Amilla Maldives To Make Waves By Becoming The World’s First Accessibility and Inclusion Resort
Tuesday 2nd of August 2022
With our exuberant foliage resonating nature and its harmony and the shallow turquoise waters that grace our islands, Maldives is a destination that is sought after by many to spend a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Alas, this dream remains unfulfilled for some of our wanderlust travelers as Maldives is still hostile to accessibility and inclusion adaptations. To change this perspective, Amilla Maldives has decided to pursue their ambitions further with the goal of becoming the World’s first Resort that is accessible and inclusive for all guests including people with disabilities.
The team at Amilla has partnered with Inclucare, (an advocate for total-guest inclusion in worldwide travel, hospitality and leisure) to cater for disabled guests in the resort and is currently undergoing training and assessment to achieve this vision. Professionals from Inclucare are guiding and teaching the staff at Amilla to upscale their skills and provide the best hospitality to disabled guests as well. Additionally, Inclucare officials are now surveying and auditing the resort to highlight improvements that need to be brought to the services and property in order to become a destination that is suitable for all guests.
Amilla has always aspired to be an inclusion resort, evident from its facilities such as easy- access ground-floor villas, spacious doorways and accessible showers. Moreover, the resort also features beach wheelchairs and floating wheelchairs to provide swimming experiences for disabled guests and even have in-villa phones that light up to cater for hearing-impaired people.
To attend the Inclucare inauguration ceremony came none other than British tv personality and disability advocate, Sophie Morgan! Sophie has expressed her gratitude for being present at such a memorable event and have acknowledged Amilla Maldives for paving the way for inclusive travel and providing the opportunity for disabled people to also experience this fascinating destination, while being assured that their requirements will be taken care of. During her stay, Sophie hopes to earn her PADI Open Water Certificate with Dive Butler International, another organization striving towards the Inclusion certificate.
Amilla Maldives has brought new improvements to their services following assessment, including installing deaf-alert systems and changing their approaches in yoga and snorkeling excursions. Furthermore, the resort aims to provide vision-impaired guests the chance to explore the Maldivian foliage through sensory touch, aroma and sound experiences. The establishment of “Calming Spaces” will allow guests with learning difficulties, dementia and on the Autism Spectrum to keep their emotions in check and soothe their anxiety and stress.
The director at Amilla, Gahthaan Haleem remarked that this change is something that is personal and hoped that this collaboration will reflect back into the Maldivian community. He further stated that all differences are welcome here at the resort and will ensure that all guests feel at home during their stay.