TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Debbie Austin

One Year Anniversary Edition of Accessible Journeys, Spring 2023 issue

by

Accessible Journeys – travel without limits in a world where all are welcome.

The quarterly digital magazine Accessible Journeys has quickly become a leading resource for accessible travel information. A partnership between Mélange Publications and TravelAbility, the publication is a brand extension of the magazine, Accessibility for All.

Accessible Journeys features everything relevant to travel and accessibility: destination and accommodation guides, equipment reviews, travel tips, parenting information, innovative products, and more. It also shares expert input from bloggers, vloggers, and influencers – about 40 in each issue.

Launched in March 2022, Accessible Journeys grew from a circulation of 870 to 68,000 by the end of that same year. This growth is a testament to the importance of accessible travel and the valuable information the publication holds for everyone eager to explore the world.

Accessible Journey’s success is due in part to the editorial guidance provided by prolific leaders in the disability travel community. The Spring 2023 issue was steered by guest editor Cory Lee, who shared his insights into adventure travel. Guest editors Ashley Lynn Olson, Kay Kingsman, and Jennifer Allen have contributed their expertise in the past, keeping the publication on the leading edge.

Accessible Journeys provides value, insight, support and resources to the disability travel community.  

For advertising and marketing information contact Debbie Austin at daustin@readmelange.com

Read Accessible Journeys here

Has Virgin Atlantic Airlines Gone to the Dogs?

by

The airline’s cabin crew will receive training from experts at the British charity Guide Dogs to better accommodate blind and visually impaired passengers

Flight attendants will learn best practices when helping passengers with sight loss, including how to approach and assist them with navigating narrow or crowded spaces, stairs, and doorways and taking their seats. Read more.

Our Takeaway: Richard Branson has done it again.  While other airlines blunder when addressing the needs of blind passengers, his airline zigs when they zag.  This initiative is already proving to be a bonanza of effusive p.r. as they have tapped into the love affair that 34% of UK residents and 65% in the U.S.A. have as dog owners. 

Destination Landing Page of the Month

by

Photo by Jason Quigley City of Tualatin

Travel Oregon

An oasis of accessibility in the Pacific Northwest featuring unspeakable natural beauty in a state with an unparalleled commitment to accessibility.

In each issue we feature a different destination partner from the “Destinations with Accessibility” section of our website.

Rethinking Accessibility Project Honors Global Accessibility Awareness Day

by

TravelAbility is delighted to announce, “Rethinking Accessibility,” a pilot project to uncover and showcase accessibility information on the websites of participating destinations that are proactively trying to make travel easier for people with disabilities by highlighting what CAN be done instead of what CAN’T be done. This initiative will culminate on May 18, Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

“While the ADA provides some baseline for physical infrastructure such as ramps and grab bars in bathrooms, there’s no ADA for information,” remarked Jake Steinman, founder of TravelAbility.  The following members of our Destination Ally Club partners opted into the pilot program designed to uncover a variety of accessibility features that will make them more inclusive to people with disabilities and seniors.

A total of 201 surveys were completed revealing new and interesting accessibility features that will be added to their websites, all of which have a landing page dedicated to accessible content. 

Here are just a few examples of unique features from the survey results and links to their accessible content pages.

In Fairfax County, VA: While the Mount Vernon home of George Washington has inaccessible stairs leading to the second floor, they provide iPads that connect to the tour guide leading the tour upstairs.

In Mesa, AZ: Emotional support goats are available at a yoga studio located inside an addiction rehab facility.

In Kissimmee, FL: Local theme park offers wheelchair-accessible Zip Lines descending above alligator habitats.

In Tampa, FL: Visit a children’s museum that holds monthly sensory-friendly events for families and caregivers of children on the autism spectrum.

In Lancaster, PA: the Dutch Wonders theme park offers 35 rides that are fully accessible.

These landing pages will be aggregated as part of Travelability’s  “Destinations with Accessibility” project, which currently contains accessibility content for 143 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands.

Outcomes for the “Rethinking Accessibility” project will become part of a series of case studies that will be featured at TravelAbility’s Emerging Markets Summit, August 18-20, 2023, in Savannah.  “According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the population lives with some form of disability,” commented Steinman. “Travel is the toy department of life, and everyone should be able to enjoy it.”

Contact: TravelAbility: Jake@travelability.net

Are you Blue, Green or Purple? Egypt announces Color-coded Service Cards for PwDs

by

The Ministry of Social Solidarity has started issuing coloured integrated services cards for people with disabilities as the government moves to ensure adequate accessibilty to more people with special needs in public life.

Egypt aims to include 2.7 million persons with severe disabilities in its nationwide integrated services card system by the end of 2023.

There are 12 million persons with various disabilities in Egypt out of a population of 104 million, according to the United Nations Development Program. Read more.

Our Takeaway: Egypt’s constitution is quite enlightened when it comes to caring for their disabled population. The color-coded system—blue= severe disability, green moderate disability and purples=mild disability—is admirable on its surface but may cause a wave of people inflating their disability status to maximize their benefits.