Travellers with disabilities The United Nations Year of the Disabled (1981) marked increasing recognition that in a just society the needs of people with disabilities must be met, along with those of other minority groups and the non-disabled. Countries such as Canada and Sweden, which are more welfare-oriented than Australia, have social tourism programs that encourage and tacilitate travel by citizens who are disadvantaged tor economic or other reasons. In Australio, legislation such as the Commonwealth Disability Diserimination Act (1992), and complementary State laws, make it illegal to discriminate against people on the grounds of disability. In the tourism industry there is now a wide perception that destination managers must encourage operators to accommodate this principle when developing their products. The term 'disability covers a variely of impairments- physical, psychoogical and intellectual-which, according to the Australian Bureau ot Statistics (1993), afect about 18 per cent of the Australian population. Almost 90 per the cent disabilities are physical, while the rest are dassified as 'mental'.Some, of course, are relatively mild and have minimal impact on a person's ability to travel, while those more severely attlicted cannot travel or may be able to travel only it accompanied by a carer. The most common constraint for people with disabilities is access. Many older establishments were not designed to accommodate such travellers, and man agement may view the modihcations required as both unnecessary and unat fordable. The costs of fravel also impact heavily on the disabled, party because of their special requirements, but also because many ot them, being dependent on weltare services, have lower than averoge incomes. However, the most dificult barrier to overcome is an atitudinal one. In the not-too-distant past, people with disabilities were commonly regarded as freaks, interior or, at best, the responsibility of government and weltare agencies. Even today, some tourism operators and their statt are uncomfortable in dealing with them, and are concerned that the mere presence of people with disabilities will discourage non-disabled visitors who share these feelings of discomiture. In the past, fourism operators have neglected this substantial sector party through ignorance and partły because of the costs involved in making special provisions tor them. However, even without the obligations imposed by antidiscrimination legislation, operators are identihying the disabled as an important market segment that can contribute to the profitability of the leisure industry. Although they may be more difficult to meet, the needs of the disabled are the same as those of the non-disabled- that is, as with all of us, the disabled require tood and shelter, opportunities to socialise with other people, and experiences that contribute to self-esteem and selfactualisation. However,because of the restrictions imposed on them by their disabilities, needs are felt even more strongly. For example, travelers with disabilities report high levels of anxiety associated with travel and heir dependence on the eficiency and smooth functioning of services such as those ossociated with transport and accommodation.The lower-level needs for food and shelter may necessitate enhanced accessibility, while the vulnerability of the disabled to criminal activity and accidental injury may call for additional security measures. Socialisation needs may require provision for mixing with other visitors, including those who are not dis-abled. Selesteem and status needs are likely to be met only if the travellers can function with dignity and a high degree of independence. As with other travel-lers, self-actualisation may be encouraged through opportunities for learning experiences, intellectual stimulation and overcoming challenges. Arrangements for hosting travellers with disobilities should be developed inconsultation with experts on the problems likely to be encountered and the ways in which they might be addressed. This guidance should include advice on lia- bilities and other legal ramilications. Where possible, the specific characteristics of such visitors should be identified and appropriate facilities developed. For example, wheelchair-bound travellers will require suitably equipped transport and toilets, access to and within buildings by way of ramps and wide door woys restaurants with high tables and unencumbered passageways, and smooth, paved surfaces with gentie slopes. Audio and visual aids should be available to assist those with sight or hearing impoirments. Carers accompanying ravellers with disabilities, especialy those who are intellectualy impaired, should be admitted or accommodated at no (or reduced) cost. Since the quality of a service depends on the person delivering it, the most important element in the provision of travel experiences for the disabled is the staff with whom they come in contact. While appropriate attitudes are essential, staff should also be given specialised training in dealing with people with disabilities. Tour leaders should be provided with the skills required to deal with people in wheelchairs or communicate with those who have hearing problems. Tour organisers must arrange iineraries poced fo allow tor fime-consuming transters and the extra rest periods required. Amusement theme park operators may be required to provide assistance with boarding rides or seating at per formances and displays. Apart from the legal and ethical inducements to cater for travellers with disabilities, operators and destination managers may be encouraged by the size of this market segment, and by the aging of he Australian populationa trend that will see the demand for disabled foilities double by the middle of the wenty-first century. People with disabilities must be catered for by the provision of facilities designed to meet their particular requirements. At the same time, a basic principle to be pursued is that of inclusionthe right of such people, wherever possible, to mingle with and function alongside their non-disabled fellows and participate in mainstream activities. This principle must be token into account in the design stage of project developments, since later modiicaions are usualy much more epensive. Finally, the amount and reliability of pre-trip information available to people with disabilities is paramount in their decisions about destinations and holiday activities. Operators must ensure that their promotion materials include detoiled and accurate descriptions of any relevant facilifies they provide, and that the quality of service to the disabled traveller encourages tavourable comment through the networks to which the disabled now have access. Questions: · write a brief summary of the case study, · conclusion and recommendations and