Since 2019 our association has been involved in the organization of Barrier-free Tourism Day. We are part of the organising committee and one of the main engines of the event. Our tasks cover a lot from organising programmes, bringing together volunteers, marketing, contacts, involving international participants. Our members are very active in creating the event, including as members of the organising committee.
The Barrier-Free Tourism Day was held for the first time in 2017 in Orfű. This place is one of the most popular tourist destinations with amazing location, four lakes and numerous beach, sports and leisure activities.
In addition to organizing an all-day cheerful festival, our main goal is to provide experiences to disabled people who otherwise cannot or only with difficulties can experience them.
This event contribute to let everyone have fun the same as a disabled or an able bodied person, as a child or an adult, while exploring that disabled people are the same people like us and we are able to help each other, and helping others is wonderful.
Inclusion is a main purpose, sensitizing the society to be, live and fun together disabled and able bodied people.
Social sensitization basically means that we let the able bodied society know disabled people’s abilities, opportunities and how can we help them. But we, the organizers are also thinking in another perspective: disabled people also need to get to know able bodied people’s attitude, why they are helping them the way they’re doing, and they need a lot of information about needs and everyday life of disabled people.
The fact that our guests came from all over the country, and on every previous occasion we had 700 participants in Orfű shows our events’ success. In 2019 our event became international which brought new guideline, new programmes and even a new place.
The Barrier-free Tourism Day usually has accompanying programs like professional day, conference or barrier-free trip.
Traditionally the date is always the first weekend of September!
The Barrier-free Tourism Day offers experience programs to disabled people, their relatives, their assistants and even able bodies people can participate. The following programmes are included in the repertoire:dragon boating, boating, sailing, fishing, motorcycling, horse riding, horse-drawn carriage and driving a car for visually impaired people. Furthermore, other events also add colour to the program, like craft fair, concerts, shows, events for children and buffet. We ensure free lunch every year for disabled people, their assistants and our enthusiastic volunteers.
The place is barrier-free, including the toilets.
About 30 volunteers helping us every year, they assist in administration, giving lunch, during the programmes and our strong male volunteers occasionally provide support in participating for disabled people (for example lifting them in the boat, up to the horse, getting into the car, the motorcycle or the carriage). Volunteers are always welcome, principally our previous ones and the ones from Baranya County Volunteer Center, but high school students are also common help, and we can also account for as the usual compulsory community service in Hungary as well. We’d like to have more college students as volunteers, especially with social or tourism-related studies.
The event’s main organizers: Gyeregyalog.hu Nonprofit Association, People First Association Pécs, Orfű Tourist Association. Disabled people had advantaged role in the organizer committee.
We’re constantly sharing news on the Facebook page:(https://www.facebook.com/turizmus.akadalymentes/). If you have any questions or you’d like to be our volunteer, feel free to contact us via email (akadalymentes.turizmus.nap@gmail.com).