TOURISM FOR EVERYONE WITH ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS
3 April 2023
Tourism is a pleasant thing, but it also has a number of challenges. Think back to the last time you faced a travel challenge, whether it was climbing countless flights of stairs to get where you were going, or the inconvenience of ordering food or a taxi because of the language barrier. Perhaps crossing a busy street was an extreme experience for you, or you simply felt lost most of the time. Now imagine how much more difficult it is for people with disabilities to get around.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), for more than one billion people, it is overwhelming to enjoy the “wealth” of tourism – to see foreign cultures, to get to know nature in all its beauty, and to feel the thrill of discovering and learning new tourist attractions.
The ISO standards, developed by Technical Committee ISO/TC 228 Tourism and related services, provide guidelines and good practices that promote accessibility in tourism and enable tourism service providers to take advantage of the commercial benefits that arise from this. For example, the standard ISO 13009 Tourism and related services. Beach Concession Requirements and Recommendations raises the importance of creating accessible beaches by building facilities adapted to people with different needs, such as toilets, showers and water fountains. Beach access could also be facilitated by the construction of access ramps and coastal paths for direct access to the water, if at all possible. Beaches that are more accessible will attract more tourists, including those with special needs and their families.
At the same time, the ISO 14785 Tourist Information Centers standard. Services for providing tourist information and welcoming tourists. Requirements provides a number of recommendations on how to make tourist information centers accessible to all. Tourist information centers should take into account all aspects related to mobility (entrance, parking and barrier-free access) as well as audio and visual access (large print or Braille copies) for their offices and information materials distributed. Information centers should also ensure that signs are posted in the areas around the main entrances and exits that are clear, visible, concise and do not constitute an obstacle to free movement. Moreover, they should provide information tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, such as a list of hotels with the best access, activities and adapted transport, so that these people can travel safely and independently.
In addition to the standards developed by ISO/TC 228, a number of other ISO standards address accessibility issues and help to include people with special needs in tourism. Standard ISO 17049 Accessible design. Applying braille to information signs, equipment and appliances, for example, enables blind and visually impaired people to access information through the standardized use of braille in many different parts of the world. At the same time, the standard ISO 23599 Assistive devices for blind and visually impaired persons. Tactile Signage on Pedestrian Surfaces ensures that tactile signage on pedestrian surfaces provides standardized information worldwide, helping blind and partially sighted people to navigate easily and safely.
All the above-mentioned standards can be purchased from BIS, as ISO 13009 and ISO 14785 have also been introduced as Bulgarian.