How does anyone know whether a tourist attraction or destination is accessible? The Australian Tourism Industry Council runs an accreditation program for tourism businesses to meet certain standards. It’s how businesses get a star rating. Now it has accessibility accreditation for the tourism sector.
Now accredited businesses can do an additional module to add accessibility accreditation to their listing. The module was developed in consultation with TravAbility. It helps businesses evaluate the level of access and inclusion their experiences offer. The aim is to encourage tourism businesses to make adjustments to accommodate people with disability.
A guide with facts and figures about the business case was prepared for the launch of the accessibility self-assessment module. It includes the needs and aspirations of travellers and how to become accredited. There are sections on the size of the market, what travellers need, eligibility to apply, and the cost of accreditation. The guide also shows how to get started with the assessment.
Quality Tourism accredited businesses can begin their application under the existing Quality Tourism Framework. Other businesses will need to become an accredited before they can access the self-assessment module.
The module was developed by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council for the Australian Quality Tourism Framework. The module assesses provisions for people with:
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- limited mobility and wheelchair users
- low vision
- low hearing
- cognitive conditions
- allergies and intolerances
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At the end of the process the business will receive a report that will help identify improvements, and a tailored Accessibility Guide for the provisions already in place. This guide helps potential guests understand what the business offers in terms of access and inclusion.