Design and Development of a Mobile App for Accessible Beach Tourism Information for People with Disabilities.

The global increase in the proportion of the population with disabilities has caused a greater awareness toward guaranteeing their use of public services. In particular, there is emphasis on the accessibility and inclusivity of tourism resources, to improve the enjoyment and well-being for people with motor disabilities. This paper presents a case study on accessibility to beaches in the Region of Murcia, Spain, which is one of the main tourist areas in the country. First, the most important elements that allow for the accessible use of beaches are analyzed and exposed in detail. Then, an extensive field-work in the area of interest has been carried out and its results are evaluated. Finally, the development of a new mobile app is described. The objective of this tool is to provide updated, accurate, and reliable accessibility information regarding the beaches. As a result, more than a third of the beaches analyzed had a high level of accessibility, while almost another third are totally inaccessible. The proposed application is a valuable tool, not only to help people with physical and motor disabilities, but also to raise awareness among local authorities to create and improve accessible services.

Sustainable Accessibility: A Mobile App for Helping People with Disabilities to Search Accessible Shops.

People with motor disabilities must face many barriers and obstacles in their daily lives, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks. The purpose of this work is to improve their living conditions by providing an app with accessibility information in an updated, reliable and friendly form. The development of the system integrates national and regional accessibility regulations, architectural aspects, with an extensive field work, and a sustainable software process. The levels of accessibility and the requirements of the application are defined in the first phases of the project. The field work included the evaluation of 357 commercial establishments in the city of Murcia, Spain, showing that only 25% have a good accessibility, 40% are practicable with help, and 35% are inaccessible shops. The proposed system achieves its objectives of being sustainable and helping in the accessibility. Besides, the system can be a great incentive for businesses to improve their accessibility conditions. In conclusion, new technologies must have a much more active role in the promotion of universal accessibility. These tools must also consider the necessary requirements of sustainable development.

Improving Accessibility for People with Disabilities: A Case Study on Inclusive Beach Tourism.

Disability is an important area in biomedical engineering. But research on disability should not only focus on the healthcare aspects, but also on the integration of people with disabilities in the cultural and social contexts, such as the existence of architectural elements that prevent the use of common public services. The present research aims to improve accessibility and enjoyment of people with physical and motor disabilities to the tourist resources of the area of interest. We present a case study focused on the beaches of the Region of Murcia, Spain. Both the architectural and technological aspects of accessibility are analyzed. From the architectural point of view, the method includes the definition of the parameters of accessibility, and the features required for the equipment according to the local and national regulations. From the technological point of view, the tools and requirements necessary to develop the system are presented.