Accessible Tourism and Disability Pride Month: Two topics to talk about

By: Yarimar Marrero Rodríguez

Have you heard of Accessible Tourism? Did you know that the month of Pride for Disability is celebrated in July? Probably not, and to clarify these doubts, we spoke with the rehabilitation counselor and inclusion and accessibility consultant for Companies, María del Carmen Rodríguez Morales. 

YMR: Tell us a little about your condition and what motivated you to be a spokesperson and leader among people with functional diversity.

MRM: I have a neuromuscular condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, it is congenital and hereditary and affects my strength from the neck down, which is why I have used a wheelchair since I was 11 years old. I wasn't involved, before I was 18 years old, dealing with disability inclusion, but I had experienced a lot of challenges. When I entered the University to study at the UPR in Cayey, that was like my door to the world and there I met other people who have different types of functional diversity and I realized that we had the same challenges. I learned the difference of knowing my rights by getting involved in activities and initiatives, I fell in love with it all and studied rehabilitation counseling. In this journey of life I have taken countless workshops that touch on the subject of accessible tourism, inclusion, sexuality and there I realize that I want to accompany companies to achieve that goal of being more inclusive. It's certainly that whole journey of realizing that there's a need and how you can work out a solution.

YMR: We are in the month of July and a recurring theme among the families of people with functional diversity are the recreational options. Can you explain the concept of accessible tourism to us?

MRM: Accessible cars, although in the beginning it was spoken from the perspective of people with functional diversity, has expanded and is also known as Tourism for all. It refers to the fact that anyone can have that tourist experience and enjoy it regardless of the particularities or characteristics they have. I emphasize that tourism is the entire process from identifying the place, the destination, the country, the type of activity, all those elements. It is a very broad topic that is becoming more popular every day. In other parts of the world it is part of public policy and government tourism management. There is the World Tourism Organization, which has a whole division of accessible tourism and when we talk about tourism, we cannot leave it out.

YMR: Do you consider that our country has an infrastructure and internal tourism places that meet these accessibility criteria? Can you share some examples.

MRM: What meets the criteria of accessible tourism one hundred percent no. In Puerto Rico, people with functional diversity have the challenge of transportation, we have the challenges of location. Another important issue when we talk about accessible tourism and inclusion is how independent a person can be in that activity. In our country, in recent years, what has to do with access to beaches that are key in our country has become more visible. Imagine that we have more than a thousand beaches. I have had the experience of visiting the bioluminescent Bay of Fajardo and kayaking because the Peniel Acces Eco Tour company has accessible kayaks for people with functional diversity. On the other hand, Para la Naturaleza has also been working on initiatives to make its tours more accessible. They have a vehicle where you can get in your wheelchair and I have been working with them to continue increasing accessibility in their facilities. Although different efforts have been made, it is still necessary to establish it as part of the management of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

YMR: An issue that always comes up when I talk to people with functional diversity is the issue of visibility. What do you think is needed for people with disabilities to achieve the goals of inclusion, equity and accessibility that they deserve?

MRM: The first thing is that it has to be seen as part of the country's management from public policy. We have to raise awareness. Hey we're here! We have to be participants in decision-making, how many people with disabilities are active in decision-making? It is key that the participation of the population is encouraged and that the issue is not for one day, this has to be part of the country's management, equally by private companies. It is so important that visibility does not come from "there is a story of overcoming, blessed..." we are human beings like any other being, who are simply raising our voices and telling our story and we continue to experience a series of challenges. Disability is not the problem, it is the barriers that society imposes on us. People with disabilities are clients, we are consumers; If I go to a place where I feel comfortable, it is accessible and they treat me well, know that I am going to bring the whole group with and without functional diversity. It is important that what we manage is not done from charity. Something that I have done is to be where they do not expect me to be, in my case I am in business associations, in forums, in activities. Because we have to be involved and that we ourselves carry the voice, sometimes they speak for us and a phrase from the Independent Living Movement says: "Nothing about us without us."

YMR: Tell me a bit about the background to the origin of Disability Pride Month and why it is important to celebrate?

MRM: This celebration gave rise to the approval of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. How those who achieved this were the same population with disabilities, because they had to carry a message of "I am proud of who I am." It begins to make a series of stops. At first it was not called Disability Pride Month, but instead was a celebration of the passing of the law. It began to be celebrated as such from 2015 in Boston. This year we came together to make the tool kit where you can see background information, the flag of the movement and the meanings of the colors. One of the goals is to raise awareness about ableism, which is the root of all discrimination against the population, simply when you give less value to a person for having a disability. This is the first year that we are going to celebrate it and we are formally promoting it in Puerto Rico from a group of content creators, from the Functional Diversity in Action Podcast, from the Una Mirada Distinta Podcast, from Unknown Reality, which is a radio program From WIPR, we are inviting organizations, content creators to join, download the link material and tell your story, upload videos. We are also inviting companies to hold events where the protagonist is the person with functional diversity, either to educate, to share their story and raise awareness or promote their businesses if they are entrepreneurs. The idea is that we understand that, regardless of whether or not you have a disability, you are a human being like anyone else and it is valid to be proud of that.

For more information on Disability Pride Month, you can access this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m9pZjUDXyDZuhSwkM5PaMafeAgLi4AuA