How can Tourism Hamilton identify accessible tourism attractions to better serve and attract visitors with mobility challenges to Hamilton?
Project description
According to Statistics Canada, 2.7 million Canadians (or approximately 10%) aged 15 or older have a ‘mobility disability’, a number that is only expected to increase with our aging population.
Tourism Hamilton works to promote Hamilton to leisure and business travelers to generate economic and social benefits for the city. In order to be more inclusive and drive more economic activity through increased visitation, Tourism Hamilton would like to better serve potential visitors with mobility issues by promoting accurate information about attractions and experiences that are accessible.
Tourism Hamilton would like to partner with CityLAB to help define and evaluate accessibility features of key tourism sites in the city and compile an inventory of leading attractions that are accessible (including listing accessible features).
We recognize that accessibility is a very diverse area that can include mobility, vision and hearing, and cognitive dimensions and covers:
Physical access, for those with physical disabilities that require wheelchairs, walking aids or handrails
Sensory access for those who have sight or hearing impairments
Communication access for those involving speech, vision, and hearing challenges
For the purposes of this project, Tourism Hamilton would like to limit the scope to sites that are physically accessible (number 1 in the list above) but is open to broadening the scope in consultation with CityLAB staff and faculty or considering a phased approach.
City Staff: Dana Borcea, Tourism Destination Development Officer