Source: http://prashant.myehome.in/blog/?p=87 Please visit this page to download referred documents.
Earlier I had reported our bad experience when the Delhi Young Voice group had visited a prominent amusement park in New Delhi. Subsequently there was lot of outcry on the internet and many demanded inclusion and equitable treatment of persons with disabilities in all public spaces including amusement parks. You can read my blog post WHERE IS RIGHT TO ENJOY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES? to know more. The park authorities had apologized and had promised a better treatment next time. 18 months down the line the Delhi Young Voice Group decided to visit the Adventure Island, New Delhi again to check if anything had changed on the ground for persons with disabilities. The group leader Shailender Yadav contacted the park management and informed them that a group consisting of blind, physically handicapped and hearing impaired youths will be visiting the park on 25 December. The park authorities requested Shailender to postpone the visit as heavy rush was expected on 25 December. Then 29 December was fixed for the visit. The adventure island to our surprise sent us their policy document on treatment of visitors with disabilities in advance by email. They were very courteous in their communication with us and assured us all support from their side. The person in direct communication with the group mentioned that he was aware of the unpleasant experiences of the last visit and this time they will try to make the visit comfortable and enjoyable. They politely pointed out that some of the rides may not be suitable to certain disabilities and apart from those group members are welcome to try out the other rides. The park authorities also offered attractive discount on the ticket price for the group members. The group was welcomed by the staff on the day of the visit and was provided escorts who remained with the group till the end of the visit. This amusement park now provides wheel chairs from the parking area itself and has built ramps wherever required. The toilets are disabled friendly and even the food court area has counters at the level of wheel chairs. After reading the policy document and the instructions placed near every ride there was no confusion and ambiguity and the group members happily observed the restrictions on use of some of the rides. The group thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Adventure Island this time and thanked the staff and management while leaving. The policy document it seems is highly influenced by the disability policy of the ADVENTURE ISLAND in United Kingdom. The company claims that international consultants were engaged to evolve the policy and certify the safety and other requirements. Quoting from the policy document: "At Adventure Island it is our never ending endeavour to ensure that each customer visiting the amusement park is safe and secure. We lay a high degree of importance to promoting an atmosphere of fun within a differently abled friendly environment. .. Our staff being our key asset is thoroughly trained and made aware about our policies. A sense of compassion and a willingness to help differently abled visitors is imbibed in them.." The instructions to persons with disabilities for the different rides also seem to be very reasonable. "CYCLONE RIDE: The ride moves in a fast circular motion with turns, therefore a strong upper and lower body is essential. The customer should be capable of sitting upright unassisted and balancing his / her body weight on the seats. This ride can be enjoyed by the guest with hearing impairment if the instructions being given by the Guest Relation Associate while boarding can be translated by a helper. Entry to the queue structure being narrow customers on wheelchairs may enter through the exit gate with assistance from carer." You can download the policy document in PDF format here. The document contains lot of graphics and is partially accessible to the screen reader users. The National Association for the Blind, Delhi has written to the Adventure Island appreciating their initiatives and has offered all support including conversion of the policy in accessible formats like DAISY audio book and Braille. I hope that other establishments in the field of recreation and hospitality take a cue from Adventure Island and soon adopt policies for customers with disabilities. I am sure they will soon realize that the changes they make benefit everyone and apart from creating goodwill for them also increase their business. Time to meet up again! 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