Showing papers on "Accessible tourism published in 2009"

Managing Forest Road Access on Public Lands: A Conceptual Model of Conflict

Abstract: Conflicts around the provision, maintenance, and removal of forest road access abound in resource management. These conflicts arise since road access benefits some people while negatively affecting others. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders from two northern Ontario, Canada, communities, we examined issues around road access. Conflict emerged as the core category from the interviews, with conflicts primarily arising between tourism operators and local (road-based) recreationists. Social, physical, and managerial contexts are primary drivers of differences in conflict observed within the two communities. Contextual difference in scarcity and allocation of surface water between road-based recreation and remote tourism (i.e., train or float plane accessible tourism establishments) led to much greater conflict in the Dubreuilville than in the Ignace area. Conflict in the two communities also arises from goal interference, social values differences, and perceptions of inequities of past decis...

Guest editorial the role and position of disabled people's organisations in community based rehabilitation: balancing between dividing lines

Abstract: The role of disabled people in CBR is increasingly being seen as of vital importance for the success of CBR. In actual fact participation of disabled people and self advocacy have become two of the principles of CBR as seen by the World Health Organisation and associated organszations behind the new CBR thinking. This paper deals with the position and role of disabled people themselves in CBR programmes. It critically looks into the role Disabled Peoples’ Organisations in terms of promoting equal access to essential and acceptable quality of rehabilitation programmes for all and especially the poor of this world. It is argued that DPOs should join the ranks of those (professionals) who are committed to ensure that rehabilitation becomes accessible to all. The current global situation of an ever widening gap between the ‘ones who have and those who don’t have’ requires a critical reflection on ones’ own work in CBR and DPO development. We cannot permit ourselves anymore a division among those who are disabled and those who are non-disabled as there are other divides among groups of people that are by far more profound and serious to the majority of disabled people worldwide. While the urban elite of disabled people who live in a conflict-free, open and democratic society may be well concerned with issues such as accessible tourism, CBR as essential service provision is often unavailable for the poor rural masses and those living under illegal conditions in slums of the cities of Africa, Asia and South America. CBR as philosophy seeks for solidarity with those who live under appalling conditions; threatened by conflict, eviction

Proceedings of the 3rd International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology

Abstract: We are glad and honoured to host the third episode of the international Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology (i-CREATe) in Singapore. This year, i-CREATe is pleased to partner the International Conference on Accessible Tourism (ICAT) to bring you two conferences under one common banner --- Assistive Technology & Accessible Tourism (AT&AT). All registered delegates will have free access to all the programme of the two conferences. Follow our successful showings of the first two i-CREATe (Singapore 2007, Bangkok 2008), the programme for this year's convention promises to be even more exciting. We have assembled 5 plenary speeches by decorated award-winning domain expert, prominent industrial leader, experienced expert user of assistive technology and renowned academics and physicians. There are more than 100 presentations, workshops and discussion forums covering a wide spectrum of topics, a comprehensive exhibition of the latest products and services by companies, research institutions and NGOs from more than 10 countries, and a showcase of more than 25 projects by the finalists of the IBM Assistive & Rehabilitative Technology Student Design Challenge. Unlike most academic conferences in the Asia Pacific region, i-CREATe is not an usual annual meeting of academics and professionals to share their latest studies and research, it provides a much needed but glaringly missing platform for all relevant stakeholders to share information and experience. These include the medical practitioners, NGO executives, end users & caregivers, policy makers & government officials, industrial players, academicians, researchers, students and anyone interested in this field. In the past two events, we have been trying hard to strike a balance among the interests of these stakeholders. We want scientific rigor, but do not wish to shut out the people that do not speak equations, algorithms or Latin medical lingos; we want social relevance, but do not wish to make the technologists and medical professionals feel out of place; we want industrial participation, but do not wish to turn it into a hard selling session; we want to provide content for every relevant domain, but we wish even harder for free interaction and cross fertilization. We wish that you will find i-CREATe 2009 enjoyable as it is useful.