Tetraplegic pushes tourism boundaries
A Canterbury man says he was ‘‘blown away’’ by the lack of opportunities for people with disabilities when he lost the use of his own limbs in an accident nine years ago.
Jezza Williams is now a finalist for a national disability entrepreneur award for his work developing an industry that ‘‘should have been opened a very, very long time ago’’.
The 44-year-old – who is ‘‘going on
18’’ – slipped over a waterfall while leading a canyoning tour in the Swiss Alps.
He has since developed a business promoting tourism for all abilities. He was not in it for the glory.
‘‘I just do it ... if people think I am inspiring, then bueno,’’ he said. Williams broke his C5 vertebra in the canyoning accident. He can’t walk and has only limited function in his hands.
To make a living he started his own business, Making Trax, in 2012. He describes it as promoting ‘‘inclusive tourism’’, helping tourism companies better equip themselves for having customers of all abilities.
‘‘People don’t come to New Zealand for the accessible toilets, they come here for the adventure industry.
‘‘We empower – we don’t talk about disability, we talk about ability, we never say somebody is bound to a wheelchair ... this [wheelchair] is an empowerment, I can go anywhere I want in this thing, it is like your shoes,’’ Williams told The Press.
Last year he did his first solo coastal paraglide. He also was the first person with tetraplegia to complete the
26,000-kilometre Mongol Rally from London to Mongolia and back again.
Williams is now a finalist in the entrepreneur category at this year’s Attitude Awards. The prizegiving will be held at Auckland’s SkyCity on Friday, with an hour-long highlights package on TVNZ1 on December 1. ‘‘This industry is really important. ‘‘I see what should be done because I am in this situation; I know other people with less confidence than I have really must struggle for finding ways to get out and do stuff,’’ he said.
He was at cycling and walking tour company Adventure South in Christchurch last week, getting general manager Philip Wyndham on board with Making Trax. Wyndham said he wanted to join Williams’ network so he could provide better accessibility for customers. ‘‘A lot of these people or individuals have had accidents or an incident, [so we are looking at] what else can we do there to broaden our reach and appeal as a company.’’
Attitude founder and chief executive Robyn Scott-Vincent said the awards highlighted the success of disabled New Zealanders. ‘‘We started the Attitude TV series in 2005 and were approached by a lot of young people saying: we can’t get jobs; ... these were university graduates who were really struggling,’’ she said.
‘‘What we hope most is it will turn corporate New Zealand’s attention to the fact that people with disabilities have endless possibilities and they are achievers.’’