Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Heritage Tourism Sites in Malaysia

Persons with disabilities (PWD) form the largest minority group in the world but remain under-served tourists. Definitions of disability, accessibility, and inclusion vary, and these are presented and discussed within a universal design context. Cultural tourism is a burgeoning sector with huge global economic, political, environmental, and social impacts. Variants such as heritage tourism and nature-based (natural) tourism have particular significance for many localities. This is reflected in the 268 World Heritage Sites protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) located in Asia, four (or five) of which are in Malaysia. Inclusion through accessibility has moral, economic, and legal justifications. These are addressed from larger scale perspectives, such as the United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, to more localized views, such as national mandates. This framework is applied to Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in Malaysia, as an example because this important site is more likely to be inclusive due to its well-recognized significance, and this example illustrates challenges inherent in accessibility and inclusiveness in nature-based tourism sites. The chapter ends with a conclusion and recommendations.