Disability Awareness/Assistance
Travelling in Australia is not difficult for travellers with a disability.
The country's major airlines are equipped to cater for a wide range of needs. They can provide wheelchairs, preferential aircraft boarding, oxygen and facilities for guide dogs, and can also cater for special dietary requirements.
Legislative arrangements in Australia require that there are adequate services for people with disabilities on transport, tours and in hotels.
Planning is always an important part of ensuring any holiday is successful, and that any special requirements are met. There are a lot of useful resources available online, including anecdotal reports from other travellers with a disability, access guide books written by wheelchair users, accessible accommodation listings and vehicle hire, as well as information about local disability organisations, service providers and lots more.
There are many different types of travel agents.
At Flutter By Tours we guarantee a "full service agent" that can help you with your flight, hotel, accessible van rental, and anything else you may need. Or if you are willing and able to make those arrangements yourself then you can use a specialized travel agent.
In Australia wheelchair accessible taxis are available through major taxi companies in all capital cities.
Most of Australia's trains are fully accessible for those with mobility difficulties and Greyhound Pioneer Australia and McCafferty coaches, or bus lines, both offer accessible travel for the disabled. In fact the Australian Accessible Transport Standard regulations will ensure excellent access on all types of public transport across Australia.
The country's major airlines are equipped to cater for a wide range of needs. They can provide wheelchairs, preferential aircraft boarding, oxygen and facilities for guide dogs, and can also cater for special dietary requirements.
Legislative arrangements in Australia require that there are adequate services for people with disabilities on transport, tours and in hotels.
Planning is always an important part of ensuring any holiday is successful, and that any special requirements are met. There are a lot of useful resources available online, including anecdotal reports from other travellers with a disability, access guide books written by wheelchair users, accessible accommodation listings and vehicle hire, as well as information about local disability organisations, service providers and lots more.
There are many different types of travel agents.
At Flutter By Tours we guarantee a "full service agent" that can help you with your flight, hotel, accessible van rental, and anything else you may need. Or if you are willing and able to make those arrangements yourself then you can use a specialized travel agent.
In Australia wheelchair accessible taxis are available through major taxi companies in all capital cities.
Most of Australia's trains are fully accessible for those with mobility difficulties and Greyhound Pioneer Australia and McCafferty coaches, or bus lines, both offer accessible travel for the disabled. In fact the Australian Accessible Transport Standard regulations will ensure excellent access on all types of public transport across Australia.
Key
skills and knowledge required by front line staff in order to meet the needs of
customers with a disability
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of excellent customer service skills for disabled customers: What we mean by disability (e.g. impairment, disability etc.) Importance of disabled customers to Flutter By Tours! Create awareness of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS)
2. Demonstrate an understanding of specific disabilities: Ability impairment (This includes learning difficulties) Hearing impairment, Visual impairment, Mobility impairment.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of using appropriate language when referring to customers with disabilities (e.g. using the correct terminology)
4. Demonstrate how to communicate effectively with disabled customers (e.g. listening skills)
5. Demonstrate awareness of own feelings, misconceptions and biases when serving disabled customers
6. Demonstrate knowledge of facilities in local community that are accessible to disabled customers (including attractions, accommodation, restaurants and transport)
7. Demonstrate knowledge of own facilities and equipment to assist for disabled customers: How facilities will be used by disabled customers. Awareness of possible difficulties and their corresponding solutions
Key skills and knowledge required by managers in order to meet the needs of customers with a disability
1. Summarise the importance of developing customer service standards for disabled customers by analysing: What we mean by disability (impairment, disability etc.) Importance of disabled customers to Flutter By Tours! The opportunities and benefits of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS)
2. Illustrate how valuing and supporting staff aides excellent customer service skills for disabled customers and explain the importance of staff having an understanding of specific disabilities: Ability impairment (This includes learning difficulties) Hearing impairment, Visual impairment, Mobility impairment
3. Demonstrate knowledge of legislation (i.e. Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and guidance (e.g. the BSI PAS 88 for large hotels and hotel chains) and the importance of complying with legislation.
4. Review the way in which staff are using appropriate language when dealing with disabled customers (using the correct terminology) and how best this can be mainstreamed into business culture and practice.
5. Demonstrate how to communicate effectively with disabled customers and how to promote within business and teams by leading by example.
6. Support the promotion of reflective practices that take into account own feelings, misconceptions and biases when serving disabled customers and ensure team is more self-aware.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of facilities in local community that are accessible to disabled customers (including attractions, accommodation, restaurants and transport) and how to work with team and partners, including senior colleagues.
8. Review and revise procedures to ensure disability awareness incorporated into business planning and practice: Awareness of business benefits and planning for investment decision. Ability to prepare Access Statement for business or team. Awareness of accessible website guidelines and current good practice. Awareness of marketing opportunities. Awareness of key skills templates as benchmarks to good training content
9. Demonstrate knowledge of own facilities and equipment and where these could be improved to cater for the needs of disabled customers: How facilities will be used by disabled customers. Awareness of possible difficulties and their corresponding solutions
10. Explain how to monitor and evaluate customer service performance for disabled customers and take action to improve performance where necessary
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of excellent customer service skills for disabled customers: What we mean by disability (e.g. impairment, disability etc.) Importance of disabled customers to Flutter By Tours! Create awareness of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS)
2. Demonstrate an understanding of specific disabilities: Ability impairment (This includes learning difficulties) Hearing impairment, Visual impairment, Mobility impairment.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of using appropriate language when referring to customers with disabilities (e.g. using the correct terminology)
4. Demonstrate how to communicate effectively with disabled customers (e.g. listening skills)
5. Demonstrate awareness of own feelings, misconceptions and biases when serving disabled customers
6. Demonstrate knowledge of facilities in local community that are accessible to disabled customers (including attractions, accommodation, restaurants and transport)
7. Demonstrate knowledge of own facilities and equipment to assist for disabled customers: How facilities will be used by disabled customers. Awareness of possible difficulties and their corresponding solutions
Key skills and knowledge required by managers in order to meet the needs of customers with a disability
1. Summarise the importance of developing customer service standards for disabled customers by analysing: What we mean by disability (impairment, disability etc.) Importance of disabled customers to Flutter By Tours! The opportunities and benefits of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS)
2. Illustrate how valuing and supporting staff aides excellent customer service skills for disabled customers and explain the importance of staff having an understanding of specific disabilities: Ability impairment (This includes learning difficulties) Hearing impairment, Visual impairment, Mobility impairment
3. Demonstrate knowledge of legislation (i.e. Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and guidance (e.g. the BSI PAS 88 for large hotels and hotel chains) and the importance of complying with legislation.
4. Review the way in which staff are using appropriate language when dealing with disabled customers (using the correct terminology) and how best this can be mainstreamed into business culture and practice.
5. Demonstrate how to communicate effectively with disabled customers and how to promote within business and teams by leading by example.
6. Support the promotion of reflective practices that take into account own feelings, misconceptions and biases when serving disabled customers and ensure team is more self-aware.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of facilities in local community that are accessible to disabled customers (including attractions, accommodation, restaurants and transport) and how to work with team and partners, including senior colleagues.
8. Review and revise procedures to ensure disability awareness incorporated into business planning and practice: Awareness of business benefits and planning for investment decision. Ability to prepare Access Statement for business or team. Awareness of accessible website guidelines and current good practice. Awareness of marketing opportunities. Awareness of key skills templates as benchmarks to good training content
9. Demonstrate knowledge of own facilities and equipment and where these could be improved to cater for the needs of disabled customers: How facilities will be used by disabled customers. Awareness of possible difficulties and their corresponding solutions
10. Explain how to monitor and evaluate customer service performance for disabled customers and take action to improve performance where necessary