TAD is a project funded by the European Union Erasmus+ programme under Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, (KA202 Strategic Partnerships for Vocational Education and Training), addressing accessible tourism.
The project aims to contribute to making Europe a truly accessible destination for all visitors by training professionals in the tourism and hospitality sector through a work-based learning approach, looking at the issue from a new point of view.
TAD will prepare, test and introduce the professional profile of an Ability Advisor whose mission and acquired knowledge and skills will help Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism field to develop their business and improve their services to the accessible tourism market. To enhance access to training and qualifications for all, the project output will be released as an Open Educational Resource and will be widely disseminated among VET providers and other stakeholders, both at local, national and European levels.
Objectives
Accessibility skills such as proper etiquette or understanding assistive methods and technology will be taught, as well as the strategic understanding of accessibility and Design for All, by working on accessibility assessments, inspections, consultations and audits, where external consultants help to analyse and inform managers how accessibility can be integrated in their existing businesses. Accessibility assessments and analysis are considered powerful training tools which induce businesses to become more aware of the strengths and weaknesses in their tourism offerings.
The TAD project will develop two major Intellectual Outputs:
- IO1 – the implementation of a SMEs’ tourism services database at local and regional levels; a mapping of 30 SMEs operating in the sector aimed to evaluate how accessibility can be integrated in their existing businesses and how the Ability Advisor can effectively operate within this category of companies; a detailed report on VET offer at local and regional level;
- IO2 – development of a training course providing skills to VET learners or graduates aged 20 to 35 to start a self-employed activity as external consultants or be employed as internal service provider or consultant able to carry out accessibility assessments, inspections, consultations and audits to analyse and inform SMEs managers and owners how accessibility can be integrated in their businesses.
To ensure the high quality and relevance of the course contents, the training will actively involve people representing associations of and for people with disabilities and trainers with expertise in this field and will include a Work Based Learning (WBL) phase involving the above mentioned SMEs.
Project Identifier: Project no. 2017-1-LT01-KA202-035218
Project Title: TAD – The Ability Advisor: Improving the tourism for all market by VET
Funding scheme: ERASMUS+ Programme Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices.
Project implementation period: From 01/9/2017 to 31/12/2019 (28 months).