Tuesday, June 22, 2010

We Welcome Diana Palmer Back From Her Churchill Fellowship Research Trip

Diana has returned from her trip around for her Blakeney Millar Churchill Fellowship and wow does she have a lot to share with us about accessibility. Turns out Access Aware and IDEAS will be doing some big planning to get on top of the new trends and ideas around accessibility and helping people with disability.

It's amazing how technology can change the way that communication is managed with others particularly in regards to giving it to those that need it. All these new gadgets and gidgets that can help to create a togetherness through an 'authentic' communication source (such as our IPhone or IPad). 

Diana's comments around accessibility were that countries are still striving to achieve it, there are so many things that need to be considered, monitored and built upon before a street can even be accessible to all. It's a process of failure after failure until you reach upon a successful option. And often this becomes less practical as the world turns another year older.

I know what you are probably thinking, are we ever going to get there?!? All these countries with all their different finances, all their different technologies and we still haven't found an answer.

Stay positive Australia because at least some of us are trying. We will get closer, it just takes people like us to remind certain people to get going!!! 

2 comments:

  1. Hi Alyssa, really glad you stopped my blog so I got to find out about your work - just to add a bit of inspiration from a recent holiday on a royal carribean cruise ship - what struck me was how excellent the disability access facilities were on board and how great it was to see so many disabled holiday makers able to enjoy their holiday to the full - that's how it should be and here's hoping that in the future things continue to improve and perceptions are changed - in the meantime I look forward to following your blog

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  2. Hi Magicdarts. Thank you for your great comments. Tourism for people with disability is always an area that really should be equal. Why should someone be able to visit a local beach for a holiday while other people can not? Actually, the organisation I work with offers a database of tourism options for people with disability as a means to help them to plan their trip. Hopefully in the future this will not be needed because there will be equal access to all things holiday for everyone!

    A quick note, I am so jealous that you went on such a beautiful trip. I can't think of anything nicer right now!

    Alyssa

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