What began with an opportunity to work with one St. John developer, Stanley Selengut at Mah Bay Camps, quickly evolved into an island-wide initiative. Building A Destination For All 2005 was a year-long collaborative project between Multi, Design For People and the Island of St. John toward developing a travel destination that accommodates visitors of all ages and abilities; focusing on the under served markets of travelers with disabilities and the mature (age 55+).
Multi brought together a group of volunteer travelers with disabilities, their travel companions, a team of designers and a water recreation expert for a visit to the island and to work as a team with St. John to identify: where do pockets of accessibility exist; where are there opportunities for accessibility; and how can we connect the fundamental components of this travel experience to offer a destination for diverse travel markets? Components include transportation, accommodations, dining, retail, water activities, civic facilities, and infrastructure.
Outcomes of this collaboration included an Accessibility Plan for St. John and USVI Legislation allocating funding for continued evaluation and planning across the territory, which includes the Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas.
2004 - Initiative Established
2005 - Evaluation and Experience Analysis
2006 - Action Plan and Legislature
2006 - 2011 - Continued Evaluation, Planning and Implementation
Press covering this initiative can be found under About Us: News & Events
30 minute and 15 minute Documentary Films are available; contact us for more information
Original Collaborative Partners:
VI Government, USVI Department of Tourism, USVI National Park Service, Friends of the VI National Park (501c3 Partner), USVI Hotel & Tourism Association, USVI Taxi Association, USVI Chamber of Commerce
Original Funding Sponsors: Maho Bay Camps. Inc., Multi Design for People, and individual donors
For complete list of individual donors and participants, contact info@inclusionbydesign.us