Seminar participants mentioned that services for PWDs are most often disregarded by tourist establishments which do not make facilities for this group of visitors. The lack or absence of ramps, sidewalks, wheelchair lifts and special toilets produces barriers for them. There are no audio and video guides. ASEAN states are beginning to create infrastructure for disabled people to make tourist sites more accessible.
The Philippines proclaim ‘Tourism for All’, having been more attentive to promoting universal accessibility. The representatives of Japan, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam demonstrated technological advances along with infrastructure developments and discussed the points of improvement in this field. The needs of wheelchair users, visually and hearing-impaired travellers should be taken into consideration if we really wish to make tourism accessible for all. Transportation, accommodation and user-friendly architecture have been identified as the areas for improving the service for PWDs.
Tourist authorities should be more aware of PWD problems. Personnel training is also necessary to exclude discrimination of disabled travellers.
ASEAN Tourist Organizations Urge to Facilitate Travelling for Peple with Disabilities
News in Asia
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Japan Accessible Tourism Seminar which took place in Manila focused on creating conditions for unrestricted travelling for persons with disabilities (PWDs) among other issues.