Extending Hospitality to Travelers with Disabilities Essay Example for Free

Extending Hospitality to Travelers with Disabilities Essay â€Å"In terms of sampling, ODO narrowed its definition of an adult with a disability. â€Å"We wanted the disability to be permanent, and we wanted to cover the full range of physically limiting disabilities,† shares Turk. â€Å"But we didn’t want to include those with mental or emotional disorders. † Harris Interactive identified an ‘adult with a disability’ participant by using a variation of the 2000 U. S. Census questions. In the U. S. Census, a disability was defined as ‘blindness, deafness, or a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying. ’† (Cooper, Schindler 2004) For purposes of the study conducted by Harris Interactive and Open Door Organization, the definition is sufficient. However, the inclusiveness or narrowness of the definition of disability must be pertinently elucidated during application of the result of the case study. 2. Analyze the research design’s various components. Identify any potential problems and explain the ramifications of these design issues. Identify potential strengths of the design. (a) Focus Groups – 13 participants for 2 session in ODO offices. An interim, preliminary step to â€Å"flesh out critical issues†¦. [to understand] the right language to clarify†¦. Issues† that is useful, efficient and effective. The participants are â€Å"in-house†, there is greater, maximum â€Å"control† of the group as they are very much accessible. The problem is that the â€Å"randomness† of the disabilities of the participants does not cover the entirety of the disability characteristics that will have to be studied. (b) Questonnaire Design by Various Participants From All Stakeholders (the hospitality industry, the other organizations interacting with disability issues) – this is a very good strategy, inspite of the trials and errors encountered in the question designing stages. The inputs of the widest range of stakeholders in disability issues will represent the best and the most profound aspect of the case being studied (c) Combination of Interactive Online and Telephone Interviews – this is also an efficient process because it can honestly and concretely reach out to the variable disabled person who might have limitations in one way or the other on either communication method. 3. What is a hybrid (dual-modality) methodology? What are the pros and cons of the hybrid methodology used in this study? The dual modality methodology utilizes two types of venue or means or tools to achieve results. In this study of ODO in analyzing the needs of persons with disability in their tour, travel and leisure, studying the respondent participants both via the internet and via the telephone is a comprehensive process. â€Å"It was important to use both to achieve a representative sample,† shares Laura Light, research director at Harris Interactive on the ODO study. 11 During analysis, Harris Interactive addresses the dual methodologies by weighting the data using a proprietary weighting process. â€Å"All Harris Interactive polls are weighted by demographics to ensure the sample is representative. But with online studies, we use propensity weighting as well,† explains Light. Online participants tend to be better-informed, so Harris Interactive uses responses to attitudinal and behavioral questions to weight online participants’ responses compared to those of persons they speak with by phone. Propensity weighting12 adjusts responses of an individual online participant based on national data about that individual’s likelihood to be online. † Generally, either way the proponent of the survey does not see the respondent. The interaction is conclusive only on the basis of what is typed online or verbally relayed on the telephone. So, there is still the possibility of limitation as to the astuteness of response maybe due to the attitude of â€Å"just getting over it†. Surveys are helped both by the concrete verbal or written response and the body language. The advantage though of utilizing the technical communication medium (internet and telephone) is that the survey is conducted expeditiously, in a wider scale. 4. Francie Turk had no prior experience with researching Americans with disabilities. Assume you have similar background; what would you have done in the exploratory phase of this project to become familiar with the frustrations and hurdles that adults with disabilities face when traveling? Compare your research process with what ODO did. What could ODO have gained from incorporating your methods? I will first conducted background research on disabilities and persons with disabilities. I will take one sample situation that persons with disabilities are involved with for background study. For example, grocery or supermarket activities that PWD’s are involved with. Then, I will utilize focus groups – at least within my state. Tedious it may be and a longer period will be required, focus group discussions would still be a more effective coverage of the objectives of the study. ODO will gather more comprehensive responses and results from personal discussions. 5. Brainstorm lists of potential hotel, restaurant, and rental car accommodations to be evaluated for adults with disabilities and create your own paired-comparison question. During a phone interview, how quickly could you cover this question? What are the advantages and disadvantages to using this measurement scale in the phone survey in comparison to using it in the online survey? The questions will have to further dwell on their experiences on space allocated and passage ways for PWD’s in hotel and restaurants. Also, the distinctive menu tools that they have been presented in choosing their meals. As far as hotel rooms are concerned, the participants will be made to deliberate on the added technology that rooms are accentuated with (like remote controls for lighting and air conditioning or heating) The survey will be conducted within 20 minutes maximum via telephone. Between the internet and telephone venues, the telephone will better serve the purpose because it is more live and more interactive. Reference: Cooper, Schindler Pamela S. â€Å"Open Doors: Extending Hospitality to Travelers with Disabilities†. Business Research Methods, 10/e