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Nagaland’s famous Hornbill Festival does not include Persons
with Disability
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Poster put up by the Nagaland State Disability Forum at
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To,
The Parliamentary Secretary
Tourism
Nagaland: Kohima
With tourism a major focus in the State today and the
industry only set to grow in the coming years, we would like to draw your
attention to an aspect in the State Tourism Policy that has been ignored and neglected leading to the complete exclusion of persons with
disability – the aspect of ACCESSIBILITY
at the various tourist sites and events.
OVERVIEW
As you are aware, the Persons with Disabilities Equal
Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act (PWD Act) came
into being in India
in 1995. This was the country's first ever legislation that laid the foundation
for equal rights of persons with disabilities.
In October 2007, India ratified the UN Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Article 1 encapsulates the
overall objective of the Convention which is “to promote, protect and ensure
the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by
all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent
dignity.”
Since its ratification, the process of getting a stronger
disability rights legislation based on the UN Convention has been underway and
a new bill is currently awaiting passage by Parliament.
However, despite the existence of various laws as well as
guidelines and court orders that have been notified from time to time to ensure
equal rights and full participation of Persons with Disabilities, it must be
stated quite bluntly here that the Nagaland Government has consistently failed
this section of its citizens through the years.
According to Census 2011, there are 29,631 people with
various disabilities in Nagaland. Even as this is still a conservative
estimation, this large section continues to live on the fringes of our society
completely deprived of their rights and dignity and facing exclusion and
discrimination from society as a whole.
TOURISM
Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure
tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people,
regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses
publicly and privately owned tourist locations. The term has been defined by
Darcy and Dickson (2009, p34) as: Accessible tourism enables people with
access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive
dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity
through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and
environments. This definition is inclusive of all people including those
travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors.
Modern society is increasingly aware of the concept of
integration of people with disabilities. Issues such as accessibility, design
for all, and universal design are featured in the international symposia of
bodies such as the European Commission. Steps have been taken to promote
guidelines and best practices, and major resources are now dedicated to this
field. (Wikipedia)
As stated above, tourism is quite rightly a major focus in
our state today and the potential of the industry and market is huge. However,
it is a matter of concern that the Nagaland Government is excluding a large
chunk of the population in its tourism policy. As is evident, even basic
accessibility facilities are not available at any of our state’s tourism
projects, sites and events.
HORNBILL FESTIVAL
The annual Hornbill Festival has become a significant event
in the Nagaland calendar and attracts thousands of tourists every year, both
domestic and international, while also enabling the participation of hundreds
of local citizens. But as highlighted by members of the Nagaland State
Disability Forum last year (2015), even the main Kisama Heritage
Village
Besides violating the rights of the disabled community of
the State, most of whom are still unable to participate in a major
state-sponsored event even after all these years, the unfriendly environment
means that the State is losing out on a new and important market.
Accessible Tourism, or ‘Tourism for All’, is making travel
and tourism destinations, products, and information suitable for all those who
have particular accessibility needs, including mobility, vision, hearing and
cognitive dimensions of access, and even parents travelling with children. Even
though accessible tourism is not a new concept, it has only recently been
brought to the forefront as tour operators, businesses, and destinations are
beginning to take notice to the increasing demand for accessibility – according
to the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre in Australia some
88% of people with physical disabilities take a holiday each year. And with
disabled American adults alone spending an average of $13.6 billion a year on
travel, it goes to show that this is an important market to the tourism
industry that should not be overlooked. (Global Sustainable Tourism Council)
With all these in mind, we place the following before
you:
1. A ‘Tourism for all’ policy to be put in place in the
State Tourism Department
2. Accessibility to be reviewed and improved in existing
sites and events
3. Accessibility at the main venue as well as associated
events of the annual Hornbill Festival to be taken up immediately and
implemented.
As a well respected public leader with awareness of global
trends and movements, we have faith that you will personally ensure that this
very important aspect of Accessibility in our State’s Tourism Industry is
treated with the seriousness it deserves.
Diethono Nakhro
Disability Advocate and
Advisor to the Nagaland
State
Kezhaleto Zecho
President, Nagaland
State