ATHENA

www.project-athena.cz

The project

is being realized under the auspices of the Operational Programme Human Resources and Employment and it deals with tourism, specifically with the development of the accessible tourism in the Czech Republic. This specific area includes travelling, tourist places, products and information for travellers with special needs, namely for handicapped persons, seniors, parents with small children or other persons with limited mobility.

The project endeavours to:

• Introduce barrier-free travelling as an area suitable for development of employment with the objective to find employment for handicapped persons at the labour market and integrate them into society,
• Motivate the main participants of the tourist industry for mutual cooperation with the objective of implementing this area into practice, 
• Get involved in European activities in the sector of accessible tourism with the objective of obtaining international experience and applying them to create a unified information barrier-free system in the Czech Republic.

The project activities are realized in the Moravian-Silesian Region, Hradec Kralove Region, South Bohemian Region and in Prague, the capital city, and they are designed for the following

Target groups:

• Regions, municipalities and organizations established by them,
• Bodies of state and public administration in the sphere of tourist industry and social integration,
• Non-governmental non-profit organizations and employers of disabled persons,
• Educational institutions,
• Employment offices and employment service institutions,
• Disabled persons,
• General public.

Members of the project team set themselves the following targets:

• Create an accessible tourism manual,
• Set the rules for creation of an information system in the sphere of accessible tourism,
• Create a thematic network for collaboration in the sphere of accessible tourism,
• Organizace workshops for support of the development of services in the sphere of accessible tourism,
• Create an electronic library of European information systems in accessible tourism,
• Introduce good European examples of accessible tourism.

Partnership

KAZUIST, spol. s r.o. , Trinec, Regional consulting and information centre

Since 1991 the company has provided complex consulting services for small and medium sized entrepreneurs and recently it has also organized various training courses in the sphere of human resources development. Besides the consulting and education, it has sucessfully launched its own projects activities. In this project it has the role of the leader organization (grantee).

Czech National Disability Council, Prague

Občanské sdružení TRIANON, Cesky Tesin

The civil association is a part of the European as well as the global movement of disabled persons. It launched its activities in 2003 and focuses on integration of persons threatened by social exclusion (mostly disabled persons, freshly graduates, women or senior) and in the long term it also helps to make environment accessible to disabled persons. I this project it has the role of a partner organization.

TRIANON – ČECHY, o.s., Vimperk

The civil association was founded in 2003. It deals with social and working integration of persons with reduced mobility and orientation and places emphasis on a healthy life style. In this project it has the role of a partner organization.

International partner: ENAT

ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism) was founded in 2006 by the networking of more than 450 members in 57 countries including EU countries. It unites private, public, non-governmental academics as well as other subjects dealing with making travelling accessible for all, i.e. also for persons with reduced mobility and orientation due to their physical or mental disablement, age, chronic disease, temporary injuries etc. In this project it has the role of a partner organization.

Term of realization: June 2009 - May 2011