Accessible Travel

Independent Living Institute Newsletter 2000-08

Newsletter Index and Info

Contents

• Editorial
• New in the Library
• Books on Disability and Travel
• Disability Travel and Leisure Resources
• Upcoming Events and Conferences
• Other Services Offered by the Institute
• Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

Editorial

Travel Anyone?

On the Northern hemisphere we are enjoying summer now, a time to enjoy the outdoors, take vacations and travel. This is also the time when we are reminded of the limitations imposed on us by handicapping environments. As we leave our familiar territory and venture off to new places we face more obstacles, frustrations and expenses than the average person: no matter where we live or visit, we are still far away from equal opportunities in infrastructure and cultural and social life.

In a number of countries Tourism for All can be used as a backdoor to Universal Design. With the increasing number of retired persons in industrialized countries tour operators the world over increase their market by offering accessible and comfortable facilities. Today¼s seniors are more affluent and enterprising than ever before. They are leaving the confinement of resort hotels and cruise ships to experience the culture and nature of their host countries. In the future, Universal Design in all infrastructure will be an area of competition among cities and countries depending on tourism.

No matter which approach we use - Universal Design as a human right or Tourism for All as good business - we, disabled people and our organizations, need to be in the forefront of this development to make sure that our needs are taken into account, in a functional and dignified fashion.

In the meantime, there are a number of organizations and resources that can make traveling easier for you. We added a completely new section of resources on travel and leisure to our site and posted full-text articles on this theme in our virtual library.

Enjoy

Adolf D. Ratzka, Ph.D.
Director, Independent Living Institute

**************************************************
New in the Library - Recreation & Travel
http://www.independentliving.org/Library/Library_Contents25.html
**************************************************

Here are just a few titles:

What is a Joëlette?
http://www.independentliving.org/docs1/joelette.html

Read about how one parent's invention made travelling easier and more pleasant for his son, despite the latter's disability.

The Joëlette in Action: A Trip to Peru
http://www.independentliving.org/docs5/peru1997.html

See how travelling with a disability just got easier with the Joëlette in action on a trip to Peru, where even the toughest terrain can be conquered with this wonderful invention!

Ethics challenges: Health, safety and accessibility in International Travel and Tourism
http://www.independentliving.org/docs1/richter.html
Enormous increases in international travel by public sector employees and others, along with incidents of terrorism, accidents and disease, raise a variety of ethical issues not normally covered in the training of public personnel administrators or in the standard administrative ethics course. Issues of accessibility for individuals with disabilities take on new dimensions when they travel abroad. This paper provides an overview of trends and issues, explores their ethical dimensions and identifies relevant strategies to prepare public administrators to deal appropriately with these concerns.

**************************************************
Books on Disability and Travel
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=independentliv05&keyword=handicapped+travel&mode=books
**************************************************

Through our new affiliate, Amazon.com, the Institute's Bookstore offers a selection of books directly related to Disability and Travel. If you've recently read a book you think is relevant to the Institute and would like to offer a short review, please contact our web-editor.

**************************************************
Disability Travel & Leisure Resources
**************************************************

We have compiled a comprehensive list of Disability Travel and Leisure resources to help you locate the right vacation for you!
Just go to: http://www.independentliving.org/links/links-travel-and-leisure.html

United Nations Standard Rules: Accessibility
http://www.independentliving.org/standardrules/StandardRules2.html#anchor1370198
Although the United Nations Standard Rules imply no legally binding responsibility, it has become an important instrument in the hands of the disability community to demand full access as a human right. Read Rule number 5 on Accessibility as a target area for equal participation.

Buses for All (Europe): Update

http://www.independentliving.org/docs5/access/buses3.html
Buses for All (Europe) is a small group of volunteers who have a strong interest in buses being accessible for all people with disabilities. Buses for All (Europe), along with disability organisations and other allies, have been pressing the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council of Ministers to make full access a compulsory part of the design rules. Read the latest news in Buses for All's campaign to gain universal access to all buses in Europe.

**************************************************
Don't forget to visit our other great on-line services below!
**************************************************

Accessible Vacation Home Exchange
http://www.independentliving.org/vacaswap.html
Swap your home during your next vacation with somebody in such destinations as France, Egypt the UK or Canada. We have over 100 attractive offers waiting for you! Our base of participants lists the accessible features of their homes and dates they wish to travel.

Assistant Referral Service
http://www.independentliving.org/assex/index.html
Many persons with extensive disabilities use employed workers for such daily tasks as getting bathed and dressed, shopping, driving their car or anything else which they cannot do by themselves.

Our ambition is to match assistance users and assistants in their hometown, within their country or in other parts of the world. For example, if you as an assistance user plan to take a trip abroad, you might want to put in an ad offering a position in that city you will be visiting. In this case, you might want to use English. If you need an assistant in your hometown, use your own language. In this case it is easier to match your request.

Assistance users can find assistants through the Personal Assistance Exchange, while assistants can regularly check the site for job openings.

Global Networking
http://www.independentliving.org/donet/index.html
Global Networking now has over 240 organizations from around the world offering information to partner organizations for joint projects, events, sharing resource persons for lectures, training or technical assistance, for study visits, internships or other cooperation including funding. Add your organization now.

Our Online Library!
http://www.independentliving.org/Library/content2.html
Check out our ever-growing on-line library containing hundreds of independent living articles, resources and subjects of interest for all people with disabilities! We add new articles all the time on such subjects as: Universal Design, Human Rights and Disability, Women with Disabilities, the latest in Assistive Devices, National Policies of various countries, and much more, so check back often!

Discussion Forums
http://www.independentliving.org/cgi/forum/bbs_entrance.cgi

Current threads under the Access/Universal Design Forum are:

• looking for suggestions of books, articles, or interior design ideas, relating to Cognitive Disability.
• invitation to join the accessibuilt mailing list hosted by mailbase and run by the SURFACE research team at Salford university.
• help needed working on a project to build a Universal Design apartment complex in Tokyo, Japan.

Regardless of what you have on your mind, you'll find an appropriate discussion forum that allows you direct contact with the thousands of visitors to our site each month. Among the variety of themes such as human rights; personal assistance; and relationships, sexuality & family, there is also one for personal assistance.

**************************************************
Upcoming Events and Conferences
**************************************************

World Congress - Inclusion by Design - Planning the Barrier-Free World
Hosted by the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work from June 1-5, 2001 in Montréal, Québec, Canada (Palais des Congrès de Montréal).

There are three major themes:

1. Inclusive Employment;
2. Inclusive Communities;
3. Universal Access.

The main objective of the event will be to look at inclusive policies which can be developed and implemented through government, corporate and community infrastructures. Senior Canadian and international representatives are invited to attend this truly unique and progressive event. Delegates comprised of policy makers, educators, professionals, organizations and individuals will focus on implementing inclusive policies and programs, universal design and equal access for all people.

They are inviting all interested people to participate in this unique event by either presenting your work and contribution in support of inclusive employment, inclusive communities & universal access or attending the Congress to listen to others and develop future policies.

Deadline for the submission of papers is November 3, 2000.

Inclusion by Design is a call to the world to stop, think and take action. Come and share your expertise!

The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work
500, University Avenue, Suite 302
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M5G 1V7
Tel: (416) 260-3060 ext.231 or 1-800-664-0925 ext.231
Fax: (416) 260-3093
email: congress@ccrw.org
website: http://www.ccrw.org/

**************************************************
Get Published
**************************************************

http://www.independentliving.org/publish.html
Expose your articles, reports, training manuals or other resources to people with disabilities, researchers, service providers, government officials and policymakers all over the world.

**************************************************
The Previous Newsletter
**************************************************

Our previous newsletter on Universal Design is archived at:
http://www.independentliving.org/newsletter/1_00.html

Click on back issues of our other newsletters containing these interesting themes!

Personal Assistance
Networking
Human Rights

**************************************************
Coming Issues of the Newsletter
**************************************************

In our next newsletter we take up the theme of "Internet for Independent Living". Please send your articles, references to useful resources, reviews, etc. to us.

---