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Mission Statement

Accessible Thailand Health and Safety Procedures for the Blind and Partially Sighted and Wheelchair Users

Our Mission

Recognizing the wonderful opportunities that Thailand presents for people with disabilities to share in the joy of travel and experience some of the wonders of our world, Accessible Thailand Tours was established to remove as many barriers to Tourism for All possible.  Building on the success of our first group tour and using the experience gained, our mission is to help develop Thailand into a major destination for Accessible Tourism.

Accessibility Standards

Our tours are designed to meet the following accessibility standards:

  • Transport: Provide fully accessible transport with lifts or ramps, suitable for wheelchair users.

  • Accommodation: Provide fully accessible accommodation suitable for wheelchair users, including ramps and lifts to avoid steps and stairs, extra-wide doorways, handrails where necessary, and wheel-in bathrooms. This accessibility should include most public areas where possible.

Health and Hygiene Precautions on Tour

  • Ensure clean, hygienic, and well-ventilated transport and accommodation facilities.

  • Provide hand sanitizers and implement infection control measures in all activities.

  • Prior to the tour, obtain all necessary information about the health needs and dietary requirements of all clients, including the likelihood of any medical emergency.

Staff Training

  • All staff involved in conducting accessible tours are trained in the correct procedures for handling clients with physical disabilities in a safe and sensitive manner.

  • Staff receive basic first aid and emergency response training, tailored for disabled travelers.

  • Staff are trained in the use of accessibility aids and equipment, such as ramps, lifts, and other devices.

Procedures in the Event of an Emergency

  • An emergency procedures policy is in place for all clients, with which all staff are familiar.

  • Obtain emergency contact details from all clients.

  • A pre-departure meeting is held at the start of all tours to discuss the tour itinerary, address any safety concerns, and identify additional needs.

  • Any incidents are reported immediately and promptly acted upon.

General

  • Feedback is encouraged from clients so we may assess how we are doing and make necessary improvements.

  • We aim for continuous improvement and regularly review and update our health and safety practices based on client feedback and our own observations.

  • All staff follow this health and safety policy at all times.

Development Plans

In June 2018, we conducted the first training course for licenced Thai tour guides in the proper handling of blind and partially sighted guests. This training course was planned and conducted by Nutty’s Adventures and the Thailand Association of the Blind with the invaluable assistance of Seable Holidays.

The course was hugely successful and so another course was conducted in October 2019, again in conjunction with the Thai Association of The Blind and Seable Holidays and with the additional assistance of Mahidol University.

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In 2019 we started research into creating tours in Thailand that would be accessible to wheelchair users. For our success in this venture we owe a great debt of thanks to the Mahathai Foundation in Pattaya. Their expertise, support and encouragement helped to develop a range of tours around Thailand, suitable for wheelchair users. This development work was also with the generous support of the Department of International Trade Promotion.

 

After several survey trips, itineraries were drawn up and pilot tours in Pattaya and Ayutthaya have been run to test their suitability and provide training for our guides. We have invested in equipment to safely board wheelchairs onto our teak rice barge, or similar vessels for river cruises around Ayutthaya. We have now operated our first WOW (Wheels on the Water) cruise.        

 

To further help the local community of wheelchair users around Ayutthaya we have also donated 7 wheelchairs to and two disability tricycles to the Ayutthaya Club for Occupational Development for People with Disabilities.

The Future

Our next immediate step is to research the possibilities for operating tours to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi Province. This famous tourist attraction would be a welcome addition to our tour programmes for the disabled. This latest research project is in cooperation with DASTA.

 

And the future in general? We aim, in time, to build a network of tours for disabled travellers across the whole country.

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