Author： Dann Elizabeth Dann Graham M.S.
Publisher： Cognizant Communication Corporation
ISSN： 1943-4146
Source： Tourism Culture & Communication, Vol.12, Iss.2, 2012-04, pp. : 125-140
Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.
Abstract
Much of the academic treatment of tourism for the disabled typically focuses on those with bodily impairment and the ways that the industry responds to customer disability from a supply-side perspective. By contrast, the following account begins with demand and does so from the specific point of view of a deafblind individual (the lead author). Some statistical data are provided that enable the contextualization of her condition in the UK and rest of the world. However, since this is very much a trans-subjective journey, the remainder of the account is cast in the first person and present continuous. As part of this odyssey the study investigates a series of salient recorded experiences as they relate to her remaining senses of touch, taste, smell, and, to a lesser extent, hearing, and the manner in which they concentrate on doing her best in the circumstances rather than compensating for dual sensory impairment. It also analyzes these senses both qualitatively and quantitatively in relation to touristic visits to three continents: the Americas, Africa, and Europe, areas in which the narrator traveled from the time that she lost her sight, along with their evaluation as either positive or negative in nature. The conclusion briefly shows what the tourism industry is doing to cater to this disadvantaged group and additional material is briefly supplied to highlight a growing awareness of its situation.
Access to resources
Recommend
