Accessible Spaces for All

There is often a lack of awareness regarding the needs of people with disabilities, particularly in the tourism and travel sectors. The Accessible Spaces for All promotes accessible tourism and is committed to its long-term improvement. From Austria, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and Weinviertel Tourismus GmbH are involved in the project.

To break down barriers, the project organizes conferences, webinars, meetings, study visits and develop tools and services to improve independent tourism of persons with disabilities. These initiatives facilitate exchanges between authorities, the tourism sector, and persons with disabilities. Together, they develop strategies and local action plans to better integrate accessibility into spatial planning. The focus is on key issues such as accessible natural and rural areas, insufficient travel information for people with disabilities online, and general obstacles in public spaces.

First results of the project is the development of digital databases and a tool, called the "Web Accessibility Viewer". Barriers are identified and mapped through field and office research in three rural regions of Central Europe together with persons with disabilities. This tool allow users to search for accessible locations, check accessibility details, and plan routes.

Based on the collected data, models to improve the mobility of persons with disabilities in cross-border tourism were developed. In the Slovenian-Croatian-Hungarian pilot region, the focus was on developing inclusive travel itineraries and tour recommendations in natural environments, as well as organizing public awareness-raising events. In the Czech-Austrian pilot region, activities addressed barriers by publishing accessibility information online, developing accessibility guides for different toursm locations, organizing webinars for tourism providers, stakeholder events and student workshops, and producing a short film on how blind and visually impaired people experience travelling. In the Polish pilot area, the focus was on rural tourism through testing digital tools such as VR headsets with films of inaccessible sites and a wireless tour guide system for persons with hearing impairments.

Through capacity building, joint strategy with action plans for improving the accessibility of tourism and close collaboration among stakeholders, the project helps shape more effective policies and spatial planning in the field of accessible tourism. This leads to improved services for people with disabilities while also strengthening social and spatial cohesion in these regions.