February marks the end of ELMA’s first year in action and It will also mark the beginning of a new era for ELMA. The future of ELMA looks bright and it is now hoped that the next steps for ELMA will bring local enterprise closer so that together we may move into developing an Accessible Vuokatti… A VUOKATTI FOR ALL!
January has been ELMA’s biggest month yet. Thanks to the efforts of the ELMA team here in Vuokatti, much has been accomplished. This month has seen the First steps into the future Ridderrennet International circuit, Research cooperation between the Snowpolis research units and Paralympic sport, and more importantly the future of Sport and leisure for the disabled to be cradled here in Vuokatti.
This spring, Certu (the Centre for Studies on Urban planning, Transport and Public facilities, France) will publish a study about practices improving access for all in 11 European cities. This analysis is part of a comprehensive review led by Certu to identify interesting examples of accessibility practices in Europe.
London 20 January 2011. The most comprehensive business case for accessible tourism in England launches today. The booklet, entitled ‘At Your Service’, has been created through a joint partnership between the Government’s Accessible Tourism Stakeholder Forum and VisitEngland with the aim of inspiring tourism businesses to improve accessibility for customers in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games & Paralympic Games.
Scott Rains has been highly commended in the Best Personal Contribution category at this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards organised by responsibletravel.com.
The newly opened Scandic Oslo Airport hotel has wheelchair access in all 245 rooms. Each room also serves as a haven for allergy sufferers, who have also been given full consideration in all the public spaces in the hotel. Scandic has tried to think of all forms of physical disability: mobility issues, allergies and impaired sight or hearing. Scandic Oslo Airport is the first hotel in the Nordic region to be approved by the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association (NAAF).
The 5th European Greenways Conference held in Madrid from the 10th to the 12th of June brought together more than 160 people from 12 countries, focussing on pathways and cycling routes. Participants included policy makers and experts from European Greenways, European tourism authorities and representatives of State and community governments involved in planning, building, maintenance, management and promotion.
This book of readings by Italian and international authors was prepared in 2010 by the Italian Institute of Tourism for All in order to provide an overview of historical developments, current trends and perspectives on the future of accessible tourism. The text is in Italian and English.
The European network of cities, EUROCITIES, has established a Working Group on Barrier-Free Cities for All. The Group is chaired by Ms. Barbara Berninger, City of Berlin.
