Accessible Central America - Now an Accessible Global Network
Location
AccessibleNicaragua is an Inclusive Geotourism project to allow people with disabilities travel in Nicaragua, Central America and beyond. The project also helps local people with disabilities, women and indigenous people earn an income through the sale of artisan goods and gain employment in the tourism industry.
Your idea
This will be the address used to plot your entry on the map.
Street Address
Apartado 55
City
Matagalpa
State/Province
Postal/Zip Code
Country
Nicaragua
Year innovation began
2007
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of tourist experience and benefit to tourists
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Tourism-related business
Geographic location
Urban, Rural, Coast, Mountain, Rainforest, Multiple locations.
Plot your innovation within the Mosaic of Solutions
Main insight addressed
Market authenticity
Name Your Project
Accessible Central America - Now an Accessible Global Network
Describe Your Idea
AccessibleNicaragua is an Inclusive Geotourism project to allow people with disabilities travel in Nicaragua, Central America and beyond. The project also helps local people with disabilities, women and indigenous people earn an income through the sale of artisan goods and gain employment in the tourism industry.
Innovation
What is the goal of your innovation?
To provide inclusive heotourism services and information for people with disabilities (PwD's) that want to travel in Nicaragua but expanding to create a whole Central American network.
How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
Through providing information and services to enable PwD's to travel to Central America it is essential to make contact with accommodation and service providers, thus raising disability awareness, not only for the visitors, but also for the local population. In this way any new services provided are also available to the local population. The tours provided also visit NGO's that work with PwD's, women and indigenous people to raise the visitors awareness of the local population's difficulties. Therefore, the visitor can then chose to support local disabled people, women and the indigenous population through buying their artisan crafts, supplying much needed medical equipment and technical aids or through providing funding to specific projects.
Through meeting travelers with disabilities, the local people with disabilities also see that more is possible as a disabled person. For example, through meeting people with disabilities at Familias Especiales in Nicaragua, some of the wheelchair users have seen that I am fully independent and want to learn to be able to do the same. I now give wheelchair skills classes to a wheelchair user to help him become more independent and we are in the process of sourcing a new lightweight wheelchair for him to increase his standard of living.
Where possible accomodation is provided by ecofriendly hostals and hotels or by NGO's thus enhancing the local envirnoment and directly affecting the local population through providing employment (please see Impact Question 5 for further example).
The project is sustainable through the profits that the trips themselves generate. The profits are then reinvested into the project to expand the network into other Central American countries and beyond. Each individual project seeks to work with NGO's and other organizations to create a geotourism network of travel services for people with disabilities
Describe your approach in detail. How is it innovative?
Although there are many general companies that provide tours and information for travelers that wish to visit Central America none exist for PwD's. Through taking into account the needs of the individual traveler with disabilities this has a two fold impact. Firstly it enables people with disabilities from around the world to be able to travel in an area that was until now inaccessible due to the lack of information, and secondly, it helps highlight the needs of the local population of people with disabilities.
The services and information are user led, although set suggested itineraries are provided for the first time traveler to the area, they are flexible and adaptable according to the individual's needs and desires with advise provided where necessary.
The first part of the project was to establish inclusive travel in Nicaragua and then the second - fourth parts are to include Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador where such services do not exist. The project is futher enhanced by collaborating with already existing service providers in Mexico and Costa Rica. Such a network of information and service providers would enable travelers with disabilities to travel more freely through Central America. Later in the project would involve the inclusion of Belize and Panama to create a complete network of geotourism in Central America for people with disabilities.
This type of project to connect several different Central American countries has not yet been attempted, AccessibleNicaragua already exists and AccessibleGuatemala is soon to come. If successful, each country would have it's own webpage and also a main umbrella page of www.accessiblecentalamerica.com so that route planning through the continent would be possible. Through collaboration with other service providers, clients could be passed from company - company at the country border providing seamless passge throughout Central America
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
The main way of spreading the innovation would be to work with a large online geotourism portal in order to replicate AccessibleNicaragua through their franchises in other areas of Central America and beyond.
Through writing articles in disability magazines and working with specialist travel agents, blogs and disability websites, clients are found to help raise the funding to research and replicate the project in other areas of Central America.
It is also essential to work with NGO's throughout the region to create a network of information providers in Central America, through doing this, travelers with disabilities may also visit a variety of projects that effect the local population.
National Tourist Agencies and Guide Book publishers are also contacted in order to raise awarness of the project and supply information to potential clients (AccessibleNicaragua will be appearing in the Nicaragua Moon Guides in Autumn 2008).
Impact
In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
This project is intended to change and impact upon the lives of not only travelers with disabilities but also the local population by changing local infrastructure, awareness and providing employment.
Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts? 200 words or less
The impact at the local level is through educating establishments, hotels, museums, plantations etc. about disability awareness. Up to date several NGO's in Nicaragua and Guatemala have agreed to collaborate with the project. One in Nicaragua has already adapted a room at their hostal for travelers and local people with disabilities and another in Guatemala have asked for advise regarding access for a hotel they're currently constructing.
An excursion company in Nicaragua have also agreed to adapt one of their vehicles making it accessible for wheelchair users, which is not only of use to travlers but also to the local population.
Through working with NGO's of local PwD's and womens' organizations artisan crafts that are made by local woman and people with disabilities are being sold, not only locally, but also via the internet, thus helping provide a higher standard of living.
Tours to coffee and tabaco plantations are arranged with companies that organcially produce their product, thus helping them support their businesses with as little impact on the local environment as possible.
With this type of project there are very few negative impacts, where possible all accommodation and services are provided by NGO's to impact positively on people with disabilities and other local people that otherwise have few opportuinities of employment and/or work experience.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
PwD's are becoming more and more adventurous with regards to what they want from traveling. People have the means and the enthusiasm to travel, but little information and services to allow them to achieve their dreams. This project allows them to strive for more in realation to where they want to travel, even in the harshest of environments for people with disabilities. After a trip such as in Central America or any other develping country, many people with disabilities achieve much more than they thought possible and this gives a great sense of satisfaction. Through introducing travelers to local projects engagment with the locale is on an almost daily basis, but it also allows for local sightseeing and taking in the natural beauty of the area.
Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area’s cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
Through the exchange of experiences of travelers and local residents, the local population can better appreciate the natural qualities of their community and country that are slowly being destroyed. The guide on the tour also highlights some of the local environmental issues and through visiting organic plantations the traveler is helping sustain this form of farming.
It is hoped that the travelers' awareness of the tourism industry's impact upon the environment will be raised throughout the trip, thus encouraging them to opt for sutainable and responsible travel in the future. This is undertaken by showing them examples of both positive and negative impacts on the local environment. For example, the accommodation that is used at Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua has its water piped to the premises from the main network, while the hotel next door has bribed corrupt officials so that they can take the water directly from the lagoon collectively lowering the water level by 1M per year.
In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
Local residents are involved through various NGO's that help provide support for people with disabilities, women and indigenous people. This is in a variety of ways through providing employment in artisan arts and crafts and providing awareness, training and employment in the hospitality industry.
Local people with disabilities have provided short written autobiographies of their lives to help travelers with disabilities understand their issues and desires in life. They also make decisions on what they would like to learn about from travelers and about what products to make to be able to sell to visitors. The project allows for an exchange of experiences and ideas between the local and the visitor.
The approach also helps create and develop links between different NGO's at the local, and in the future Central American, level. For example, two artists with disbabilities are providing some of their work for exhibitions in a Womens' NGO in Matagalpa and a café in Granada, Nicaragua
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
The project in Nicaragua has until now been finaced by myself, however, through the Changemakers Geotourism Challange I have made contact with WHL.travel and this has lead to some major developments in the project. With WHL we have agreed that they will finance the establishment of their first franchise/webpage to be inclusive for PwD's. The Nicaragua project will provide a model and guidelines for the project to be replicated throughout the WHL network providing the first world wide portal for PwD's in more than 80 destinations and over 50 countries.
With the organizational structure of WHL it makes it much easier to disseminate the information required to a larger community through their franchises to make more destinations available to PwD's. An Open Doors Organization found that just Americans with Disabilities spent $13.9 billion on travel in 2005. This is a huge market, which combined with the mainstream market that WHL already serves offers great finacial stability.
How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
The project is currently financed privately by myself and through my company in Spain www.accessiblebarcelona.com (which provides travel information and serives for people with disabilities that want to visit Barcelona) on a very low budget. The budget available allows me to travel in Central America and investigate the services that travelers with disabilities require and create a package.
This financing also allows me to make contact with local NGO's and establish how our clients can positively contribute to the local community during their visit.
The number of full-time staff is 2 working with AccessibleNicaragua (myself and the administrator for the company in Barcelona) and part-time staff is 1 other person in Barcelona. The number of volunteer staff is 1 who is also located in Barcelona.
With regards to the new developments with WHL, the number of staff that will be included in the project is phenomanal. People and businesses from around the world will now be directly involved with replicating this project. Hopefully, through this we will be able to find more funding to undertake more research and also help local people more.
What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
The current project, AccessibleNicaragua, is an expansion and enhancement of the approach that I have used to build the company AccessibleBarcelona in Spain. AccessibleBarcelona provides information, hotel reservations and tourist services to travelers with disabilities in the Catalan Capital. AccessibleNicaragua improves on this, not only through providing similar services in Central America but by impacting positively on the lives of local people with disabilities, women and indigenous people that have few opportunities.
AccessibleNicaragua is a new project, however, due to the new WHL developments, the expansion programme will be rapid over the next year or so. As more of their franchises undertake research and implement services and facilities for PwD's so the network grows. WHL is already signing up new frachises at a quick rate and as they are established with information for PwD's so the now "Accessible Global Network" (not only Accessible Central America) will grow.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
The main barriers for implementing and replicating the project are the physical environment and architecture. Central America in general is not suitable for people with physical disabilities and this hinders the expansion of the project as the tours are not suitable for people with severe disabilities. As the project educates more hoteliers and more accessible transport becomes available this problem will be reduced.
The other main issue is financing, although the project is self sustainable, it requires an input of capital to undertake the initial research to replicate the innovation in other parts of Central America. If the funding can be raised either from the profits of AccessibleNicaragua, or from other financing, the project can be replicated in Guatemala thus having a greater impact on the lives of the local population in Central America. The chain reaction then begins to replicate the project in other Central American countries and beyond in South America, Asia or Africa. The participation of WHL now solves this issue and the project will be replicated across the world.
As more projects are created, more diversity and choice is available to the traveler and therefore more reinvestment funding is potentially made, thus making the whole project more sustainable. This also ties in with Impact Question 5, as if the clients enjoy their first trip with this Geotourism Network, they may decide to take future trips with the network therefore encouraging and helping them to travel responsibly.
The Story
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
After an accident at the age of 20 in 1997 I became paraplegic and a full time wheelchair user. Many people thought that was the end of my life, but for me it was just the beginning.
I discharged myself from hospital and rehabilitation after just three months and I was on the road traveling to Holland with a friend. The experience was amazing, I achieved and learnt things with and about my new disability that they could never have tought me in a rehabilitation unit. From that day forward I have lived and encouraged others to live with the philosophy of traveling as therapy and rehabilitation.
Whilst finishing my BSc in Geography I traveled more returning to Holland and then onto Germany and the Czech Republic. Whilst working in the UK my feet and wheels became itchier and itchier with the desire to travel as I visited Israel, The Gambia, Spain and other parts of Europe until finally I broke and quit my job so that I could travel more and eventually travel became my job!
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
During traveling extensively in Europe it became aparent that there just wasn't much information for travlers with disabilities and so I created an online travel guide to Barcelona where I lived for people with disabilities. It was never intended to be a business, merely an information resource for people that wanted to visit the city. As time passed by, more and more people contacted me asking for services such as accessible hotel reservations, transfers in adapted vehicles, equipment hire and guided tours. I quickly realized the potential and the company AccessibleBarcelona was established to provide the services that people with disabilities deperately wanted and needed in order to be able to enjoy their holiday in Barcelona. AccessibleBarcelona is now listed in all the major guide books sucg as Lonely Planet, as the main resource for travelers with disabilities in Barcelona.
I have always been very passionate about traveling and when the oportunity arose for me to be able to travel to Nicaragua I jumped at the chance. I always had the idea of creating something similar to AccessibleBarcelona somewhere in Latin America (as I speak Spansih it seemed like the most obvious continent to go to) and I quickly started working on AccessibleNicaragua as soon as I arrived.
Through researching AccessibleNicaragua I have become more aware of local issues and the possible benefits of expanding the project into other Central American countries for both the local community and travelers with disabilities.
AccessibleNicaragua is now established and AccessibleGuatemala is on it's way, it's only a stonesthrow to connecting the dots to create Accessible Central America and opening the whole region to travelers with disabilities.
Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on the competition homepage.
AccessibleNicaragua is an Inclusive Geotourism project to allow people with disabilities travel in Nicaragua, Central America and beyond. The project also helps local people with disabilities, women and indigenous people earn an income through the sale of artisan goods and gain employment in the tourism industry.
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 | René said: Dear Craig, congratulations on you initiative. We have been talking here in Prainha do Canto Verde on how to go about starting ... about this Competition Entry. - 1396 days ago read more > |
| Jeremy Rowe said: Craig Grimes possesses both the skills and commitment to make him eminently suitable for the recognition of this award. Few people have ... about this Competition Entry. - 1398 days ago read more > |
| Anne-Mary Bodin said: Dear Craig, My initial contact was through the Accessible Barcelona website. You have since been in contact with my colleague Maria ... about this Competition Entry. - 1403 days ago read more > |
| mmavris said: My interactions with Craig Grimes began through his website AccessibleBarcelona. I work for the NGO EURORDIS, the European Organisation ... about this Competition Entry. - 1403 days ago read more > |
| Alison O said: Craig, I applaud your work with Accessible Nicaragua... to help make travel possible for everyone, including those with disabilities. On ... about this Competition Entry. - 1408 days ago read more > |
| Craig Grimes said: Scott, Anchoring the northern part of the Accessible Central America network with a Centre of Excellance in Cancún is exactly the ... about this Competition Entry. - 1412 days ago read more > |
| srains said: Craig, . It is amazing how quickly and successfully you have taken a business idea that worked in AccessibleBarcelona and grown ... about this Competition Entry. - 1412 days ago read more > |
| Brian Seaman said: I work for the charity Tourism for All UK. Based in England, we provide holiday and travel information for disabled people, which is how ... about this Competition Entry. - 1413 days ago read more > |
| teallach said: Congratulations Craig, on your work being recognized in this way. Your Accessible Barcelona project was a success and I'm sure ... about this Competition Entry. - 1413 days ago read more > |
Comments
Congratulations Craig, on your work being recognized in this way. Your Accessible Barcelona project was a success and I'm sure Accessible Nicaragua will be equally worthwhile.
Good luck with it!
Regards
Gordon Rattray.
www.able-travel.com
I work for the charity Tourism for All UK. Based in England, we provide holiday and travel information for disabled people, which is how I met Craig Grimes.
I have known Craig Grimes for about five years, and from where I sit, he has enthusiastically and doggedly embraced the world from his wheelchair. He is personable and good company, as well as having his head screwed on for business.
He is prepared to tackle inaccessibility wherever he finds it, not just from his perspective, but also from the point-of-view that if businesses do not universally design for all, they are likely to be losing customers as a result.
Despite any difficulties he may have encountered in his own life, he remains outward looking, optimistic and of general good humour, and happy to spread the word about good practice and great facilities to a world where true accessibility can often be difficult to locate. A keen traveler and linguist, he has helped to open up a world of possibilities for those who follow in his tracks.
As Craig says on his website Accessible Nicaragua www.accessiblenicaragua.com (a work in progress): 'what we're really trying to promote here is not a 100% perfectly accessible tour but an attempt to make a tour in a developing country as inclusive as possible for as many people with disabilities as possible'.
He goes on to say 'The routes take in many aspects of Central American history, art, culture and nature. The holidays are also socially aware in encouraging our clients to meet the people of Nicaragua, especially disabled people'.
His business acumen has served him well in setting up web-based information about tourism products and services for disabled users both in Spain, and more recently in South America, and he is switched on to all aspects of technology in conveying his messages.
If he doesn't make the grade of being recognised and encouraged for his undoubted achievement and activities I would be very surprised and disappointed for him.
Good luck to you Craig!
Craig,
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It is amazing how quickly and successfully you have taken a business idea that worked in AccessibleBarcelona and grown AccessibleNicaragua. You pioneered the idea entirely alone in Nicaragua and yet have woven it so completely into the cultural fabric of the country.
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Here is the US we have watched the retirement investment “hot spots” in Central America move progressively south. You are correct about the demand potential and insightful to link back northwards through more mature (but not necessarily accessible) projects in Guatemala and the region to create inclusive travel routes. You have not used the term but what I hear is the creation of community-owned tourism routes like Noel de Villiers has begun with Open Africa.
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I would like to anchor the far northern end of your network with a Center of Excellence in Inclusive Tourism in Cancun, Mexico. Let’s discuss a regional partnership.
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Your collaborations with NGOs keeps you close to geotourism values of place, culture, and sustainability. It sounds like you have built upon specialized Disabled Peoples’ NGOs (DPOs). This is makes your success a direct contributor to the economic sustainability of the local disability institutions as well as individuals. The content and quality of the teaching you talk about in your entry indicates that you are also contributing to strengthening disability culture in Nicaragua.
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You are mitigating negative impacts of tourism. Yesterday the LA Times has an article on binge drinking in Mexico by US students on Spring Break. The author observed that the recurring reason given for engaging in excess was “to build confidence.” It is easier to prevent than to eliminate this ritual taking root in a place. I see your efforts as a stronger preventative for Nicaragua than you may ever get credit for. You offer a difference path to confidence:
People with disabilities are becoming more and more adventurous with regards to what they want from traveling. People have the means and the enthusiasm to travel, but little information and services to allow them to achieve their dreams. This project allows them to strive for more in relation to where they want to travel, even in the harshest of environments for people with disabilities. After a trip such as in Central America, many people with disabilities achieve much more than they thought possible and this gives a great sense of satisfaction.
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You have my support!
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Scott
Scott,
Anchoring the northern part of the Accessible Central America network with a Centre of Excellance in Cancún is exactly the type of co-operation that this project require. This would then allow people with disabilities to explore the Yucatán Peninsula, before heading straight down the Mex 307 and into Guatemala and Belize.
It would also be a great place to start an Accessible Mayan Trail which may also be on the cards through the Peninsula - Guatemala - Honduras.
I'd be more than happy to work with you on the idea of anchoring the northern part of Accessible Central America in Cancún, Mexico.
Craig Grimes
www.accessiblenicaragua.com
www.accessiblebarcelona.com
www.craiggrimes.com
Craig, I applaud your work with Accessible Nicaragua... to help make travel possible for everyone, including those with disabilities. On top of this, you are also committed to socially/environmentally responsible travel. What a wonderful service to the travel community and to the world. I wish you luck!
Best Regards,
Alison Osborne
My interactions with Craig Grimes began through his website AccessibleBarcelona. I work for the NGO EURORDIS, the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (www.eurordis.org) and we are organising our first Summer School in Barcelona in June for patients and patient representatives with rare diseases. The aim is to inform and empower patients on their roles in the areas of drug development, regulatory processes and clinical trials.
As part of the organisation for the meeting, we sought the advice and services of Craig Grimes through his AccessibleBarcelona site. Often the participants at our meetings have special accommodation needs as well as in other areas. Craig was not only helpful, above and beyond but went as far as performing miracles to find us accommodation for 50 people and liaise with hotels etc.. all whilst in Nicaragua. I enthusiastically support Craig and his endeavours and know that they will be successful as he is dedicated, motivated and concerned.
Maria Mavris
Dear Craig,
My initial contact was through the Accessible Barcelona website. You have since been in contact with my colleague Maria to arrange accessible accommodation for an event organised by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases in Barcelona. You have responded fast to her request and have been very effective in finding a solution! Thank you and all the best for your new project.
Anne-Mary Bodin
Craig Grimes possesses both the skills and commitment to make him eminently suitable for the recognition of this award. Few people have the vision and drive to turn severe disability into a pioneering and exemplary lifestyle, giving to and enhancing the lives of others. Simply to know Craig is to be enriched by him.
Craig has multiple skills: as an enterprising entrepreneur he developed his “AccessibleBarcelona” business into an organisation with global influence; as pioneer he has opened new destinations for travellers with disabilities, and opened new markets for service providers; as a communicator and facilitator, he has enabled countless disabled people to fulfil ambitions and achieve innovative goals; and as a full-time wheelchair user himself, he is proof that there are few boundaries for disabled people once they are given the appropriate support. Oh, and his wheelchair skills are pretty good too!
None of this would add up to enough without Craig’s personal energy, drive, perseverance and commitment to other people. He is a passionate innovator and pioneer who is making a very real difference to the lives of disabled people. From his first chaotic forays into travel in Europe, to the founding and developing of his Barcelona-based travel business, and now opening up South America for the disabled traveller, he has allowed no limit or boundary to distract him. It is typical of him that he took the risk of living alone in Spain in order to become fluent in Spanish, thereby laying the foundation for his South American adventures.
As the market for disabled travellers expands globally, Craig’s pioneering spirit is much in demand. He is especially successful with younger disabled people, of whom there is a growing number in the world - he truly can change lives.
To be the first businessman to be opening and celebrating the Nicaraguan (and later, South American) disabled tourist market is exemplary. To be doing it all from a wheelchair is remarkable. And to be constructively involving the indigenous population, thereby enhancing their lives, as well as those of his clients, is breath-taking.
With his “Northern Grit” approach to life, Craig Grimes deserves recognition for his pioneering spirit and his innovative entrepreneurial skills. Few can embody the competition's slogan, celebrating places and changing lives, better than Craig. I wish him every success.
Jeremy D Rowe, client and friend.
Dear Craig,
congratulations on you initiative. We have been talking here in Prainha do Canto Verde on how to go about starting something for people with disability, will try to learn from you
René Schärer
fishnet@uol.com.br