Best of the Maldives: Accessibility Extra – Amilla Maldives

Amilla - accesibility

  • “Our team have undergone diversity and inclusion training to ensure we treat guests with respect, fostering an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for all. We are progressively learning how to genuinely cater to a diverse range of needs and disabilities.”

Amilla Maldives is a veritable catalogue of the ideal accessibility for a tropical resort. I’ve already highlighted a number of prominent accessibility initiatives and features at Amilla, but I’ve decided to add this post to cover all of the smaller (but just as helpful) touches that they just keep adding:

  • Transfer Boards – For assisting mobility impaired individuals from transferring from chairs to beds, treatment tables, etc.
  • Hidden Disability -Training for managing disabilities that are not readily apparent.
  • Autism – Can accommodate sensitivities to light and sound, as well as manage the visit to hep with unforeseen triggers.
  • Hearing Impairment – Portable hearing loop. Flashing lights on fire and emergency alarms and can organise a member of staff to fetch you from your villa during an emergency if requested in advance.
  • Dysphagia – Expertise in tailoring menus for those with swallowing difficulties.
  • Visual Impairment – Digital menus with clear and bright displays with enlargeable text.
  • Evac Chair – To facilitate evacuation from villa or island.

Best of the Maldives: Accessible Public Toilets – Amilla Maldives

Amilla - accessible toiler

Another entry in the expansive catalogue of accessibility innovations by Amilla Maldives, this one applying one of their villa innovations to their public amenities:

  • “Our restaurant area guest washrooms are accessible by a playful “fish ramp” and we are currently building a second block which will feature a “whale shark” ramp. Adding to our desire to integrate accessibility into something special.”

Best of the Maldives: Pool Hoist – Amilla

Amilla - pool hoist

IWOOT! (I want one of those) I coach rowing for disabled individuals and one of the challenges is transfers from wheelchairs to the boats the water. We often improvise with manual lifting, but as Lori points out (who used to run a therapy department for disability treatment centre), manual assists for transfers can be dangerous not only for the helper, but for the individual being helped. The proper way to transfer to someplace like the water is with a purpose-built hoist. Also, hoists allow the impaired individual to transfer more gracefully and not feel self-conscious about bothering people to assist them. Thankfully, Amilla Maldives has introduced one to the Maldives:

  • “We have a beach wheelchair to assist with moving on loose sand. For access to the water, we have a floating wheelchair. We also have a portable pool hoist which can be used in the main pool and in the Reef Pool Water Villa. The Two Bedroom Beach Pool Villa’s pool is at a small height, so alternative access through a sling can be arranged.”

Amilla - pool hoist 2

Best of the Maldives: Disabled Diving – Amilla Maldives

Amilla - accessible diving

One of my other websites provides information on the sport of rowing for people with disabilities, so it is a delight to see Amilla Maldives offering our favourite Maldives “sport” of diving to disabled guests (something I first proposed in my 2017 “Haven’t Seen Yet” post):

  • Dive Butler International has experience teaching wheelchair users how to dive. The dive centre itself is accessible, and a chat with our instructors can be arranged even before arrival.”

A great activity especially for the mobility impaired as underwater you don’t need your legs (as Ariel has sung about).

Best of the Maldives: Color Accessibility – Finolhu

Finolhu - colour accessibility

The Maldives is renowned for its colourful tapestry of mottled blues in the surrounding ocean and sky punctuated by tropical greenery, brilliant white coral sands and the warm yellow glow of sunshine. But for those visually impaired with colour blindness, such rich variations are not only lost. But Finolhu has implemented an innovative programe to bring as much of this visual richness to these guess with the EnChroma sunglasses and snorkel masks.

  • “The vibrant island destination offered guests EnChroma sunglasses and snorkel masks to colour-blind guests. This allows colourblind guests to not only experience the colourful art and architecture of Finolhu but also experience the shades underwater. Baa Atoll is renowned for having some of the most vibrant coral reefs and marine life. With the EnChroma snorkel masks colour blind guests can finally explore the colours under the waters in the Maldives. For the very first time!. Upon arrival, one of the first things guests would take note of is the uniquely beautiful colour of the ocean. The resort has so many hues and shades of life to share with its guests. And Finolhu Maldives has taken a unique step towards inclusivity at the property. Just last year, Finolhu Maldives became the first Maldivian hotel to offer glasses for colourblind guests.” “(Finolhu Maldives: Unparalleled Vibrance for Colour Blind Guests!”)

(thanks Paola)

Best of the Maldives: Passenger Trike – Amilla

Amilla - trike 2

Taking a gentle bike ride across the island is a lovely way to explore the Maldivian tropical paradise, but not everyone can manage a bike to well. Amilla Maldives has introduced trikes so that all the guests can enjoy a leisurely ride through the island:

  • “It is possible to get around the island in a wheelchair however some of the sand is soft but we can assist with buggies and we also have a tricycle with a large seat on the back, which is a great option for families with a child who needs special assistance. Especially good for disabled joining in, but also children.”

Amilla - trike 1

Best of the Maldives: Artistic Accessibility – Amilla Maldives

Amilla - fish ramp

Disabled guests are pretty resourceful so they find a way to manage even if the lay of the land is not the easiest to manage. They live in a world that in many if not most cases is not made to accommodate their impairments. When places make an effort, like adding a ramp for a wheelchair, they are grateful for the consideration and added ease. Many accessibility features are fairly functional affairs bolted on as the need presents itself. But Amilla Maldives has introduced permanent accessibility features with an aquatic themed stylish flair to boot. They have craft fish-shaped ramps to beach villas which replace a total of 5 steps that previously led to the entrance. Swish!

Amilla - ramp

Best of the Maldives: Villa Height Accessibility – Amilla

Amilla - vanity

Amilla Maldives continues to pioneer accessibility in the Maldives with its latest accessibility feature being “height”. Lowering access to key features is not just beneficial to height-challenged individuals, but is also a major boon to wheelchair users whose own operating height is obviously lowered.

The catalogue of the villa overhaul includes the following:

  • Bathroom Vanities
    • Lowered mirrors
    • Relocated taps to side
    • Cut out under benches to allow wheelchair access
  • Showers
    • Added hand shower unit in Beach Villa
    • Added grab rails
    • Shower Chair is added depending on guest requirements
  • Mini-Bar Cabinet
    • Reduced the bench height by 23cm to enable access when in a wheelchair
    • Easier access to minibar fridge and coffee machine
  • Bedroom
    • Built a long benchtop in place of working desk to create a vanity area for guest to blow-dry hair and make-up area within the bedroom
    • Removed all rugs and benches from the bedroom

Maldives is renowned for having the world’s lowest elevation, and now Amilla have provided accessibility to match.

Amilla - shower

Amilla - room

Amilla - mini-bar cabinet

Best of the Maldives: Accessibility – Amilla

Caring for customers isn’t just about having a gracious smile and attentive service, but it involves really understanding each of your customers as individuals, catering to their distinctive needs as best one can. The top Maldives properties have achieved this with specially trained ‘butlers’ (and assorted variations on that theme). But some needs require more work than just a resourceful attendant’s hustle. In fact, some people – those with disabilities – often want an experience where their ‘luxury’ is being able to do everything as independently as possible.

Disabled individuals are used to tackling and overcoming diverse obstacles that the world throws at them. But holiday is when one wants a break from not only job work, but also just the daily work of housekeeping, cooking, cleaning and other chores. So going to an exotic locale renowned for sand and water (neither of which are disabled individuals’ particular friends) is always going to be less appealing.

Amilla Maldives breaking down these obstacles with a property-wide initiative to make their resort as accessible as possible:

  • “The sandy island paths, beaches, water jetties, villas and restaurants across the archipelago have for too long remained the exclusive domain of non-disabled visitors, excluding this as a dream-destination for guests with additional mobility, sensory or cognitive requirements, who would come if they only believed they could…Inclucare officials are auditing the entire resort island to identify any physical adjustments or adaptations that can be made to authentically establish Amilla, and the Maldives, as an accessible and inclusive dream-destination for all….Amilla is now on target to soon become the first Inclucare-certified resort in the world.

Amilla outlined a range of accessibility enhancements they implemented (including the following), but talking with resort leadership couple, Jason and Victoria, many more are on the way.

  • Amilla already had many easy-access ground floor villas, with wide doorways and accessible showers, as well as a beach wheelchair and a floating wheelchair for swimming and in-villa phones for the hearing impaired that light up when they ring… New innovations on the cards at Amilla include deaf-alert systems, adaptive yoga and snorkelling adventures, and sensory touch, aroma and sound experiences through the jungle for vision-impaired guests. And there will also be another groundbreaking addition: ‘calming spaces’, for regulating sensory input. They will allow guests on the Autism spectrum, with learning difficulties, or dementia, to control their emotions, reducing anxiety and stress.”

Amilla introduced their initiatives hosting British TV personality and disability advocate, Sophie Morgan. Not only does she provide a compelling “proof of the pudding is in the eating” test to Amilla’s initiatives, but she also provides extensive reassurance through live demonstration on her Instagram (see embedded post here).

Accessibility is especially near and dear to our hearts. Lori worked for nearly a decade as Head of Therapy for the UK Epilepsy Society where she was supporting clients with a broad range of often severe disabilities. And I coach disabled athletes in the sport of rowing, and even have a website with comprehensive information about that – www.adaptiverowinguk.com. In fact I have a series of posts called “Can You Row With…” (eg. “Can You Row with Multiple Sclerosis?”, “Can You Row With Cerebral Palsy?”, “Can You Row With a Hearing Impairment?”). So, ‘Can You Go to the Maldives with a Disability?’ To Amilla, you certainly can!

Best of the Maldives: Accessibility Aesthetic – Joali

Joali - accessibility 1

Both Lori and I work with disabled individuals and we are sensitised to the accessibility that is provided for them. Fortunately, we live in an age where accessibility is the norm. Not just to help those with disabilities, but helping a range of people facing their own mobility issues like the elderly or parents with prams and so on. There is something to be said for this norm just being integrated into the infrastructure in a pedestrian manner. Still, I was impressed that the aesthetic obsessives at Joali applied some of their style sense to the accessibility features as well. A few examples shown here are the marble accessibility ramp leading into the main bar (below) and the funky restroom symbols (above).

Joali - accessibility 2