Practical Paris

FOR several years, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau has been active on the subject of accessibility, leading dedicated workshops and raising awareness among Parisian tourism professionals who are seeking to improve the welcome they offer to their visitors. Helping all visitors to enjoy and explore the French capital they have published the 2019-2020 version of its dedicated brochure Accessible Paris.

This practical 28-page guide provides visitors with everything they need to know on how to get to and around #Paris, where to stay, and also where to find adapted places for entertainment. It is also a source of information for #accessible cultural attractions and recreational activities, and suggests a sightseeing itinerary adapted to wheelchair users. The rich content of this new edition provides an increased number of accessible activities for everyone to discover.

Available in French and in English, at the Tourist Office’s information point, at City Hall (Hôtel de Ville), it is also available on request in large print or in (French) braille. In addition, it can be consulted and downloaded on the website PARISINFO.COM, in the rubric ‘Practical/Visiting Paris with a disability’.


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Barrier Free Travel

ENABLE Holidays, the leading tour operator for wheelchair-users and holidaymakers with limited mobility, has unveiled its new accessible holidays brochure for 2018.  The all-new collection includes more holiday types than ever before to cater for the ever-changing needs and aspirations of disabled tourists. 

For the bold adventurer, there are exotic tours (some of which are escorted) to Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, South Africa, India and Vietnam. For lovers of European culture and the good things in life, there’s the opportunity for wine-tasting experiences in France, Italy and Spain. And for holidaymakers looking for a little privacy in an oasis of tranquillity, Enable Holidays has added even more adapted villas across the Mediterranean, Aegean, Canary Islands and Florida.

The entire collection now extends to more than 500 personally audited accessible holidays in over 50 destinations, across 12 different types of holiday.

Lynne Kirby, managing director of Enable Holidays, believes that limited mobility shouldn’t mean limited choice: ‘’ All holidaymakers should have the opportunity to book and enjoy their ideal holiday, adventure or experience – barrier free.

‘’Our job is to source and deliver the widest range of tailor-made holidays to meet the needs of disabled tourists. It’s certainly not the easiest sector of the travel market to specialise in, but we like to do things right; and it’s extremely rewarding to see things come together for changing lives and making dreams come true.’’



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Wheelchairs and Mountains

AT first glance Mount Rainier might not appear to be the best vacation choice for wheelchair-users and slow walkers. After all, the namesake mountain towers some 14,000 feet over the surrounding national park. In fact all three of the Evergreen State’s national parks offer #accessible options for those that use wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches.

This inclusive title is part of Candy B. Harrington’s national park series; and although it’s written for wheelchair-users and slow walkers, moms who have stroller-aged kids will also appreciate the access information in this guide. More access resources for some of America's top #nationalparks can also be found on Harrington’s Barrier-Free National Parks website at www.barrierfreenationalparks.com.

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When in Hungary . . . visit the zoo

THE Budapest Zoo, built in 1866, is the oldest and largest zoo park in Hungary. Until the 1950s, it was the sole zoo park of the country. Its 11-hectare territory has been declared a natural preserve area in 1986. The park features 3,500 species of plants and 750 animal species.

A major renovation began in 1990, resulting in nearly all species getting their modern, spacious habitats. There are quite a few works of art on the territory of the Zoo; the two most significant of these are the Elephant House and the main entrance to the Zoo, built in Art Nouveau style. 

For children the Zoo has a special section where the cubs of some species may be fondled and fed with special food. There are also signs in Braille along with statuettes to touch for the blind. The roads and the animal houses can be accessed by wheelchair.

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Heathrow Enhances Service for Passengers with Hidden and Visible Disabilities

HEATHROW has announced a multi-million pound package of investments and tools to improve the travel experience of passengers with disabilities and mobility restrictions at the airport.

The number of passengers requesting special assistance at Heathrow is rising at approximately 8% annually, with over one million requests in 2017 alone – more than any other European airport. Following a report by the Civil Aviation Authority this year, Heathrow is taking proactive steps to transform its service for these passengers, backed by an investment of £23 million in a revamped, upgraded contract with its special assistance partner, OmniServ.

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Picture Credit: David McKelvey Heathrow Airport, London via photopin

Accessibility guides for England and Scotland

VisitEngland and VisitScotland have launched a website for #tourism businesses to produce accessibility guides.  The guides are a new way for tourism operators to increase business by providing potential visitors with important #accessibility information in a user-friendly format.

As well as being easier for businesses to complete, the new guide format standardises how information is presented making it easier for disabled customers, their friends and family to compare venues.

VisitEngland research in 2015 showed that £12 billion was spent on trips where a member of the party had an impairment. Research by VisitScotland in the same year found £1.3 billion was spent on those trips, which includes day trips, domestic overnight trips and inbound trips.

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Picture Credit: WELS.net Wheelchair Access Sign via photopin

Cebu Pacific invests in facilities for Persons with Reduced Mobility

THE Philippines’ largest carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB), is set to roll-out Disabled Passenger Lifts (DPLs) in key airports in the Philippines. The DPLs which would allow Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRMs) an easier and more comfortable boarding experience on Cebu Pacific flights.

CEB is the first airline to invest in its own DPLs, in line with its thrust to improve passenger experience. The use of the DPL is free of charge for Cebu Pacific passengers with reduced mobility. Aside from Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), these include pregnant and elderly passengers who may have difficulty climbing stairs to board their flights.

In 2016 alone, over 43,000 passengers availed of wheelchair assistance from the check-in counter. Of this number, more than 14,000 were wheeled from the check-in counter and carried to their seats in the aircraft.

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Special Assistance from Heathrow

HEATHROW welcomed over 80 passengers this weekend in its first annual special assistance Open Day. The event was jointly hosted with Omniserv, Heathrow’s special assistant provider, along with disability charities like TryB4uFly, Whizz-kidz, and Spinal Injuries Association, and airlines including Virgin Atlantic. Its aim was to help passengers understand how our Special Assistance service works so passengers with disabilities or mobility restrictions have the confidence and information they need before they travel.

In total, over nine companies exhibited at the Open Day. Passengers were also given the opportunity to go on behind-the-scenes tours of the airport, and to walk them through the actual journeys they would take from check-in to gate.

Over one million passengers at Heathrow request special assistance from the airport each year. Following a critical report by the Civil Aviation Authority this year, Heathrow is transforming its service for these passengers and will soon publish a new action plan outlining practical steps to ensure its special assistance is considered amongst the best in the UK.

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Accessible trains in Russia

THE Federal Passenger Company, a subsidiary of OJSC Russian Railways, has equipped more than 1,400 carriages on 47 branded and international and 7 express trains with removable gangways.

The removable gangways are very strong and have been installed to improve passenger safety and convenience when boarding train from the platform.

These gangways will allow passengers carrying a lot of luggage, families with children, elderly travellers and low mobility passengers on wheelchairs to board and leave the train without difficulty and overcome easily the gap between the train and the platform.

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Trails to follow in the Stubai Valley

AT the ‘WildeWasserWeg’ trail in the Stubai Valley, you can follow the journey of a water drop from its origins in ice to the rushing stream. There is also a new round-trip hike to the ‘Langetalbach’, showing that there are also interesting offshoots off the main course, on which there are no less spectacular natural sites. From July 2017, a pleasant one-hour hike to a small but spectacular waterfall will be available. A combination with all the stages of the ‘WildeWasserWeg’ trail is also possible.

The ‘WildeWasserWeg’ trail in the Stubai Valley is a protective natural jewel with picturesque meadows, rich green Alpine plateaus, bizarrely shaped rock formations, gently flowing streams, thrashing waterfalls, turquoise blue mountain lakes and glacial fields that shimmer in the sun all help to round off the tour of the deeper Stubai Valley. The trail consists of three stages which can be completed individually or together stretching over 10 km and 1,200 altitude meters up to the Sulzenauferner, a glacial field set at 2,477m above sea level.

‘WildeWasserWeg’ events

The Gourmet Hiking Evenings on 29 July at the Ruetz Katarakt, and on 12 August 2016 at the Grawa Waterfall. Hikers can stroll at night with nothing blocking the path, soaking up the wonderful atmosphere and enjoying culinary Stubai delicacies.

For more information, please visit: www.stubai.at/en/accommodations/all-inclusive-packages/summer/

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Accessible Beaches in Cyprus

#CYPRUS has over 40 beaches that are accessible to those with special needs, 11 of which are fully #accessible with 29 partially accessible.

The 11 fully accessible #beaches means the wheelchair user is able to get from the beach into the sea moving on a wooden or plastic ramp. There are also fully accessible facilities and parking places for disabled people. 

Also worth mentioning is the fact that on six of these beaches there is an innovative system (Seatrac) that enables disabled people to have a full access into the sea. It is an automatic system powered by photovoltaic energy, consisting of a seat fixed in a rail that drives the disabled person into the sea at an approximate depth of 60cm. Seatracs are available for use free of charge.

Fully accessible beaches:

Agia Napa: Lanta, Vathia Gonia (Seatrac)

Paralimni: Protaras (Fig Tree Beach), Vrysi C΄ (Seatrac)

Larnaka: Foinikoudes

Lemesos: Akti Olympion A΄ (Seatrac)

Parekklisia: Municipal Beach

Germasogeia : Dasoudi (CTO)

Pafos: Vrysoudia Α (Sodap) (Seatrac)

Polis Chrysochous: Municipal Beach (Seatrac), Dasoudi (camping site) (Seatrac)

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Picture Credit: You Tube

Dominican Republic introduces an app in aid of developing accessible tourism

A new app is available for travellers to the #DominicanRepublic which provides users with information on #accessible #tourism in the destination. 

The RD4ALL application includes updated information on 12 restaurants, four airports, 42 hotels and 21 beaches as well as featuring information on parking facilities, rooms and other services that provide access to individuals in wheel chairs, or who have limited mobility and impaired vision or hearing. 

www.accessdr.com/2016/11/app-for-accessible-tourism-in-the-dominican-republic/

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Accessible Germany

THE German National Tourist Office UK and Ireland (GNTO) has announced a new hotels section from 2017, on its accessible travel website ‘Discover Germany BarrierFree’.

From youth hostels to 5-Star hotels, 33 establishments with accessible rooms will be listed here, providing accommodation choices for all preferences.

Through the dedicated website www.germany.travel/barrierfree, visitors can plan their journey to Germany from beginning to end independently, or via a reputable travel operator.

In July 2016, the GNTO also launched ‘Feeling Fearless’, an accessible holiday guide to extraordinary accessible activities in Germany, including white water rafting, skiing, climbing and cycling.

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Get your skates on . . .

BRIGHTON’S winter ice rink on the Royal Pavilion’s Eastern lawns is open now, and will be until January 15. 

The rink – which has a bar and restaurant – has space for 260 skaters per session, with a beginners’ area, penguin skate aids, and skate sizes from age 

3-4 to adult.

Skating tickets cost from £10 for adults (aged 12+), £7 for juniors (children under 12) and the one-hour skate times run from 10am to 10.15pm daily. There’s no charge for spectators.

Club Rinkidinks (10am-11am daily) offers children under five the chance to skate for free when accompanied on the ice by an adult paying full price. There are also season tickets for those who want to learn to skate, and great concessions for students.

The venue is also accessible to wheelchair users and wheelchair users wishing to skate are welcome to book in advance or show up to skate, Mon - Thurs sessions 7th Nov - 9th Dec and 2nd Jan - 13th Jan - including evenings - when the rink is quieter.

www.ticketmaster.co.uk/royal-pavilion-ice-rink
www.royalpavilionicerink.co.uk

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Picture Credit:Dominic's pics flickr.com/photos/64097751@N00/5227511747 Christmas Ice Rink Brighton Royal Pavilion via photopin

Reservoir rambles for the disabled

YORKSHIRE WATER is working to improve access around some of its scenic reservoirs so that more wheelchair users can visit the popular countryside beauty spots. 

Approximately two million people visit Yorkshire Water’s 70,000 acres of land, such as reservoirs, ancient woodland, and moorland, every year. The locations have become increasingly popular since they first opened up to the public after privatization of the water sector in 1989.

The company has teamed with Experience Community, a not-for-profit community interest company that helps disabled people access the British countryside. This has already resulted in more disabled group rambles around Yorkshire Water reservoirs, such as Langsett in South Yorkshire and Swinsty in the Washburn Valley, on specially-designed mountain trikes and bikes.

.

Says Geoff Lomas, recreation manager at Yorkshire Water: ‘We have 115 scenic reservoirs dotted around the region and these are all popular with dog walkers, picnic-goers, runners, anglers, and cyclists, but we now want to make some of them more inviting to disabled people as a go-to destination. This might mean improving paths around reservoirs by making them flatter and wider and addressing any surface issues so wheelchair user’s accessibility needs are met.

‘Many of our reservoirs are now recreational hotspots and we want to make them as inclusive as possible by providing information and access that is both informative and enticing to disabled people.’

For more information, go to www.yorkshirewater.com/walks 


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