to indicate those venues which have

been assessed and approved according to the scheme, thus making these places or services

easier to find.

- When there are two of more providers with similar offers, the one which carries the access label will

be a more obvious choice for the visitor who needs good access.

- When the whole access certification scheme is managed and regulated carefully, it provides visitors

with disabilities with the overall reassurance that their access needs are being taken care of and

that “…here we need not to worry about unpleasant surprises due to lack of access”.

- It provides functional assurance - that the place or services will actually meet the needs of one of

more specified target groups of persons with disabilities (which may go beyond the legal

requirements);

- Certification in general increases public awareness of responsible business practices.

- Certification can alert tourists to the accessible issues in an area, allowing them to act more

respectfully.

- Certified businesses tend to offer better quality service.

Benefits for governments

- Certification helps governments protect their market niches as accessible tourism destinations.

- Certification raises industry standards in health, safety, environment, and social stability.

- It lowers the regulatory costs of environmental protection.

- It provides legal recognition that a place or service complies with the prevailing laws on

accessibility (i.e. fulfils legal requirements);

- By requiring economic benefits to communities, certification can help reduce poverty, especially in

rural areas.

Finally, certification of accessible tourism protects the social and economic structure of local communities near the certified businesses.

- It requires businesses to respect accessibility and provide real economic and social benefits for it.

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- When the business is economically sustainable, and offers quality of service to ensure the

accessibility, it is likely to continue offering benefits for the long term.

That way the process and evaluation of a system, also in the future, will be very important. In the certification system, all success factors should be included, assessed and actions should be made for all items to increase the accessibility. The system includes not only an analysis of the current situation but the development of an action plan, based on that analysis, and a commitment by the decision maker to address identified weaknesses and gaps, within a given time-frame. The certification should also be considered as a label which shows an ongoing commitment to accessible tourism as part of a process of continual improvement by implementing the action plan, and not only a mark of recognition for the achieved results. It is important that the assessment and the set up of an action plan should be repeated after a few years. A repetitive cycle of planning, implementation and evaluation is necessary to achieve the final accessible business or destination for all.

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ATTACHMENT

Accessible Tourism Requirements and Good Practices

Good Practice Requirements

ACCESSTOUR TEMPLATE FOR GOOD PRACTICES

Name:

Contacts:

General information:

Pictures:

Success factor

1 Policy, strategy and evaluation:

Commitment of decision-makers, Coordination and continuity, Strategic planning, Qualification and knowledge transfer, Communication and distribution.

2 Network and partnerships

3 Accessible Tourism Value Chain

and visitors journey

4 Destination and product

development +

Information

5 Accessible Tourism Experience

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Good Practice Examples

Name: De Dielis, holiday center for people with

special needs Contacts: Hamont-Achel, Belgium General information: The Dielis is an accomodation that has all the

necessary infrastructure to accommodate people with special needs (groups from institutions but also families). The Dielis offers children and adults with severe mental or multiple disabilities the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing holiday. Capacity: 24 people

Pictures:

Succes factor

1 Policy, strategy and evaluation: Commitment of decision-makers, Coordination and continuity, Strategic planning, Qualification and knowledge transfer, Communication and distribution.

Initiative of two individuals, who departed from their

personal commitment and their work experience in

care facilities.

Advise of an accessibility office during the design and

the building activities

Subsidy of Tourism Flanders

2 Network and partnerships Personal contacts derived from their work in care

sector

Designers, contractors,…

Tourism Flanders

Accessibility office

Services: nursing (wit-gele kruis, red cross),

minders/sitters (Lidoa and volunteers), mobility

(accessible transport service, taxi Hendriks,...)

3 Accessible Tourism Value Chain and visitors journey

The whole venue ( entrance, doors, kitchen, all rooms

and bathrooms) and the garden are accessible

Availability of a lot of aids: wheelchairs, lifter, heating

lamp in bathrooms,…

Great service and special adapted offers for nursing,

sitting, mobility,…

Easy booking (website, phone,…)

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4 Destination and product development + Information

Accessibility certification (A+ label Tourism Flanders)

Website (www.dedielis.be) with a good overview of all

facilities and of all accessible activities in the

environment

Documentary (Vlaanderen Vakantieland)

Promotions

Accessibility information of the internal accessible

services:

Accessible kitchen, bathrooms and rooms

Elevator

Mobile hoist

Beds and bath: adjustable height

Heating lamps, colorful led lamps

Wheelchairs, shower wheelchair, shower stretcher,

shower seat

Alarm in all rooms, bathrooms and toilets

Storage with sockets for electrical wheelchairs

Co-operation with Red Cross, nursing (wit-gele kruis,

red cross), minders/sitters (Lidoa and volunteers),

mobility (accessible transport service, taxi Hendriks,...)

Accessible garden: animals, accessible playground,…

Accessibility information offered by the territory all

around:

Accessible walking routes ( municipality Hamont-

Achel)

Accessible swimming (Dommelslag Overpelt)

Cuddle room Sence City ( Sint-Oda, Overpelt)

Accessible wellness

Accessible tilt car

Accessible skiing

Rent of accessible bikes ( municipality Hamont-Achel)

Accessible playgrounds


Because of all facilities, all extra services and the

commitment of the owners, the visitors will experience

a great holiday.

Feedback is gathered (evaluation form, personal

contacts of owners with visitors)

Name: Het Vinne, public provincial domain Contacts: Zoutleeuw, Belgium General information: This recreation area is the green visit card of the

province Vlaams-Brabant and it is unique in Europe. During a relaxing walk around the largest inland sea of Flanders . In the visitors center visitors will get a lot of information about the huge diversity of the waterfront fauna and flora. Most facilities are

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accessible. Pictures:

Success factor


Commitment of the province

The province has one person who is responsible for

accessibility in all levels of the provincial policy. He

also is responsible for the budget and coordination

Collaboration with an accessibility office from the first

design until the implementation

2 Network and partnerships Accessibility office

Designers, contractors

All employees of the public domain ( hosts, green

service,…)

Tourist office

Municipality

Interreg Project


Outdoor: Accessible routes (walkways and cycling

routes), adapted play area,…

Buildings: adapted lavatory, exhibition, Food &

Beverages,…

Aids: adapted bicycles for rent , Daisy-player

Adapted wayfinding


Promoting in brochures, website

(vlaamsbrabant.be/vrije-tijd-

cultuur/provinciedomeinen/het-vinne-zoutleeuw), …

Arrangements of accessible activities

Documentary ( Vlaanderen Vakantieland)

Accessibility information of the internal accessible

services:

Accessible playground

Accessible wayfinding

Accessible walking and cycling routes for all

Accessible toilet, exhibition, restaurant

Rent of accessible bikes

Daisy player


around:

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Accessible walking and cycling routes

Accessible venues in the surrounding


Training for employees ( fe green service, guides,…)

Accessible offer includes all items of the visitors value

chain which makes this destination an accessible one.

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Name: Lousã , Accessible Tourism Destination Contacts: Lousã, Portugal General information: Located in the central region of Portugal, Lousã is an

area which epitomises the unspoilt beauty of the Serra da Lousã mountain landscape. Following an initiative to host the first National Accessible Tourism Conference in April 2007, Lousã civil society organised a Task Force to plan for the development of Lousã as the first Accessible Tourism Destination in Portugal. The project, which is supported by national and EU funding, aims to serve as an example both nationally and internationally.One of the first actions of the Task Force has been the launch of an "Accessible Lousã" label for public and private enterprises. Over 100 members of the scheme have received the label, advertising their commitment to the objective of accessibility for disabled people, and their willingness to take concrete measures to improve access, so as to make Lousã a destination suitable for all visitors.

Pictures:

Succes factor


Municipality with ombudsman

Coordination by technical team

Structure committee: local agents with responsibilities

of promotion and execution of action plans

Monitory committee to report

Advisory committee: national and international

2 Network and partnerships Municipality with ombudsman and committees

Local partners: venue owners, rehabilitation center

Arcil, tourist agents, medical services, technical staff,

…

Tourist office

Tour operators ( Accessible Portugal)

Accessibility office Belgium

ENAT


All parts of the tourism value chain were investigated,

problems were indicated and action plans were made

for all those parts

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Development of an accessible destination certification

program + label which includes infrastructures and

services.

Implementation of the action plan: improve

pavements, provide ramps, accessible activities

(descida da Serra,….),provide extra services,…


Seminars ,…

Lot of promotion on different levels: website (www.cm-

lousa.pt/turismo_acessivel), television, congress,

brochures,…


around:

Accessibility information about all investigated parts of

the tourism value chain presented at different

seminars.

5 Accessible Tourism

Experience Trainings for stakeholders, venue owners, staff,…

There are over 120 enterprises participating in the

Lousã Accessible Tourism Destination labelling

scheme. Members of the scheme are committed to

make access improvements in their facilities and

services, while training courses in disability awareness

and “welcoming all” have been conducted for different

groups of businesses. Because of this visitors with

special needs feel welcomed and at home in Lousã.

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Name: I Girasoli

Contacts: [email protected]

General information: In the heart of the Tuscan countryside, Lucignano is the

location of the Casa Vacanze I Girasoli, an inviting hotel with universal design rooms, bungalows, restaurant

and accessible pools, nestled in a magnificent maritime

pine park on the border between Arezzo and Siena. The Casa Vacanze I Girasoli is a quiet oasis for nature

vacation, near the main Tuscan – Umbrian cities and an excellent starting point for enchanting trips and

excursions. Full of ample outdoor spaces, ideal for a vacation with children, the hotel has a restaurant,

two pools (one heated), bar, gym, tennis court, free

parking and three meeting rooms for business and training meetings.

Pictures:

Success factor Even if owned and managed by AISM (Italian Association

for Multiple Sclerosis), the hotel, including rooms and bungalows, is open to all guests, not only to persons with disabilities. The rooms, all with private bathrooms, are inspired and equipped in respect of the universal design concept and allow enter and move by wheel chair. The wooded park of the hotel is wide and flat. The swimming pool and gym are full equipped for people with disabilities and provided with specialized staff. The restaurant provide meals inspired to traditional recipes and using mostly organic products. The prices are very reasonable and the offer is therefore very appreciated by groups.



The accommodation policy is inspired to give offer targeted to all kind of guests, with specific attention to satisfaction of needs from persons with disabilities and their families. The staff is continuously trained to support this kind of public and qualified according to high quality standards. The communication to the public is very effective both at level of the hotel offer, as well as for the general contents

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provided by AISM.

2 Network and partnerships AISM ONLUS is a non-profit organization based in Rome and in Genova, with premises for accommodation in various regions. “I Girasoli” is the most important of them. AISM has national and international partnerships and contacts with social and tourism operators and associations such as ENAT.



AISM is the leader of an ongoing project on improvement of accessible tourism facilities and design with a specific focus on accommodation, staff training and services for guided visits. For the purpose of guided visits a bus is available equipped for persons with limited movements.


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Information

Promotion on the website www.igirasoli.ar.it of the hotel in Italian and English and on the AISM official website www.aism.it . Assistance and services are provided at high level for any needs of the guests, also due to continuous staff training and initiatives to favour entertainment and wellbeing.

5 Accessible Tourism Experience From tourism location for multiple sclerosis patients to hotel open to all guests including persons with different disabilities. The weak and threat points due to a target of persons with multiple sclerosis were turned into strong and opportunity points by opening the hotel to all. As a consequence staff training and universal design became the most important trends for “I Girasoli”. Also the communication was addressed to a wide range of potential guests, with focus on assistance and services for persons with different disabilities.

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Name: Therapeutic Parks

Contacts: [email protected] ; tel. +39 075 5045793

General information: The Region Umbria has been developing since 2012 a project based on accessible tourism and social tourism in the natural parks. The first step of the project consists of rural farms in the Subasio Natural Park, near Assisi, adapted to accommodation and laboratories for persons with mental disabilities. One of the farms, called “La

semente”, has been restored, equipped and managed by ANGSA (Parents’ National Association of Autistic Persons). This experience has been shared also with a farmers’ association and the University of Perugia.

Pictures:

Success factor The study on the way to adapt at the best old rural houses

in order to put up persons with mental disabilities has been carefully analyzed by a team constituted by architects, agronomists, social and health operators and parents of persons with mental disorders. This multidisciplinary approach has contributed to design rooms and open spaces oriented to wellbeing of persons with various mental disabilities.

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The involvement of technical staff members and parents since the beginning of the project has allowed start within 2 years with the basic services to the guests. The group of old farms in the middle of a natural park, with agricultural fixtures, is the centre of the activities consisting of rooms and common spaces inside and horticultural cultivations, greenhouses, stables outside planned to be safely attended by persons with mental disabilities. Also part of the therapeutic park bike and trekking paths and sport plants for leisure time.

2 Network and partnerships The partnership is constituted of the Region of Umbria, municipalities, parents’ associations, social and health units, University of Perugia and other stakeholders and supporters.



The tourism approach as communication aiming at attracting tourists is still not a focus of the activities, but it will be more developed when the centre and services will be sufficiently experimented.


development +

Information

The current use of the centre is addressed to persons with autistic disorders, basically hosted at “La semente”. The feasibility of tourism activities more generally addressed to persons with mental disabilities has been studied and tested within a 2-year research in the framework of the Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 measure 124 (innovation). The results are going to be published under coordination of the University of Perugia.

5 Accessible Tourism Experience This first step can provide a starting point for a more general accessible tourism experience oriented to persons with mental disabilities. The integration of health services with the rural space and agricultural activities can be considered a new frontier of assisted therapies and activities addressed to persons with mental disorders.

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