Co-hosted by the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute, Interdependence 2012 is an international four-day conference and exposition with a focus on creating accessible communities and furthering spinal cord injury (SCI) research for a cure. Abstracts are now invited for presentations in the theme session on "Making Communities Accessible for All". The two sub-themes are "Accessible and Inclusive Tourism" and "UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities".
VisitEngland, the national tourist board, has launched a new version of the Access Statement Online Tool, aimed at helping businesses cater for visitors with access needs. This new version is specifically tailored for pubs and has been created in partnership with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC. The Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec announces that the organization Kéroul has been granted $50,000 in non-repayable funding for the implementation of its commercialization plan for The Accessible Road for 2011-2012.
"Touched by Olivia" inclusive playgrounds, Australia (prize-winner) and the "Tourism for All" programme by Tourism Flanders, Belgium (highly commended) have been invited to Hangzhou, China to receive their awards during the 2nd World Leisure Expo and Forum on 18 November 2011.
EDF’s Freedom of Movement campaign is a much-needed initiative to raise awareness of the huge gap between the expectations of people with disabilities to travel freely and the actual situation in Europe, here in 2011. ENAT is pleased to give its support to EDF’s demands for equal access to goods and services and the recognition of disability entitlements across national boundaries.
Fourteen of Spain’s most prominent tourism businesses have signed their commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism at the first International Congress on Ethics and Tourism, which was officially closed by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias (Madrid, Spain, 15-16, September).
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) have signed a Cooperation Agreement aimed at developing ever more accessible tourism for persons with disabilities (Madrid, Spain, 16 September).
Scandic, the Sweden-based hotel group, is intensifying its successful focus on improved accessibility. This year, over 100 new disabled rooms will be added to the portfolio and 2012 there will be even more to meet the large and growing demand. More and more companies and organisations seek rooms and conference facilities that are accessible to all.
People with mobility problems will soon be able to safely and easily enter the water at the public beach of Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus. Beaches equipped for wheelchair users are growing in number all over the globe and the facilities have already been successfully implemented in Greece by the Department of Aeronautical Engineering of the University of Patras.
Showing its commitment to put into effect Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Italian Ministry of Tourism has created a Manifesto promoting Accessible Tourism. ENAT is the first international NGO to support the manifesto.
"All-In: Accessible holiday accommodations in Flanders and Brussels" presents more than 100 holiday centres, hotels, youth accommodations and campgrounds that have received the accessibility label A (basic accessibility) or A+ (comfortable accessibility) following an objective investigation.
The first international certification programme for accessible tourism destinations has been developed and carried out in Lousã, Portugal by the Belgian Accessibility Office, Toegangelijkheidsbureau (TGB). The Certification Programme is a completely new destination management tool which provides an accurate measure of the excellence of an accessible tourism destination, based on strictly defined criteria.
