Tourists to Barbados and potential travellers are being assured that Barbados is working to ensure that the tourism product is fully accessible for persons with disabilities and or mobility challenges.
Tourism and International Transport Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill was responding to the St James Central MP Edmund Hinkson’s question about the progress being made since last Estimates debate to accommodate this community of persons.
He said, “We have a Bill which is pending – the Tourist Accommodation Bill, and in that Bill specific reference was made to [this].”
we have taken this very seriously and we are also encouraging regular tourist accommodation providers right now
With respect to what has been done locally over the past year, Manager Product Quality in the Barbados Tourism Product Authority, Lana Harewood explained:
“Last year we indicated the new Tourist Accommodation Bill will incorporate, will be all-inclusive to all persons. That Bill right now is with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and it does take into account 20 designators which the hoteliers can apply for.
“These designators will highlight prominent features of the establishment and one of the designators is universal access, and within the Bill, universal access will be taking into account the international universal access criteria as well as our national universal access criteria. So the tourism accommodation providers can go internationally or nationally for this designator.”
Harewood stressed, “we have taken this very seriously and we are also encouraging regular tourist accommodation providers right now, as we do our inspections, to consider adapting their properties to incorporate differently-abled persons in every regard.”
We did it as well for the Oistins product, which is also being developed
On the aspect of tourist attractions as it pertains to the entertainment side of the tourism product, National Coordinator for the National Tourism Programme (NTP) Nicola Alleyne said that they have making steps hand-in-hand with the Barbados Council of the Disabled and taking their guidance.
She told those in the Lower House, “Under the National Tourism Programme we have an initiative called The Tourist Urban Route which looks at showcasing our World Heritage properties and we made a direct intervention in ensuring that it is accessible by persons with disabilities.
“When we were designing that particular product, we had members of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, accompany us on a walkthrough to show us what were the issues that needed to be addressed to ensure that they would also be able to participate in that particular product once it was developed and we did that for that particular product.”
Changes for wheelchair-access, more autonomy coming
Oistins maybe in for some changes as well, with Alleyne sharing, “We did it as well for the Oistins product, which is also being developed under the National Tourism Programme.”
Most recently, she also shared that the Barbados Museum renovations are also being conducted with persons with disabilities at the forefront as well. “When we held the town hall meeting to discuss the work going on at the Museum, coming out of that meeting, we had a separate discussion with the Barbados Council for the Disabled to make sure that the requirements and areas that they required to be addressed were part and parcel of the design of that facility before we move forward to the Tender stage which is where we are right now. So we have made direct interventions to ensure that that NTP takes account of the community of persons with disabilities.”
those who don’t have it obviously in the numbers that we are looking for, obviously I’m aware
Silver Tourism important to Barbados
But the Head of the National Tourism Programme also shared that within the context of an aging population locally and globally, Silver Tourism is under the microscope for Barbados as well. Therefore, improvements for persons with disabilities are also improvements for this section of travellers who adore Barbados.
“Our returning visitors are also of the Silver Market and have mobility issues, and as we go forward… we discussed additional attractions coming online and what we are doing and we certainly need to make sure, is that those attractions are in recognition of the demographic that we are catering, that are coming to Barbados and the issues they are facing and to ensure they can participate in our product. So it is also as a result of the demographic coming to visit here in Barbados.
“We truly are developing an all-inclusive tourism product.”
Hotels, Restaurants, Attractions must meet the standards
Minister Gooding-Edghill also reminded that “a lot of the major brands that we have in Barbados, they have key brand requirements, and included in those brand requirements, the company must have a disability-friendly environment.”
But he said that for those who have inadequacies, especially in terms of those who may be practicing in tokenism with too few provisions, he is following up to see the adaptations come to fruition. “Therefore, a lot of those who don’t have it obviously in the numbers that we are looking for, obviously I’m aware that they are making arrangements to do so.”
