Project Description
The purpose of this project is to advocate for people with disabilities' right to experience tourism with independence, equity, and dignity. To gain a better understanding of potential barriers, research was conducted regarding the perceptions and experiences of individuals with physical and/or sensory disabilities on accessible tourism. From responses of survey and personal interviews, educational resources were created for both tourists with disabilities and occupational therapists (OTs) to promote safer and more efficient tourism experiences.
Project Planning
Literature Review & Needs Assessment
"Accessible tourism enables people with access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services, and environments" (Darcy & Dickson, 2009, p. 34). There have been recent initiatives within the tourism industry to increase accessibility; however, many stakeholders fail to understand the vast spectrum of disabilities (Hansen et al., 2021). It is important to not overlook the diversity of needs, as each type of disability requires an individual approach.
Despite recent advancements, there continues to be barriers to tourism and travel for people with disabilities. Approximately 12.5 million people with disabilities traveled in 2018-2019 with that number expected to reach 33.4 million by 2028 (Jainchill et al., 2022). This same study found the a majority of respondents reported some form of barrier during a tourism endeavor. Another study had respondents rate the perceived accessibility while on tourism trip and found that transportation, programs and services, and accommodations were the greatest barriers to accessibility (Cole et al., 2019). Many tourists with disabilities continue to take trips each year, but they experience set-backs that negatively impact the benefits of the trip.
As previously mentioned, accessible tourism continues to be an emerging area within tourism research and literature; however, the presence of OT practitioners in the field is lacking. OT practitioners use a holistic approach to identify the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional factors that may be presenting as either environmental or personal barriers to travel. In other words, OTs have a unique skillset that can help assist individual clients build the skills required and make recommendations to change the environment based on universal design. There is currently limited research from OT perspective in the profession's literature. There is a potential for OT to fill a gap and address barriers to accessibility to promote independence, equity, and dignity for all tourists with disabilities.
Project Outcomes
An outline of the deliverables and additional artifacts are included below.
Outcome Measure #1
Presentation Materials, created for an audience of OTD students and includes research results & OT's role in accessible tourism
Related Learning Objectives
IRB Submission and Approval with survey design.
White Paper, a formal report of study's findings and promote OT's role in accessible tourism.
Infographics of Results. Two infographics were created regarding barriers to accessible tourism and OT's role in accessible tourism.
Outcome Measure #2
Accessible Tourism Webpage including resources for tourists with disabilities and OT practitioners, alike. Here, there is more information about accessible tourism, educational resources, and a blog space related to my experiences during capstone.
Related Learning Objectives
Accessible Sarasota Guidebook highlighting accessible locations within Sarasota County. It includes sections on transportation, tourist attractions & activities, hotel accommodations, and local organizations & resources.
CEU Course Completion on Accessible Tourism, including completion of seven continued education courses through occupationaltherapy.com and Rocky Mountain ADA Center.
Related Deliverables
AOTA Lifestyle Modification Badge, indicating completion of six continued education courses throughout AOTA.
AOTA INSPIRE 2024 Conference in Orlando, Florida. Attended full conference, with the opportunity to attend sessions, network with OT practitioners, and share my capstone project.
DCE Poster Presentation
Future Direction
After completion of my doctoral capstone project, I plan to continue advocating for increased accessibility within my community. I hope to maintain communication with local stakeholders to stay up-to-date on new accessibility initiatives. Accessibility impacts everybody and I aim to be able to educate my patients on accessible opportunities. My contact information:
(e) neah.schlabach@gmail.com
References
Darcy, S., & Dickson, T.J. (2009). A whole-of-life approach to tourism: The case for accessible tourism experiences. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 16, 32-44. https://doi.org/10.1375/jhtm.16.1.32
Cole, S., Zhang, Y., Wang, W., & Hu, C.M. (2019). The influence of accessibility and motivation on leisure travel participation of people with disabilities. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2018.1496218
Coppola, S., Sakornsatian, S., Thongkuay, S., Trevittaya, P. (2012). Innovative practice in accessible and inclusive tourism. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 66(1), 43-46. https://doi.org/10.1179/otb.2012.66.1.016
Hansen, M., Fyall, A., Macpherson, R., & Horley, J. (2021). The role of occupational therapy in accessible tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 90(10), 103145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103145
Jainchill, J., Jelski, C., & Silk, R. (2022). State of accessible travel. Retrieved January 3, 2024, from https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of- accessible-travel-2022-part-1
Załuska, U., Kwiatkowska-Ciotucha, D., & Grześkowiak, A. (2022). Travelling from perspective of persons with disability: Results of an international survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19, 10575. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710575