JAIPUR: This World Tourism Day , Rajasthan would not be able to live up to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) theme, `Tourism for All - Promoting Universal Accessibility .' The state that ranks among the 10 most visited states in India has abysmal facilities as far as the specially abled are concerned. But for a few monuments in the state that are partly specially abled friendly , most monuments do not even have adequate ramps, there is no provision for accessible toilets for wheelchair users or braille symbols and auditory signals. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/They-can-only-watch-monuments-from-afar/articleshow/54535640.cms According to statistics compiled by the Market Research Division of the ministry of tourism on domestic and foreign tourist visits from the department of tourism, Rajasthan at tracted 35.2 million domestic tourists and 1.48 million foreign tourists.And in both the segments there are a lot of specially abled tourists. Another survey ranks Rajasthan as the sixth state in the country with people having disabilities. The market segment of reduced mobility groups in the country is roughly 186.3 million.Even if one-fourth of this is taken as economically significant from tourism angle, it still amounts 46.58 million, which indeed is substantial.
While some such tourists stay back in the hotels and avoid the monuments, some do gather courage to be a part of the mainstream and go sight-seeing. "We try to facilitate their visits as much as we can and organize a wheelchair which is available at the location. They are not charged entry fee. Given the architecture, most of our monuments are not accessible to the specially abled.But yes, there are no facilities for people on wheelchairs at the monuments and it is difficult to take them around," said a tour operator. According to the 2011 Census of India, 27 million persons were re corded for living with disabilities; this lot comprises a significant number of youths. It was also noted that their participation and enjoyment of cultural heritage has been somehow restricted, given the various challenges associated with the provision for accessibility at buildings with historical significance such as heritage sites. Recommended By Colombia Reiterating the need of accessibility for all, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, in his official message on World Tourism Day said, "Everyone has the right to access leisure and tourism services on an equal basis. Yet one billion people around the world living with disability, along with young children, seniors and persons with other access requirement, face obstacles in accessing fundamentals of travel such as clear and reliable information, efficient transportation and public services, and a physical environment that is easy to navigate. Even with modern technologies, those with visual, hearing, mobility or cognitive impairments are being left behind in many tourism destinations." An important aim of the society is to integrate persons with disabilities in the society so that they can actively participate and lead a normal life. More persons with disabilities are able to access physical facilities, the more they will be a part of the social mainstream. "There has to be a comprehensive plan for people with special needs. I can't think of any tourist site giving holistic physical and intellectual experience," said Rachana Khare, head, department of architecture and center for human centric research, School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal. "The parking and approach to the monument can be a harrowing experience for the differently abled, more so in the absence of trained and considerate staff," was the observation of Siddhant Shah, architect and disability access resource consultant, National Museum, New Delhi. Something for specially abled Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), Udaipur, in association with School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Bhopal, has developed universal access and interpretation center at the City Palace Museum, Udaipur.And Jaipur City Palace launched the Braille guidebook with open braille, large script font and tactile images.Work on universal accessibility at City Palace Museum, Udaipur, has been underway since 2010 with the School of Architecture and Planning, Bhopal. Greater convenience for all specially abled tourists is the focus of the plan to ensure a fulfilling museum experience for visitors.Ramps, lifts, audio-visual rooms and accessible toilets have been provided over the years. -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
