Accessible trail in the Petrohué Falls sector, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile.
© Marcela Torres
© Marcela Torres
by Marcela Torres
Accessibility to tourism for people with
disabilities is one of the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on
Responsible Tourism (2002). In 2009, the UNWTO adopted the Declaration on the Facilitation of Tourist Travel, calling for member states to guarantee
accessibility to ensure the accessibility of tourism establishments, the
availability of special facilities for persons with disabilities at no
additional cost, the publication of detailed information on the availability of
such services and the special training of tourism staff.
How much progress has Chile made on this topic?
Pretty much, but more can still be done. According to the National Disability
Service (Senadis), in Chile 12,93% of the population has some kind of
disability in different degrees (2.068.072 people). A new law was passed at the
beginning of 2010, Law 20.422 which sets standards about equal opportunities
and social inclusion for people with disabilities. This new regulation defines
universal design as the basis for the new integration guidelines.
Chile’s government agencies had already been
taking action before the law was passed. For example, the National Tourism
Service (Sernatur) edited in 2005 the Accessible Tourism Manual, although its
impact in the tourism sector was not significant. In fact, there is no
systematic information about what establishments or providers have facilities
or services with accessibility for this population.
Along the same line, the National Forestry
Corporation (Conaf) has an Accessibility Manual for people with different
abilities in the State’s Wild Protected Areas and has been implementing
Accessible Wild Protected Areas throughout the country since 2006, facilitating
movement of people with disabilities in trails and lookouts and adapting public
toilets for people who use wheel chairs, although until now this accessibility
is only present in part in just 12 of the 100 protected areas managed by this
government agency.
The Senadis also has an Accessibility Manual
that can be downloaded from the website and has public funds for physical
access projects, but these only finance initiatives presented by public
agencies, city halls and not for profit organizations. Therefore, tourism
businesses must take o the costs of any adaptation for accessibility with their
own resources, which probably will not happen unless they view it as a
profitable investment.
Some countries, like Spain, have a headstart in
this matter. Last year saw the launch of the Guide of Monuments, museums and
tourism interest spots accessible for all, sponsored by the Fundación ONCE,
which groups people with visual disabilities, and Vodafone Foundation. The
publication gathers information about 167 accessible monuments, museums and
tourism interest spots in all Spanish provinces, as well as specific details
about the accessibility they provide.
In that country there are strong organizations
that represent people with disabilities and have a long history of promoting
inclusion. It is, no doubt, a great example for Chile which, thanks to this new
law, has a unique opportunity to take a significant step forward to boost,
among all stakeholders involved, a new paradigm where accessibility for people
with disabilities is considered a right and not a privilege.
This entry was originally posted by the author on July 19, 2011.
