Accessible Tourism

Abstract

Galveston is a small city with numerous tourist attractions: museums, historical buildings, the beach, Moody Gardens, and several festivals each year. This research investigates if these tourist attractions are accessible to the elderly and disabled. The issue is particularly important because tourism represents the greatest possible source for economic growth in Galveston. According to estimates of the “Baby Boom” generation moving toward retirement, the number of potential tourists in the population who will require accessible attractions will increase. Other research has also shown that many individuals with disabilities focus on accessible tourism such as “leisure” trips that serve to immeasurably enhance their quality of life. Based on this research, recommendations are made for future action for the city, the historical foundation, and service providers who rely on tourist dollars. Galveston Island has unique physical characteristics, a large number of historical buildings, a beach, plus a history of hurricanes. These characteristics make accessibility difficult for certain properties.

Accessibility and Conservation in Contemporary Cities: A(n) (Im)possible Coupling

“…24 In other words, there is a tendency to protect and conserve the historicity and authenticity of a place or a building to the detriment of universal accessibility, thereby excluding disabled people. 25 On the contrary, this paper will argue that as irreplaceable as a structure may be, we should seek to try to satisfy the needs of all the people who visit it, 26 and especially of those who live or work near or within it every day. 27 Historical urban buildings are numerous, and are often large and often located in central areas of cities, commonly becoming seats of public institutions, commercial and recreational activities, and public facilities and services.…”

“…49 In addition to the barriers within open spaces that can hinder mobility and access to sites and buildings, there are also obstacles to accessing and moving about within these structures. Issues of accessibility within buildings of historical and cultural interest is explored in literature 50 considering mainly touristic and cultural activities (such as visiting castles and museums), but attention is less often focused on architectural barriers that disabled people encounter in their everyday lives within such buildings. 51 Trento, like many other cities, has numerous historical buildings and structures devoted to public and private offices and activities.…”

Accessibility and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Tourism: Perspective of Tourism Workers in the Ashanti region of Ghana

“…No special-need services are provided by transport organisations. This suggests that persons with disability may find it difficult to travel and this might discourage them from visiting such recreational facilities, as reported by Sen and Mayfield (2004).…”

“…They mentioned numerous logistical factors, such as shower seats and modifiable beds that should be in a hotel room specifically for wheelchair users. Similar studies have also touched on the shortcomings of lodging facilities and transportation difficulties for persons with disability (Parker, 2001;Sen and Mayfield, 2004;Stumbo and Pegg, 2005;Angeloni, 2013).…”

A formação e o ensino do turismo acessível: O caso das escolas profissionais do Faial, Pico e de São Jorge

“…Este conceito, embora muito associado ao desenho universal, tem por base a criação de soluções que permitam o acesso universal aos lugares por qualquer pessoa (Darcy & Buhalis, 2011;Teles, 2014b). Isto é, ao desenhar para todos incluímos aqueles que mesmo temporariamente apresentam mobilidade reduzida ou condicionada (Rosário, 2013) (Sen & Mayfield, 2004;Teles, 2014a;Welch & Jones, 1999). A melhoria da qualidade de vida das pessoas, principalmente aquelas que apresentam mobilidade reduzida ou condicionada constitui, per si, uma prioridade nas atuais políticas nacionais e internacionais, pela urgência na adoção de medidas e soluções inclusivas que garantam o acesso aos lugares a todas as pessoas (Alén, Domínguez, & Losada, 2002).…”