TravelAbility Deepens Its Impact with Formation of the TravelAbility Foundation

The New Nonprofit Arm Provides Additional Tools to Promote Inclusive Travel

Sausalito, CA—TravelAbility, the leading organization working to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities, has announced the formation of the TravelAbility Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to removing barriers to accessible travel. 

“The Foundation gives us a new set of tools to expand our work within the travel industry and create additional pathways to support individuals with disabilities, families, and seniors,” said Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of TravelAbility. “It diversifies our business model and allows us to pursue new sources of funding in support of, and in partnership with, our network.”

TravelAbility has grown rapidly in five years primarily through the guidance and resources it provides to destination marketing organizations (DMOs) including a very successful annual conference, the Emerging Markets Summit. Other programs and initiatives include The Accessibility Playbook, Accessible Journeys Magazine, hospitality training courses, and the recently launched TravelAbility Trusted, a vetted list of vendors and service providers that meet TravelAbility’s standards for accessibility. 

“The for-profit and the non-profit complement each other,” said Steinman. “They will share some resources, but they are separate entities with different goals. The for-profit provides goods and services to our clients in the field. The nonprofit will focus more on advocacy and in identifying and scaling up promising practices from our network.”

The Foundation recently landed its first donation, a $60,000 gift from Wheel the World. See related story. It is also in the process of hiring grant writers to partner with leaders of DMOs seeking public funding for innovative solutions to improve access for travelers with disabilities. 

TravelAbililty’s reach is local, regional, and global. It is the official Accessibility Advisor/Partner for:

-Destinations International

-Visit Florida

-The American Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival

-Conference Direct

-Visit the Palm Beaches

Funders can also support the Foundation’s work by making donations on its website.

For more information contact info@travelability.net.