Spain for All: Improving accessibility within the travel sector, was launched at WTM London by the campaign’s ambassador, TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan. "What Spain is doing is a blueprint; the world will be watching,” he said. “If it’s successful it will transform the industry all over the world.”
He told WTM London the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona had been “a catalyst” for disabled access in the city. “There are definitely things we can learn from what has been done in Spain,” he said, citing by way of example the city’s Metro, which was 96% accessible for disabled people.
“The games kick-started their journey to accessibility,” said Adepitan, adding this meant the country was now years ahead of others.
Pedro Medina, deputy director of the Spanish Tourist Office, said one of the areas the report tackled was digital access. “We need to close the information gap,” he said, adding change was sometimes hampered by “the fear of getting accessibility wrong”.
Marina Snellenberg, Tui UK and Ireland’s accessibility manager, said the industry often focused on the moral and legal argument when it came to disability.
“At Tui, we have recently switched to the commercial argument,” she said, explaining disabled travellers stayed longer and spent more. The market would grow, she said.
“Disability rises with age; we are living longer. For a non-specialist operator like Tui, customers age and become disabled. We need to make sure we are their travel brand of choice when their needs change.”
Snellenberg added 40% of Tui’s customers with a disability chose Spain.
Adepitan agreed “everyone” would encounter a disability in their lives. “Welcome to the club, you’re going to join the best club around,” he said.
He warned travel companies needed to take this into account when recruiting. “You can’t build a world for us without us," he said.
"My advice to any tourist board or company when you think about disability is make sure you have a diverse board."
