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Accessible Everything

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disability, travel, wheelchair

Lucas “LazyLegz” Patuelli

Play&Tour

By Craig Grimes

I found out about this through Absolut BCN (articulo en castellano) about a new service to provide audio guides in Barcelona that are available to hire from 11 hotels in the city. The guides are not only audible in several different languages including English, Spanish, Catalan, German, French and Japanese, but as they use iPods a map and photos of what you are looking at are also available on the screen. Prices start from 17€ just audio and 30€ with photo guide.

So what if you’rte not staying at one of these 11 hotels? Easy, you can download the guide directly onto your own personal MP3 or iPod direct from the Play&Tour website. The downloadable version doesn’t have an onscreen map or video but it does include a PDF map of Barcelona (you can download the map for free even if you don’t want to buy the MP3 product) with all of the points of interest marked that you can print off at home. Price 17€.

This service provides a hassle free tour guide for people that use wheelchairs or have mobility problems, no more digging out the guide book in the middle of the street and flicking through the pages to find the relevant spot, just click and play. Although the MP3 audio guide may have to be altered slightly, it would also be a good option for viusally impaired and blind poeple. Lets see which is the first company to come up with something like this for deaf people, this would really test the limits of technology! If anyone wants to give this a go, drop me a line, I think I might know the deaf guy for the job……

Play&Tour also cover Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome Seville and Venice.

All images copy right of Play&Tour.

Posted in En Castellano, Guided Tours, Blind, Deaf, Video, Spain, Travel, Media, Barcelona, Technology, Blogroll | No Comments

ISN Comes to Matagalpa Theatre

By Craig Grimes

At the Centro Cultural de Guanuca, Matagalpa they frequently have small theatre productions on a Saturday night. A couple of weeks ago I thought of the idea of inviting my deaf friends but, then they wouldn’t understand it, so I decided that the only solution was to invite Frank, an able-bodied Nicaraguan friend that knows ISN (Nicaraguan Sign Language) to come and translate.

Even though it was a last minute rush job, it all went fairly smoothly and the deaf guys that attended had a great time. Unfortunately, nobody took photos of Frank signing, next time I’m going to video bits too, but here are some photos of this show in the meantime.

Posted in Theatre, Central America, Nicaragua | No Comments

Rainy Season Returns to Nicaragua

By Craig Grimes

I’m happy to say that after what seems to have been a never ending dry season, the rain began to pour yesterday and it looks as though the rainy season has begun. Does this mean the end of the sunshine? No, it just means that we get a welcome break from the non-stop sweltering heat and between the storms and showers we get some sun too. Ahhhhhhh, the best of both worlds…..

Yesterday the rain came down so heavily that it began pouring through the roof if the living room and caused a small swimming pool, the street turned into a river and I was becoming concerned that I might have to turn my suitcase into a make-shift kayak just to survive.

At about 3.45am last night I was rudely awoken as the heavens opened again and the rain came down creating the most amazing yet slightly disturbing noise on the zinc roof of our house. I have no idea how many decibels it reached, but you couldn’t hear yourself think.

Now I have to get back into the routine of trying not to get caught out in huge storms, as if I do there’s no way of wheeling home as the streets flood. When this happens, I have no other choice than to make an emergency rush for Artesanos and have a rum and coke…..

I’ve added a new page to Accessible Everything which is the weather forecast for Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, although the weather is slightly different in Matagalpa it gives you an idea of what the weather is like here.

Posted in News, Central America, Nicaragua, Travel | No Comments

Encuentro Internacional de Mujeres con Discapacidad

By Craig Grimes

ENCUENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE MUJERES CON DISCAPACIDAD

La Habana, Cuba, 18 al 21 de noviembre de 2008

La Asociación Cubana de Limitados Físico-Motores (ACLIFIM) convoca al I Encuentro Internacional de Mujeres con Discapacidad, que sesionará del 18 al 21 de noviembre de 2008, en el Palacio de Convenciones de La Habana, Cuba.

Este Encuentro tiene como objetivo el intercambio de experiencias sobre la integración de la mujer con discapacidad a la Sociedad.

El Encuentro estará abierto a todas las personas con discapacidad; así como, a profesionales y estudiantes interesados en los temas a debate.

Esperamos contar con su presencia. Sea desde ahora bienvenido.

Comité Organizador.

Mas información: Información sobre el Congreso

Posted in En Castellano, Conferences, Women's Rights, Discrimination, News | No Comments

AccessibleNicaragua in the Press Again

By Craig Grimes

AccessibleNicaragua has hit the press again, this time in the the Nica Times, part of the larger Tico Times covering Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The article appeared in the magazine’s Tourism Supplement on the 9th May, which is primarily for English speaking ex-patriots and tourists.

Through the article I have also been offered a monthly column with the newspaper, “NicAbility” will be about my experiences of living in Nicaragua as an ex-patriot person with a disability, Inclusive Tourism throughout the country and the local disability scene.

The article was spread over 2 pages and they are below in 2 PDF files.

Nica Times Tourism Supplement page 1 Nica Times Tourism Supplement page 2

Posted in News, AccessibleNicaragua, Media, Central America, Nicaragua, Travel | No Comments

Socorro, Brazil - Universal Design and Inclusive Adventure Sports

By Craig Grimes

As part of the trip to Sao Paulo for ReaTech a group of us went on an excursion to Socorro, organised by Nunes Joedson and Ricardo Shimosakai of Turismo Adaptado. The group consisting of Scott Rains (Rolling Rains Report), Jani Nayar (SATH), Nélida Barbeito (TTS Viajes), Bruna Castro and myself went to see the project in Socorro to implement a basic standard for people with disabilities throughout the town including adventure sports. We first went to Portal do Sol, a hotel that has several rooms adapted for people with disabilities.

After which we then went to Parque dos Sonhos where they offer a whole host of adventure sports for people with disabilities, we tried a 1KM long zip wire that reaches speeds of over 50 KMPH. A great experience, and although not 100% suitable for everyone, a fantastic example of Inclusive Adventure Sports.

Next up was Base55, an inclusive off-road facility on quad bikes, something that I have always wanted to try and lots of fun.

We also visited the accommodation at Parque dos Sonhnos which is universally designed to be accessible for as many people as possible.

All photos courtesy of Scott Rains and the Rolling Rains Report

Posted in Adapted Sport, Brazil, South America, Accommodation, Universal Design, Travel | No Comments

POR LA VIDA DE LAS MUJERES, NI UNA MUERTA MAS - Nota de Prensa

By Craig Grimes

POR LA VIDA DE LAS MUJERES, NI UNA MUERTA MAS
CARCEL PARA LOS ASESINOS, JUSTICIA PARA LAS MUJERES

La tarde de ayer, 1º de mayo, por tercer jueves consecutivo, un centenar de personas, entre ellos los hijos y familiares de Carolina Rivas, se manifestaron en Matagalpa, en el Parque Morazán, frente a la Policía paraexigir justicia en los 6 asesinatos cometidos contra mujeres de este departamento.

Darlin Flores, Guadalupe Chavarría, Xiomara Molinares, Amparo Avilés, Carolina Rivas, Xiomara Pérez son sus nombres.

Solo el asesino de Amparo Avilés ha sido capturado.

La Red de Mujeres de Matagalpa, la Red de Mujeres del Norte Ana Lucila y el Movimiento de Mujeres Jóvenes Lidia Espinoza, hacen un llamada a la ciudadanía para que se pronuncien y muestren su rechazo contra todo tipo de violencia contra las mujeres.

Ante las autoridades exigen:

- Captura de todos los agresores
- MAS RECURSOS para la Policía,
- FISCALES en todos los municipios,
- COMISARIAS DE LA MUJER en todos los municipios
- Voluntad y compromiso de todas las INSTITUCIONES Y FUNCIONARIOS PUBLICOS para erradicar la violencia contra las mujeres
- Incluir en el Código Penal el delito de FEMICIDIO

CARCEL PARA LOS ASESINOS JUSTICIA PARA LAS MUJERES

Nota de Prensa