Adventure activities in Queenstown have been put to the test for their user-friendliness for disabled customers this week.
The verdict was positive, and more information about how disabled people can use the activities is planned.
John Marrable, information consultant for Disability Information Service Inc in Dunedin, has been a wheelchair user since an accident in 1967.
He spent three days in Queenstown testing the accessibility for disabled users at a range of adventure activities.
He was joined by John Brannon, from the Disabilities Resource Centre in Queenstown, who had been conducting phone surveys of activity providers for the past two years.
When they contacted the providers ahead of their visit, almost all operators were more than happy to accommodate wheelchair users.
Only the skydiving companies declined to take Mr Marrable, as they saw the skydive landing as too great a safety risk in his case.
"The great thing I have found about the Queenstown activity operators is their approach when you make a booking as a disabled user.
"Instead of just telling you how they will arrange the activity, they ask questions like 'What do you need?' and 'How can we best help you?' Almost everyone I have met here went out of their way to be helpful," Mr Marrable said.
Earlier last week, they had tested the A. J. Hackett bungy jump at the Kawarau Bridge, the Skyline Gondola and Luge and the Shotover Jet.
"I took a ride around the Queenstown Gardens, and while it was a bit of a bumpy ride here and there, most people in a wheelchair should be able to enjoy most of that area, especially if they have a helping hand," Mr Marrable said.
Mr Brannon said the tests would first result in some informal feedback to the activity providers.
The next step would be to create a "disability map" for Queenstown and later the information would be collated in a brochure.
