1. 1The Disabled Travelers Guide to the GalaxyFrogs, Bicycles, Imo, UD = MC2 and theRestaurant at the end of the UniversePrepared by Travability Pty. Ltd. Phone 0417 690 533 Email bill@travability.travelWorking towards making the world accessible to allAdvocates for Inclusive TourismTravAbilityT R AVA B I L I T Y. T R AV E L

2. 1The Disabled Travelers Guide to the GalaxyFrogs, Bicycles, Imo, UD = MC2 and theRestaurant at the end of the UniverseWell not really but at least I have your attention!It would be nice to think that travelers with a disability were free to travel theUniverse with nothing more than their trusty towel. In reality, travel even to alocal attraction, is far more difficult than it needs to be. Travel, recreation andleisure are all about about the experience which ideally should be seamless fromplanning, to arrival back home. Enjoyment comes from those experiences and theway they are shared with others. The experience lingers in the memories of thosewho participated. A truly remarkable travel experience leaves the visitor changed insome way.The reason it is so difficult for people with a disability to travel freely is that industry as a whole has not yetrecognized that fundamentally a traveler with a disability is no different from any other traveler in their aspirationsfor a remarkable experience.To the travel industry Accessible Travel is still about access and not the experience. There is a fundamentaldifference and it stems from a misunderstanding that Universal Design means design for the disabled and not humancentered design.Chapter One - The Universe in ChaosLets look at the UniverseTo understand the slow evolution of the adoption of Accessible Tourism, we must first look at the evolution andstructure of the tourism universe.In a Previous article, Accessibility does not equal Inclusive Tourism, we examined the structure of the industry froman operator point of view and explored the disconnect that existed between venue owners/operators, wholesalers andthe retail network (both online and offline).In defining a tourism experience, however, the universe gets more complex. The private sector industry playersdo not act alone, but are part of a greater destination management plan that stems from a national brand valueproposition. The brand proposition and national branding is a strategic decision that comes from a NationalTourism Authority. It is filtered down to State/Provincial Authorities. Underlaying those bodies there is normallya layer of Regional and then Local Tourism Authorities that develop their own identities, branding and destinationmanagement plans. The nexus with the national branding is broken at this point unless the particular region is anational icon and part of the international marketing plan, e.g. Americas Grand Canyon or Australias Great BarrierReef. At a regional and local level the emphasis is on developing the key attributes of the destination for a morelocal market. The influence of the National and State Tourism Authorities becomes more advisory and a source ofinformation on global tourism trends.The various elements of the Universe can be depicted in the following diagram.Universal Design is NOT Design for the Disabled 3. 2The pyramid of influence is important as it represents by color the ease with which cultural change can be affecteddepending on the level a strategy change is implemented. Tourism is structured in multiple layers and unless allembrace Accessible Tourism as a core pillar of their respective tourism strategies an Inclusive Experience willnever result.Who is Imo and what has he got to do with the Universe?National Tourism AuthorityInternational Marketing | National Strategy | Industry Briengs on Emerging ErendsNational Awards | ResearchState/Provincial Tourism AuthorityInterstate Marketing | State Strategy | Industry Toolkits | Industry TrainingIndustry Networking | Development of Regional and Local Tourism AuthoritiesResearchRegional Tourist BoardsIntrastate marketing | Regional Destination Development/ManagementBranding | Industry Training | Capacity Building | AdvocacyLocal Tourism AssociationsVisitor Services | Advocacy | Industry DevelopmentMarketing | Product Development | StakeholderManagement | Booking Services | EventsTourism BusinessesProduct developmentDestination PromotionCustomer ExperiencePackagingServiceAdvocacyStrategic DirectionLeadershipTrend analysisPoliciesLegislative FrameworkBrand ManagementMarket DevelopmentDestination DevelopmentDestination ManagementMarketingResearchIndustry EducationTrainingReward and RecognitionProduct DevelopmentCustomer ExperienceDestination EnhancementCapacity BuildingAdvocacyProduct packagingFramework Required for a Successful Accessible Tourism Strategy ImplementationEmbedded commitment at all levels is essentialPyramid of InuenceTravAbilityT R AVA BILIT Y.TRAV E LImo the monkey has become famous over the years, originally as a result of Robert Ardreys wonderfulwork of science popularisation, The Social Contract, first published in 1970. Ardrey had learned of thetrail-blazing work of Japanese scientists in studying the behaviour in the wild of large, self-contained andhighly structured monkeysocieties. The scientists had established the practice of provisioning- providing some of the monkeypopulations food needs but without distorting the natural pattern of foraging in their island habitat. Thisallowed the observers to study at first hand, and continuously, the patterns of social interaction amongstthe monkeys and, above all, their learning-the way that intelligence diffused in the social systems. Imoexcited their attention from the start. When sweet potatoes,which monkeys love, were placed on thebeach of the tiny islet of Koshima, all the monkeys laboriously picked the grains of sand from the food inorder to eat it. It was Imo, just 18 months old, who made the mental connection with the little stream thatcrossed the beach not far way. Imo carried the sweet potatoes to the stream and allowed its fresh watersquickly to wash away the sand. After a while another youngster copied this method of food preparationand then, after a further period, Imos mother did so. Very slowly the innovation diffused amongst the 4. 3band, mainly amongst the young, and within families. The normal pattern was for the young to make thebreakthrough, followed by their mothers, and then for new infants to copy their own mothers.The point of the story, for observers of human behaviour in organisations, is that the clever new ideasnever penetrated to the powerful males at the top of the social hierarchy. They never came into contactwith the young. When caramels were introduced to another band, the pattern was repeated-it took ayear and a half for the innovation to spread from the juniors to half the entire troop. But, in a parallelexperiment, the alpha (boss) monkey was induced to try another new and delicious food-wheat. Thealpha female promptly copied him and the entire band of 700 monkeys took to the new food in justfour hours. Why? Because everybody watches the leader. Nobody much attends to an Imo. By now amature four-year old, Imo devised a method for placer-mining the wheat too. Interestingly, the youngestmonkeys had figured out that it made sense to get downstream of Imo, so as to catch any floatinggrains that escaped the panning process. Something similar occurs near the smartest operators in bigcorporations.Intelligent Leadership - Alistair Mant - AllenUnwin, 1999The story of Imo is used a lot in corporate management and leadership training to keep organizations continuallyfresh and new by encouraging a think tank process to capture the new and innovative ideas coming out of theyoungest minds. The best organizations do that successfully and keep innovating and changing. The key to thatchange is to recognize, however, that to get organization wide adoption rapidly to take advantage of the associatedcompetitive advantage, the idea has to be owned from the top down. Without that ownership most ideas will be slowto evolve or die all together.The Social Model of Disability and its effect on the UniverseThe Social model of Disability recognized that society had a responsibility to not exclude people with a disability.Around the world the Social Model spawned anti-discrimination acts which were ultimately codified into accessrequirements. The compliance approach to accessible tourism is aimed at the individual tourism businesses andspecifically at physical infrastructure. It is the least influential part of the pyramid and an infrastructure approach isassociated with cost with no relation to business, destinational, or product development. Some businesses may seethe potential of the market or the social implications but often it is limited to those with a personal experience orassociation. It is a model of accommodation - not customer. Codification provides a safe haven and a minimum norisk solution to accessibility.The Business Case - A Really Big and Expanding Universe, but too big to comprehend at alocal level.In recent years the economics of the Accessible Tourism sector have started to come to the fore. The groundbreaking research of Dr. Simon Darcy in 2008 put a value on the market of 11% of the total tourism spend. Furtherwork by McKinsey on the impact of the Baby Boomers put their proportion of the tourism market at 50% by 2020.When the extrapolation of the number of people in the Baby Boomer group who will have an age related disabilityis applied to their purchasing power then the percentage of the total tourism, market that will relate to people with adisability climbs to a staggering 25% by 2020. Our article, Inclusive Tourism - An Economic Imperative driven bythe Baby Boomer Generation, explored in detail the purchasing power of this generation.While the business case is strong, it is not tangible to individual business owners and operators. Too oftenpresentations concentrate on big numbers, percentages and 20 page checklists and access statements. What 5. 4a business owner needs to know is what to do about it, not how big the Universe is. The size of the Universearguments need to be directed at the strategic influencers whos job it is to translate those trends into tangible actionplans.Without the national structure embracing Accessible Tourism the emerging trends and business case is nevertranslated into regional, local and individual plans that can be effectively implemented. It becomes a Black Holewith some isolated and disconnected bright stars. Like Imo, they will each be getting their own satisfaction bothfinancially and socially, but the impact on the overall destination will be small and slow.National Tourism AuthorityInternational Marketing | National Strategy | Industry Briengs on Emerging ErendsNational Awards | ResearchState/Provincial Tourism AuthorityInterstate Marketing | State Strategy | Industry Toolkits | Industry TrainingIndustry Networking | Development of Regional and Local Tourism AuthoritiesResearchRegional Tourist BoardsIntrastate marketing | Regional Destination Development/ManagementBranding | Industry Training | Capacity Building | AdvocacyLocal Tourism AssociationsVisitor Services | Advocacy | Industry DevelopmentMarketing | Product Development | StakeholderManagement | Booking Services | EventsTourism BusinessesProduct developmentDestination PromotionCustomer ExperiencePackagingServiceAdvocacyPoliciesLegislative FrameworkBuilding CodesBusiness Case Anti-discriminationGlobal TrendsAgeing PopulationThe Black Hole of Accessible TourismOstritch LeadershipPyramid of NO InuenceTravAbilityT R AVA B IL I TY.TRAVEL 6. 5You cant shoot for the stars without a systems approachConversely, when there is a well established and sophisticated system, simply bolting on new pieces doesnt changethe fundamentals. Those additional pieces are never nourished and never form part of the overall system. Theysimply exist on the edge until, through lack of maintenance, they fade away into oblivion.Tourism is an example of a well established and very intricate systemaimed at delivering a multitude of different experiences to the traveler.Those experiences blend together to retain a feel for the destination andbrand management. The complexity exists both within the destinationmanagement structure and within the industry that brings together anarray of components to deliver its overall service. A successful tourismproduct incorporates, transport, accommodation, attractions, sightseeing,booking systems, information systems and customer service. Thoseproducts are bundled and further require the integration of serviceproviders, consolidators, tour operators and an extensive retail networkwhether online or offline.Over time the system evolves as products change and the tastes of themarket changes. New products and experiences become available andget incorporated into the local and then destination wide management. In some cases the destination plan and valueproposition evolve over time as a destination sees a competitive advantage in a line travel type. Adventure andsustainable tourism are two recent examples.Bicycle thinking, where a new product is bolted onto the system invariable fails if it doesnt fit into the destinationmanagement plan or isnt powerful enough to change the plan.The approach to Accessible Tourism, has to date, largely been Bicycle thinking. Adding accessibility requirementsdoesnt fundamentally change a product offering or affect cultural change within a destination. The concept ofsystems thinking in relation to the tourism industry was explored in our paper Accessible Tourism is the TourismIndustrys Bicycle.The essential difference between the frog and the bicycle, viewed as systems, lies in the relationship ofthe parts to the whole. You can take a bicycle completely to pieces on your garage floor, clean and oilevery single part, and reassemble the lot, confident the the whole thing will work perfectly, as a bike, asbefore. The frog is different. Once you remove a single part, the entire system is affected instantaneouslyand unpredictably for the worse. Whats more, if you go on removing bits the frog will make a series ofsubtle, but still unpredictable, adjustments in order to survive. This sort of system, at the level beneathconsciousness, wants to survive and will continue for an astonishing length of time to achieve a roughequilibrium as bits are excised - until it can do so no longer. At that point, again quite unpredictably, thewhole system will tip over into collapse. The frog is dead and it wont help to sew the parts back on.Intelligent Leadership - Alistair Mant - AllenUnwin, 1999 7. 6Defining the Disabled Traveler.The Encyclopedia Galactica defines disability as:While that definition may be tongue in cheek, it goes a long to explain why Accessible Tourism has not becomea mainstream part of the tourism product. As we have said earlier tourism is all about creating an experienceand a memory of a place. It is about engaging people and taking them into a new realm. The ability to transportsomeone to a new sensory level requires an understanding of the person for whom that experience is designed and aknowledge of their capabilities to enjoy and appreciate what is going on around them.People with a disability are present in all sectors in roughly the same proportion as the general population. They arenot like the backpackers, adventure tourists, or luxury travelers that can be conveniently put into unique productboxes with targeted marketing campaigns. The common misconception is that the needs of all people with adisability are the same. In one sense that misconception has been reinforced by the social model of disability which,in defining the social barriers, has concentrated on a narrow sub set of physical access requirements largely limitedto car parks, toilets, building access and hotel rooms. By concentrating on the narrow access requirements theindustry has effectively created an artificial sector of people with a disability that ignored their actual aspirations.A disability, in reality is just a different level of ability. We are not all equal in a number of ways. Physical ability isjust one element in the total capability set of the human being.If we do take physical ability as the cornerstone of the push for greater accessibility then we need to put it intocontext. Looking at the travel industry as a case in point. Travelers vary enormously in their physical capabilitiesand their holiday patterns reflect that diversity. Whether that holiday is climbing a Himalayan peak, walking NewZealands, Milford Track, visiting the wine region of the Napa Valley or relaxing on a Caribbean Island that is apersonal choice. The tourism industry is adept at discerning and catering for those wide ranges of choices, however,we have categorized a disability, through the medical and now social models as something different and around thatbuilt a set of preconceptions that shields it from a market view.Disability is often regarded as a homogeneous concept. The opposite is true. As with the general population ability ison a continuum.An arbitrary line drawn to differentiate a segment of the population whose abilitythe majority dont understand.Disability is the only minority group anyone can join in an instant 8. 7Continuum of AbilityActivity LevelLevel of SupportHigh HighPassive ExtremeLowTraditionallyDenedDisabilityPublicPerceivedSubsetAdaptive Equipment isopening up a whole range ofadventure activities to peopleof all abilitiesTravAbilityTR AVA B ILIT Y.TR AVE LMobilityImpairmentVisionImpairmentHearingImpairmentSpeechImpairmentMentalImpairmentHiddenImpairmentAgeingPopulationThe arbitrary line defining disability is exactly that, an arbitrary line. The advent of modern alloys and design hasopened up a vast range of activities including some at the extreme adventure end of the spectrum. People with adisability can be found across the full range of sporting and leisure activities. Their tastes and budgets, likewise,spread from economy to five star and include the conference and meetings market. The key to developing tourismproduct is to look at the aspirations of potential visitors, the opportunities that exist within a destination and thetechnology available to allow participation by people of all abilities. Customer expectations should drive the productdevelopment.From a tourism industry point of view, higher levels of assistance and support are common in the higher adventuretype tourism activities and in the group tour segments. The industry has a proven capacity to support people toachieve stretch goals and aspirations. Accessible Tourism needs to capatalise on that pre-existing skill set by clearlydefining the customer needs.New technology is opening adventure to all - Images available from Photoability.net 9. 8Chapter Two - Bringing Order to the Universe with the Force ofUniversal DesignUD = MC2The Encyclopedia Galactica defines Universal Design as:Universal Design is at the very core of an inclusive society. In the context of tourism UD must be able to producean experience that meets and exceeds the expectations of all people. Further, as we have said, tourism experiencesare SHARED experiences hence the design of tourism products is about bringing together people of all abilities, notdesigning specific activities for people with a disability.Universal Design is the design of products, services and environments to beUSABLE by ALL peopleWhat if the first question we asked was, What is so unique about this situation that it justifiesexclusion? instead of, How much does it cost to make it accessible?Dr. Scott RainsAccessible Product DevelopmentUniversal Design must be Integrated at Every StageTravAbilityTRAVA BILITY. TRAVELThe Customer is the Centre of the UniverseCustomerDesiresCapacityReviewProductDesignBuiltInfrastruc-Soft tureInfrastruc-tureStaTrainingProductImplementationPackagingReleaseMarketingUniversal Design is the Governing Force 10. 9The key element in developing tourism product is the incorporation of Universal Design from the first inception ofthe product concept.Knowing what the customer, not only wants, but is capable of doing is the foundation for the capacity review. Thecapacity review must look at all of the existing infrastructure and what needs to be altered to accommodate theproposed new product. Too often the path of travel is ignored or the simple and inexpensive alterations overlookedbecause a helicopter view is not taken out the outset.Product design must be all-encompassing and actively seek out new product innovations. Today venues have agreat range of new equipment at their disposal from the freewheel wheelchair extension, off road handcycles, roadhandcycles, all abilities sailboats, adaptive fishing equipment, paddle boards designed for wheelchairs, adaptivecanoes and canoe launchers, in addition to the tradition hearing loops, tactile markers etc.In creating built infrastructure it is important to look to the future and the impact the aging population will have onanything built today. The Baby Boomer generation will dominate the travel market over the next 20 years. That isa big enough tome horizon to justify any capital expenditure. The vision and application should be broad. Why fita toilet seat with a 30% luminosity contrast to just the accessible toilet. The contrast is needed by anyone with lowvision whether or not they have any mobility issues requiring and accessible toilet. The small things like maximizingthe accessible paths of travel through garden and bar areas should be part of any infrastructure upgrade.In creating a tourism offering the Soft Infrastructure is just as important as the built environment. Accessibilityinformation should be plentiful, easily found within the main context of the attraction description and written in thesame style as any other information. It is, after all, a sales document, not an audit report. Booking systems shouldreflect the experience a visitor wants or expects to have. If there is space for only one companion, then the bookinginformation and system needs to talk about where the rest of the party is located, or better still reserve the row infront of the accessible seating to accommodate family and friends. Create interactive maps and signage to alloweasy wayfinding through a venue without the need to search for a step route. Create large print registration forms ormobile apps to simplify the process for people of all abilities. In other words every action should be enhancing thecustomer experience and it should blend in with existing forms and presentations and systems. Customers want aninviting experience, not one that makes them feel different or puts under pressure.In implementing any Accessible Tourism product, it has to be made seamless to the overall visitor experience.Transport, arrivals, check-in, dining, drinking, city transfers, sightseeing tours, local accessibility maps all shouldreflect the same level of inclusiveness as the particular product being developed. Rarely does a tourism offeringexist in isolation to the destination. Partnerships and packaging are critical is staff training, not just in the particularproduct, but all other things a traveler with a disability may want to do.Finally there is the marketing. Imagery plays a critical role in saying to a customer from the outset that we wantyour business. It is about positioning potential clients as valued and welcome guests and nothing says that morestrongly than people with a disability enjoying a venue or activity on offer. That imagery should not just encompassthe particular product but more generally reflect the destination as whole.Universal design is not design for the disabled. It is an all encompassing philosophy to create a culture of inclusion.Get the vision right and all else follows with creative and innovative solutions that will attract one of the fastestgrowing markets of any industry.Everyone Belongs Outside - Vision Statement of Parks Alberta 11. 10The Galactic Road Map to the Accessible Restaurant at the End of the Universe.Tourism is complex from its management structure, industry structure and destination and product development. It isa system designed and intertwined to create an experience for the traveler.The industry, and disability advocates have been slow to adopt Accessible Tourism as a valid tourism market mainlybecause the industry as a whole does not understand people with a disability as travelers.The Social Model of disability created a community recognition that society as a whole has a collectiveresponsibility for people with a disability. The UN CRPD, and in relation to tourism Article 30, goes further with adoctrine of equality. The emphasis for the past 25 years has been on physical access and while a great many of thosebarriers have been removed the cultural divide and misunderstandings still prevail.The Final Frontier is all about cultural change that will be largely driven by an aging population and increasingeconomics around Accessible Tourism.The Business Case alone will not change those attitudes without a rethink by Accessible Tourism advocates on howthat message is translated to every level of the Tourism Industry. The focus has to now shift to one of educationabout a new customer and redefining the misconceptions held by the industry about people with a disability. Thearbitrary line has to be removed from the continuum to allow for the development of truly inclusive experiences tobe enjoyed and shared by everyone.Someday soon the restaurant at the end of the universe will be accessible to all 12. 11About TravAbility.TravAbility was founded in 2007 by Bill Forrester andDeborah Davis.Our mission is to be agents of change; to inspire peoplewho have never traveled before to do so, and to inspireothers to do more. To encourage all cultures of the world tosee disability as an integral part of life, and to provide themotivation and tools to the tourism industry to allow themto create accessible environments that enable inclusion in aneconomically sustainable way.We offer a range of services to tourism operators and Destination Marketing Boards to enable them totake advantage of the growing Accessible Tourism market: Staff and Management Training Marketing Services and Toolkits Industry Presentations and Conference Sessions Property Audits and Universal Design planning Self Audit Tools National/State/Regional Park Guides and Trail Maps Diversity and Inclusion Strategy development Disability Action Plans and Access Statements New Project planning and Development Stock Imagery through PhotoAbility Accommodation listings through TravAbility PropertiesFor more information on how you can make your business more attractive to the traveler with a disabilitycontact Bill at bill@travability.travel or Deborah at deborah.davis@pushliving.com.Further referencesAccessible Tourism has to be Customer, not Compliance FocusedInclusive Tourism - An Economic Imperative driven by the Baby Boomer GenerationAccessible Tourism is the Tourism Industrys BicycleThe Economic Model of Inclusive Travel - Changing the demand drivers for the provision of products and servicesin Inclusive Tourism. The Why and How.Travel Industry Structure is a barrier to Inclusive Tourism 13. 12Inclusive Imagery by PhotoAbilityTRAVELLERS with disabilities and their families represent a strong and growing trend that can be captured by travelproperties and service providers.PhotoAbility, a new niche stock image site, can help companies demonstrate a commitment to their customers with adisability through disability-inclusive imagery incorporated into their websites, advertising and marketing materials.Our library specialises in travel and lifestyle related images featuring people with disabilities enjoying travel allaround the world with their families and friends. Incorporating these types of positive inclusive images within thetravel sector will give those with disabilities the inspiration and confidence that they too can enjoy the opportunity toexperience new destinations that can accommodate their accessibility needs.The stock image gallery features rights-managed and royalty-free photos and can be searched by destination bytravel operators, companies, advertisers, marketers, publishers, creatives, and designers whose role is to cater to thetravel consumer.Customers who have specific access needs are part of every tourism segment. Their interests are as wideas any other group of people. They may be looking for mountain adventures, concert performances or ahoneymoon hotel. In business terms, they are simply customers but they need good access otherwise,they will choose to go elsewhere. They also travel with family and friends so you could not just be losingone customer but potentially many more. It is about gaining market share. Bill Forrester, Co-Founder,PhotoAbility.Inclusive tourism should be treated the same as any other destination marketing. Accessible facilities areone thing, but the right imagery sends a powerful message that we want your business. Deborah Davis,Co-Founder, PhotoAbility.It is no longer about accommodating travellers with a disability, but actually about competing to attract this veryvaluable market.Increasing the inclusion of people with disabilities in the marketing and advertising medium 14. 13The Spirit of Inclusive TravelI travel because I want my mind and my heart and mysoul to overcome the boundaries that my body now feels.I travel in spite of the fact that it is inconvenient in thatI am unable to walk onto the plane or to simply stand upand use the bathroom when needed, or that I have to spendinnumerable hours planning and seeking out where I maybe able to go in a wheelchair; what I will be able to seeand where will accommodate me once I reach my chosendestination. I travel because to do so puts me in the realmof saying HA! Look at me now! I can do and be and seeand experience this wonderful world. I CAN taste, smell,delight in the people and remarkable sights and win in thebattle of my body over my spirit.I was a dancer and I was 18 when I crashed my car in front of theMormon Chapel on the Maryland beltway. I broke my neck and was toldI will never move from the neck down again. Yet, I heard a voice as I layalone in the night..-you will not be able to move your legs..but it will not be permanent andthere is a purposeI accepted this, moved on and regained the use of my arms and handsjust like the voice said.So I go--and I relish in the next trip--the next challenge that I WILLover come. I am not a wheelchair sports jock-never raced in my chairor played tennis or rugby or wheelchair basketball. Travel and love ishow I survive. I take my love and my will with me and I look strangersin strange lands in the eye as I roll by and I am saying to myself andto everyone who sees me that WE are not pathetic, sad, miserablecripplesWE are here and we want to share the world with you.it is up to me toshow you I will come--it is up to you to show me I am welcome.Deborah DavisAs published in the New York Times.Having fun in the EvergladesDeborah in Stockholm 15. 14Our TeamSince 2007, Travability has been developing accessible information on tourist destinations. We havecontinually refined our presentation style and level of detail as a result of continual feedback. We aremembers of SATH (Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality), ENAT (European Network forAccessible Tourism) and Tour Watch the world incubator for Accessible Tourism. We are acknowledgedas global thought leaders on inclusive tourism and the economic impact the sector will have on the travelindustry over the next ten years.We have presented at international forums including: SATH World Congresses in 2009 and 2011 Inaugural Access Tourism New Zealand Conference in October 2010 We were a part of the agenda planning committee for Interdependence 2012 in Vancouver, Canada Member of the Scientific Committee for Destinations for all, a Global Summit in Montreal in October2014We have developed the Accessible Information Evaluation Model for Parks Victoria and conducted thereviews for 26 major parks.Bill ForresterBill was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. As a child he was fortunateto travel to many parts of the world and to learn and appreciate cultures otherthan his own. That passion for learning and understanding has never left him.Bill has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne andspent most of his working life in the corporate field in both senior financialand operation roles. He specialised in corporate and cultural change, andhas extensive experience in facility management, major project delivery,stakeholder relations and corporate training programs. He has worked in theprivate, mutual, and government sectors, including Brambles, News Limited,RACV and Melbourne Water.Recognising that there was a lack of information of accessible tourismfacilities, in 2007, Bill formed Travability with a mission to change the waythe tourist industry viewed travellers with disabilities and the way accessibleinformation was made available.Deborah DavisDeborah was born and raised in Maryland and moved to Miami in 1984.She was involved in a car accident at the age of 18 sustaining a C6/7 spinalcord injury resulting in incomplete quadriplegia. Deborah has a Bachelorof Business Administration from the University of Miami and has had asuccessful career in the medical sales field and was the Director of AbilitiesFlorida. She has extensive experience in developing and conducting trainingprograms on disability awareness and the seamless inclusion of accessiblefacilities. She has a wealth of experience in marketing. She is well travelledand enjoys the thrill of discovering new places. As an active and accomplishedindividual she is passionate about our dream of making the world accessibleto all.Deborah is the founding inspiration and co-owner of Travability.