Design and Development of a Collaborative App with Accessibility Information about Tourist Sites

Abstract

Introduction: Accessibility can help people with disabilities to participate actively in the society with equal access and equal opportunities. Accessible tourism enables people to become more included and enjoy tourism experiences. Technology has facilitated tourism for people with disabilities and a Geographic Information System (GIS) can provide the tourist guidance, navigable digital maps and enable the searching of places information. Purpose: The objective of this paper is to describe the development of a collaborative app with accessibility information in order to help people with disabilities planning and moving more independently. Method: To develop this work a research about GIS apps related to disabled people was carried out, a pilot project to validate the idea and the app development proposed. Results: The accessible places map was developed using free GIS technologies and is available for download in Google Play Store. Conclusions: The app will help people with disabilities to move more safely and comfortably, and the increase of public data in GIS by the civil engagement.