Accessible Tourism in Toronto, Canada and Worldwide
Posted by Matt Hagg on Thu, Dec 08, 2011 @ 02:14 PM
As the baby-boomer generation ages, more and more seniors find themselves looking to travel while simultaneously struggling with loss of mobility and other disabilities. Fortunately, accessible tourism is a thriving industry, in Canada and around the world, and there are a multitude of options for seniors, as well as all other tourists with disabilities.
In Canada, 2010 Legacies Now aims to establish British Columbia as a leader in accessible tourism, and has developed a rating system to allow visitors to find businesses, attractions, restaurants, and accommodations that are accessible for users with mobility impairments, vision loss, or hearing loss. Worldwide, similar initiatives include the European Network for Accessible Tourism, which aims to study and promote accessible tourism, and Australiaforall.com which bills itself as a one stop shop for tourist information for visitors with disabilities to Australia.
Here in Toronto, most local attractions offer at least basic accessibility accommodations, such as wheelchair access, while others go further and provide accessible tours and alternative sensory exhibits. For example, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), offers guided Tactile Tours as well as ASL interpreted tours, in addition to interactive exhibits that can be explored by touch by visitors with vision loss. The museum is also accessible for visitors with mobility devices, including washrooms and drinking fountains, and provides a variety of portable descriptive audio devices. The Art Gallery of Ontario offers similar multi-sensory and ASL-interpreted tours and is also fully accessible.
The Ontario Science Centre is barrier-free and offers an Access Guide for people with vision loss to identify exhibits that can be experienced through taste, hearing and smell, including wayfinding directions. Most of Toronto’s other major tourist attractions also offer accessible features, including the CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto Zoo, Casa Loma, and the many theatres downtown.
Further information on accessible tourist attractions in Toronto can be found at Tourism Toronto.