A swimming accident almost ten years ago left 23-year-old Joseph Hunt in a wheelchair, but it didn't slow him down.

Mr. Hunt, now a 'Pop and Sizzle' ambassador, helps tourists navigate the streets and sidewalks of Hamilton, telling them where to go and how best to get there.

"I help tourists, give them information and socialise with them," said Mr.Hunt. "I like it. I have fun. And, I'm actually good at it."

Mr. Hunt became an ambassador last summer after a friend who worked with Fantasea Cruises, the company that organises the scheme, recommended him. While he lends assistance and advice to all visitors, his experience makes him well suited to working with physically handicapped tourists.

"They all ask me how do I get along. Since I've been here so long, I just know where to go," Mr. Hunt said.

Ten years ago this month, Mr. Hunt was swimming when he injured his spine, leaving him a quadriplegic."It was a swimming accident, not a diving accident. I didn't hit the bottom. Coming up, I hit my head on a ledge. The doctors told me I'll walk again. I didn't break my neck, I bruised it."

Mr. Hunt said that he's used to people asking him about his accident.

"I'm not afraid to talk about my injury. I'm strong in the head. It doesn't bother me to talk about it.

"I still get asked questions about it on Facebook."

Now, Mr. Hunt makes a living answering questions. According to him, there are many tourists visiting the Island with physical handicaps who discover that they cannot see some of Bermuda's many attractions.

"I went on a tour with Pop and Sizzle for [the Department of] Tourism, and I found some places that I just couldn't go into. Crystal Caves, obviously. I can't go in because of all the steps. Captain's Lounge has steps too, but I wouldn't usually send tourists there."

While some areas are clearly inaccessible, others are more dangerous or difficult than they appear.

"Sidewalks. They all have a slope. When I get to the end and there isn't a slope, I have to go all the way back and go in the road."

During one recent trip down Front Street to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Mr. Hunt was grazed by a car after having to wheel off the sidewalk and onto the road on East Broadway.

"It isn't safe," said Mr. Hunt. "Dockyard is accessible. St. George's is pretty accessible. Hamilton is about 50/50. Handicapped people can come to Hamilton, but it's quite a challenge.

"The city should be more embracing of handicapped tourism. I've seen a lot of handicapped tourists, and they can't go some places. They always ask me where I go. Sometimes I go with them so they can follow me. They ask me to take them around town."

While Mr. Hunt has seen the country make many improvements in the area of accessibility, more steps still need to be taken.

"Some buildings I have to wait for someone to open a door for me because they don't have automatic doors. One place put in a button so I could open he door, but some guys started hanging out there, and they broke the button.

"The ferries are pretty accessible, except the Warwick ferry. There are some steps heading down to the dock. [But] tourists never go to those places. Dockyard and St. George's, that's where the tourists are. They like to go to those places."

Mr. Hunt believes that Bermudians need to make a better effort to take care of tourists.

"I make sure that I put the tourists first because we need tourists to come here. I don't mean I put them before Bermudians, but I make sure they get taken care of. If someone asks you a question, you can't just be rude."

Mr. Hunt is still weighing his options about what to do when the summer ends and the Pop and Sizzle programme closes for the off-season.

"I was supposed to go away in September to [school] in Florida to study music. I'm a DJ. I play music at night.

"The other day I was thinking about it, and I figured I want to be one of those guys that goes out and brings in the cruise ships. One of my cousins does that."

For the time being, Mr. Hunt is excited to be in a position where he can help.

"I love it. I'm a friendly person. I like to meet new people."