Improved facilities for tourists with disabilities pushed
Developmental Disabilities Council Executive Director Thomas J. Camacho has signified anew support to efforts aimed at attracting large groups of tourists with disabilities to the Northern Marianas but added such moves would only flourish if public accommodations in the CNMI are built to cater to this type of visitors.
In a letter to Pacific Development Inc. general manager Yoichi Matsumura, Mr. Camacho said that local retail stores, restaurant outlets, streets, traffic lights, and pedestrian right of ways, including other essential public services, should be readily accessible to tourists with disabilities to be able to entice this particular tourist market.
“This, however, could only be accomplished if we all partner together and combine our resources to assess and remove those practices, policies and architectural barriers responsible for preventing this innovative market from traveling to our beautiful islands,” said Mr. Camacho.
GDDC has then offered its services to private entities such as PDI in conducting demonstrations to visiting individuals on the latest assistive technologies available at the agency’s Assistive Technology Center.
According to Mr. Camacho, the brief training is a good opportunity for experts to teach guests the importance of using technology as a solution to mobility impairments and thus promote independence, productivity, and integration into the community.
DDC also believes that tourists with disabilities may need to know their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the different programs and services being offered in the CNMI.
“The council continues to advocate for change on behalf of people with disabilities to ensure that the CNMI provides equal access to the goods, privileges, activities and services rendered to them,” said Mr. Camacho.
The DDC official also cited merits of enticing millions of tourists with disabilities which automatically factors in the company of their personal assistants, friends and families as added guests to the islands.
The council is currently working with the Marianas Visitors Authority on strategies that would promote the islands as a vacation destination to potential tourists with disabilities in a bid to boost the local tourism industry. (MM)
