Inclusivity in Jordan’s Cultural Historic Sites: Examining Policy and Practices

Abstract

This study investigates policymakers’ and practitioners' perspectives on inclusive design in Jordan's cultural Historic Sites, a critical component of the country's cultural tourism. Specifically, it examines the government's "Accessible Tourism" initiative, which aims to promote inclusive design in historical and cultural heritage sites such as Amman Citadel and Jordan Museum. The study explores the relationship between policy creation and implementation and identifies the factors and challenges affecting the adoption of inclusive design and project delivery. The research methodology involved conducting inperson semi-structured interviews with Twenty-three professionals working on the "Accessible Tourism" project, including individuals involved in legal affairs, technical development, accessibility, and inclusive design. The interview data was analyzed using NVIVO software. The findings indicate that there is an intricate and ongoing planning process that involves ongoing multi-layered meetings followed by ongoing monitoring and evaluation of procedures after each design phase. However, several factors, including natural geographic, social, and cultural contexts, inflexible conservation regulations, limited public knowledge and awareness of accessibility issues, and a lack of resources and funding, all hinder inclusive accessibility application in policy and practice in historical sites. Despite the government's interest in promoting inclusivity in historical sites, the current development approach still requires a more integrated vision grounded in equity and inclusion and incorporating participatory decision-making processes. This research underscores the need for more comprehensive design tools and frameworks and suggests digital recommendations that allocation to advance inclusive design and accessibility in Jordan's cultural tourism.