Obviously, to talk about "tourism for all", we also must mention architectural and behavioural barriers. For this purpose, we will propose some leads to reduce behavioural barriers as well as architectural ones which inhibit disabled tourists to travel in full safety. Today, the lack of information, adapted equipment and understanding from the tourism industry, forms an obstacle to the development of a discrimination-free tourism.
Let us remark that, for any kind of travel, people need exhaustive information on the state of the infrastructure. One step to climb, a badly calculated door width, an ill-placed plant pot can be sources of dependence and weariness for disabled travellers or their travelling assistants.
Significant improvements have been carried out the last few years in Brussels. However, accessibility in tourist places is far from established, notably for what concerns public transportation, public buildings, stores, restaurants, leisure spaces, etc. We have noticed during our latest visits that some hotels and restaurants had carried out transformations in order to host disabled tourists. Several new hotels offer an optimal accessibility for travellers with reduced mobility. Let us not forget the various Communes in Brussels as well as the Region, which have launched projects (streets and transportation) to improve the present situation. We noticed however during our last visitis that several hotels and restaurants improved accessibility for persons with reduced mobility. We musnt forget either all the projects of the Brussels region in order to change the actual situation.
Finally, this guide does not pretend to be self-sufficient, it only represents a complement other traditional tourist guide books that remain indispensable to appreciate the abundance of cultural and leisure activities in Brussels.
Miguel GEREZ
Executive Director
’AMT CONCEPT’ (Access and mobility for all) A.S.B.L.
