Proposal of minimum accessibility requirements for the commercial complexes of the commercial company Caracol S.A in Havana

Abstract

Introduction: Tourist accessibility seeks to integrate people with disabilities into physical and social environments by eliminating or reducing social, cultural, structural and physical barriers. The UNWTO is committed to accessible tourism for all. For the Quality and Operations Department of Mintur, ensuring accessibility requirements in the destination is a priority; this particular study addresses this issue in the context of the commercial complexes of the sector in Havana. Objective: To propose minimum accessibility requirements for the commercial complexes of the Caracol S.A. Company in Havana. Methodology: A semi-structured interview was conducted with the quality specialists of the Caracol S.A. Company and its five branches in Havana. Another interview was also conducted with the presidents of the Ibero-American Network and the Cuban Network of Accessible Tourism, as well as those of the National Association of the Blind, the National Association of the Deaf of Cuba and the Cuban Association of the Physically Handicapped – Motorists. A review of the specialized literature was carried out to obtain information on the requirements that commercial complexes have to meet to be accessible. The data processing was carried out from descriptive statistics, as well as the Pareto diagram using Microsoft Excel for Windows, version Excel 2019 (17.0). The validation of the proposal was carried out by a group of selected experts, through the ANOCHI method. Results: The results of the research allowed us to verify that the commercial complexes of the Caracol S.A Commercial Company in Havana are not accessible and that the vital challenges for the commercial complexes to become accessible are: trained personnel, staff awareness, and restructuring of the infrastructure. Conclusion: The proposal for minimum accessibility requirements was prepared, which was structured into general and specific requirements, which include a total of 14 sections, as well as the checklist, verifying the validity and reliability of the proposal for minimum accessibility requirements for the commercial complexes of the Caracol S.A. Commercial Company in Havana. General study area: (Tourism) Specific study area: (Tourist accessibility) Type of study: Original articles / Original articles,