Jones, Menna (2025) A call for universities to educate students on the needs of people with disabilities. In: Trono, Anna and Castronuovo, Valentina, (eds.) Inclusion and Accessibility: The New Challenge of Cultural Routes. Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0) . Palgrave Macmillan - Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 73-95. ISBN 978-3031972454 (doi:10.1007/978-3-031-97246-1_5)

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Abstract

In this chapter it is argued that universities need to educate students on the importance of accessibility. Background research on the situation in the UK for tourism, hospitality and events management undergraduate degrees (all related to cultural routes) found that only 14% of universities in their programme content mentioned accessibility. Based on such a low percentage of universities even mentioning accessibility within their teaching, the value of incorporating the needs of people with a disability is discussed. Ideas are presented as to how universities could be doing more in terms of responsibly teaching their students to consider the needs of people with disabilities when developing the content for their modules. Arguments are presented in relation to social responsibility, student employability and the financial and social value of investing in accessible practice. From researching examples of good practice in teaching accessibility, which have predominantly advanced in information technology (IT), a positive move forward is examined. Ideas presented for teaching accessibility include incorporating it into already-established sustainability principles, explaining the importance of universal design, simulation games and working with people with disabilities. The chapter ends with a call for a greater understanding of why accessibility is not considered a component of a degree programme.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	accessibility, education, cultural tourism, Undergraduate Degree programmes, pedagogy, purple pound, employability, sustainability, tourism stakeholders
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) L Education > L Education (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Greenwich Business School Greenwich Business School > School of Management and Marketing Greenwich Business School > Tourism and Marketing Research Centre (TMRC)
Last Modified:	16 Oct 2025 15:25
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/51120

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