TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Debbie Austin

Is L’Oréal’s New Robotic Lipstick applicator just Lip Service?

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Today, many people with disabilities face a sense of exclusion when they browse the cosmetics aisle. There are often few, if any, products designed for someone with limited fine motor skills. L’Oréal has introduced a robotic lipstick applicator designed for people with limited hand and arm mobility.

“Hapta is essentially a miniature robotic arm that requires lots of machine learning and complicated algorithms. Combine that with our sense of purpose and drive around inclusion, I truly believe this is the result of the marriage of these two forces.” said Guive Balooch, the global chief of L’Oréal’s technology incubator.

TravelAbility Insider Insight:  While there have been other accessible personal products developed by major brands for people with limited arm and hand mobility, Degree Inclusive deodorant comes to mind, this may be the tip of the beauty-industrial complex iceberg as robotics and advanced AI such as CHATGPT, may portend a future of robotic cosmetologists providing on-demand automated makeovers. However, today, it provides a welcome layer of independence for those with cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease. Read More.

TravelAbility Advisory Board Members In the News:

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John Morris Meets the Pope

Photo of John Morris in wheelchair wearing a blue ski jacket shaking hands with the Pope who is in a wheelchair and dressed in a white cassock

Blessings to John Morris, founder of Wheelchairtravel.org, who paid a visit to Vatican City in Rome this past November that included a face-to-face audience with Pope Francis, a fellow wheelchair user. Learn How He Did it

Wheel the World Recognized By Fast Company

Photo of Camilo Navarro with beard wearing black fleece jacket

Kudos to Wheel the World co-founder and advisory board member Camilo Navarro on being selected as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Travel Companies of 2022 as well as being invited to make a presentation from the main stage at CES in Las Vegas.

Goodmaps Wins CTA Pitch Competition

Headshot of Mike May wearing blue collared polo shirt

Hats off to Advisory Board member Mike May, chief evangelist, Goodmaps, which won the 2023 Consumer Technology Association (CTA) pitch competition at the 2023 CES in Las Vegas.

Josh Loebner in Adweek

photo of Josh Loebner in glasses wearing white shirt, purple cross hatched tie and a vest

Cheers to Advisory Board member, Josh Loebner, PhD, Global Director of Accessibility, Wunderman Thompson, who reviewed Seven of the most Accessible Brand campaigns and Actions of 2022 in an interview with Adweek.

Federal Authorities Fine Red Roof Inn for Discrimination Against Blind Employee

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The Red Roof Inn will pay to settle a discrimination lawsuit after telling a blind employee in Ohio not to apply for a promotion, according to federal authorities.

The employee wanted to attend an information session about a promotional opportunity at the Red Roof Inn contact center in Springfield, Ohio, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said. He requested an accommodation to attend the session remotely and, “expressing his interest in possibly applying,” for the position, the agency said in the complaint. “Don’t bother, it will be a complete waste of time,” responded one of his supervisors.

TravelAbility Insider Insight: Is there anything more denigrating than being told you shouldn’t even try to improve yourself because your disability disqualifies you from advancing in your career?  The hotel, in our opinion, got off easy with an obscenely low fine. Given the situation, they could have faced a civil rights violation. 

Read More.

TravelAbility in the News 2022

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December 19, 2022:  Hospitality Associations Petition to send “Tester” cases to the Supreme Court.

December 5, 2022:The Unintended Consequences of Being an Accessible Destination

November 19, 2022:  Seven Unintended Benefits of Becoming an Accessible Hotel.

June 27, 2022:  TravelAbility’s Emerging Markets Summit: A Review

June 13, 2022:  TravelAbility’s 2022 Emerging Markets Summit Overview

May 30, 2022: TravelAbility Emerging Markets Summit 38-Page Preview Edition

February 21, 2022:  TravelAbility Publishes industry’s first Accessibility Playbook.

January 20, 2022. TravelAbility Announces Free Portal Linking people with Disabilities to Free Travel content for 125+ destinations.

Global Survey Uncovers Shortcomings in Social Media

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Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, released findings from a new global survey on consumer sentiment on social media content of travel brands and traditional travel influencers. Kimpton polled more than 4,000 people from Australia, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. and found an overwhelming need for more authentic and varied travel content as well as a high demand for travel brands to do more to feature inclusive and diverse content creators and experiences. Read more.

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