Enrique Rovira-Beleta Cuyás, a lecturer in Accessibility at the ESARQ School of Architecture, gave a talk and attended a roundtable discussion at the third edition of the Gran Canaria Accessibility Fair. The event was held at the Canary Islands Trade Fair Institute (INFECAR) from 16 to 18 April 2015.
In his talk, Accessible Tourism: The Great Business Initiative of the 21st Century, Rovira-Beleta shone a light on various ways to plan for the future while adapting to suit the requirements of all, without the need for special designs. He gave examples of how disabled people and wheelchair users have been able to visit different cities and destinations around the world without any difficulty.
During the roundtable discussion on accessible tourism, Rovira-Beleta was joined by a fellow speaker from the Royal Society for the Disabled (PREDIF): the architect José Alberto Jiménez, who also lectures on the ESARQ School of Architecture’s Postgraduate Programme in Accessibility and Design for All. They discussed how new avenues of business have been opened up thanks to the certification of accessible spaces and public policy on rights for the disabled.
The priority aim of the Gran Canaria Accessibility Fair is to provide training and raise awareness in the relevant sectors and among the general public of the benefits of ensuring the island is adapted and accessible to all. The motto of this third edition of the fair, “An Island Building Bridges to the World”, reflects Gran Canaria’s commitment to universal accessibility and its goal of raising awareness in order to ensure the environments, products and services offered by the island can be enjoyed equally by disabled and able-bodied people.
