By VIVIENNE PAL
ASK Helen Jones about one of her most eventful moments in 2003 and, chances are, the Mangrove Swamp Excursion will rank top of her list.
Accessibility makes touring the Great Wall of China possible for this disabled traveller.
Jones was in Malaysia as part of a team comprising Disability View and representatives from a host of disability organisations based in Britain to inspect how welcoming Malaysia was to disabled travellers.
Disability View, an organisation which provides current and useful information on disability in Britain, had sent its editorial representative to Malaysia on an educational trip jointly organised by Wings on Wheels, a specialist travel company for people with special needs, Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia-based travel agency Diethelm Travel Management.
In its September/October 2003 issue, Disability View’s magazine reported that although it took a considerable amount of “woman-handling” to get Jones in and out of the boat and to lunch, the excursion at the mangrove swamp was “worth the effort” and, according to Jones, “the boat ride to look at some of the country’s marine life was ‘just amazing’.”
The trip, while having assessed at that time the accessibility of most five-star hotels in the heart of Kuala Lumpur (door widths, colour contrasts, ramp gradients, room layouts and positioning of facilities and equipment: all check; with Equatorial Hotel offering the best quality of access), and that transfers from the lifts to their coach were more accessible than the regular train shuttle into the heart of the city, also showed the potential the country has as a tourist destination for the disabled, and how much the disabled want – and should be entitled to – their fun.
But that’s only possible if they are given the means to be independent.
“We usually prefer to be independent when we go on trips so we won’t slow down the group,” says Antony Leopold, who is himself disabled after having been struck with post-poliomyelitis of both legs since 1953. He has moved around with walking aids or on a wheelchair since.
While first-world countries like the United States and many European countries have proven to be accessible holiday destinations, Malaysia still has some way to go.
“Malaysia is quite far from being ‘travel accessible’ although the concept of barrier-free tourism is now gradually being implemented.
“Initially, I thought accessibility elsewhere was like how it is in Malaysia, but when I discovered just how accessible other countries were in comparison, I was inspired to do something,” Leopold says, adding that the disabled include both the handicapped and the elderly who rely on help to move around.
Married with three children, and able to move around independently in his own car, Leopold, 56, wishes to afford the same kind of experience to as many in the disabled tourist community as possible. And W what better way than to use his business as the platform to offer such value-added services?
In 2004, Leopold set up Ace Altair Travels Sdn Bhd after having been in the travel business in various capacities for some 15 years. Besides attending to able-bodied customers, he is determined that the company would realise his dream of providing meaningful holidays for the disabled.
“I’ve always loved travelling. This is the extension of my dream. Initially, I thought travelling would be impossible in the light of my disability because so many places weren’t disabled-friendly.”
As far as Leopold knows, there are no other providers of accessible travel in the country although he knows of cases of disabled travellers being handled by other agents.
He seems to be travelling a lonely road, considering the odds stacked against him.
“If you want to do something, you have to start by doing it on your own,” he replies with spirit.
Leopold developed Travel Assist, a niche value-added service specially designed to identify hotels with rooms for the disabled, and accessible places of interest and attractions, as well as provide transportation and transfers, and accompaniment by specially trained personnel upon request.
Providing such highly specialised services, especially when it’s new, can be tough. In order to market Travel Assist effectively, Leopold has subscribed to Malaysian Tourism Online Unified Reservation System (myTours), a system developed by Creative Advances Technology Sdn Bhd,
A consolidated tourism e-business platform that will unite government agencies, various sectors of the travel industry, and consumers, myTours includes components such as Hotels2Go and Flights2Go, and other travel-related technology integral to the entire supply chain of the tourism industry.
“I believe in the power of technology. The Commerce platform helps me jump-start my online travel business. It helps me connect with other travel agents and suppliers, whether they are inside or outside of Malaysia. This is a great way to promote my service,” he says.
One can rest assured the destinations he recommends are places that he and his family have personally scouted. In terms of accessible accommodation, Leopold says that most five- and four-star hotels in major cities in Malaysia have one or two handicapped user-friendly rooms with wider doors, accessible ramps, hand railings and some with roll-in showers.
Some of his trips have turned up unexpected surprises: some small towns offer disabled-friendly accommodation, like the 100-room Hotel Flamingo in the quiet town of Sitiawan!
Apart from the services, Leopold also provides other necessities.
“We will provide crutches and basic wheelchairs in case tourists do not bring their own, and we are planning to get motorised wheelchairs and a specially equipped van for wheelchair-bound travellers. I recently found a travel company that has a 28-seater coach which has a wheelchair lifter. They are very keen to work with me on my proposed services for disabled travel.
“We’ve also ordered portable ramps and I am in touch with an orthopaedic specialist who will advise me on how to best service disabled tourists,” he says, adding that he hoped to cater to small groups of four or five initially.
Leopold estimates start-up costs at RM300,000. He agrees that the infrastructure has to be in place for his venture to be successful.
“If you have the facilities, and help from the Government, the tourists will come. I have the contacts to provide a holiday for disabled travellers – I’ve made it possible for disabled tourists to ride an elephant in Thailand or even go scuba-diving.
“Having said that, we are realistic – there are some places we can’t go; for instance, I couldn’t walk up the Taj Mahal when I was on holiday in India, but being there and seeing it was wonderful enough for me. But, in certain instances, things can be improved. A holiday can be made a little better for the disabled with a ramp placed here or there, or resorts taking that extra step by constructing lanes near pools or by the beach for the disabled to move on.
“I’ll make sure something happens in my lifetime, regardless of whether every other entity comes in to play its part or not,” he says, adding that he hopes Travel Assist would be fully operational by next year.
■ Ace Altair Travels Sdn Bhd is located at Suite 1.12, 1st floor, The AmpWalk, 218, Jalan Ampang, KL. For details, call 03-2166 3755/ 4755.
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