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Join us at Destinations for All 2014, Montreal 19-22 Oct 2014

Hyperlinked Logo of Destinations for All, Montreal 19-22 October 2014. The link will take you to the Home Page of teh Conference Website

You are coordially invited for the 1st ever World Summit Destinations for All. The issue of accessible tourism has never been more relevant: 15% of the world’s population faces some degree of limited physical mobility, and with a greater aging demographic, this number will only increase. It is time to think of tourism no longer solely as a luxury, but as a need that is shared by everyone. By making tourism accessible to all, destinations are also:

  • Responding to the reality of an aging population
  • Providing a more inclusive focus on all customer requirements
  • Winning the loyalty of  travellers
  • Distinguishing themselves from the competition
  • Contributing to their destinations’ civic pride

The World Summit Destinations for All promises to take the current dialogue on accessible tourism to a new and exciting level. By bringing together key players in tourism, culture, and transportation, the Summit aims to identify and implement the necessary measures to establish international tourism that is inclusive and accessible.

Organized by Kéroul, Québec’s leading authority on accessible tourism, and supported by numerous prestigious international organizations, the World Summit Destinations for All promises to chart a new and exciting course towards universal accessible tourism.

Svayam – National Centre for Inclusive Environments, Delhi, India proudly supports this event. We hope you join us on the journey.

Help us spread the word by being an Ambassador Ambassador Kit – Destinations for All 2014.

To keep updated, watch out the Press Release Page of the Conference Website.

See you Montréal October 19-22, 2014!

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Now another heritage site, Maquinez Palace, Panaji becomes accessible

Dear Friends,

Maquinez Palance, Panaji has become another Heritage site to become accessible, this time with the efforts of Goa Disability Rights Association and the Govt’s pro-active support to provide accessibility.

Congratulations to Mr. Avelino D’Sa, The President of DRAG and his team for their perseverence and achieving this success in making yet another site accessible to all!

Here is the coverage, To read from source click here.

regards

SC Vashishth, Program Coordinator, Svayam

Maquinez palace gets lift for disabled

PANAJI: Chief minister Digambar Kamat on Thursday inaugurated a special lift for specially challenged people at the Maquinez palace, Panaji.

The lift will help specially challenged people to view movies in the two theatres in the Maquinez palace during the upcoming International Film Festival of India.

Talking to the media after inaugurating the lift, Kamat said, “The facility will benefit disabled persons and specially challenged children to gain access to the theatres in the Maquinez palace. Specially challenged persons were demanding the installation of this lift and now they are satisfied. It will give them an opportunity to watch movies here.”

Avelino D’Sa, president of Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG), also expressed satisfaction at the installation of the lift. “We have been fighting for this for a long time. It is not only during IFFI that we come here, but we attend functions all through the year. INOX is also being made disabled friendly,” D’Sa said.

D’Sa said other government buildings, streets and buses are still not made disabled friendly and that DRAG was working to bring about changes there. Officials from Graand Prix elevators, who installed the special lift at a cost of Rs 19 lakh, said the lift is aesthetically better than normal lifts and can be installed without making any structural changes to the building. This was especially important in Maquinez palace as it is a heritage building.