Our cover star this issue, Katie Price, has been outspoken in support of the rights of people with disabilities – especially children. We ask whether enough is being done to ensure access for all to attractions and what practical steps can be taken to improve things
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2014 issue 4
In this issue, we ask our panel of experts how attractions can better cater for people with disabilities – how they can engage with them and enable them to enjoy the enhanced quality of life that comes from great days out with friends and family (see page 28).
Our feature was inspired by comments made by former glamour model Katie Price, who has a 12-year-old son with disabilities. Price is putting her fame to good use in calling for better provision of facilities for children with disabilities and their families.
Disabled people can be vulnerable to poverty, so provisions need to be made so they can both afford and access attractions. We’ve written before about Morgan’s Wonderland, the amazing US-based theme park built by Gordon Hartman – who’s contributed to our feature. Hartman made his theme park free for children with disabilities and their families. He has funded it by setting up an American football team and building a stadium next to the theme park, so the profits from the sports team subsidise the park.
There are plans for more Morgan’s Wonderlands and it would be exciting if this was the start of a new generation of purpose-built attractions that enable wider access.
Our experts raise important points about addressing the challenges of supporting and accommodating people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities. They discuss ways to help people with disabilities to feel comfortable and at ease and ensure their safety, while also avoiding segregation.
These include having dedicated staff, specialist training, targeted marketing and adapted physical environments. It’s a substantial challenge, but one we must rise to for a whole host of reasons – some practical, some ethical and some commercial – if real change is to be achieved.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says more than 1 billion people worldwide are permanently disabled – that’s around 15 per cent of the total population. The number is growing due to the ageing of the population, increases in chronic health conditions and – shockingly – war.
Although it’s tough to contemplate, the WHO says war is a cause for this number escalating: “for every person killed, many more are permanently disabled.” There are also millions who struggle physically but aren’t categorised as disabled: older people, or those whose challenges are less severe but still limiting and those who are injured or have a temporary challenge or disability. All need support, which gives operators the opportunity to develop an additional visitor stream, while offering assistance to groups who need it.
The WHO says attitudes against disability are the main barrier to people leading better lives, but that this can be changed through better education, training and integration.
As attractions grow across the world, we have the opportunity to make a contribution to what is increasingly seen as a basic human right by the WHO: a full social life.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2014 issue 4
Editor’s letter: Access for all
We ask whether enough is being done to ensure access for all to
attractions and what practical steps can be taken to improve things
Interview: Tim Smit
The Eden Project was groundbreaking
when it opened in 2001. Now the
attraction’s founder Tim Smit is taking
the concept to a global audience,
and he’s starting with China
Interview: Jonathan Gottschall
Literary scholar and author of The
Storytelling Animal explains why we’re
all addicted to story, and how attractions
can capitalise on our love of narrative
Heritage: Actions Speak Louder
The National Trust’s Ben Cowell
describes how landscaping can build up
to a reveal, and ways the organisation
is using actors to bring history to life
Conference Report: SATE 2014
TEA president Christine Kerr presents
the hot topics from the annual design
conference devoted to Storytelling,
Architecture, Technology, Experience
Story Centres: Tell Me A Story
The popularity of story centres shows
the youngest generation – dubbed
digital natives – are thirsty for
children’s literature and illustration
Technology: Reinventing the Nerd
Meet carnival-inspired Two Bit
Circus, created from its founders’
passion for engineering, video games
and the newest technologies
Promotional feature: BARCO
Barco offers state-of-the-art visualisation technology and
a holistic solution uniquely tailored to suit any attraction
Rides: The Ride Makers
In the first of a new series,
industry-leading manufacturers
tell us about the latest trends and
innovations in thrill coasters
Theme Parks: Kooza Came to Town
PortAventura’s general manager
on the Spanish park’s partnership
with celebrated circus troupe Cirque
du Soleil and its Kooza show
Planetariums: Tom Falvey
A new planetarium, capable of live
streaming to 14,000 schools, opens
as a new addition to the South
Carolina State Museum in the US
Show Preview: IAAPA EXPO
IAAPA returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando,
Florida, from 18-21 November, with more than 1,000 exhibitors
and an expected 27,000 attendees
Multimedia: Art Project
State-of-the-art projectors and
world-class artists combine to
create inspiring installations
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
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Our cover star this issue, Katie Price, has been outspoken in support of the rights of people with disabilities – especially children. We ask whether enough is being done to ensure access for all to attractions and what practical steps can be taken to improve things
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2014 issue 4
In this issue, we ask our panel of experts how attractions can better cater for people with disabilities – how they can engage with them and enable them to enjoy the enhanced quality of life that comes from great days out with friends and family (see page 28).
Our feature was inspired by comments made by former glamour model Katie Price, who has a 12-year-old son with disabilities. Price is putting her fame to good use in calling for better provision of facilities for children with disabilities and their families.
Disabled people can be vulnerable to poverty, so provisions need to be made so they can both afford and access attractions. We’ve written before about Morgan’s Wonderland, the amazing US-based theme park built by Gordon Hartman – who’s contributed to our feature. Hartman made his theme park free for children with disabilities and their families. He has funded it by setting up an American football team and building a stadium next to the theme park, so the profits from the sports team subsidise the park.
There are plans for more Morgan’s Wonderlands and it would be exciting if this was the start of a new generation of purpose-built attractions that enable wider access.
Our experts raise important points about addressing the challenges of supporting and accommodating people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities. They discuss ways to help people with disabilities to feel comfortable and at ease and ensure their safety, while also avoiding segregation.
These include having dedicated staff, specialist training, targeted marketing and adapted physical environments. It’s a substantial challenge, but one we must rise to for a whole host of reasons – some practical, some ethical and some commercial – if real change is to be achieved.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says more than 1 billion people worldwide are permanently disabled – that’s around 15 per cent of the total population. The number is growing due to the ageing of the population, increases in chronic health conditions and – shockingly – war.
Although it’s tough to contemplate, the WHO says war is a cause for this number escalating: “for every person killed, many more are permanently disabled.” There are also millions who struggle physically but aren’t categorised as disabled: older people, or those whose challenges are less severe but still limiting and those who are injured or have a temporary challenge or disability. All need support, which gives operators the opportunity to develop an additional visitor stream, while offering assistance to groups who need it.
The WHO says attitudes against disability are the main barrier to people leading better lives, but that this can be changed through better education, training and integration.
As attractions grow across the world, we have the opportunity to make a contribution to what is increasingly seen as a basic human right by the WHO: a full social life.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2014 issue 4
Editor’s letter: Access for all
We ask whether enough is being done to ensure access for all to
attractions and what practical steps can be taken to improve things
Interview: Tim Smit
The Eden Project was groundbreaking
when it opened in 2001. Now the
attraction’s founder Tim Smit is taking
the concept to a global audience,
and he’s starting with China
Interview: Jonathan Gottschall
Literary scholar and author of The
Storytelling Animal explains why we’re
all addicted to story, and how attractions
can capitalise on our love of narrative
Heritage: Actions Speak Louder
The National Trust’s Ben Cowell
describes how landscaping can build up
to a reveal, and ways the organisation
is using actors to bring history to life
Conference Report: SATE 2014
TEA president Christine Kerr presents
the hot topics from the annual design
conference devoted to Storytelling,
Architecture, Technology, Experience
Story Centres: Tell Me A Story
The popularity of story centres shows
the youngest generation – dubbed
digital natives – are thirsty for
children’s literature and illustration
Technology: Reinventing the Nerd
Meet carnival-inspired Two Bit
Circus, created from its founders’
passion for engineering, video games
and the newest technologies
Promotional feature: BARCO
Barco offers state-of-the-art visualisation technology and
a holistic solution uniquely tailored to suit any attraction
Rides: The Ride Makers
In the first of a new series,
industry-leading manufacturers
tell us about the latest trends and
innovations in thrill coasters
Theme Parks: Kooza Came to Town
PortAventura’s general manager
on the Spanish park’s partnership
with celebrated circus troupe Cirque
du Soleil and its Kooza show
Planetariums: Tom Falvey
A new planetarium, capable of live
streaming to 14,000 schools, opens
as a new addition to the South
Carolina State Museum in the US
Show Preview: IAAPA EXPO
IAAPA returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando,
Florida, from 18-21 November, with more than 1,000 exhibitors
and an expected 27,000 attendees
Multimedia: Art Project
State-of-the-art projectors and
world-class artists combine to
create inspiring installations
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Aquaform With a rich heritage in the spa industry, Aquaform offers a diverse array of water wellness experien [more...]
