Basic information:

According to the Eurostat report (Disability and social participation in Europe, 2001 edition), 10% of European society are people with disabilities. They have an equal right to be offered the same choice of services as any other European citizen. However, some sectors are not prepared to offer the same quality of services to the clients with disabilities.

Foundation Institute For Regional Development completed in December 2011 project titled: Accommodation & Catering Accessibility for Disability (ACAD), focused on making tourism space more accessible for people with disability.

The ACAD goal was to improve the vocational education and training for hotel and catering staff and management so they are prepared to offer the same quality services to clients with disabilities as to other clients and at the same time to make them more competitive in the European labour market. Both European and the national legislation of many countries fight against discrimination against people on the grounds of disability. ACAD provided tools to help comply with these rules.

The ACAD outcomes included:

•          a universal training programme for hotel/accommodation and catering service staff easily adjustable to the situation of any European country

•          training materials

•          a manual for staff and management of the hotel and catering sector with a guide on how to provide services that fully include disabled customers

•          control tools – criteria of appropriate qualification levels in providing services to clients with disabilities

•          certificate for qualifications in offering services to disabled consumers

•          pilot training for a group of hotel and catering sector employees

•          a project website with all materials.

The ACAD project run by four partner organisations:

• Foundation Institute for Regional Development, Poland

• Action for Blind People, United Kingdom

• National Youth Association For Family Action, Portugal

• Foundation for Co-operation Fund, Poland

It was funded in frame of Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

It was very successful project and it was transfered to: Bulgaria and Turkey as „ACAD2 Tourism for all” (Leonardo da Vinci Programme).

Project website:

 Social Affaires and Inclusion

 Disadvantaged People

 International Cooperation

 Tourism

 Erasmus+