Technological Assistant in Accessibility For disabled Customers in Jyväskylä Hotels
Drammeh, Dembo (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112129128
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112129128
Tiivistelmä
The increasing need for accessible tourism has brought attention to the importance of both physical and digital accessibility in hotels, especially for individuals with disabilities. The issue was examined by combining these two aspects of accessibility in hotels in Jyväskylä, Finland, with a focus on technological assistance for disabled customers. While physical accessibility has been widely studied, the integration of digital accessibility into tourism services was explored to ad-dress the challenges faced by disabled tourists.
The objective was to assess the standards of both physical and digital accessibility in Jyväskylä hotels and evaluate how assistive technologies could improve access for disabled customers. Key areas of investigation included accessible documentation, services, and facilities, as well as the role of digital tools in supporting and enhancing physical accessibility measures. The research aimed to determine how technology could overcome social, infrastructural, and other barriers limiting the participation of disabled individuals in the tourism sector.
A qualitative research method was employed, involving observations of hotel facilities and structured interviews with hotel managers and disabled customers. The data gathered provided insights into the challenges of providing equal access, identifying gaps in both physical and digital accessibility, and assessing the impact of existing assistive technologies. The results revealed that little or insufficient progress had been made in the implementation of digital accessibility tools, significant inequalities remained in both domains. The potential for expanding the market by providing more inclusive services to disabled customers was identified, in alignment with the EU Accessibility Act 2025 and Finland’s National Tourism Strategy.
It was concluded that the integration of digital accessibility into hotel operations could enhance the overall experience for disabled customers and offer strategic growth opportunities for businesses in the tourism industry. Recommendations were provided to improve both physical and digital accessibility standards in Jyväskylä hotels, emphasizing the need for greater inclusivity, awareness, and equal access to tourism services for all.
The objective was to assess the standards of both physical and digital accessibility in Jyväskylä hotels and evaluate how assistive technologies could improve access for disabled customers. Key areas of investigation included accessible documentation, services, and facilities, as well as the role of digital tools in supporting and enhancing physical accessibility measures. The research aimed to determine how technology could overcome social, infrastructural, and other barriers limiting the participation of disabled individuals in the tourism sector.
A qualitative research method was employed, involving observations of hotel facilities and structured interviews with hotel managers and disabled customers. The data gathered provided insights into the challenges of providing equal access, identifying gaps in both physical and digital accessibility, and assessing the impact of existing assistive technologies. The results revealed that little or insufficient progress had been made in the implementation of digital accessibility tools, significant inequalities remained in both domains. The potential for expanding the market by providing more inclusive services to disabled customers was identified, in alignment with the EU Accessibility Act 2025 and Finland’s National Tourism Strategy.
It was concluded that the integration of digital accessibility into hotel operations could enhance the overall experience for disabled customers and offer strategic growth opportunities for businesses in the tourism industry. Recommendations were provided to improve both physical and digital accessibility standards in Jyväskylä hotels, emphasizing the need for greater inclusivity, awareness, and equal access to tourism services for all.