Garajonay National Park (La Gomera -Canary Islands)

"At only a short distance from the desert-like coasts of the Sahara, the rugged highlands of the island of La Gomera in the Canaries are the final refuge of one of the most unusual and emblematic woodlands in Spain. The almost permanent shroud of mists rising from the Ocean and hanging on the mountains impregnates them with moisture and freshness, and favours the miraculous survival of these splendid and mysterious forests, the last remaining vestige of the ancestral subtropical woodlands which covered the Mediterranean area millions of years ago."

Elderly people and Dependent visits Garajonay National Park
This was stated today in a statement the president of the insular institution, Casimiro Curbelo, who states that are already scheduled the activities of this exercise, since the corporation island coordinates the area of Social Affairs.
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The initiative is launched in March, will last until September and includes hiking trails, a day of coexistence and a theatrical performance that will have the Garajonay central axis.
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The goal is for all people, no age limits or physical disability, have equal opportunities to learn about the Park and, through knowledge, participate in conservation.
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It also seeks to support and facilitate the means to ensure that all people with difficulties to reach the park, working with associations and centers for disabled people, promote social inclusion, removing barriers and develop an educational educational, entertaining and direct contact with the environment.
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Action addressed are children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, which will offer all-terrain chairs, allowing them to navigate the trails, still with the help of his companions.
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In addition, provide transportation to the meeting points and guides that will guide the tours.
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The routes, all with an estimated duration of 3 to 4 hours, will begin March 26 with a tour that will stretch from Las grow up to the hermitage of the Beeches, and three other proposals continue to go from Pajarito to the Los Norway, from Dark Reventón to the Hermitage of El Cedro, and from Pajarito to Contadero.
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"The story of the little fish Pedrito, who decides to lower the stream of El Cedro towards the sea and coexistence scheduled for June complete the program so far defined, and in which the council guarantees the participation of the users of the center disabled.
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From the National Park and the insular institution stresses the importance of bringing the island's natural wealth to all people, without any differences.
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The initiative has already taken place successfully last year and linked to the objectives of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, which has won La Gomera and which also involved the council and National Park.
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http://reddeparquesnacionales.mma.es/en/parques/garajonay/home_parque_garajonay.htm
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http://barrera-cero.com/index.php?option=com_jreviews&Itemid=267&lang=en

VOLUNTARY CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR THE DEAF AND HEARING IMPAIRED

The intention is to promote the adoption of this code as quickly as possible over a 12 month period subject to negotiating the commercial agreements for the purchase of the large quantities of equipment envisaged and widely distributing the information about alternative sources of supply. The intention is to review this Code at the end of a three-year period. A working party will be established to represent the interests of the hearing impaired and the hotel, motel and serviced apartment industry for the purposes of monitoring the progress of this voluntary code of practice and any evolution or refinement necessary that becomes apparent prior to the three-year time frame for a formal review. The working party is to meet bi-annually.


All PROPERTIES

That all hotels, motels, and serviced apartments who are members of the HMAA will provide hearing access facilities and special services to guests as follows:

* Ensure appropriate means in place to ensure that all Deaf and hearing impaired guests and staff will be alerted to any danger (e.g. fire, bomb threat), and to any drill or system test, within the premises at the same time as all other guests and staff. (Registration card to include “If you are likely to have any difficulty hearing alarms, or evacuating the building in the event of an alarm, please tick this box.”)
* Provide a telephone with built in or clip on amplifier, telecoil coupler and flashing light alert
* Will be provided with minimum specifications for the purchase of new telephones which will include a built in or clip on amplifier, telecoil coupler and flashing light alert and all properties replacing or purchasing telephones will, whenever possible and practical, adopt this new standard.
* Provide a television capable of accessing free to air captioning.
* Where pay TV access is provided, ensure that available captioning may be accessed.
* Will be provided with minimum specifications for the purchase of new televisions which will include the provision for captioning and all properties replacing or purchasing televisions will, whenever possible and practical, adopt this new minimum standard.
* Ensure that all TV signals carrying captioning are not stripped of captioning by pay movie or pay TV equipment




PROPERTIES IN EXCESS OF 50 ROOMS

For all properties with 50 or more guest rooms, one piece of each of the following items of equipment will be available without notice at the time of check in. For all properties with 100 rooms or more two such sets of equipment will be available without notice. All properties will undertake to make additional kits available with 48 hours notice. All properties will co-operate with each other in the loan of equipment to nearby properties when additional units are required.

* A portable non-audible door alarm.
* A television capable of accessing free to air captioning.
* A telephone with built in or clip on amplifier, telecoil coupler and flashing light alert.
* A text telephone or access to email.
* A vibrating alarm clock.




PROPERTIES WITH MEETING ROOMS

Those properties that provide meeting rooms in excess of 100 sqm will ensure that they can provide functioning assistive listening systems (ALS) to enable all participants in events in all function or meeting rooms to clearly hear all speakers without reverberation or background noise. These might be Induction Loop (IL), Frequency Modulated (FM), or Infrared (IR) systems.




INDUSTRY EDUCATION & CONSUMER AWARENESS

* The industry will list on association web sites those member properties who have acquired the necessary equipment to fully comply with the above voluntary code. The industry will promote the use of the International Symbol for Deafness (a registered trademark in Australia, held by the Deafness Forum Limited) for the provision of facilities for the hearing impaired in appropriate national directories, which already display symbols for special facilities of various types.
* Establishments which provide a guest services compendium or similar in-room directory will include a section which details the facilities available for the Deaf or hearing impaired at that particular property, including the willingness to rent additional equipment with 48 hours notice if the initial guaranteed on-site units are already in use.
* The industry will ensure that an education program is conducted to inform all members of the special needs of the Deaf and hearing impaired and to promote the understanding of the type of equipment needed, the use of the equipment and the special care to be taken in emergency situations.

http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=accessible-accomodation

New accessible beaches on the Costa Tropical (Granada)

Councilman Hall of Almuñecar Beaches, Daniel Barbero, informed the media that, for this summer, the municipality will have four beaches accessible for people with disabilities. To this end and have installed three new houses on the beaches adapted Velilla, Puerta del Mar and San Cristobal, Almuñécar, and it remains the one from La Herradura. Also be enabled for disabled parking in these areas.

You can view the accessible beaches in Spain on the following link:
http://www.discapnet.es/Castellano/areastematicas/Accesibilidad/OcioAccesible/Guiadeplayasaccesibles/Documents/2009/index.htm

Establishment recommended in the Costa Tropical:
http://www.turismotropical.com/
http://barrera-cero.com/index.php?option=com_jreviews&Itemid=164&lang=en

Program sailing accessible for people with disabilities (G3BCN. Vidreres. Girona)

This initiative, under the name "An ocean without obstacles," brings together several actions that have been designed by professionals and specialists in this field and will work separately the three areas.
- PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
- INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
- SENSORY DISABILITY
It is proven that the various activities at sea and rivers in many ways to benefit people with disabilities as well as unrestricted as to age or degree of disability.

PROGRAMS:
- Adapted Sailing
- Navigation Sailing Cruise (length 12 m.)
- Navigation pleasant in Goleta and Big Catamarans Bergantin
- Various forms of sea and river rowing
- Diving-specific programs
- Whale Watching
- Miscellaneous (rafting, hidrospee...)
- Interaction with dolphins
- Deep sea fishing (Program for responsible fisheries)
- Training, catering, workshop static (miniature vessels)

Attachment are specified in various activities and programs designed for this group.

BENEFITS
- Navigation aid for physical rehabilitation.
- Another benefit is the wider range of experiences
- The contribution of group effort that can learn more about their own abilities

The involvement gives a personal and social recognition while they feel integrated as part of a team where the common effort makes building friendships and objectives.

The aim is to disseminate the maritime and water, encouraging the fans to the sea and rivers in Spain and, in particular, support the integration of people experiencing physical or mental disability, or at risk of social exclusion such activities .
The activity fee is conditioned to the place where it is performed and the degree of disability, my goal is simply to publicize the various nautical and aquatic activities that may be performed in Spain
If your interest is you can order a CD with all these programs developed detailed and broadly, that its enormous weight I can not present them in this post, your address and postcode and I gladly send you a CD by mail.


http://www.g3bcn.ea26.com/

Travel For Disabled People

Disability Travel Articles.
Books for Disabled Travelers.

More than 1000 people with disabilities visits the wall of Avila - "la Muralla de Ávila" each year.

A total of 1,087 disabled people have used the accessible section of the wall of Avila since its opening in February last year. The month with more visitors in June, surpassing the 800 visits, followed in May and August (66 and 92, respectively), according to the City Council of Ávila.


However, January of this year, with only two users, and February 2009, five were the months in which less disabled had access to the wall by the segments shown.


It is a stretch between Arcos del Carmen and the Bridge, which includes an elevator and a ramp to allow access for persons with physical disabilities. This route, of 508 meters in length, includes a section that allows any person with disabilities up to twelve feet high in the west of the wall.

In this way there are two points of tourist information available, equipped with models made in bronze Blind (adapted for the use of blind persons) located at the gates of the Alcazar and the trace of the monument. With the motto "Heritage accessible heritage for all", access, infrastructure pioneer of this kind, was presented the day of Solidarity of World Heritage Cities.


The launch of the initiative was undertaken through collaboration between the Town of Avila and the Government of Spain, with an investment of 1.25 million, paid 75% by the Ministry of Development and 25% by Consistory Avila.


The City says that "these data suggest that the city of Avila is becoming an affordable destination, chosen by people with special needs and their companions, both group and individual, and we often ask for information by phone or via email on fate, choice and the possibilities of the city. "


For its part, the mayor, Miguel Ángel García Nieto, said during the inauguration of the new section that Avila has always been committed to disabled people and aims for universal access, "adding that" today, a wall was conceived as defensive belt, these breaks down barriers and become accessible to everyone. "


Among the first people with physical disabilities were first given access to the wall was the director of the Office of Social Affairs at the University of Salamanca, Maribel Campos, who said the "tremendous illusion of enjoying the sights of the city out and from this point. "




A total of 1,600 meters from the “adarve” of the wall of the pedestrian Avila, between the bishop's palace and the bridge's arch, with four access areas. There remain other to complete the 948 meters has a perimeter 2548 that the monument.




Original source in spanish: http://solidaridaddigital.discapnet.es/SolidaridadDigital/Noticias/Accesibilidad/DetalleNoticia.aspx?id=8172

ACCESSIBLE SAN DIEGO (California)

2009 Guide. Welcome to Accessible San Diego, non-profit information center for travelers with disabilities. Our site is undergoing upgrades.

Enjoy our Access Guide for accessible hotels, tours, lift transportation, attractions and purchase on line.

http://www.asd.travel/

http://www.sandiego.gov/