United States Transport Security Administration Assistance for People with Disability

Following on from a previous blog discussion on Air Travel and Disability that outlined the European Union initiatives on customer service for travellers with disabilities in airports, we find a similar initiative in the US. The US Transport Security Administration (TSA) has recently announced enhancements to its support for travellers with disability and those with medical conditions. The program is an extension of their TSA Cares Program, as shown in the Photo 1, provides a dedicated number for travellers with disability or medical conditions to improve customer service provision across US airports and airlines. However, the new initiatives go a lot further than this and include "Passengers with special circumstances may include travelers with disabilities or medical conditions, Wounded Warriors, passengers who wear specific religious clothing or head coverings and passengers struggling with understanding checkpoint procedures" (TSA, 2013). The separate program recognising Wounded Warriors expedites veterans with disability and medical conditions through the travel process (TSA, 2013).

Photo 1: TSA Cares graphic (Source: http://www.tsa.gov/ 2013)

Information released from TSA on 6 March 2013 about the Passenger Support Specialists Program (PSS) included (TSA, 2013):

• "Passenger Support Specialists are Transportation Security Officers, Lead TSOs and Supervisors who, in addition to their regular checkpoint duties, have volunteered to take on the collateral responsibility of assisting passengers who may be in need of assistance.
• A traveler who needs assistance or is concerned about his or her screening can ask a checkpoint officer or supervisor for a Passenger Support Specialist at the respective checkpoint. Or, if TSA personnel recognize someone is having difficulty, a PSS could be called to ask whether assistance is needed.
• TSA still encourages travelers with disabilities and medical conditions to contact TSA Cares before they fly. At some airports, Passenger Support Specialists will also complement the TSA Cares program.
• In the course of assisting a passenger, the PSS will adhere to all of TSA's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). While customer service will be emphasized, security is our primary mission and will not be compromised.
• While all Transportation Security Officers receive training on how to screen individuals with disabilities and medical conditions, PSSs receive enhanced training directly from subject matter experts in the field of disability and from individuals with disabilities themselves.
• PSSs receive approximately four hours of additional training, including two hours from the TSA Disability Branch, focused specifically on travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. This training includes additional instruction on civil rights for individuals with disabilities and medical conditions, and strategies for providing assistance with dignity and respect.
• Members of TSA's disability coalition helped to develop, and participated in, the training of our PSS volunteers to ensure that our specialists are learning directly from the community they will be assisting.
• TSA is committed to having a Passenger Support Specialist available during all screening checkpoint operating hours. If a traveler believes he or she may need to request the assistance of a Passenger Support Specialist, he or she is encouraged to arrive at the airport early and immediately ask an officer or a supervisor for a PSS". 

The European Union and the US have taken the lead on such initiatives and we can only hope that Australasian, Asian, African, Latin American and other nations can also be so strategic in their approaches to supporting people with disability and those with medical conditions when travelling. It is this type of customer service initiative that will start to breach the significant gap between the experiences of people with disability and the general public in not only transportation related matters but across accessible tourism experiences. These initiatives are what are required by the tourism industry more generally to address the requirements of the United Nations' (2006; 2008) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Articles 9 and 30, which specifically identified transport and tourism*. 

Note *: see previous post on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

References

Transportation Security Administration. (2013). About transportation security administration  Retrieved 29 March, 2013, from http://www.tsa.gov/about-tsa 

United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. New York http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/convtexte.htm: United Nations General Assembly A/61/611 - 6 December 2006.

United Nations. (2008, 3 May). Landmark un treaty on rights of persons with disabilities enters into force  Retrieved 12 May, 2008, from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26554&Cr=disab&Cr1=

Accessible Cairns - Regional Destination Development

In following on from the blog discussion on Research is only good if it brings about improved access and accessible experiences - Lessons from Dunedin, New Zealand - we are presenting an article on accessible tourism in Cairns, Queensland Australia. The article is the outcome of a regional accessible destination workshop undertaken for the Queensland Government and Cairns Regional Council in 2011. It is an excellent example of partnership between Cairns Regional Council, a cutting edge local government access officer Ian Chill (featured in previous blog post wheelchair bungy jumping), local tourism operators and other stakeholders. It is one of many tourism initiatives that Far North Queensland Tourism are hoping to reinvigorate regional tourism in the area.

Cameron, B. (2012). Accessible Cairns - destination experience development. Australasian Leisure Management, 56(January/February), 58-59. Retrieved from http://www.ausleisure.com.au/

Accessible Cairns

Bruce M Cameron assesses Cairns’ credentials as an accessible destination

In an attempt to provide tourism operators in Cairns with an insight into Accessible Tourism and its revenue generating possibilities, the Cairns Regional Council and Queensland Department of Communities sponsored an Accessible Tourism Fourm last year. The Forum attracted a broad spectrum of tourism operators including accommodation providers, attraction and experience owner/managers and transport providers.

In opening the forum, Queensland Disabilities Minister Curtis Pitt explained “Cairns has a good base on which to mprove its share of the accessible tourism market. The recently refurbished Cairns Domestic Airport goes beyond the required accessibility standards and we have a world class tennis  centre and athletics venues that can host all ability sporting  events. We already have good infrastructure in place … there  are over 90 wheelchair accessible rooms available for guests  with varying levels of disability, we have 22 maxi taxis and 55  accessible buses.”

Cairns has confidence in the number of accessible tourism  products offering visitors with a variety of access needs a broad  range of tourism experiences, an attitude best summed up by  Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Director Sales  and Marketing Brian Hennessy who explains “we have been  welcoming visitors from all over the world for many years. In that  time the industry has adjusted to a changing range of social,  cultural and economic drivers. I think that as a community  and as an industry we are very conscious of making Cairns  accessible for tourists, visitors and locals and will continue to  do so.”

Information presented at the Forum by Simon Darcy,

Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney Business School, defined Accessible Tourism (AT) – namely, “AT enables 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 adopts a whole of life approach where people through their lifespan benefit from accessible tourism provision and includes people with permanent and temporary disabilities, seniors, obese, families with young children and those working in safer and more socially sustainably designed environments” [adapted from 1, 2].  

Associate Professor Darcy presented recent economic data revealing that in Australia, the domestic AT market accounts for 11% of the market and is valued at $4.8 billion. Further, people with disabilities in Australia travel on domestic trips lasting between three and five days and travel in an average group size of three to four people [3]. However, destinations seeking to service the AT market are required to take a considered approach embracing credible information conveyed by empowering language which underpins a solid understanding of the accessibility of the operator’s premise.

It first requires a simple process of information provision comprising transport, accommodation, attractions/experiences and services which, if provided well, will result in an accessible travel chain allowing the traveller to make an informed decision to travel to the destination. This information provision doesn’t need to be costly, as people comprising the AT market tend to use their own social media and advocacy networks to share information such as disability and seniors organisations. One participant summarised the forum as “being really helpful to understanding of what my business needs to communicate to people with disabilities.”

So, does Cairns have the requisite accessible tourism destination infrastructure and accessible experiences on which to place the region with a competitive advantage in the market?

Unfortunately, access information available on the official tourism sites is no different to the norm and is of limited use. However, Cairns Regional Council’s web site does offer an extensive array of detailed access information that was strategically collected by Ian Chill, the Council’s Access Officer. Chill’s work has provided a sound knowledge base of the accessible infrastructure and experiences in the region. Yet, this information is embedded in the Council’s website and is not picked up by online search algorithms.

After the Forum, Associate Professor Darcy and I (we are both power wheelchair users) went on a familiarisation trip testing Far North Queensland attractions and locations for their ability to meet the access needs of travellers. The City of Cairns is set out on a rectangular grid of five blocks by five blocks facing the Trinity Inlet. Access around the city has been made easy with excellent crossovers above sometime deep gutters, tactile warning and direction tiles and audio traffic signals at most intersections. Many shops have a step up with the Council identifying this as an area for attention in a streetscape overhaul. Visitors and locals congregate at Cairns Esplanade.

Photo 1: Accessible water playground on Cairns Promenade (with permission Fiona Darcy © 2005)

Where mudflats were once revealed at low tide, there now exists a wonderful accessible and family friendly parkland with barbeques, a shaded beach and a swimming lagoon, with beach wheelchair access. The Esplanade leads to the upmarket wharf area with excellent restaurants, hotels, Casino and marina. While floating pontoons are a feature, the availability to access cruise vessels or even a fishing charter by roll-on/off access is limited.

Our next visit was to the award-winning Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure, located 40 kilometres north of Cairns. Our travelling party of three was able to engage Black & White Cabs to undertake the trip which involved about 45 minutes each way along the spectacular coastline. Upon arrival we noticed two well signed, dedicated wheelchair access parking spaces adjacent to a gently graded crossover to a level entry. The entry counter was not a high unwelcoming barrier but a reasonable counter of about 1150mm high where the Companion Card logo was clearly displayed. 

Photo 2: Croc Attack (with permission Hartleys © 2009)

At the entry the receptionist called the boat drivers to advise of our presence and advise two boats were necessary – one power wheelchair per boat. The entry and exit comprised a well designed and thought out cafeteria, toilets including unisex accessible facility, and gift shop offering plenty of circulation space. Visitors are presented with a fold out colour map which identifies all the activities, the highlight of which is a guided tour on Hartley’s Lagoon where visitors learn about the Estuarine Crocodile (but are kept well away from danger by a clear perspex barrier). Access onto the tour boats was via a fold out ramp, which can get steep when water levels are low. 

Photo 3: author Bruce Cameron boarding the accessible pontoon boat that provides an up close experience with the crocodiles through 50 ha of Billabong (with permission Fiona Darcy © 2011)

Following the cruise, a visit to the crocodile farm to see and handle, under strict supervision, crocodiles up to 1½ metres long is scary but does offer a tactile experience for visitors. Other hands on opportunities are available at the Snake Show and as photograph opportunities with crocs and snakes. Access around the site is via a paved pathway which meanders around and between billabongs and enclosures containing crocs, Cassowary’s, Koala’s and Wallabies.

The Great Barrier Reef is the main draw card for Cairns tourism. However, its disability access is limited. Those using power wheelchairs are best served by cruise operator Quicksilver, which sails from Port Douglas. Otherwise it’s best to discuss your access requirements directly with the operator and to check out the vessel at the wharf before booking.

Other Far North Queensland attractions that offer an accessible experience include Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural experience, Kuranda Scenic Railway and Sky Rail (where users need to check their needs with management). TTNQ’s Hennessey is pretty bullish about Cairns’ qualities, stating “for the most part, a wide range of experiences that make Tropical North Queensland unique are available for the disabled traveller. The challenge is to better promote these so that once a disabled traveller decides on our region as the destination for their holiday, that information is available for him or her to make an informed decision.”

Overall, Cairns’s tourism access rates highly although there are opportunities for improvement. Reliable credible tourist information from tourism sources is a relatively simple improvement while expansion on transport options would see more visitors enjoying the waterways around Cairns and venturing further afield such as Port Douglas and The Daintree Rainforest.

Perhaps Minister Pitt best sums up the ability of Cairns as a destination, “What Cairns can do better is advertise the fact that we have all this in place to host visitors with a disability“.

Bruce M Cameron is Principal and Publisher of  Easy Access Australia. He can be reached on 02 9634 1347, www.easyaccessaustralia.com.au

Reprinted with permission Australasian Leisure Management, January/February 2012 http://ausleisure.com.au/default.asp?PageID=1&n=Home

Concluding Thoughts...

The value of regional workshops for accessible tourism can be measured in terms of both the stakeholders attendance at the workshop (60), engage and the media coverage on both the newspaper and radio[4-8]. The workshop was done in conjunction with a major government disability conference that also provided a visible presence for disability in the streets of Cairns. Of course, the real success will come with future visitation by the people with disability, their family, their friends and associated events that will use the infrastructure.

References

1.         Buhalis,D. and S. Darcy, eds. Accessible Tourism:Concepts and Issues. 2011, Channel View Publications: Bristol, UK. 350.

2.         Darcy, S. and T. Dickson, A Whole-of-Life Approach to Tourism: The Case for Accessible Tourism Experiences. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2009. 16(1): p. 32-44.

3.         Dwyer, L. and S. Darcy, Chapter 14 - Economic Contribution of Tourists with Disabilities: An Australian Approach and Methodology, in Accessible Tourism: Concepts and Issues, D. Buhalis and S. Darcy, Editors. 2011, Channel View Publications: Bristol, UK. p. 213-239.

4.         Anonymous, Access all areas, in Cairns Post2011, Cairns Post: Sydney. p. 11.

5.         Dalton, N., Ready for accessible market, in Cairns Post2011: Cairns.

6.         Dalton, N., Tourist with disability is a growth market - accessibility is the way forward, in Cairns Post2011: Cairns. p. 8. http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/06/24/171075_local-business-news.html

7.         Shorey, K., Regional capacity, readiness and accessible tourism, in ABC Far North (Cairns) Breakfast - 5/08/2011 7:11 AM, K. Storey, Editor 2011, ABC radio: Australia. p. 7 minutes 06 seconds.

8.         Stynes, G., Disability, seniors and market potential for regional areas, in ABC North Queensland (Townsville) - Regional Afternoons - 12 October, G. Stynes, Editor 2011, ABC radio: Australia. p. 10 minutes 11 seconds.

World Report on Disability - The Travel Chain

The World Health Organization (2011) has produced an extensive research report on disability, which reviews evidence about the situation of people with disabilities around the world. It draws together the most recent sources to present a comprehensive overview of the major areas that affect the lives of people with disability. The report consists of 10 chapters including:

• Introduction
• Understanding Disability
• Disability - the global picture
• Genera health care
• Rehabilitation
• Assistance and support
• Enabling environments
• Education
• Work and Employment
• Recommendations

Interestingly, addresses many of the key concepts discussed in the blog including constraints and barriers to participation, universal design and market dynamics but the report does not mention tourism specifically. It does, however, draw attention to United Nations’ (2006) Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and how the articles relate to the importance of participation in all areas of citizenship. While it could be argued that the key chapters discussed in the report cumulatively provide a guide for developing accessible destinations, there is no doubt that the overriding priority of the report in ensuring that all people with disability have accessible environments, services and attitudes in their place of residence. Of course, once this has been completed for local residents, then the same local areas become accessible to tourists with disability visiting the areas.

With regard to travel, the report discusses the concept of the "travel chain" that is defined as

The “travel chain” refers to all elements that make up a journey, from starting point to destination – including the pedestrian access, the vehicles, and the transfer points. If any link is inaccessible, the entire trip becomes difficult (81). Many mass transit providers, particularly in developing countries, have implemented accessibility only partially, for example by providing a limited number of accessible vehicles on each route, making improvements only to the main stations, and providing access only on new lines. Without accessibility throughout the travel chain, the job is incomplete. Inaccessible links require taking an indirect route, creating the barrier of longer travel times. The goal must be for people to have access to all vehicles and the full service area, as well as the pedestrian environment (82). But progressive realization may be the most practical short-term response (WHO 2011, p.179).

Photo 1: Blog Author Simon Darcy boarding low floor accessible bus that forms an important part of the "travel chain" since their introduction in many countries since the late 1990s (© Fiona Darcy 2000)

Photo 1 shows a low floor accessible bus that is one part of a "travel chain" that also needs to be supported by for example accessible timetables, continuous pathways, tactile ground surface indicators and disability awareness trained bus drivers to name a few. In recognising the inherent pragmatism required to ensure the travel chain, this report together with the World Health Organization (2007) Global Age Friendly Cities, provides an impetus for nations and city states to meaningfully address the disability and ageing issues through creating sustainable approaches to these issues as part of addressing disability citizenship across all areas of social participation. The World Health Organization documents can be used to provide a foundation for providing a global understanding within local contexts and to draw the attention of those who are resisting the addressing of these issues. The document concludes by asking three questions that need to be addressed in a policy context: What do we know about people with disabilities?; What are the disabling barriers? And. How are the lives of people with disabilities affected?. In conclusion, the report makes nine recommendations:

·        enable access to all mainstream policies, systems and services;

·        invest in specific programs and services for people with disabilities;

·        adopt a National disability strategy and plan of action;

·        involve people with disabilities;

·        improved human resource capacity;

·        provide adequate funding and improve affordability;

·        increased public awareness and understanding of disability;

·        improve disability data collection; and

·        strengthen and support research on disability.

Interestingly in my own first major report, Anxiety to Access (Darcy, 1998), these recommendations are not dissimilar and provide a sound blueprint for improving travel and tourism industry approaches to disability, access and accessible tourism.

References  

Darcy, S. (1998). Anxiety to access: tourism patterns and experiences of New South Wales people with a physical disability (pp. 76). Sydney: Tourism New South Wales. http://corporate.tourism.nsw.gov.au/Anxiety_to_Access_p783.aspx

United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New York http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/convtexte.htm: United Nations General Assembly A/61/611 - 6 December 2006.

World Health Organization. (2007). Global Age-friendly Cities Guide from http://www.who.int/ageing/age_friendly_cities/en/index.html

World Health Organization, & World Bank. (2011). World Report on Disability, from http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/index.html

  

Blind People's Tourism Experiences: An Exploratory Study from Israel

Adding to Richards, Prichard and Morgan's (2010) (re)envisioning of the tourist experience that provides a wonderful examination of tourism from a non-sighted perspective, comes an exploratory study by Poria, Reichel & Brandt (2011) from Israel. In a qualitative study, they sought to hear the "voice of the customer" (Pakdil & Aydin, 2007) through 15 in-depth interviews of blind people recruited from their personal contacts and organizations for people with disabilities. The environments and service context covered include air travel, hotels and restaurants, art museums and staff behaviour. The chapter highlights the challenges that people who are blind or vision impaired have maintaining independence and dignity in environments away from their home that they are not familiar with where simple enabling practices by tourism organisations could have created a more enabling experience. Photo 1 presents an image of a guide dog friendly environment where many people who are blind or vision impaired report that hospitality providers regularly refuse their entry because they are accompanied by their guide dog even though disability discrimination law in most countries recognises the service practice to be discriminatory (Darcy & Taylor, 2009). The introduction to the chapter is provided together with the full reference to the chapter.

Photo 1: Guide Dog Friendly Envoironment - Wendy David & guide dog relax at a resort in Hawaii (Photo courtesy of Wendy David)

Poria, Y., Reichel, A., & Brandt, Y. (2011). Chapter 9 - Blind People’s Tourism Experiences: An Exploratory Study. In D. Buhalis & S. Darcy (Eds.), Accessible Tourism: Concepts and Issues (pp. 149-159). Bristol, UK: Channel View Publications. http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?k=9781845411602

         

INTRODUCTION

          The tourism literature is increasingly turning its attention to tourists with diverse physical disabilities (Chou & Chao, 2007; Eichhorn, 2007; Yates, 2007). However, there is a dearth of studies about disabled people's perceptions of the tourism experiences. Furthermore, most existing studies focus on wheelchair users, ignoring other segments of the disabled population such as blind or deaf people. This study, centering on blind people's perceptions of the tourism experiences, aimed at minimizing this gap.

This chapter is part of a series of studies documenting the tourism experiences of Israelis with diverse disabilities. The chapter addresses elements which play an important role in blind people's tourism experiences including flights, hotels, hotel restaurants and museums. 

Literature Review

Conceptualizing blindness and disability

          The current study adopts Nicolle and Peters's approach to disability (1999: 122) which asserts that being handicapped is a result of “a mismatch” between the individual's needs and abilities, and the environment. The importance of the link between the individual and the environment was used in the present study with regard to the term "disability." This approach considers the human environment affecting the process through which things are done.

This study is also in line with WHO (2007) ecological conceptualizations of disability and concurs with the social model of disability. The latter presents issues such as the social construction of disability as a state of marginalization and highlights social issues as potential barriers, rather than mere physical aspects of the environment (Shaw & Coles, 2004). This conceptualization was also adopted in recent studies on the tourism experience of people with disabilities (Daruwalla & Darcy, 2005; Yates, 2007).

 

The dearth of Research about blind people's tourism experience

          Existing studies have devoted little, if any, attention to the experiences of blind people. This lack of attention is surprising, first, because of the considerable size of the blind population. Second, blind people often travel accompanied by others. Third, during group travels, the presence of blind people may affect the travel patterns and itineraries of their fellow travelers. Fourth, legislation requiring organizations and companies to offer accessibility to all members of society, particularly to people with disabilities should also be taken into account. Such accessibility legislation is also reflected in rules (e.g., the ADA and the DDA) relevant to the tourism experience of disabled people. In addition, prevailing western social norms recognize travel as a social right of all members of society (Hazel, 2005; Yates, 2007). Finally, travel's contribution to the quality of life of people with disabilities and their well being is well recognized (Kinney & Kinney, 1992; Yau et al., 2004). Therefore, both researchers and practitioners need to investigate blind people's tourism experience in terms of theory and practice.

This chapter focuses on blind people experiences of flights, hotels, and art museums. With regard to the flight experience, there are virtually no empirical studies focusing on blind people. A limited number of studies contain some implicit reference to this topic, while focusing on wheelchair users (Takeda & Card, 2002; Turco, et al., 1988; Yates, 2007). Abeyratne (1995), for example, focuses on the flight and airport experience, referring to issues such as accessibility to the aircraft and flight safety.

With respect to museums, hotels and their restaurants, to the best of our knowledge, no studies exist which refer to the blind. Perhaps, the assumption is that if you cannot see, there is no point being involved in tourist activities. Traditional understandings equating travel with a visual experience may further explain the limited scholarly interest in blind people's tourism experiences (Small, 2008). The

A full copy of the chapter can be obtained from

Poria, Y., Reichel, A., & Brandt, Y. (2011). Chapter 9 - Blind People’s Tourism Experiences: An Exploratory Study. In D. Buhalis & S. Darcy (Eds.), Accessible Tourism: Concepts and Issues (pp. 149-159). Bristol, UK: Channel View Publications. http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?k=9781845411602

References

Abeyratne, R. I. R. (1995) Proposal and guidelines for the carriage of elderly and disabled persons by air. Journal of Travel Research 33 (3), 52-59.

Altman, B. M. and Barnartt, S. N. (2000) Introducing research in social science and disability: An invitation to social science to "Get In"." In B. M. Altman and S. N. Barnartt (eds) Expanding the Scope of Social Science Research and Disability (pp. 1-30). Stanford: JAI Press.

Chou, S-H. and Chao, W-C. (2007) Seeing voices: Travel experience and individual risk of the hearing impaired." In Andreu, L., Gnoth, J. and M.

Darcy, S. (2002) Marginalised participation: Physical disability, high support needs and tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 9 (1), 61-73.

Darcy, S., & Taylor, T. (2009). Disability citizenship: An Australian human rights analysis of the cultural industries. Leisure Studies, 28(4), 419-441.

Daruwalla, P. and Darcy, S. (2005) Personal and societal attitudes to disability. Annals of Tourism Research 32 (3), 549-570.

Eichhorn, V., Miller, G., Michopoulou, E. and Buhalis, D. (2008). Enabling access to tourism through information schemes? Annals of Tourism Research 35 (1), 189-210.

Gladwell, N. Y. and Bedini, L. A. (2004) In search of lost leisure: The impact of careering on Leisure Travel." Tourism Management 25 (6), 685-693.

Grayson, E. and Marini, I. (1996) Simulated disability exercises and their impact on attitudes towards persons with disabilities. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research 19, 123-31.

Grönroos, C. (2001) Service Management and Marketing: A Customer Relationship Management Approach. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

Hazel, N. (2005) Holidays for children and families in need: An exploration of the research and policy contexts for social tourism in the UK. Children and Society 19 (3), 225-236.

Kinney, W. B. & Kinney, W. B. (1992) Predicting life satisfaction among adults with physical disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 73(9), 863-869.

Kozak (eds). Proceedings of the 2007 Advanced in Tourism Marketing Conference (pp. 1-10), September 2007, Valencia, Spain,.

Lee, R. M. (1993) Doing Research on Sensitive Topics. London: Sage.

McKercher, B., Packer, T., Yau, M. K. and Lam, P. (2003) Travel agents as facilitators or inhibitors of travel: Perception of people with disabilities. Tourism Management 24, 465-474.

Nicolle, C. and Peters, B. (1999) Elderly and disabled travelers: Intelligent transport systems designed for the 3^rd Millennium. Transportation Human Factors 1 (2), 121-134.

Pakdil, F. and Aydin, O. (2007) Expectations and perceptions in airline services: An analysis using weighted SERQUAL scores. Journal of Air Transport Management 13, 229-237.

Poria, Y., A. Reichel. and Brandt, Y. (2009a) People with disabilities visit art museums: An exploratory study of obstacles and difficulties. Journal of Heritage Tourism, In print.

Poria, Y., A. Reichel. and Brandt, Y. (2009b) People with disabilities flight experiences: An exploratory study. Journal of Travel Research, In print.

Richards, V., Pritchard, A., & Morgan, N. (2010). (Re)Envisioning tourism and visual impairment. Annals of Tourism Research, 37(4), 1097-1116. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2010.04.011

Riley, R.W. and Love, L. L. (2000) The state of qualitative tourism research. Annals of Tourism Research 27 (1), 164-87.

Ross, G. F. (2004) Ethics, trust and expectations regarding the treatment of disabled staff within a tourism/hospitality industry context. International Journal of Hospitality Management 23, 523-44.

Shaw, G. and Coles, T. (2004). Disability, holiday making and the tourism industry in the UK: A preliminary survey. Tourism Management 25, 397-404

Shaw, G., Veitch, C. and Coles, T. E. (2005). Access, disability and tourism changing responses in the United Kingdom. Tourism Review International 8 (3), 167- 176.

Small, J. (2008) The absence of childhood in tourism studies. Annals of Tourism Research, 35 (3), 772-789.

Small, J., & Darcy, S. (2011). Chapter 5 - Understanding Tourist Experience Through Embodiment: The Contribution of Critical Tourism and Disability Studies. In D. Buhalis & S. Darcy (Eds.), Accessible Tourism: Concepts and Issues (pp. 72-96). Bristol, UK: Channel View Publications.

Smith, R. W. (1987). Leisure of disabled tourists: Barriers to participation. Annals of Tourism Research 14, 376-389.

Takeda, K. and Card, J. A. (2002). U.S. tour operators and travel agencies: Barriers encountered when providing package tours to people who have difficulty walking. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing 12 (1), 47-61.

Turco, D. M., N. Stumbo. and Garncarz, J. (1998) Tourism constraints for people with disabilities. Parks and Recreation 33 (9), 78-85.

Urry, J. (1990) The Tourist Gaze: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies. London: Sage

World Health Organization. (2007) Disabilities.           http://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/. [19-11-2007].

Yates, K. (2007) Understanding the experience of mobility-disabled tourists. International Journal of Tourism Policy 1 (2), 153-166.

Yau, M. K-s., McKercher, B. and Packer, T.L. (2004) Traveling with a disability more than an access issue. Annals of Tourism Research 31 (4), 946-960.

Research from the non-English-speaking World: Airport accessibility in Brazil

I am regularly contacted by undergraduate and graduate students from around the world interested in accessible tourism and disability related issues. One of the reasons for creating this blog was to point people to the literature and research resources of common requests such as economic contribution, constraints and national patterns of participation. One such student was a Master of Science in transport engineering student from Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Teixeira de Castro who was interested in air transport accessibility. Rafael wanted some direction with the literature generally, social approaches to disability specifically and methodology as he was studying under a transport engineering faculty where these issues were outside the scope of his supervisors. I am happy to say that Rafael completed his dissertation and has provided an English language abstract that is provided below.

ABSTRACT FROM THESIS

The difficulties faced by people with special needs in air transport are countless. Many authors have investigated this issue; however, only few researches were dedicated to observing, perceiving and listening to these individuals’ needs. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the accessibility of people with special needs in air transport as a factor for social inclusion. By interviews and interaction with people with special needs, “flowchart models” were developed with the objective to understand the real difficulties imposed by the terminals. The methodology used was a qualitative research based on questionnaires and interviews to people with mobility impairments in partnership with NGOs in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The findings point to the essentiality of airport planners, designers and managers hear the voice of these costumers in order to provide the service they wish to have which is guaranteed by the legislation. Listening to these people, learning about their differences and how to deal with them, is of great value for the development of accessible airport facilities (de Castro, 2010).

I am also conscious that a great deal of the research and literature on accessible tourism is only from the English-speaking world and I implore readers of this blog to encourage researchers from non-English-speaking countries to submit English language abstracts so that we can promote their research and get a better cross-cultural understanding of accessible tourism. Congratulations Rafael!

Readers can contact Rafael on rafatcastro@yahoo.com.br

Photo 1: The researcher - Rafael Teixeira de Castro

References

de Castro, R. T. (2010). Accessibility of Tourists with Special Needs to Air Transport Master of Science Masters, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro.