CREATING A MORE EQUITABLE HOTEL

Modern hotels, which are differently-abled friendly, leverage the opportuning to dip into a whole new market, represented by an increasingly independent group of travel enthusiasts.

-  NISHA SHUKLA

In India, over 1.37 billion people are said to be living with one or the other kind of disability. To break it down further, for every one lakh people in the country, there are 1,755 who suffer from some sort of handicap. While disability is a concern in itself, one of the grave problems faced by differently-abled is the lack of bare minimal access to infrastructural facilities, including to public spaces that are disable-friendly, and hotels and restaurants that support them with the right sort of facilities. In Indian hotels, only one room in 250 is allocated to people with disabilities, whereas internationally, the ratio is 1:50.

A growing sensitivity towards disability, technological advancements, and various government initiatives have empowered the differently-abled to an extent and helped them lead an independent life. In keeping with the evolution, the hospitality industry has also begun to recruit the differently-abled, ushering in a transformation in attitudes. A classic example is that of Lemon Tree Hotels, which employs 550 differently-abled workers — either with speech and hearing impairment, or those using wheelchairs or even amputees.Together, they account for 12% of the chain’s 4,600-strong workforce.

Exploring hotels and travel destinations

People with different abilities are increasingly consuming travel, sports and other leisure-oriented products and services. In an effort to tap the potential of this group, India’s Ministry of Tourism has undertaken various initiatives to ensure that the tourist destinations are barrier-free.