July 11, 2004

Update 1: Call for Papers - RDS

The goal of this forum is to publish a scholarly volume that inserts the current dialogue on inclusive travel into the field of Disability Studies and provides foundational argumentation for ongoing study of the phenomenon. It also seeks to provide a multilingual review of the existing literature.

This forum singles out four areas for exploration that are of interest from a Disability Studies perspective:

  • The history of inclusive travel (travel accommodating those with disabilities)

  • The impact of travel on self-identity and disability culture(s)

  • The representation of travelers with disabilities in the myth and practice of the travel and hospitality industry

  • The place of Universal Design in the sustainability of inclusive travel

    • These areas might be broken down as follows:

    1) Examine the theme historically.

  • A historical sketch of successes in promoting inclusive travel worldwide – key players, legislation, successful businesses and their models.

    • This would be a first published attempt at such documentation.

    2) Observe disability culture and identity issues through the lens of travel.

  • An exploration of identity and social participation as traveler, tourist, or visitor.

  • The opportunity for temporary/alternative/transformative identity for the traveler with a disability.

  • The roles made available by the tourism industry to residents with disabilities in the tourism destination and a critique from Disability Studies.

    • Can we use travel as a laboratory to illuminate cross-cultural interactions that include disability culture(s) and aging?

    3) Document and critique the portrayal of disability and aging in the mythology and media of travel.

  • Observations on the problematic presence of difference in travelers.

  • Critical analysis of the presence (or absence) of people with disabilities & their experience in travel guides, travel products, travel marketing and reporting.

  • Travelers with disabilities in their own voice as counterpoint – literary or other media productions of our own experience of travel.

    • I see a lively multi-lingual, community critiquing portrayal of nations or ethnicities, but not disability, in the literature of travel. This would be a piece to insert Disability Studies into that dialogue.

    4) Is inclusive travel achievable? Sustainable?

  • Universal design as a tool for enabling inclusive travel.

  • Its products as the dialogue between mainstream culture and disability culture.

    • My position is that Universal Design currently represents the leading edge of advancement and innovation for inclusive travel and literally creates the infrastructure for its sustainability.

    This would be a first published work to gather examples of universal design in travel around this theme.

    See Update 2 for further discussion of Universal Design

    Posted by rollingrains at July 11, 2004 08:53 PM | TrackBack