The great discovery of the month is that we are not alone. No we did not find aliens, but we did find allies.
Scott Rains is a self-declared "pioneering figure in the graying Baby Boomer generation." He has done a number of things in his life including ranch hand, teacher and travel agent.
He is a kindred spirit to The Ample Traveler© because he has been taking up the cause of inclusive travel and universal design for several years now.
His blog, Rolling Rains and his columns on Travel and Disability emphasize a world that can be accommodating.
We encourage you to check him out thoroughly. We are learning a lot from his work and hope to be joining forces to create a world where "there is room for everyone."
Here is a sample of what he has to offer:
The goal of inclusive tourism is to accommodate the broadest range of tourists possible without stigma or the need for special accommodation.
Inclusive tourism is one important means through which persons with disabilities participate in society at a distance from their homes. At the same time, the presence of these tourists provides a model - and source of funding - for the inclusive practices and infrastructure necessary for their presence. Inclusive tourism is an example of democratization and the dissemination of human rights through a market-driven mechanism.
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Related to Universal Design is the concept "Visitability." Visitability refers to private homes and a certain minimum set of standards that make them hospitable to one subgroup of those with disabiities - guests using wheelchairs: While the concept of Visitability is very simple, the definition has several interactive layers: The spirit of Visitability is as important as the list of features.
That spirit says, it's not just unwise, but unacceptable that new homes continue to be built with basic barriers These barriers cause daily, draining drudgery; physically unsafe conditions; social isolation; and undesired institutionalization.
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Visitability is not directly relevant to the hospitality industry, and thus tourism, as it only seeks address the construction of new private homes. However, as the concepts of Universal Design and Visitability redefine the housing market, hotel and resort guests will come to expect non-exclusionary architecture in order to recreate the familiar sense of home and socialize with their disabled travel companions.