TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Eliana Satkin

What if You Could Touch a Sunset?

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Disabled Art creates a new way to experience visual art.

By Ted Tahquechi of Blind Travels

Last year, Blind Travels partnered with Redline Contemporary Art center of Denver and The Andy Warhol Foundation for visual art to develop a process that takes photographs and extracts the luminosity values and textures, then creates a 3d printable tactile print. This is not only great for the blind and low vision community, but has also been well received by the colorblind community and those who are on the autism scale, for their touch and audio features. The project was launched at the National Federation of the Blind national convention last year to rave reviews. 

Disabled Art is now working with galleries, museums and even the VA. Their goal is to make art accessible to those who can’t see and to try to shift the mentality for accessible art to one that is considered in the creation of an exhibition rather than as an afterthought. Each piece has the traditionally framed photograph, the tactile (touchable) print, and a plaque with a braille label and tactile scannable QR code. Scanning the QR code gives an audio description of the original photo, then walks the viewer through the features of the tactile print. This gives the viewer all the context they need for what they are feeling, and delivers a true multi sensory experience.  Find out more at https://www.disabledart.com/.

How the Industry can Make Travel More Inviting to Blind and Low Vision Travelers

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Each year, the TravelAbility Summit brings together travel professionals, entrepreneurs, and disability advocates to explore how to make travel more accessible for everyone. Last year’s summit included a panel of blind travelers who shared the challenges they’ve encountered and offered insights on how destinations can eliminate barriers to blind travel.

Check out the panel’s key takeaways below and click the YouTube link to rewatch the session. Want to learn more? Don’t miss the 2025 TravelAbility Summit at Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, October 13-15, 2025, where you can connect with industry experts and disability advocates dedicated to making travel more inclusive for all.

Summary

  • 🏨 Accessible Hotel Experience: Hilton integrates “Be My Eyes”, allowing blind guests to receive assistance in navigating their rooms and amenities.
  • 🚖 Ride-Share Challenges: Blind travelers face cancellation issues with Uber/Lyft due to guide dogs. Some drivers refuse to pick them up, causing major inconvenience.
  • 🌎 Consistency in Accessibility: Industry experts emphasize the need for standardized Braille signage placement, so blind individuals can easily locate information.
  • 🗺️ Navigation Solutions: GPS apps, breadcrumb tracking, and NaviLens QR codes are proposed to enhance navigation in hotels, parks, and public venues.
  • 🏕️ Accessible Outdoor Travel: Blind hikers prefer better trail markings and audio guidance over excessive infrastructure changes.
  • 🏛️ Inclusive Museums & Attractions: Museums should provide tactile maps, high-contrast signs, and digital audio guides for blind visitors.
  • 🐕 Service Dog Challenges: Despite legal protections, hotels and ride services often misunderstand service dog policies, leading to unnecessary restrictions.
  • 🔊 Elevator Accessibility: Adding audio announcements to elevators improves accessibility, making travel easier for blind and visually impaired guests.
  • 🌍 Advocacy & Industry Standards: Experts encourage travel organizations to advocate for more accessible experiences, including better training for staff and public awareness initiatives.

Insights Based on Numbers

  • 20-40% of guide dog users face rejection from ride-share services due to misinformation or discrimination.
  • Hilton’s partnership with “Be My Eyes” enables guests to receive real-time visual assistance from trained personnel.
  • 273 Oregon State Parks are working towards better accessibility through improved signage, GPS solutions, and advocacy.

Watch the full session on YouTube!

Can I do Old Quebec City in a Wheelchair?

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Tiffany Gambill is a Massachusetts native with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a rare, incurable, degenerative neuromuscular disorder. She is a full time wheelchair user who blogs to share accessible adventures and vegan eating.

Her disability makes typing difficult, and using voice to text nearly impossible. She doesn’t let that stop her from sharing her journeys and helping others. Below is an abridged version of her experience visiting Quebec as a wheelchair user. You can check out the full story, here. 

Written By Tiffany Rose

Last August, I traveled to Canada with my parents, visiting Montreal and Quebec City. The weather was beautiful, so the crowds were heavy. Finding a wheelchair-accessible hotel for three people in Old Quebec was a challenge, but I discovered The Clarendon Hotel. It looked promising online—and honestly, the bright yellow walls sealed the deal for me.

The accessible entrance was on the side with a concrete ramp and an automatic door that closed a bit fast. Inside, a second ramp led to the ground floor check-in desk, where a man wearing a yellow tie greeted us. We booked their accessible suite, which featured a king bed, sofa bed, tall windows with luxurious curtains, a desk alcove, and gold chairs. The bathroom setup was decent, with a tub and shower chair instead of the roll-in shower I was told I’d have. However, the toilet had drop-down grab bars, and the sink had open space underneath for wheelchair access. My main complaint was the round toilet seat, which felt tight even though I don’t have a big frame.

The hotel had a small elevator, but wait times weren’t bad. On the ground floor was Mordus, a seafood restaurant that served delicious meals. Breakfast was included, and the raspberry butter was heavenly—thankfully, they sold it separately too! Meals like deviled egg seafood, eggs with salmon lox, cappuccinos, and chia pudding made it a standout spot, even for non-hotel guests.

Exploring Quebec City was charming. The streets were made of large stone blocks, manageable in my wheelchair. We admired artist stalls (closed at night), the lit-up Fairmont Hotel, and a nearby monument bustling with street performers, though it was tough for me to get close. We also did the Hop On/Hop Off bus tour, which was a great way to see the city quickly, especially with a 2-day ticket.

Behind the monument, we found the boardwalk, the winter toboggan slide (closed in summer), and the Funicular—a $5 outdoor elevator with stunning river views. Old Town’s shops and restaurants often had steps, but colorful umbrella displays and the historic walled city made up for the limitations.

On our final day, we planned to visit Montmorency Falls but hit Labor Day weekend traffic and found out there was a fee to view the falls. We decided to skip it and head home instead. Overall, Quebec City was beautiful, although navigating accessibility required some flexibility and patience.

Hotel Spotlight: Omni Dallas

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A social media follower raved about Omni Dallas as their top pick for an accessible hotel. What made it unforgettable? The stunning rooftop pool and hot tub—both equipped with lifts—plus a spa experience that was not only relaxing but also truly accessible, thanks to an exceptionally helpful staff.

The hotel’s accessible room page also mentions:

  • Accessible guest rooms with entry that provides 32″ of clear width
  • Lowered light switches, peephole, deadbolt, evacuation instructions and closet rods in guest rooms
  • Roll-in shower with adjustable height hand held shower head
  • Toilet and sink are no higher than 34′ from the floor
  • Grab bars near toilet
  • Visual notification for hotel alarm system, door and phone available
  • Audible alarm notification
  • The hotel has a TTY for guest use
  • Closed caption TV
  • Accessible business center entrance
  • Accessible fitness center entrance
  • Accessible restaurant entrance
  • Accessible main entrance
  • Accessible access to front desk and concierge desk
  • Accessible meeting space
  • Assistive listening devices for meetings available
  • Accessible route from public entrance to accessible guest rooms
  • Accessible route from public entrance to front desk
  • Accessible route from public entrance to restaurants
  • Accessible route from public entrance to meeting rooms
  • Accessible elevators
  • Braille elevator
  • Braille room numbers
  • Accessible pool area and pool lift
  • Hot tub lift
  • Accessible parking space for self-parking available
  • Accessible vehicles can be accommodated
  • Service animals allowed for guests with disabilities

Innovation of the Month: Aira

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Aira – Empowering Independence Through Visual and Sign Language Interpretation

Company Background & Mission

Aira (pronounced eye-rah) has been operating for over 10 years, building a reputation as a trusted accessibility partner primarily focused on serving the Blind and Low Vision (BLV) community. The company’s approach to innovation is grounded in co-creation—developing solutions hand-in-hand with the community to ensure services are genuinely aligned with users’ needs and expectations.

Over the years, Aira has built strong partnerships with more than 270 organizations, including national brands such as Target, Wal-Mart, Bank of America, and Starbucks.  Aira also partners with airports, state and local government agencies, higher education and museums across the United States. 

The very core of everything that Aira does is simple: we believe that ACCESS IS A HUMAN RIGHT. 

The very core of everything that Aira does is simple: we believe that ACCESS IS A HUMAN RIGHT.  

The Problem Aira Solves

Every day, individuals who are blind or have low vision face countless barriers when accessing visual information in real time. Whether navigating a busy airport, reviewing printed materials, or managing visual tasks at work, many situations require immediate, human-based visual interpretation that traditional assistive technology can’t provide. Aira bridges this gap by offering on-demand, live human support via a mobile or desktop application.

Recognizing the broader need for inclusive communication, Aira expanded its services in 2024 to include on-demand American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, furthering its mission of accessibility by also serving the Deaf community.  

Deaf community members face a variety of communication barriers throughout the day.  Oftentimes, all that is needed is a quick connection with an interpreter so that they can communicate freely, without barriers to gain important information in the classroom, in the workplace, while shopping or out enjoying vacation.  

How Aira Works

Through Aira’s mobile or desktop apps, users connect with trained Agents or certified ASL interpreters who provide real-time visual or sign language interpretation. The apps are available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, and can be flexibly deployed through a number of different methods.  Agents assist users by seeing through their device camera, offering descriptions and guidance to complete visual tasks. ASL users can initiate video sessions to connect with interpreters directly from the app, tailored to the meeting type or communication need.

Use Cases for Aira

  • Navigating complex environments like airports or office campuses
  • Reading printed and digital text (e.g., menus, signs, forms, emails)
  • Workplace accommodations and support during meetings or presentations
  • Home tasks such as organizing, labeling, or troubleshooting
  • Real-time communication in ASL for Deaf users during remote or in-person meetings; literally anywhere

Pricing Information

Aira’s services are available through multiple access models:

  • Free Access: Provided by Access Partners such as airports, universities, and businesses who sponsor usage for the public.
  • Subscription Plans: Individuals can purchase plans with a set number of minutes per month, suitable for different levels of personal or professional use.
  • Enterprise and Organizational Licensing: Companies and institutions can offer Aira as a workplace accommodation or customer support tool, with custom integration options.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to third parties.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to 3rd parties.