Accessibility in the concession of public use services in Brazilian National Parks

Abstract

The concession in the field of public use services can represent an opportunity to promote accessibility for people with disabilities and reduced mobility in National Parks in Brazil. However, it’s essential monitoring the concession agreements to guarantee the projects counterparts. This study has a descriptive purpose and analyzes how the concession agreements of Brazilian National Parks address the accessibility issues of people with disabilities and reduced mobility. This paper employs document analysis procedure and aims to categorize the accessibility actions, the types of disabilities and the accessible activities and infrastructure. The results indicate a heterogeneous scenario of concessions in terms of accessibility approaches, influenced by the duration of the agreement, the park characteristics, the concession objects and the management plan. It is also possible to infer that part of the accessibility actions adopted in Brazilian National Parks depends on other factors than the concession. The survey presents a comparative panorama of concession contracts for National Parks in Brazil and discusses opportunities for institutionalizing accessibility as a priority in the public use of these protected areas.