Nation & World News

Barriers to tourism for people living with disabilities can range from the obvious, such as an out-of-service elevator, to an outing that’s too long or a setting that’s too loud

Project coordinator Christine Gruschka, left, talks to Monika Jansen, 85, during a guided tour for people with dementia organized by Malteser Deutschland, part of the international Catholic aid organization Malteser Order of Malta, at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Project coordinator Christine Gruschka, left, talks to Monika Jansen, 85, during a guided tour for people with dementia organized by Malteser Deutschland, part of the international Catholic aid organization Malteser Order of Malta, at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

By STEFANIE DAZIO – Associated Press

4 hours ago

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BERLIN (AP) — For people living with disabilities, barriers to tourism can range from the obvious — such as an out-of-service elevator — to the unseen, like an outing that’s too long or a setting that’s too loud.

As the baby boom generation ages, the travel industry is increasingly catering to older adults with the time and money to sightsee internationally and who sometimes need additional assistance. Truly inclusive accessibility, though, accommodates a much greater range of tourists, from individuals with physical disabilities to people with autism or dementia.

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ediwdlrow htiw srotisiv elbisiv ,sruot .ygolonhcet dezilaiceps emos evres elbissop rehto ro smuesum edam elbisivni snoitutitsni ni evah sediug ,seitilibasid larutluc yb retteb eerf-reirrab dna dna secnavda dedda oT

htiw ohw ,noisiv ,pu srelevart sruot desab-hcuot .oot ot eht gnurps .murtceps egaugnal-ngis gnivres smargorp elpoep elpoep ro ro no fo wol edulcni ,gniraeh evah drah stseug rof rof rof stneve delbasid dengised detacided faed ssendnilb msitua era dna seicnega msiruoT esehT

htiw emoclew sruot yeht eht tsilaiceps ,secaps swohs dias margorp elpoep fo fo ni seitilibasid larutluc eerf-reirrab ta era na ytilibissecca s’notgnihsaW rotisiV nainoshtimS eciffO gnireffO .noitutitsnI ,ydarG yelhsA ytilibisseccA

ev’ew“ eW“ sevlesruoy ruoy ruoy ruoy ”,uoy ,uoy uoy uoy ew yaw tnaw tnaw tnaw ot ot ot ot thguoht eseht ffats secivres ees ,gniyas .dias detcelfer smargorp elbissop ruo ruo ruo ,seno fo fo .smuesum ekam devol ni ”.sdneirf rof ,ylimaf emoc .snoitcelloc sa sa era dna elbissecca a eW ehT ydarG dnA

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srelevart s’ereht eht eht taht dias .niamer fo fo fo tiforpnon .deen gniganam slevel kcal spag rof rotcerid tnereffid gniunitnoc ssenerawa dnuora ytilibissecca a ,msiruoT ,llitS krowteN rovI naeporuE ,esorbmA elbisseccA

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hcihw “,msiruot eseht eht llits .dias yllaer ,ytinutroppo srotarepo fo ton tekram si si ni eh dellifluf tnereffid yb gib saera dna na lla yllautca a sihT”

flesruoy ot ekat enoemos lareves ro snoitpo fo si woh morf rof strepxe .esle eerf-reirrab ecivda egatnavda tuoba ereH

Research and plan ahead

— — htiw .sriahcleehw .riahcleehw etisbew sehctaw soediv sesu gnilevart levart ot ot ot eht eht eht taht taht elbatius sriats secruoser eriuqer sehsilbup rewop ,ecalp sesurep nosrep elpoep yslap rehto ro no fo wen gnitagivan kool fi eh sah sediug rednuof rof rof rof gnimlif serutaef neve ,seitilibasid t’ndid ,sesabatad yrtnuoc larberec sesworb t’nera dna dna dna snoitadommocca a a a ebuTuoY weiV teertS ,tiddeR hsoJ ,napaJ ,eladsirG s’elgooG erofeB elbisseccA

d’uoy nettirw gnikrow htiw tisiv ot ot spit meht rieht eht taht ,elbahcraes .dias secruoser sdnemmocer reporp etavirp ecalp rehto .snoitpo enilno netfo smuesum ekil snoitutitsni ni fi letoh ,lufpleh eh evah sah sah sediug spuorg gniliated larutluc ,egreicnoc nac gnillac tub deirub eb eerf-reirrab ksa t’nera era dna dna dna daeha .ytilibissecca a a a tsoM fI eladsirG koobecaF

.dlrow hcihw erehw detnaw pirt levart ot hguorht ereht rieht eht eht ,klofibat hcus ,lufsserts os gnihcraeser mroftalp gninnalp ecalp elpoep rehto enilno fo erom ekam devil kcal egdelwonk noitamrofni pleh eh morf .secneirepxe neve hcae secruosdworc detaerc dluoc nac eb dnuora dna osla elbissecca tuoba a a eladsirG A

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nevE“ elohw riahcleehw hguoht sgniht s’ereht taht .dias rehto ym ,efil wonk ni eh dah t’nod ytilibasid ”,seitilibasid dna tuoba a a m’I ev’I I

htiw tahw msiruot ot ot ot ot eht eht hcus irafas reporp gninnalp elpoep ro no ,reffo fo si sah gniog rednuof rof yojne seitilibasid rotcerid laicurc tnenitnoc gnibmilc eb sa dna ycnega gnidrocca elbissecca elba a tuocS ,ugnaridN tnuoM ,orajnamiliK ennaoJ nI puorG .ycnegA ,acirfA

dekrow krow htiw ohw ohw ohw tahw srotisiv segru levart deniart niart msiruot ot ot ot tuohguorht eht eht eht ffats enoemos tnaruatser noiger spmar setomorp elpoep ylralucitrap rehto ro ro ro snoitpo seno no .tnegrevidoruen yam lacol wonk si llatsni ni letoh gnipleh evah teg rof strepxe gnidnapxe .tsixe neeb dna dna stnega setacovda elbissecca elbissecca a esohT ehS ugnaridN .ayneK ,acirfA

I“ tahT‘ — er’uoy ,uoy uoy uoy uoy riahcleehw tnaw elbaiv ’.syellav ot ot eht eht eht “,erehwemos ees ees yas .dias ecalp ro no no fo won ton si fi sllih evig ”.seffarig seffarig teg sehcturc nac nac esuaceb dna dna na evitanretla esivda a oS ugnaridN I s’teL”

Seek out specialized programming

htiw htiw rehtehw riahcleehw oot oot ot eht eht yrosnes ,ees cilbup nosrep elpoep dezinagro ro ton yam ynam duol s’ti .seussi ni ni laedi hgih lareneg rof rof rof rof stibihxe seitilibasid ,sesac esuaceb eb era enoyna a a sruoT

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gninroM“ s’dlrow ohw hcihw tisiv ot rieht rieht eht eht eht eht eht llorts os yldneirf-yrosnes .cilbup ,margorp stnapicitrap .ecap nwo ro snepo ecno sgnireffo tnegrevidoruen muesum muesum yrosnes-itlum htnom tsegral tsuj ti si edulcni ni ni ,no-sdnah seilimaf egagne dengised ,xelpmoc nac nac erofeb ta ta ta dnuora era dna seitivitca a a notgnihsaW yehT ehT nainoshtimS nainoshtimS ”muesuM ,noitutitsnI

eW“ s’tI“ erehw nehw er’ew ew ot ot ot ot ot yeht neht eht eht eht s’taht taht .dias ecuder yllaer ”.cilbup nepo eno ,muesum tnaem ebyam eerf-tnemgduj ,noisulcni yllufepoh evah taerg lluf ,ecneirepxe ,tnemnorivne tnemnorivne ”,sdworc lortnoc yletelpmoc emoc emoc nac nac egdirb eb kcab era dna dna elba a a a ydarG

htiw htiw erew .srotisiv sruot ot siht eht eht taht yllacificeps noitalupop elpoep dekoolrevo rehto noitazinagro noitazinagro netfo fo fo deciton .snoitacol sepoh rof gnidnapxe dengised aitnemed eerf-reirrab ta sa dna dia ,ooZ ehT ,ecalaP larutaN muesuM resetlaM nI ,yrotsiH nedraG dnalhcstueD grubnettolrahC cilohtaC reztirB ,nilreB nilreB

s’ooz tsav ruot oot ot ot derit eht eht eht seiceps os spiks snur margorp ,elpoep stnapicitrap .demlehwrevo ro fo fo fo .setunim ytirojam detimil si lufdnah statibah teg sucof wef t’nod noitcelloc dna tuoba a a ooZ ehT ehT nilreB 09

Ask for what you need and give feedback

ohw tahw saw srotisiv tnorfpu owt deniart ot ot ,emit emit yeht yeht yeht yeht rieht eht eht maet tseggus os ehs .dias dias ,smoor eriuqer elbissop ro ro .snoitpo ylno eno fo ton sdeen etagitim thgim srebmem wonk ti ni fi sletoh reh evah tseug rof rof ylimaf ,elpmaxe t’nod seitilibasid nac yb dekoob tseb eb ksa .sevirra yna dna syawla ydaerla daeha snoitadommocca elbissecca tuoba a ugnaridN tsoM ayneK s’tI

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ev’eW“ eviG“ uoy ohw su ot taht ”,snoitulos ehs .dias ytinutroppo noitnem dah stseug evig t’nod ”.gnihtyna

htiw ohw levart ot stekcit esoht .meht rieht eht daerps os secivres eriuqer decuder setar gnidivorp gnimmargorp elpoep stnapicitrap ro ro ylno reffo fo fo ,smuesum thgim s’ti otni daetsni eerf rof rof rof rof ,elpmaxe segaruocne detnuocsid seitilibasid tsoc .noinapmoc seinapmoc dliub eerf-reirrab gnoma lla a msiruoT ehT krowteN ynaM naeporuE elbisseccA

gnikrow htiw htiw llew ,noisiv gnimocpu ot ot eht eht eht taht dias degnar ylreporp elpoep stnapicitrap no sgnireffo wol sti noitutitsni sah .puorg morf morf rof rof kcabdeef stibihxe erusne srotaruc sroloc ta sa sa era ppa na na .lla retfa yrosivda ecivda gnitsujda detpada elbissecca riehT nainoshtimS ydarG

er’yehT“ er’yehT“ tisiv gniyrt ot eht ehs .dias tuo ”,yranidro fo ton yllaretil ekil tsuj tsuj rof ecneirepxe ”.esle gniksa gnihtyna enoyna a

STEFANIE DAZIO