Editor of Able Magazine, Tom Jamison, took part in a discussion about why barrier free travel and tourism is so important.
‘Barrier free’ is the name given to a concept of travel that integrates disabled people into travel and tourism options, ranging from accommodation providers through to attractions and travel operators. The scheme began in 2012 and has received enthusiastic backing by the German Government.
Friday (6 March 2015) saw a panel of experts from around Germany including representatives from Embrace Hotels, train operator Deutsche Bahn and Able Magazine gather at the international travel event, ITB Berlin to discuss the success of the scheme and how it might progress. The audience was a mixture of businesses and individuals looking to find out more about this growing travel trend.
Before the discussion, Iris Gliecke from the German ministry of tourism spoke about government commitment to the scheme whilst General Secretary of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, went further, describing travel as a “human right” irrespective of ability and that it was now time to stop separating service provision for able bodied and disabled people.
The discussion saw Able’s Tom Jamison echo Rifai’s comments saying: “It’s not just about what we offer disabled people, it’s about how we offer it to them” referring to details like specific entrances and exits for disabled people, instead of universally designed infrastructure.
Jamison went on to continue that disabled people and industry should “learn together” and from each other since research conducted by Able Magazine suggests that up to 68% of disabled people are not born with a disability and are therefore themselves not always expert on their own conditions.
The backdrop to the discussion was that the disability travel sector is worth billions of Euros and that business sense dictates that it’s an issue that requires attention and secures its sustainability. German disability activist and panellist, Raul Krauthausen congratulated the UK as being a leader on accessibility and argued that Germany needed to have the same robust laws and enforcement as are in place in the UK to guard against complacency.
The Barrier Free concept continues to progress in Germany with more and more destinations and accommodation providers becoming audited. The hope is that it will become a major consideration in tourism in Germany and that the ideas will be shared around Europe and the rest of the world.
