The 20th Spanish Congress of Shopping Centres and Parks obtains the AIS accessibility certificate.
The 20th Spanish Congress of Shopping Centres and Parks has obtained the AIS certificate, which verifies the accessibility conditions of environments and services with a comprehensive approach, including physical, sensory and cognitive aspects.
The AIS certification assesses the degree of accessibility of all the elements that make up the physical, functional and virtual structures of built or planned assets, events and congresses, natural environments, digital spaces, etc.
The aim of the Spanish Association of Shopping Centres and Parks with this certification is to audit and implement solutions to verify that any person attending the Congress can access the space where the event is held, move between the different areas set up, communicate and enjoy the talks and round tables, as well as participate as independently as possible in the different activities proposed at the Valencia Conference Centre.
To achieve this objective, the AIS Approved Technicians have analysed the space and the services offered to participants based on the AIS 1/2023 Standard for Events and Congresses, created and managed at international level by the Foundation for Accessibility and Social Responsibility.
This analysis led to specific recommendations and the installation of certain products by the company IMPLASER, which have improved the degree of accessibility of the Congress, from the perspective that it is an ephemeral event and the limitations of action in a space such as the Valencia Conference Centre.
Measures implemented
The measures implemented include an accreditation point with accessible height and features; a magnetic induction loop at the accreditation point and in the auditorium, which facilitates communication for hearing aid or cochlear implant users; and podo-touch guidance signage from the accessible access door to the accreditation point, as well as at the start of the ramps, which allows blind or partially sighted people to move around safely and independently.
In addition, the Congress has haptic signage at the access doors, toilets for general and adapted use, accessible emergency exits, cloakroom…
This signage is complemented by the Navilens guidance and information system, which consists of a series of colour codes that indicate, audibly and by scanning them with an app, the user’s location in space and in which direction they should go.
The novelty in terms of accessibility in this edition is that there are electric scooters available to visitors, by FunViba, to facilitate horizontal movement in the space for people with reduced mobility.
The Congress will also be attended by staff trained to support people with disabilities, as well as sign language interpreters for the auditorium area.
Commitment over time
This is the third consecutive edition of the Congress certified with AIS, which is a sign of the commitment of the Spanish Association of Shopping Centres and Parks to create events and congresses adapted to all people, especially people with disabilities.
‘The AECC’s commitment to accessibility is evident in the fact that they have been certifying their congress for three years, which clearly demonstrates that accessibility is already part of their DNA,’ said the president of the ARS Foundation, Esther Bienes Pinedo. ‘However, much remains to be done. Therefore, we ask you to continue to demonstrate your commitment to people by integrating accessibility measures in all your events and activities, whether they are certified or not, and by extending it to your members’, she continued.
This commitment is part of the retail sector’s global commitment to accessibility and to safe, comfortable, inclusive and sustainable environments that welcome everyone.
In the words of Eduardo Ceballos, president of the AECC: ‘We are very proud to continue taking steps in favour of the integration and accessibility of all people. The Spanish Congress of Shopping Centres and Parks is a reflection of the situation of the sector and we want to implement all the necessary measures to ensure the highest degree of autonomy, both for visitors and exhibitors, by means of accessible routes, accessible signage or guidance applications for people with hearing or vision problems’.
For his part, the director of IMPLASER, Clemente Huerta, indicated that his experience in the implementation of accessibility solutions ‘is allowing us to observe the impact it has on people, businesses and brands due to the positive experience of being able to move around in a comfortable and safe commercial space that contributes to improving your degree of autonomy’.
Accessibility in Retail
More and more companies in the retail sector are committing themselves to accessibility, implementing measures in their shopping centres and verifying them with certification systems, in an effort that has a real impact on the lives of their visitors and workers.
Accessibility facilitates the creation of safe, inclusive and sustainable shopping centres, where customers feel cared for and respected. In addition, AIS certification enables owners and managers to make efficient and scalable decisions with an economic and social return, reflected in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) strategies.
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