Award-winning World Footprints goes exploring through the lens of a film maker who is bringing hope to millions, a cruise ship doctor turned novelist, and a barrier-free travel writer.

Communities in crisis need knowledge and empowerment and award-winning FilmAid International provides both to millions of people suffering the effects of war, poverty, displacement or disaster.  Caroline Baron is the founder of FilmAid International and she joins us from the field to discuss the life-changing power of film.

Dr. Paul Davis is a cruise ship doctor turned mystery writer.  Dr. Davis uses his insider knowledge and years of experience at sea as the backdrop for his new book Cruise Ship Crime: A Medical Mystery Murder.

Accessible travel expert Candy Harrington returns to World Footprints to discuss new developments in accessible travel and to offer some advice and tips to the physically-challenged traveler.

There are a lot of people with disabilities around the globe and while many long to travel and explore, the provided services worldwide are not sufficient for them. Experts are raising the issue in the hope of improving the chances for disabled tourists to have a better traveling experience.

 While the travel industry is growing, countries are fighting for more tourist interest and an increasing number of economies largely depend on income generated by the industry, there are still many gaps to fill. There is a large group of people who long to travel more, yet their special needs are not catered for thus preventing them from exploring the world on their own. There are 650 million disabled people around the globe and those who have tried traveling admit it is incredibly challenging and often discouraging. The service providers are simply not meeting their needs. (more…)

The buzz of the Winter Games is far from over in Whistler as the resort prepares to welcome the world at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, March 12-21, 2010.

More than 95 per cent of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Whistler – Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Winter Games – including three sports (alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing) representing 62 of the 64 medal events. Tickets for Paralympic events are available, starting at just $15, and can be purchased at http://www.vancouver2010.com/.

The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games bring an unprecedented opportunity for Whistler to build substantially on its international reputation as an accessible destination, and grow visitation from the people with disabilities.

At the same time as these Games are happening, there are no travel restrictions on the Sea to Sky Highway, four day lots are reopened for free public parking, Whistler Blackcomb is more than 90 per cent open for skiing and snowboarding, and there are great ski and stay packages available on whistler.com.Starting Wednesday, March 10 at 12 noon Pacific Standard Time, the first 200 people to call 1-800-WHISTLER to book a room in Whistler during the Paralympics will receive two free tickets for a Paralympic cross-country, biathlon, or alpine skiing event. This offer applies to reservations arriving between Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 20. Rooms are available beginning at $179 CDN per night, based on double occupancy.

Whistler will be brimming with energy and excitement during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games with WhistlerLive! – the arts and culture component to the Games which kept both locals and visitors entertained during February’s Olympic Winter Games – once again lighting up the village with concerts, live art, kids’ programs and a spectacular Fire & Ice Remix with international DJs every evening. Both Village Square and Whistler Medals Plaza will host renowned performers including Spirit of the West, The Trews, Kathleen Edwards, The Weakerthans, Serena Ryder, The Paperboys, 54-40 and The Sadies.

For the first time in Winter Games history, the closing ceremony for the Paralympic Winter Games will be held outside the host city (in this case, Vancouver). The ceremony takes place at Whistler Medals Plaza in the heart of the Village on March 21.

During the Paralympic Winter Games, the Dubh Linn Gate pub will play host to the Whistler Adaptive Sports House. Located in Skiers’ Plaza near the base of Whistler Mountain – and noted as one of the resort’s favourite spots for après ski – the Dubh Linn Gate will serve as a Games-time gathering place for athletes, volunteers and any visitors to Whistler, but also a place where the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program will raise awareness and funds to create a new sports centre in Whistler for athletes with disabilities.And with up to 60 cm of fresh snow in the forecast this week, skiers and boarders are reminded of enhanced access during March:

•·    Parking Lots 1, 2, 3 & 6 now open to public (free)
•·    Creekside Gondola is now open (with VANOC priority upload until March 21)
•·    Hours of operations extended: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm with the last upload at 4:00 pm.
•·    Whistler runs now open: Raven, Ptarmigan, Wild Card, Jimmy’s Joker, Bear Cub and Crabapple.
•·    Blackcomb runs now open: Springboard, Lower Cruiser and Lower Gear Jammer.

Tens of thousands of spectators enjoyed events and celebrations in Whistler during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in February, and approximately 3.5 billion people around the world enjoyed spectacular images of the resort on their televisions and online. The Olympic Winter Games were a runaway success as a tourism experience, and further cemented Whistler’s reputation as one of the world’s must-visit resort destinations.   

Victor Pineda, founder of the Victor Pineda Foundation, has traveled the world on a mission to promote the rights and dignities of children and young people with disabilities. Victor is a recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Award and has emerged as one of the young global leaders of the international disability rights movement and was the youngest delegate negotiating the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, the first human rights treaty of the 21st century. Victor will talk about his efforts to educate, inspire and inform a global audience about the capabilities and potential of young people with disabilities. Then adventure travel and volunteer travel experts, Alexia Nestora of Lasso Communications and Christina Heyniger from XOLA Consulting, will joins the show to discuss the emerging best practices in adventure travel and voluntourism.

This week, Craig Kennedy, co-founder of Access Anything, a nationally recognized leader in adaptive sports and adventure travel for people with disabilities, will join the show to talk about their upcoming events. Then correspondent Cynthia Dial talks about her recent trip to Palm Desert and the upcoming Bob Hope Golf Classic in Palm Desert and the historic La Quinta resort.