Recognising that the Maldives is usually physically out of bounds for differently-abled travellers, no thanks to its sandy island paths, water jetties and layout of villas and restaurants, one private island resort has made it its mission to make its space welcoming for everyone, including those with additional mobility, sensory and cognitive requirements.
Taking guidance from Inclucare, a UK-based organisation that works to remove barriers to travel for disabled people across the globe, Amilla Maldives Resort has ordered staff training to ensure its team is able to deliver inclusion excellence and has had its facilities audited by Inclucare officials.
The property is now waiting for the certification process to be completed.
General manager Jason Kruse, who was in Singapore recently to meet with luxury travel news media, said Amilla Maldives Resort is equipped to meet inclusive travel needs. It already boasts many universally accessible villas on the ground level, all designed with wide doorways and accessible showers. These units also come with beach wheelchair, floating wheelchair for swimming, and in-villa phones that light up when they ring, for the benefit of hearing-impaired guests.
Differently-abled guests can soon expect deaf-alert systems, induction hearing loops, magnifying glasses, adaptive yoga, aroma and sound experiences through the jungle for vision-impaired holidaymakers, and more.
Kruse shared that facilities that regulate sensory input for guests on the Autism spectrum will soon be made available at the resort.
He believes that making the resort universally accessible is “a sensible decision” because eight per cent of people with a disability are wheelchair bound, and that these individuals should be able to enjoy a good vacation with their family and caregivers.
Victoria Kruse, director of sustainability & wellness, shared that the resort’s achievement in universal accessibility has earned it plenty of government attention and interest, and there are discussions now for it to possibly host an inclusive conference in 2023.
