Council bats for accessible tourism for PWDs, seniors

BOHOL, Philippines — Industry stakeholders here are urged to adopt accessible and barrier-free tourism in order to accommodate the potential market of both local and international tourists with disabilities.

National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) acting executive director III Carmen Zubiaga lamented on the unfair treatment by tourism establishments on persons with disabilities (PWDs) that could hinder the full participation of  the sector in the community.

"Kami rin po ay customer. Kami rin po ay turista," she said.

NCDA, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, conducted a regional forum on accessible tourism for PWDs last Tuesday at Alona Kew White Beach Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol.

This is in line with the government's thrust of promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the tourism industry and other tourism-related programs of  the government.

Herself  a PWD, Zubiaga noted that tourism players could actually enjoy a possible increase in their customers once they are successful to capture a portion of PWDs and senior citizens.

"They always have to consider PWDs as part of  the customers who also need accommodation to have equal rights with any other customers. We could pay," she said.

She said that such market usually comes in groups since they have to have companions to assist them. She added that even international PWD groups who attend seminars in the Philippines could also be potential tourist market for various stakeholders.

Zubiaga cited that even PWDs could also work for tourism-related establishments as masseurs and souvenir makers.

For her, it is sad to note the low compliance of tourism players on the universal policies and statutes which could be attributed to the lack of awareness and lax implementation of the law.

"Ignorance of the law is the reason. They think they would spend too much time and require a lot of investment in complying with the law which is not true," she said.

This is pursuant to the universal policies and principles of "Accessible Tourism for All" as provided under existing statutes such as Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 or the Accessibility Law, Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for PWDs and the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Zubiaga said that they have to improve the services, facilities and attitude of the work force and even learn the sign language interpretation to make tourism more accessible to PWDs.

She encouraged local government units to come up with a list of the accessible places for PWD tourists.

She also advised engineers, contractors and architects to consider a universal design and set up for tourism establishments that would be applicable for all tourists including senior citizens and those on wheelchairs.

"It's just a matter of creativity," she added.

DOT central office chief for tourism standards and regulation Maria Rica Bueno said that the tourism department continues to conduct training programs and sensitivity orientation on how to handle PWDs among tourism stakeholders such as tour guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant managers, tourist transport operators and other entrepreneurs engaged in the tourism business.

"What is stipulated in the law is the basic rule. We want our tourism players to be responsive to the needs of the disadvantaged and leverage on what this market has to offer," she said.

DOT started its advocacy on increasing the awareness on barrier-free tourism in Manila in 2011 which was then conducted in Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa, La Union and Bohol. 

With the positive feedback and commitment from the participants, Bueno said that they will further organize fora in other parts of the country next year.

She said that the tourism sectors in Australia, Japan, Europe and North America strongly support and acknowledge the PWD market.

Aside from discussing on how to care for customers with special needs, she also tackled the technical aspects and details of physical structures and universal design concepts intended primarily for PWDs including the elderly, children and pregnant women.   /JMD (FREEMAN)