The city of Stockholm has set a goal, to be achieved at the latest by 2010, to be the most easily accessible capital of the world. The project, "Easy Access", coordinated by Stockholm City Council, plays an important part in reaching this goal. The gains in adapting Stockholm to meet the needs of disabled persons, thereby making it possible for them to participate fully in the social life of the city, are numerous. A society that extends a welcome to everybody to participate in the city´s life, becomes a community that inspires all and sundry to care for her/his fellow-beings. Increased accessibility for disabled persons to points and places in the city also means ease-of-access for everybody.
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 aims to serve as an example both nationally and internationally. The website which is currently in Portuguese, will be available in English, French and Spanish in due course.
At the beginning of 2008, CenterKontura prepared a one-year experimental development Project called SPIT, which was supported by the Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Promotion of Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
PTaccess analyses the state of accessibility of public transport systems for people with disabilities in Europe. Furthermore PTaccess analyses the costs and benefits of good practice examples in making public transport accessible and will deepen the understanding of the transport related contexts of social exclusion of people with disabilities. This project is supported through the Research for policy support heading of the European Union's Sixth Framework Programme, PRIORITY 8.1 Policy-oriented research, Scientific support to policies -- SSP
The INTERREG IVc programme on innovation and environment targets the transnational exchange of experience and good practice between public sector organisations working at municipal, provincial and regional levels in the EU Member States. With the 2nd Call for proposals now open, ENAT is keen to support public authorities in their bids to design and implement transnational projects where accessible tourism is in focus.
ENAT is putting forward plans to develop a 'Consensus Document' of specifications for accessible transport and tourism services for disabled people. The proposal aims to bring together industry, public authorities, disability NGOs and consumer organisations under the auspices of a CEN Workshop Agreement to identify good practices and agree on a set of basic guidelines. A draft document describing the planned 14-month workshop and how to participate is now available for downloading. Interested organisations are invited to provide their comments on this draft by 30th November 2008.
Physically challenged and elderly persons might soon find it easier to access tourist destinations in India as the Government intends to make them barrier-free for the benefit of this section of tourists. The Indian Tourism Ministry has made it mandatory that all tourist facilities, which are being created with Central Government financial assistance, should be barrier-free, the tourism secretary, Mr Shilabhadra Banerjee, said on 24 October at a Training Workshop for Government managers and engineers.
A network of independent travel agents to drive cruise holiday sales and specialist service to disabled travellers could soon be a reality. 'Leading Cruise Agents' is to discuss the possibility following a debate by cruise lines on how to tap into a market of 2.5 million registered disabled travellers in the UK.
On 26 July, new rules came into force to offer persons with disabilities and those with mobility impairments access to air transport, comparable to that of any other passengers flying from airports in the European Union.
The latest newsletter published today by the Standards Unit of Ireland's National Disability Authority (NDA) shows a lively state of activity in new and forthcoming standards which target accessibility for everyone in tourism and at heritage sites.
Following the invitation of the ENAT international Board, travel writer and educator, Dr. Scott Rains has been made a 'Lifetime Honorary Associate Member’ of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).
The toolkit describes the background to the EC Regulation on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. Published in February 2007, it is written principally for members of EDF, providing an overview of the regulation and its transition into full effect in July 2008.