DOI: doi.org/10.21776/ub.ijds.2023.10.02.10
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Autoethnographic Tourism Experience of Wheelchair User in Bali, Indonesia
Maudita Zobritania, The National Center for Persons with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (Nozominosono), Japan
Muhammad Azhar Widadsyah, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
Corresponding author:
Maudita Zobritania [email protected] Article history:
Received: 22 October 2023 Revised: 18 November 2023 Accepted: 21 November 2023 Published online at
ijds.ub.ac.id
Copyright © 2023 Author(s) Licensed under CC BY NC
Abstract
This research presents autoethnography study of a wheelchair-users named Zo during her journey in Bali, Indonesia. Her documentations and field notes are analyzed in four main themes: information accessibility, public facilities accessibility, destinations accessibility as well as cultural and social issues. This research provides personal deeply personal view on her experience, her way to adapt with accessibility issues, as well as multiple accessibility issues that needs to be improved to ensure that all travelers are able to enjoy Bali.
Keywords: Autoethnography, Tourism, Bali, Tourist with Disability
1. Research Background
Tourism and the ability to travel reported to be a human right for every individual (Minnaert et al., 2009). Travel and recreational activities are able to help relive symptoms of depression, increase overall feelings of satisfaction and great stress reducers (Evcil, 2018). Intention or desire to travel are presents in all customers, including customers with disabilities (Yau et al., 2004). However, needs to accommodate people with disabilities (PwD) are often neglected by tourism industry due to the ignorance and uninformed needs of tourist with disabilities (Darcy & Buhalis, 2011). Furthermore, there are common misconception that PwD does not willing to travel (Porto et al., 2019). According to Özcan et al. (2021), lack of accessibility of tourism destination often prevents PwD to have recreational activities, although they actually have the intention to do leisure traveling.
Wheelchair user often reported difficulties to conduct travel or recreational activities due to the lack of accessibility. Reindrawati et al. (2022) reported that wheelchair users might reluctant to travel due to various physical factors, such as the width of the door or the existence of stairs which prevents them to access the place. In most occasion, improvements on accessibility in tourism for wheelchair users mostly focused in airports and hotel facilities (Cole et al., 2016), and still shows no sign of notable improvements in other aspects of tourism.
Accessible tourism refers to the capacity of PwD to access all leisure and activities provided by eliminating various barriers they might encountered (Qiao et al., 2020). In principle, accessibility in all tourism destination and services should be a central part of tourism policies to increase tourism sustainability (Reindrawati et al., 2022). Proper accessibility is not only served human rights purpose, yet also represents proper visitors management by both the industry and the government (Garcia-Miranda & Duran, 2017).
Prior researches of accessible tourism mostly analyze about accessibility of information of travel destination (Darcy, 2010; Vila et al., 2018), measurement of accessibility in destination (Evcil, 2018), establishment of principle for policy guidelines to improve accessibility (Michopoulou et al., 2015), and recommended technology to improve the ability of PwD to adapt with potential obstacles during recreational activities (McKercher & Darcy, 2018). However, practical implementation to improve accessibility of destination places are often find challenges due to minimum information about detailed improvement needed to be addressed. For example, many places already have ramp available yet the ramps are not accessible for wheelchair users due to the high degree of inclination of the ramp itself, which makes wheelchair users unable to access the ramps without any assistance. Another example is how some places that designed to provide accessibility often being used for another purpose, like large pedestrian roads occupied with non-permanent stalls, thus make the pedestrian road inaccessible for wheelchair users to move freely.
To understand the practical experience of wheelchair users in context of accessible tourism, this research highlights the experience of Maudita Zobritania (first author, usually called by the name of ‘Zo’ by her peers) in a form of autoethnography study. She is a wheelchair user due to spina bifida which resulted in paralysis in lower part of her body, thus makes her struggle to walks by her own without using wheelchair.
Autoethnography study was chosen due to its ability to focus around the experiences of a single individual thus able to provide a richer, more personal perspective (Stephens et al., 2020). In this research context, this choice of study approach provides ability to highlights the detailed aspects of accessibility needed in tourism industry, and highlight individual narratives that portrays how inaccessibility actually affects tourism experience for wheelchair users. The purpose of this study is to explore the obstacles and experiences of wheelchair users in tourism activities, as well as understand stategies and adjustment implemented to adapt with those issues. Her background is shortly elaborated through a first person narrative in the next paragraph.
I am a researcher and a Japanese language teacher who has a deep passion for traveling and immersing myself in new environments, cultures, and experiences. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to explore numerous places, including Malang, Yogyakarta, and Bali in Indonesia, as well as various cities in Japan. My research centers on my personal journey during an eight-day trip from Gondanglegi, Kabupaten Malang, to Bali, Indonesia. Throughout this adventure, my primary destinations were in the Canggu and Ubud regions, along with nearby attractions. These areas have become the emerging
hubs for tourism and recreational activities in Bali, particularly for the younger and adult demographic who are venturing to Bali post-pandemic.
As I interacted with the locals, I learned that the shift in tourism trends is a result of rapid development in both regions, each offering unique attractions that cater to tourists, particularly those in the productive generation demographic. Canggu boasts a plethora of trendy restaurants, cafes, and beach clubs, while Ubud provides a serene and mindful experience for those seeking tranquility away from the bustling tourist crowds.
Given that both areas are still in the midst of their tourism development, it's crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the accessibility conditions in these places to address any potential challenges and obstacles.
2. Literature Review
The concept of accessible tourism focuses on increasing independence, equality and dignity for all travelers through universally designed product, services and environments (Luiza, 2010). Accessible tourism is intended to makes tourism providers able to accommodate various range of needs, including the needs of PwD (Cockburn- Wootten & McIntosh, 2022). In practice, concept of accessible tourism is often used to conceptualize necessary adjustments to increase inclusivity of travel, tourism, and commercial activities (Buhalis & Darcy, Accessible Tourism, 2010). This concept pays attention to various obstacles that hinders people to actively participate in tourism activities. Furthermore, the implementation of accessible tourism requires removal of institutional and environmental barriers in the whole society, as well as includes accessibility of environments, facilities, services, and transportations (Buhalis et al., 2012). The implementation of accessible tourism could be conducted in effective manners if stakeholders in both tourism providers and wider tourism system (such as government, investors and local people) are able to collaborate to ensure the whole journey to, from and within the destinations are accessible (Cockburn-Wootten et al., 2018).
The most common problems in accessible tourism is structural and architectural barriers that limits accessibility (McKercher & Darcy, 2018). Design implemented in destinations is crucial for a person to ensure whether they are able to access the destinations and conduct activies they are intend to do without difficulties as well as health and safety risks. Architectural designs such as ladders, inclining slopes, choices of floor, availability of ramp, or location and facilities in toilet might poses barriers for people to access the destinations. Furthermore, some locations might have certain accessible areas, but the route to the areas itself are not accessible or other crucial areas are inaccessible, thus limits its usage (Buhalis et al., 2012). For example, a tourism destination provides flat-road with no slopes in its attraction areas, yet the toilet needs to be accessed through stairs due to the no installation of elevator – thus makes wheelchair users unable to access the toilet when needed.
Availability of accessible and effective transport systems are crucial in accessible tourism value chain. Gillovic & McIntosh (2020) stated that transporations are seen as one of the most difficult barriers often encountered by PwD in terms of travel and tourism.
This difficulties occurred due to the difficulties to access transportations, reliability, as well as facilities to accommodate the needs of PwD since public transportations are mainly designed to cater the needs of people with able-bodies (Ahmad, 2015). This difficulties often prevents tourists with access needs, especially PwD to stay at home or rely on their peers or families to provide transportations that meets with their needs.
Other option of public transportations, such as taxi, might be able to answer the needs of transportation yet often avoided by PwD due to its unreliability and higher costs (Soorenian, 2013). Transportation available for people with access needs are often viewed as “special services” thus resulted in segragration between PwD and able-bodies users, and in most cases resulted in higher costs to provide those “special services”. However, people with access needs especially PwD are dependants on the availability of these
“special services” due to the limited alternative for them to reach their intended destination (Cockburn-Wootten & McIntosh, 2022)
In addition, travel agents are also often poses barriers for accessibility. Specifically, they are often criticized due to the lack of capability to accommodate access for all people with various needs. Cockburn-Wootten & McIntosh (2022) elaborated that travel agents are often seen as gatekeepers of informations due to their lack of knowledge thus unable to provide accurate and needed informations. Packer et al. (2007) explained that there are three main reasons as on why travel agents are criticized:
1. Limited understanding of the adjustment and access needed by PwD;
2. Limited amount of information provided, both in public informations or informations delivered through direct interactions with PwD;
3. Willingness to cater and accommodate PwD
Buhalis & Darcy (2010) reported that there are many occassions where travel agents recommended several destinations with claims that those places are accessible, yet upon their arrival the clients realized that travel agents have different ideas of accessibility. This lack of information and understanding prevents tourists to measure the conditions at the destinations due to the limited informations provided, might need to face risks and difficulties due to the limited knowledge, as well as poses dangers while they are in the destinations since travel agents also have no capabilities to cater their needs.
3. Method
2.1 Autoethnography
This research uses autoethnography, qualitative research which researcher adopts the role of a participants and uses personal experience to describe and interpret cultural texts, experiences, beliefs, and practices (Adams et al., 2017). At its core, autoethnographers strive to portray how individuals navigate choices, determine
lifestyles and the actual meaning of individual struggles (Bochner & Ellis, 2016). In tourism research, autoethnography have addressed tourist experiences in attractions and activities, which those experiences provides data or insights at greater depth of detail than others data available (Buckley & Cooper, 2022).
The use of autoethnography research in tourism context, especially research involves PwD is rare. Some notable research implements autoethnography in tourism and disability domain to analyze about human-computer interaction (HCI) conducted by the researcher to assists their tourism experiences (see: Jain et al., 2019; Stephens et al., 2020). This research aims to investigate the whole experiences of a wheelchair users during her traveling journey, including implementation of HCI, social interaction, navigation, address obstacles, as well as experience in attractions, activities and response to archictectural design of a destinations. According to Adams et al. (2017), autoethnography research enable researchers to describe moments of everyday experience that cannot be captured through more traditional research methods – including experiences in private context, everyday interactions, as well as emotional feelings and sensitive remarks.
2.2 Data Collection and Thematic Analysis
Data collection began prior to Zo’s trip. Before the trip, she kept notes and documentations about investigation and booking process, as well as her process to established travel plan – which also a phase where the decision to undertake study regarding experiences in the whole trip was made. Hence, she began to documented the trip through the forms of field notes and visual documentations in each process and journey. The field notes are combination between descriptive reporting and her reflections on the experiences. The final version of her field notes consists of 819 photos, 28 videos and detailed reflections and description of each destination and activities in forms of hand-written notes further processed into one google docs. Furthermore, those notes are validated through further interview conducted to interview Zo as first author by second author to make sure the notes aligned with the experiences. Thematic analysis implemented in this research is also conducted by Stephens et al. (2020), whom also conducted autoethnography research in tourism and disability domains, as well as involves other researchers in the process. The field notes were analyzed by herself and another researcher which also accompanied her during the journey. Initial reading and observation of the notes were conducted, and both researchers discussed their thematic conclusion. This process resulted in categorization and formalization of main themes.
After formalization of the themes, each researcher coded the field notes independently and all differences and findings were discussed, included many passages consists of multiple themes within the notes. This processed resulted in formulation of sub-themes in each main themes, provided in-depth personal and specific information about each themes proposed. To ensure that coding and interpretation of field notes are not misaligned with Zo’s experiences, further discussions and agreements has been made about the specific findings of the analysis.
4. Results
2.3 Traveler and Trip Background
This chapter is written in the first person from Zo’s perspective.
1. About Zo
My name is Maudita Zobritania, and usually people call me Zo. I live in Gondanglegi, Kabupaten Malang, nearly 30 kilometers from Malang City. I graduated from Japanese Literature of Brawijaya University since late 2022, and currently I am working as a researcher at Nozomi No Sono (The National Center for Persons with Severe Intellectual Disabilities) Japan and Japanese Language Tutor at One Third Consulting Abroad (OTCA).
In 2022, I participated in Duskin Leadership Training, a program aims to provide an opportunity for young people with disabilities who wish to become community leaders in Asian and the Pacific countries/regions in Japan.
My disability is called spina bifida – a condition of injury which spinal cord fails to develop properly. There are three categories of spina bifida, and mine is the most severe one called myelomeningocele and required me to had surgery when I was two years old.
Since then, I have some physical signs resulted from my disability, such as lower-body weakness and hard to maintain balance, scoliosis, hard to control the intense frequency to urinate (urinary incontinence) and low frequency of defecate or bowel movement, which usually happened once every few days.
Usually, if I believe I could mitigate with the challenges at the places, I still consider to go since I am still able to walk – thus makes the mitigation process easier. As per travel partner, if available, I would prefer someone or a group with knowledge and experience about interaction with disabled people. I usually feel bad if I think I ask too much for adjustments, hence it would be helpful to travel with people that at least aware with the issue and understand some adjustments needed. I am using electric wheelchair which modified to suit with my physical traits and needs such as replacement of wheelchair cushion and the joystick, etc. The initial model is Yamaha JW Active Plus Model with the specifications elaborated in Table 4.1.
Table 1. Wheelchair Specifications. Source: Wheelchair Manual Book
Specifications Detailed Information
Weight to Load 125 kg
Drive System Rear wheel direct drive
Wet Weight 15.3 kg
Dimension 1000 x 640 x 880 mm
Practical Climbing Angle 6o
Power Lithium-Ion Dry Battery
25V 11.2Ah 280 Wh
Running Speed 6 km/hour
1.7 – 5.7 km/hour moving forward 0.9 – 2.8 km/hour moving backward
There are some benefits and disadvantages I am experiencing since I use this wheelchair. First, the benefits are reduction of energy compared to manual wheelchair, high battery capacity so I could use this wheelchair for one to three days before it needs to be recharged, and more safety when I face incline or downward slope. However, it also has some disadvantages as well namely its heavy weight makes it impossible for me to lift and usually it took two people to lift the wheelchair, its big size makes it hard to fit in any cars thus require big size car to carry the wheelchair inside, and the weight and size of the charger itself.
As a disabled person and wheelchair user, naturally I am more conscious of my surroundings. For example, I always automatically look for some important facilities like the location of toilet, place to order, as well as accessibility to main attraction. This is important since it helps me measure whether or not I would need help to access. If the facilities are not accessible, I could ask for helps from the staffs available. However, sometimes it is hard to analyze the place due to lack of information presented and the physical landscape of the place, like the toilet is placed outside of the main building hence I am unable to determine its accessibility. Sometimes the place is short-staffed or there is no staff stand-by to assist the guests, thus makes me reluctant to directly ask for assist.
Furthermore, there are also issues in transportation vehicles. Since I live in rural area in Malang, it is harder for me to look for inter-city transportation, not to mention the accessible ones. The only available options for me are train and airplane, since at least they provide decent accommodations for wheelchair users. However, it is already costly enough for me to commute from my house to airport or train station. In airplane transportation case, the nearest airport from my house is a small airport – hence the options are limited and usually the ticket is more expensive. In comparison, when I search for ticket price for direct flight to Bali, I found out that the airplane ticket cost is 2.5 times more expensive if I take the flight from Malang than Surabaya. The problem is, commuting from my house to Surabaya is also expensive and the only available transportation is inter-city minibus or car rental. However, not all inter-city minibus would accept wheelchair since it takes large space in the baggage. Since the options are also limited in rural area, sometimes I need to rent a large car including driver, gas fee and toll fee to commute from Gondanglegi to Surabaya. In case of inner-city transportation, I usually rely on ride-hailing or taxi services which also costs more than the usual public transportation especially in tourism destinations.
2. Overview of the Trip
The planning for the trip started in late June 2023 when a dear friend from Japan about to visit Indonesia with his wife, and invited me to travel together with them to Bali.
I started pre-planning phase to obtain information about available transportation both from Surabaya to Bali and from my home in Gondanglegi to Juanda Airport in Surabaya, several destinations in Bali, hotel accommodation, transportation available, maps, and tours package. I put extra-work on the pre-planning since all of that information will be needed to establish travel plan.
The trip was conducted from July 13th 2023 to July 20th 2023 which we will stay for 5 days in Canggu area and 2 days in Ubud area. I established several destinations I want to visit during the trip together with information about how to get there from the hotel I stayed. Initially, I plan to not make detailed schedule and decided to go to the destination based on the situations occurred during the trip. At most times, I booked ride-hailing car with extra-large capacity to carry my wheelchair. After flew back to Surabaya from Ngurah Rai International Airport, additional transportation was arranged from Juanda Airport back to my home in forms of private car together with the driver.
2.4 Thematic Analysis
Thematic analysis of the notes covered five main themes: information access, public facilities, destinations accessibility, social interaction, and person-centered issues.
3. Information Accessibility
I usually gather information using the tools I typically rely on in normal circumstances. I turn to official websites and Google Reviews as my primary sources of information. I specifically use them to gather data about location and distance, pricing, photos uploaded by others, honest reviews from people, and any available accessibility information. In addition, I also check out the official Instagram pages or photos uploaded by people who have visited or used the service. However, there are times when these multi-phase methods fall short of providing the information, I require to measure its accessibility which often discouraged me to go to the place. Generally, people including the owner focuses on menu and service offered as well as the aesthetic vibes of the place and tend to forget detailed information about the accessibility. My method helps me to concludes the accessibility myself through information I could gather, but sometimes when the information available itself is lacking – like for example no pictures of the toilet or ladder, I am unable to draw conclusions.
In most cases, I have to be extra meticulous to examine the information provided in order to gain the knowledge I need. For example, I always take a closer look at the photo and video uploaded, or look into people review if available which sometimes could be really time-consuming. From my experience, social media and websites also often fail to smoothly provide basic information due to the lack of maintenance or tendency to focuses more on vibes and aesthetics. This problem occurred not only in local destinations, but at big corporation website and social media page as well. For example, some local airlines do not provide detailed information about the procedure if passenger brings electric wheelchair into the plane. Although I already called the support center directly, I received different answers about the procedures which shows that the company also have no solid procedures.
Furthermore, I often came across situations where certain information was not accessible online. Specifically, this was regarding transportation options from my residence, situated in Gondanglegi, Kabupaten Malang, nearly 30 km from Malang City.
The area lacks public transportation services, and information about the limited available
options is scarce. Consequently, I reached out directly to people, including my family, friends, and neighbors, to gather testimonials and insights. I wanted to learn more about the sole available option from my house to the airport, which happens to be a minibus service that conveniently picks me up right at my doorstep. However, if the minibus services are not available – I need to seek recommendations for car-rental nearby my residence since the options are also limited. To mitigate with this situation, I always saved the contact and maintain relationship with drivers who already proven to give me decent commuting experience so I could ask for their services again in the near future.
4. Public Facilities Accessibility
I've noticed that Bali doesn't have convenient public transportation within the city, and this affects not just me but also, in all likelihood, most residents and visitors in Bali. It leads to extensive traffic congestion in many of Bali's popular tourist spots. As for my situation, I have to depend on ride-hailing car services with extra seating capacity to reach most of my desired destinations. My wheelchair is quite large, making it a tight fit in smaller cars. Ride-hailing platforms like Gojek or Grab offer a guarantee to their users that they can secure a larger car for an additional fee. Unfortunately, price of Gojek and Grab during the stay in Bali is really expensive. Problem is, I have no other options aside of pay that expensive fare since there are no alternatives with the same guarantee and safety.
Bali is also well-known as an island where most travelers prefer to walk from places to places. However, the accessibility situation of Bali’s pedestrian road, especially in Canggu and Ubud – makes the option to use the wheelchair in daily commuting is not viable and safe. There are many obstacles in Bali’s pedestrian road that makes it hard for wheelchair users to commute using their wheelchair in daily basis. These obstacles have unpredictable locations, thus make wheelchair users unable to properly analyze the accessibility beforehand. In my case, my travel partner offered to observed the pedestrian road beforehand to understand the potential obstacles thus makes me able to properly mitigate and analyze the situation. Some obstacles often found in Bali’s pedestrian road will be presented in Figure 4.1.
Figure 1: Obstacles in Bali’s Pedestrian Road. Source: Documentation of Field Notes
From Figure 1, it could be concluded that some common problems that hinders accessibility of Bali’s pedestrian roads are:
1. People often put objects, mostly wastes or trashes into to the sidewalks.
2. Sidewalks often damaged because of some conditions, such as broken paving blocks, road-holes, or simply aging thus makes the sidewalks uneven and rocky.
3. Sidewalks have narrow width that does not suitable for wheelchair. Thus, wheelchair users need to move to the main road.
4. Misuse of the sidewalks by the people. It is common in Bali to uses sidewalks as temporary parking area or to be extended place for an event held inside the nearby buildings.
5. The ramp or leveling to access the sidewalks have no standardization or lacking from routine maintenance.
Accessibility in pedestrian road for wheelchair users is not only about whether or not the journey will be comfortable, but it is also a matter of safety for us. Unpredictable situation encountered on the sidewalks might require adaptations (such as move to the main road) poses risks of accident with another vehicle. Furthermore, those adaptions also pose risks of the wheelchair user to lost control of their wheelchair that might makes them to involve in single-person accident (such as fall down from the wheelchair). Based on my experience, the sidewalk makes me worry since there are many potential dangers.
Like, accident with car if I use the main road, or I could fall and be struck down by my own wheelchair that might result in injuries. I want to go alone, yet the condition seems like hard enough for me to go without any partner.”
Furthermore, I've also come across the absence of public toilets in pedestrian areas.
This issue become my main challenges since my conditions also require me to frequently use the toilet due to urinary incontinence. When I need to use a toilet, I have to stop at nearby stores or restaurants and politely request access to their facilities. This leaves me uncertain about whether the toilet will be wheelchair-accessible or not. Additionally, I end up having to spend extra money on purchasing products from these establishments as a courtesy for using their facilities. Since most places lack accessible toilets, I'm often left with no choice but to leave my wheelchair outside the building. This situation emphasizes the need to address the issue of public toilet accessibility, particularly in places like Bali that encourage pedestrian exploration.
5. Destinations Accessibility
Bali is well-known to be a tourism-centered island that offer diverse attractions and destinations that tourist could enjoy during their visit. However, wheelchair users might not have as many options as able-bodied people due to the lack of accessibility presented in the destinations, and high costs to adjust with the inaccessibility. There are some kinds of places that I was unable to visit due to the accessibility issue, such as nature-based destinations (like beaches or forests) or specific places located in inaccessible area (such as store located in such narrow or non-existent sidewalks). This issue makes me think that although I genuinely feel that my experience in Bali was really fun, but I believe I could enjoy it more if only I have way more money. If the money is never an issue, I could at least pay for additional services to mitigate with several inaccessibility.
In general, I hold the belief that both the government and the tourism industry have recognized the importance of addressing accessibility issues and are actively engaged in enhancing the situation. Notably, several improvements have already been implemented, particularly in well-known tourist destinations, where ramps and handrails have become a common sight. While the visible efforts are commendable, I believe that improving accessibility necessitates a collaborative approach involving multiple stakeholders, especially individuals with disabilities (PWDs) themselves. Based on my observation, there are inefficient accessibility features and critical details that are overlooked, such as slippery and steep ramps or narrow doorways in elevators, which pose challenges for us when trying to utilize these facilities. I believe this stems from the lack of or limited engagement with actual PWDs or PWD communities during the initial planning and construction of these facilities. For example, when destination will provide ramps in their place – the ramp itself needs to have low-to-moderate angle so wheelchair users are able to pass without any help nor risks. This could be seen in Figure 2, which ramp have high degree of elevation and rocky terrain thus wheelchair users are unable to pass without additional help.
Figure 2: Example of Inefficient Ramp in Popular Destination.
Source: Documentation of Field Notes
Moreover, doors or entrance gate to the destinations or some facilities (such as elevator and toilet) needs to be large enough so wheelchair users could enter with ease.
In elevator’s case, it is encouraged to have multiple sides of entrance so wheelchair users do not need to turn around or move backwards to enter or exit the elevator. Toilet also needs to have large room enough for wheelchair users to enter, as well as provide non- slippery road, handrails, and adjust to more accessible toilet seating.
Although the improvements are visible, there are still many issues I experienced during my trip to travel destinations at Bali, Indonesia. First of all, the entrance to those destinations often has multiple-leveling which simply prevents to enter the place without helps or makes me completely unable to enter the place at all. Furthermore, since many destinations in Bali located near the sidewalks with limited security surveillance – it is common for the places to not have parking area both for vehicles and also for the wheelchair outside of the entrance. Two examples provided in Figure 3 below:
Figure 3: Sidewalks in Bali Around Popular Destination.
Source: Documentation of Field Notes
This issue also makes it hard in many locations to order ride-hailing services, since the car needs to stop for a while to lift the wheelchair into the car trunk yet the place does not have parking area for cars to safely stop. Hence, the cars need to stop at the main road with risks of accident and might causes traffic jam due to the narrow main road and high intensity of vehicles.
Another main issue in popular destinations is the accessibility to and inside the toilet area. Many destinations locate the toilet at the very end of their location and separated with the public area, hence makes it hard for wheelchair users to access or ask for the staffs to take a look or accompany them. Hence, wheelchair users might be discouraged to ask for help and decided to go to the toilet alone, which is considerably risky due to limited knowledge about the toilet conditions and obstacles. Furthermore, there are many obstacles in the toilet. Most common obstacles that hinder toilet accessibility are:
1. The room arrangement often left no space for wheelchair users to mobile freely to the toilet.
2. Access to the toilet or toilet itself has levelings, thus wheelchair users are not able to go to the toilet without any help from other people.
3. Narrow toilet door which makes it impossible for wheelchair to enter the toilet
4. Facilities inside the toilet, such as handrail or type of toilet seating often makes it hard for wheelchair users to use the toilet properly. Furthermore, some available facilities are broken or have problems in the usage.
Many destinations in Bali also do not have accessible entrance gate, thus prevents wheelchair users including me to access those destinations. Some places might have accessible entrance, yet separate their sections with inaccessible gate thus limits the area
of exploration for wheelchair users within the place. An example of inaccessible section entrance is presented below:
Figure 4: Inaccessible Section Entrance at a Pura in Bali.
Source: Documentation of Field Notes
As presented in Figure 4, accessing areas beyond those section gates was often challenging due to uneven ground and narrow gateways. In a specific instance, one of these section gates served as the entrance to the main performing attraction.
Consequently, I could only observe the performance from a considerable distance, quite unlike most able-bodied tourists who had the opportunity to actively participate in the performance – a privilege not afforded to wheelchair users.Moreover, it's worth noting that many online reviews highlighted the relative accessibility of this particular Pura in Bali. This indirectly suggests that other Puras might have areas that are less accessible or, in some cases, entirely inaccessible to wheelchair users.
Bali is globally known from its beautiful beaches. However, accessibility of the beach itself could be considered as non-existent due to the sandy characteristics of beaches terrain. Few wheelchair users need another people to carry them to the beach area, but they are still needing help if they want to even slightly move from the area where they are places by their carrier. If the wheelchair users want to access the beach with less accessibility issues, they can rent special-wheelchair designed for the beach terrain or visit beach club. Since beach club often has exclusive buildings around the beach area, there is still a chance that the buildings are accessible for wheelchair users – thus makes them able to enjoy beach scenery with less accessibility issues. However, due to the usually large area of the beach club – some sections might not be accessible for wheelchair users without any help. Most common inaccessible area in beach club are the ones located very near with the beach and the toilet, which is commonly located outside of the public or near the pool area. Additionally, most beach clubs – especially the most accessible ones, often have expensive prices, both in menus and to get access permit at its best area. In one of my visits to a beach club, they required minimum order of Rp1.500.000, - to access the sun beds near the beach area.
6. Cultural and Societal Issues
My travel experience shed light on several cultural and societal issues. In general, most of the staff and workers I encountered were exceptionally helpful and did their best to assist me in navigating physically inaccessible facilities during my journey. Their support was instrumental in ensuring my mobility during my travels. Furthermore, I also observed that, at the same time, the staff and workers treated me no differently from other visitors. Almost all of the staffs are very helpful and tried to help as best as they could, and surprisingly I receive this kind of treatment anywhere. In one of my visit to a famous restaurant, the staffs quickly arrange the seating where I would be comfortable, help me to access the toilet, yet I still receive the same treatments – like direct food serving and polite interactions just like another visitor. They also insist to accompany me anywhere I need to go, which sometimes could feel ‘too much’ of help, yet I understand and appreciate their efforts to ensure I will have delightful experience.
In addition to the assistance and services provided, I was genuinely impressed by the way the staffs exhibited a deep understanding of the essential nuances in interacting with wheelchair users. First and foremost, they were always considerate of the consent of wheelchair users, consistently inquiring whether I needed any assistance. This aspect holds significant importance as there have been instances where individuals attempted to help wheelchair users without a clear understanding of the appropriate approach, inadvertently causing discomfort or even harm to the user in the process. Furthermore, the staff members demonstrated a keen awareness of the specific needs of wheelchair users. They were ready and willing to provide assistance whenever it was required, ensuring the safety and overall pleasant experience of wheelchair users.
Regarding of the formal support offered by airport and airlines company, help also came in both formal response and direct initiatives from the staffs. I feel that Ngurah Rai International Airport has better implementation of policies regarding wheelchair users, and the staffs are better trained to accommodate wheelchair users to have pleasant experiences compared to any other airport I has ever been in Indonesia. In my departure at Juanda airport, the staffs are polite and helpful yet there are some procedural issues they do not implement smoothly, especially about the battery of my electric wheelchair.
I need to explain that this battery is allowed inside the plane, yet seems like they do not have proper understanding between this battery and other type of battery they usually encountered. This is the problem I often faced in other airport as well. However, I did not encounter this kind of experience in Ngurah Rai.
Many people or fellow tourists I met along the journey are also been kind and aware of the needs of wheelchair users. For example, there are many situations where other tourists or local people previously occupied the space in pedestrian road quickly provided space for me to pass without any request, prove that they understand that wheelchair users also have the right to use pedestrian road. Some of them even offered to help, especially when I faced obstacles or seems to have difficulties to move or control my wheelchair.
5. Conclusion
As I reflect on my experiences in Bali, it's clear that the island is making efforts to enhance accessibility within its tourism sector. However, there are still noteworthy challenges that need to be addressed in the near future. This autoethnography research has provided valuable insights into the most common issues related to tourism accessibility in Bali, particularly from the perspective of a wheelchair user. While some places are more accessible than others, numerous issues persist across the island, underscoring the fact that Bali still has a considerable amount of work ahead to improve its accessibility. Furthermore, these issues are not isolated incidents; they are prevalent in multiple destinations and facilities. This suggests that structural changes may be required to enact more substantial and lasting improvements.
First and foremost, Bali needs to provide integrated and detailed information within its public facilities and tourist destinations. The accessibility of public places and destinations should be assessed collectively, making it possible to convey any obstacles through accessible platforms. Bali can also establish a comprehensive platform for accessible tourism providers, making it easier for travelers with disabilities to plan their trips. These enhancements can be driven by government initiatives through integrated information platforms or through the efforts of individual tourism destinations using their own information platforms or social media.
Second, Bali needs to address several key issues regarding public facilities. The state of sidewalks in Bali demands improvement, particularly in terms of maintenance to prevent broken sidewalks, the introduction of more usable ramps, the widening of sidewalks, and the implementation of regulations to curb misuse by individuals or local businesses. Additionally, Bali should enhance the availability of public toilets located along pedestrian routes and at popular destinations, ensuring that they meet accessibility standards. The island also needs to diversify its public transportation options while making them more accessible. The limited array of public transportation options is a significant factor for all types of tourists considering a visit to Bali. Expanding the availability, options, and accessibility of public transportation could enhance the overall travel experience, reduce transportation costs, and potentially increase the number of visitors while improving their enjoyment during their stay in Bali. A variety of accessible public transportation options, such as barrier-free buses, minibuses, or taxis, would be advantageous for all tourists. Customization and adjustments are necessary to guarantee accessibility in the vehicles (e.g., availability of ramps inside the vehicles), bus stops (connecting sidewalks to waiting areas, clear signage, ramps for accessing waiting areas and buses, seating, shelters, etc.), and access to the bus stops themselves, which is closely related to the accessibility of sidewalks and other public facilities.
Third, many destinations in Bali must improve their accessibility, particularly in terms of physical facilities. The necessary improvements can be summarized as follows:
1. Increase the width of entrance gates, toilet doors, and access to various sections within the destinations.
2. Provide functional ramps for wheelchair users to enhance their mobility, even when traveling alone. Specific ramp improvements include the availability of ramps to access all facilities and sections, the inclusion of handrails, a reduction in the slope degree for easier movement, and regular maintenance to prevent damaged ramps.
3. Enhance toilet accessibility, specifically access to the toilet itself, the width of the toilet entrance and access, the alignment of toilet facilities with accessibility standards (e.g., handrails, raised toilet seats, etc.), and the removal of any obstructions within or leading to the toilet.
4. Expand parking areas and ensure accessibility to and from the parking zones to the destinations. The addition of designated parking spaces for people with disabilities would also be advantageous.
5. If possible, improve the physical terrain by eliminating uneven surfaces and using more accessible and durable materials, especially in outdoor settings.
If this is not feasible (as in beach destinations), provide facilities that enable wheelchair users to access the terrain, such as customized wheelchairs.
Lastly, accessible places in Bali often come with higher costs than other establishments. To make travel more affordable for persons with disabilities (PWDs), Bali could consider offering special discounts. These discounts could be applied to various aspects of travel, including public transportation, tickets to popular destinations, food and beverages, as well as daily essentials and healthcare. This policy will really help PWDs who wish to travel to Bali reduce their initial travel costs, which in return would encourage them to go. Generally, it is common knowledge that being disabled will costs us more if we want more accessibility during our journey yet the options for PWDs to gain decent income is very limited due to the lack of decent job opportunity especially in Indonesia. In short, the costs to travel are generally more expensive yet the income rate of PWDs is also generally lower than able-bodied people – thus makes implementation of discount policy really beneficial for PWDs.
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