Disabled Tourist Guide In Morocco
I aim to help all tourists (with or without disabilities)
Salam and welcome!
My name is El Houssaine Ichen, but my friends just call me Houssaine.
I offer assistance to all tourists, both disabled and able-bodied. My mission is to develop and succeed in a disabled-led tourism business in Morocco.
If you would like to explore the beauty of Morocco with me, I would love to be your guide!
Hope to see you soon!
How did you become involved with traveling and trekking?
Morocco is a very beautiful place with lots to see and discover. I have been to many parts of Morocco and I am very familiar with the areas
that are popular among tourists. I can show them around and teach them about our culture, while keeping their vacation fun and safe.
Why is it necessary to write/use English in a French/Arabic/Tamazight-speaking country? Why do you use the Atlas Mountains/remote areas as you base?
One of the best experiences in Morocco is walking in the Atlas Mountain areas. It is the best way to get to know Morocco and the people that live here. I am very close with my family, and I live in a village called Tounfite, which is located in the middle Atlas Mountains. It is very beautiful there, and I am able to bring tourists to my village to have a true Moroccan experience.
How does being a person with special needs hinder your career growth or limit opportunities for you? How do you manage to overcome those obstacles and fight people's stereotypes?
Being a person with special needs definitely has its challenges when it comes to career opportunities. There is a stereotype around me, or us in general (people with special needs) that we are unproductive in the workforce, and it is very hard to get the opportunity to prove to the employer otherwise. I have overcome these obstacles by proving that I can do anything I put my mind to and I will never give up.
Accessible holidays in Morocco :)
About me
I was born in Tounfite, an area in the mountains with a cold climate. I contracted polio at the age of three and since then I have been paralysed . But as I have grown up with this handicap, I do not let it slow me down. I make use of leg braces and crutches to assist my mobility. Surprisingly you may find it hard to keep up with me even when mountain hiking. Remember I grew up here and I’m used to the terrain.
I do speak Tamazight (the Chleuh Dialect), Arabic, French, English and basic Dutch. As an active member of the Couchsurfing community I already welcome guests to Khenifra and Meknes, as well as hosting couchsurfers in my village in Tounfite and arranging tours for them all over Morocco if they want. My mission is to develop and champion disabled-led tourism in Morocco. If you would like to explore the beauty of Morocco with me I would love to be your guide! Please feel free to contact me to explore the possibilities!
Why I do this
My mission is to develop and succeed in a disabled-led tourism business in Morocco. I am building up a network to help disabled tourists enjoy the parts of Morocco they would normally not be able to see.
It is my ambition to develop my own viable tourism business by providing information on accessible tourism for disabled people and persons with reduced mobility.
Accessibilty
Unfortunately, Morocco offers very little assistance to people with disabilities, and traveling in this country requires a certain amount of adventurous spirit, good humor, and determination. There are no services for those with disabilities or adapted transport, and there’s a distinct lack of adapted infrastructure, such as wheelchair-friendly ramps, signs in Braille, or beeping and flashing pedestrian crossings. Moroccans are usually very supportive of those with disabilities and generally willing to assist without looking for something in return.
All travelers with disabilities should be aware that very few hotels offer adapted accommodations. Not all hotels have elevators, but there are usually ground-floor rooms available. Maisons d’hôte, by their very nature, are usually old houses with steep, narrow staircases and are located in difficult corners of the medina. Some will be accessible for wheelchairs and may have adequate-size ground-floor rooms, but on the whole the more feasible accommodation options will be found in the newer hotels, especially in Agadir, Marrakech, Casablanca and Rabat. Disabled Tourist Guide can help make it easier for you to find the best places to stay.
The biggest difficulty faced by wheelchair-bound travelers will be the daily challenges, such as crowded pavements, busy streets, drivers with no regard for pedestrians, and rutted medina alleys. If choosing between the major cultural cities of Fes and Marrakech as your prime destination, I would recommend the relatively flat terrain of Marrakech, Ifran, Meknes and Rabat, as opposed to the city of Fes, with its hillside medina, steep lanes, and multitude of steps. Traveling by private car or as part of an organized tour will be the best way to get around Morocco. Bus and train travel is difficult due to the steps that will have to be negotiated, and the lack of wheelchair-friendly areas once you’re on. If you do travel by public transport, I recommend grands taxis to travel from one city or village to another.
Morocco standards for accessibility are certainly in need of improvement, and traveling in a wheelchair around this area has its challenges. The infrastructure is old, so cobblestones and potholes are common throughout the cities’ walkways . In general, it’s much easier to travel this area in a manual wheelchair. If you need to rent a wheelchair then Disabled Tourist Guide can help you find one, so if you need to rent one then begin your journey in Meknes.
Another challenge that traveling in Morocco poses for wheelchair travelers are accessible bathrooms. There are a few public restrooms in Marrakech that are accessible, with fewer in Fes. For long trips between Marrakech and Fes there are a few rest-stops that are equipped with accessible toilets. Hotels that have accessible rooms will also have accessible public bathrooms. The Disabled Tourist Guide knows where all the accessible restrooms are and can advise you.
Disabled Tourist Guide is working hard to promote accessible travel in Morocco and open doors for disabled people to come and experience this amazing place. Currently, Disabled Tourist Guide is working on obtaining their own accessible vehicle. However, it is complicated because of governmental restrictions on who can import vehicles, type of vehicles and who can drive tourists. Nonetheless, Disabled Tourist Guide is determined to one day have a fleet of accessible vehicles that can accommodate any type of wheelchair to assist the disabled in discovering the beauty of Morocco.
Located in Meknes city, the Disabled Tourist Guide specializes in custom tours for individuals with disabilities and those they are traveling with. I have put together some sample itineraries, but encourage you to ask lots of questions and make changes if you wish. I want to help you to plan your ideal travel experience. New destinations and activities are always being researched, and I will work hard to find solutions for you where barriers may exist.
Contact
If you would like to explore the beauty of Morocco with me, I would love to be your guide!
El Houssaine Ichen :)
Email: houssine.ichen@gmail.com
Website: http://disabled-tourist-guide.com/
Location: Tounfite, Midelt, Morocco
Phone: +212 6 62 62 45 24
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisabledTouristGuide
Twitter: @guitarist_man
Can you give me a specific example or story that always comes to your mind (about your childhood)?
The story that comes to mind about my childhood is when I had to leave my family at such a young age so I could get an education. Although I am very grateful that I had the chance to become educated, leaving my parents and brothers and sisters so young was very hard and it is a memory that will stay with me for a long time.
What expectations do you have regarding the situation of Moroccans with special needs?
The situation dealing with Moroccans who have special needs is unfortunately not taken seriously yet. Our government needs to realize that this is a huge problem that many of us are dealing with. We are very capable of being able to be successful employees, or even employers, and being able to provide for our families. My expectations would be to stop the discrimination against people with special needs and for businesses to hire based on qualifications. If you are qualified and can do the work, that should be all that is required.
Do you think that you were lucky to have had a good education, or you work hard to self-educate yourself?
I believe that both of these apply. Although as I mentioned earlier that I believe I was very lucky in regards to getting an education. I feel I need to continue to self-educate as much as possible in order to be prepared for any opportunities that may come up in the future. I love learning new things and I am always ready for an adventure.