Reference documents | LHAC

Guide to accessible ADDIS ABABA

Silvia Balmas — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 12:37:45 GMT

The preparation of a “Guide to Accessible Ethiopia” is one of the major components of the ECDD “Promoting Accessibility in Ethiopia” project, which is a continuation of a previous project which ECDD undertook in 2008 with the support of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD Austria. The purpose of the project is to assess the accessibility of selected public buildings and services in Ethiopia for persons with disabilities, including hotels, guest houses, restaurants, shopping places, medical services, tour and travel services, museums, and recreational centers among other establishments. During this project, ECDD also organized a series of “Accessibility Information Seminars” in 12 towns in Ethiopia to inform business and building owners, architects and urban planners about accessibility standards to encourage greater attention to making accessible facilities all. In addition, ECDD undertook the modification of existing schools in selected towns to demonstrate what accessible design looks like.

Alliance Magazine vol.16 n. 3: The First EFC operational project making headway

Silvia Balmas — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 14:24:00 GMT

Since its inception one year ago, the LHAC, the EFC's first operational project, has made signifigant strides in developing accessible tourist itinieraries in five European cities: Avila (Spain), Mulhouse (France), Lucca and Turin (Italy), and Viborg (Denmark).

Click on the right side of the page to download the article.

Mapping skills and training needs to improve accessibility in tourism- Final Report 2014

Silvia Balmas — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 08:27:00 GMT

Mapping occupation, skills needs and training content

1. Accessible tourism training should take into account the context of training, the trainee’s prior qualifications, knowledge and experience, the level of the training to be delivered and visitors’ specific access requirements.

2. If a visitor experience is to be truly accessible then all elements of the supply chain or customer journey must be accessible. As a result, a person’s place in the tourism value chain is less important for determining skills and training needs than the role that this person fulfils in the business.

3. Thus, skills needs and training provision must differentiate between different skills levels (basic, in-depth) and different occupational roles (Managers with / without customer contact, frontline staff, others (including technical specialists).

4. Training content and learning outcomes should include Knowledge of disabilities / types of disability and access requirements, Barriers to accessibility & Design for All, Strategic development of accessibility in business, Principles of effective customer service, Proper etiquette for dealing with PwD, Recognising and responding appropriately to people using personal supports and Service animals and assistive technology

Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide

Silvia Balmas — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 10:16:45 GMT

Population ageing and urbanization are two global trends that together comprise major forces shaping the 21st century. At the same time as cities are growing, their share of residents aged 60 years and more is increasing. Older people are a resource for their families, communities and economies in supportive and enabling living environments. WHO regards active ageing as a life long process shaped by several factors that alone and acting together, favour health, participation and security in older adult life. Informed by WHO’s approach to active ageing, the purpose of this Guide is to engage cities to become more age-friendly so as to tap the potential that older people represent for humanity.

Cities of tomorrow Challenges, visions, ways forward

Silvia Balmas — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 10:08:19 GMT

This is a publication made collecting all contributors of the Cities of tomorrow reflection process, during three workshops organised in May, June, October and December 2010, or through written contributions in the form of issue papers or responses by experts.

The "Cities of Tomorrow"reflection process aimed at providing inspirations for policy-makers and practictioners involved in urban developement, wheter at local, regional, national or European level.

Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Public-Private Partnerships and Good Practices

Silvia Balmas — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:43:00 GMT

This is one of the outcomes of the collaboration between UNWTO and disabled people’s organizations (DPOs), particularly the Spanish ONCE Foundation for the Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities, the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), and the Spanish ACS Foundation.

They are meant to assist tourism stakeholders in improving the accessibility of tourism destinations, facilities and services worldwide.

The full text is currently available in Spanish and in digital version only by clicking on the picture.

In the following links, you can download Executive Summary in the different languages:

- Englis h

- Español

- Français

UNWTO Recommendations

Silvia Balmas — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:03:00 GMT

Adopted by UNWTO General Assembly Resolution A/RES/637(XX) of August 2013, updating the 2005 UNWTO Recommendations

Effect vol. 7 n.1 Issue 1 (Spring 2013): Making cities socially sustainable

Silvia Balmas — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:01:00 GMT

Smart canes that are embedded with GPS technology to guide blind tourists along a route through an ancient city; 90 and counting historical sites made accessible; "cyber passes" that work with Bluetooth technology to help people with dissability safely to navigate across streets. These are just some of the exciting outcomes of a pioneering project by the League of Historical Cities to create accessible tourist routes in six European cities.

Click on the pdf link on the right of the page to access the article.

Listen Up! - A new guide for tourism businesses

Silvia Balmas — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:22:00 GMT

National tourist board VisitEngland has joined forces with UK charity Action on Hearing Loss to launch Listen Up! - a new guide for tourism businesses. Designed to help businesses become more accessible for customers with hearing loss, the free resource is available online atwww.visitengland.org/access.

More than 10 million people in the UK (one-sixth of the population) have some form of hearing loss*, and Listen Up! is packed with information, advice and examples of best practice for providing these customers with a warm welcome and an excellent visitor experience. It also highlights key issues for business owners when accommodating deaf or hard of hearing visitors.

This new guide adds to a wealth of free tools and resources VisitEngland has developed with a range of partners to help attractions, accommodation operators and other tourism business across England offer the best possible experience to visitors with disabilities.

Download the Listen Up! guide from the right-hand panel in PDF format.

The national tourist board has also released a series of short videos highlighting the experiences of deaf guests when staying in hotels in England. The videos are designed to alert business owners to a range of issues affecting deaf guests, from wake up calls to ordering room service. They can be found on the VisitEnglandBiz YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/VisitEnglandBiz .

Etre Handicap Information n° 123-124: Villes européennes : éliminons les situations de handicap!

Silvia Balmas — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 15:43:00 GMT

"La Ville Accessible" presents itself as a project with many perspectives in terms of accessibility to people of disability. The cities participating will have prepared itiniaries explaining how all concurrent difficulties regarding accessibility will be improved.

Click on the pdf link located on the right side of the page.

LHAC as example at the Workshop " eAccessibility for all: from words to action"

Silvia Balmas — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:10:00 GMT

On 11 October 2012 the LHAC was presented at the Workshop " eAccessibility for all: from words to action", aimed at understanding how to make services accessible, helping at the same time to promote greater mobility and support consumers in their daily lives.

This workshop was a part of a series of discussions and workshops on “Accessibility in Europe” sponsored by Oracle with the partnership of the European Disability Forum. Held in Brussels, it has been organized by EPC – European Policy Center ( an independent, not-for-profit think-tank committed to making European integration work) in partnership with King Baudouin Foundation and Compagnia di San Paolo.

Mrs Maria Orejas has been invited as a speaker during a session called “Accessible ITC for better mobility” presenting some of the technological solutions that the LHAC project put in place.

Please download the summary on the right panel

VISITENGLAND LAUNCHES AN ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE FOR VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES

Silvia Balmas — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:45:00 GMT

On the 30^th August 2012, the day of the opening ceremony of London 2012 Paralympic Games, VisitEngland has launched Winning More Visitors – a new online guide designed to help destinations attract more visitors with disabilities by providing access information on their websites.

The online resource was developed following a survey by the national tourist board, which revealed that 83 per cent of people looking for access information to plan a trip use destination websites – but only one in three (39 per cent) find it easy to locate the information they need.

The research also showed that three-quarters (74 per cent) of people with disabilities say they would be a lot more likely to choose a destination that offered the best guidance. Winning More Visitors contains advice and examples of best practice to help destinations build an Access Information section for their site, and ensure it is as accurate and up-to date as possible.

It also highlights the type of information visitors with access needs may require when planning their trip:

• Travel Planning – such as a journey planner, details of a local public transport and information on accessible parking in the area.

• Local geography and terrain – information on the geography and accessibility of key tourist areas – e.g, a link to the Beach Access Statement.

• Accessibility of tourism businesses – access statements included as part of each venue’s listing, links to local accommodation and attractions that have self-assessed accessibility information.

• Assistance during the stay – details of local hospitals and pharmacies, and any greeter schemes and tours running in the area that can cater for people with disabilities.

• Other useful information – location of accessible public toilets and links to other accessibility portals such as VisitEngland and Tourism for All.

The guidance also advises destinations on how to display the access information on their sites, such as creating a dedicated ‘Access for All’ section that is clearly signposted from the homepage as well as other pages throughout the site. Other suggestions include making sure the whole website itself complies with international web accessibility guidelines.

Winning More Visitors is part of VisitEngland’s new online portal for Destination Managers: www.visitengland.org/destinations, which contains a range of tools, resources and good practice that VisitEngland is collating to help those involved in tourism development at a local level across the country.

PLEASE CLICK HERE IN ORDER TO CONSULT THE WHOLE GUIDE

Zero Project Report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities

Francesca Casciato — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:51:00 GMT

On occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Zero Report - a new international comparative study on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been published.

Initiated by the Austrian Essl Foundation, it is the first of its kind. The core elements of the study are indicators on social inclusion of people with disabilities, together with Good Practices and Good Policies.

More than 100 activists from the disability rights movement, academics and experts from NGOs, foundations and international organizations, as well as persons with disabilities, have been cooperating in this first Zero Project Report. EFC European Consortium of Foundations on Human Rights and Disabilites has also been involved in the project.

Download the Executive Summary and the full version of the Zero Report in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

L'Echo mulhousien n° 338: Accessibilité Mulhouse Grand Centre remarqué au niveau européen

Silvia Balmas — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:17:00 GMT

The League of Historical and Accessible Cities has chosen the city centre of Mulhouse to transform itself into a complete accessible 3km. of navigational space. Such purpose will serve people with a health disability, and those with accessibility needs.The itinerary will entail points of interest, such as libraries, boutiques, and cultural buildings.

Click on the pdf on the right of the page to access the full document.

Customer Services, all-inclusive services - Atención al cliente, atención inclusiva

Francesca Casciato — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:03:00 GMT

This guide, published by the Accessibility Department of the Ávila Municipality, provides useful information on how to deal with clients with special needs. It is available in Spanish only.

Download the leaflet in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Wheelchair trail leaflet: Winchester

Francesca Casciato — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:31:00 GMT

This leaflet is intended to provide information to help wheelchair users to visit the city of Winchester (UK).

Download the leaflet in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Accessible route example: Málaga

Francesca Casciato — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:53:00 GMT

This page contains an example of accessible itinerary in the city of Málaga, Spain, developed in order to allow disabled people to visit the city independently, find accessible accomodation and enjoy leisure activities. Available in Spanish only.

Find out more accessible itineraries in Málaga here.

Download the document in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Welcoming disabled customers

Francesca Casciato — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:42:00 GMT

This guide is intended to provide useful information on how to meet the needs of disabled customers in an effective and professional manner.

The main aim of the publication, which has been produced by the Employers' Forum on Disability and UK Post Office LTD, is to offer practical advice and guidance on how to avoid attitudes and behaviours which can act as major barriers.

Download the guide in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

How to welcome disabled customers

Francesca Casciato — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:22:00 GMT

This handy brochure, published by the Agence Wallonne pour l’Intégration des Personnes Handicapées (AWIPH), is intended to provide general information about welcoming disabled customers. It is available in French only.

Download the brochure in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

How to organize a meeting accessible for all - Organiser une réunion accessible à tous

Francesca Casciato — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:06:00 GMT

This brochure provides useful information about how to organize a meeting accessible for all.

Published by the French Ministère de l’Écologie, de l’Énergie, du Développement durable et de l’Aménagement du territoire, it is available in French only.

For more publications please click here.

Download the brochure in PDF format from the right-hand panel.