Turismo, acessibilidade e inclusão para adultos com Transtorno do Espectro Autista

Abstract

Including people with disabilities in tourism is essential for equal opportunities and for everyone to enjoy the same spaces, products, and services, democratizing access to this activity. This work aims to analyze how tourism research addresses the theme of inclusion and accessibility for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), targeting the needs and experiences of adults. To this end, an exploratory-descriptive study of a qualitative nature was conducted, and a Systematic Review of the Literature in Scopus was performed. A comprehensive analysis of nineteen studies from the last eight years was conducted, with a focus on synthesizing the primary findings concerning internationally endorsed strategies and practices for implementing accessibility in tourism, in order to contribute to well-being policies. The main results show that resources such as the use of smartphones and augmented reality for targeted interventions have improved the tourist experience and that most of the studies focus on the air and airport experience. As the main conclusions, it is clear that technology plays a fundamental role in promoting inclusion, but there are still some gaps in the implementation of solutions aimed at this audience Further studies are needed to analyze the empirical validation of the presented recommendations and to create guidelines to serve as a reference for all businesses in the tourism sector efficiently adopt accessibility and inclusion policies in their services.