This three part article is online in InPark Magazine and in print.
Continue reading “I am not an ‘ADA guest’”Category: Eligibility/Access
Presentation: Come to your senses: improving access for guests with vision or hearing disabilities
Come to your senses: improving access for guests with vision or hearing disabilities, Themed Entertainment Association, SATE (Storytelling + Architecture + Technology = Experience) Conference
Paper: Disability and participation in amusement attractions
Woodcock, K., 2018. Disability and participation in amusement attractions. Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies 1, 38-53. Link
Continue reading “Paper: Disability and participation in amusement attractions”Presentation: The necessary risk
The Necessary Risk, Keynote, Themed Entertainment Association, SATE (Storytelling+ Architecture + Technology = Experience) Conference
Parksmania recognizes ride accessibility initiative
During the IAAPA Europe, Middle East and Africa Spring Forum at Gardaland Park in Peschiera del Garda, Italy, THRILL Lab Director Dr. Kathryn Woodcock was honoured with a Career Special Award for Professional Merit. This award recognized her leadership in the attractions industry project promoting expanded accessibility and risk-informed rider eligibility for rides.
Continue reading “Parksmania recognizes ride accessibility initiative”Paper: Determining participation eligibility for amusement attractions
Woodcock, K., 2015. Determining participation eligibility for amusement attractions. Procedia Manufacturing 3, 5389-5396.
Continue reading “Paper: Determining participation eligibility for amusement attractions”Sabbatical
Orlando: the company town for themed entertainment.
I’m starting a sabbatical in Orlando, planning to learn, write, watch, and ride my way to progress on the rider eligibility / ride analysis challenge and tools for human factors applications in the attractions industry.
Continue reading “Sabbatical”Human factors and access to amusement rides
Human factors engineering looks at how the interaction of people and technology affects the performance of the whole system. The attractions industry creates a very interesting application because it doesn’t manufacture conventional products or other tangibles. An amusement ride is a system that produces fun. People are not consumers of the ride; they are a component of the system. The system is different with different people in it. Not only do people vary in their individual capabilities and limitations, but they also vary in their goals and definitions of fun.
Disabled people want to have fun too, and attraction operators in theme parks and carnivals want everyone to be able to participate to the fullest extent possible.
Continue reading “Human factors and access to amusement rides”