TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Eliana Satkin

Accessibility Champion: Arica Sears, Deputy Director, Oregon Coast Visitors Association

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Q1. When did you begin focusing on accessibility in your destination and what was the impetus for wanting to make your destination more accessible?

 The Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) has dedicated over a decade to access projects in our region, with a primary focus on enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities such as the Oregon Coast Trail and kayak launches. Our journey with Travelability began around 2021, when we supported Lincoln City’s local efforts to introduce a Mobi Mat to their beach. Subsequently, our team backed a cohort attending the 2022 Travelability Summit in Florida, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to accessibility and the launch of our own “Oregon Coast Travelability” group that meets regularly.

“Our team backed a cohort attending the 2022 Travelability Summit in Florida, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to accessibility and the launch of our own “Oregon Coast Travelability” group that meets regularly.”

Arica Sears

Q2. What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

As the Deputy Director of our nonprofit, I get to wear many hats! From cheering on my awesome teammates in their projects to leading programs focused on sustainability and accessibility, I’m always working on something. OCVA’s primary responsibilities revolve around inspiring travel and fostering collaboration on the Oregon Coast to cultivate a sustainable coastal economy. Regarding Travelability, we have the privilege of bringing together partners along all 363 miles of Oregon Coast to amplify regional accessibility projects throughout our entire destination.

Q3. Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers that you face regarding the advancement of accessibility in your destination? 

Beyond budgetary constraints, some of the most challenging obstacles for our accessibility initiatives involve securing city or county support for permitting and managing liability in physical infrastructure projects. Additionally, the inherent challenge lies in the rural and under-resourced nature of our communities, often lacking the immediate capacity or funding to initiate projects promptly.

Q4. What initiatives have you undertaken to improve accessibility in your destination, and which are you most proud of?

Several noteworthy initiatives have propelled accessibility improvements on the Oregon Coast over the past year. First, 12 of our local destination partners have completed, or are in the process of completing, assessments with Wheel the World to provide detailed and accurate information directly to disabled travelers. Additionally, the increased availability of mobi mats has expanded beach access for more visitors and residents. Our team has created a Mobi Mat toolkit to help communities understand what’s needed to successfully support a Mobi Mat, and we currently have a grant program open to fund communities without them. Lastly, I have the honor of regularly facilitating our Oregon Coast Travelability group, which is my favorite group to partner with on opportunities and navigate accessibility challenges together.

Q5. Who do you follow? Name an organization/company/individual you look to for ideas or inspiration.

I draw inspiration and learn from various influencers and brands, including Kelcie Miller Anderson, @thechronicexplorer; Disabled Hikers, @disabledhikers; and Liv Stone, @livstone.

Q5. What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?

Looking ahead, our focus involves highlighting the intersection of travelability and climate action. Recognizing a gap in stories within this space, we believe the Oregon Coast can play a pivotal role, with disabled travelers leading the way in sustainable travel initiatives.

Accessibility Champion: Julie Pingston, President & CEO, Choose Lansing

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Q1. When did you begin focusing on accessibility in your destination and what was the impetus for wanting to make your destination more accessible?

As a destination, we had a very specific starting point in 2017 when we partnered with our performing arts center. The goal was to fill a 2,400-seat theater for a 100% Sensory Friendly Broadway Performance of Disney’s The Lion King, debuting in 2018. What started as a marketing campaign, evolved into a multi-dimensional strategy that has altered our community and how we welcome visitors of all abilities. 

We worked to create sensory inclusive programming in all of our attractions and provided sensory toolkits in many more locations. We created training for understanding of neurodiversities for our front-line staff throughout the community and created an accessibility web page detailing sensory events and opportunities as well as the “know before you go” information for all to access. 

We filled that theater in 2018, and it was an amazing opportunity for all to experience a Broadway show in their own way. This work was the first step, leading us to focus on accessibility as a destination and continue the journey to truly be welcoming to all.

Q2. What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

I serve Choose Lansing as President & CEO and lead our amazing team in developing the Lansing, Michigan region as a visitor destination. I spend a lot of time on advocacy, community relations and board relations while remaining highly engaged in our accessibility efforts.

Q3. Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers that you face regarding the advancement of accessibility in your destination? What initiatives have you undertaken to improve accessibility in your destination, and which are you most proud of?

The main obstacle we have faced is creating the time to keep advancing our efforts throughout the destination. We want to do it all immediately. The work that goes into accessibility is important because it creates opportunities to have experiences that many take for granted. Watching families participating in a sensory inclusive event as a complete family, without having to leave someone out, is so inspiring. I want that for everyone. That has been my drive to create strategies and to have those “what can we do next” conversations about accessibility and inclusivity. 

“Watching families participating in a sensory inclusive event as a complete family, without having to leave someone out, is so inspiring. I want that for everyone. That has been my drive to create strategies and to have those “what can we do next” conversations about accessibility and inclusivity.”

Julie Pingston

I’m proud that our partners have truly embraced the accessibility efforts throughout our destination and that we were able to host our first Tourism Accessibility Summit this past fall.  I’m equally proud that I have been able to share our story with other destinations to continue to grow the work. 

Q4. Who do you follow? Name an organization/company/individual you look to for ideas or inspiration.

I look to my colleagues in destination marketing organizations around the world who are leaders in innovation and avenues to spread accessibility efforts throughout the travel industry. 

For the past seven years, my main source of inspiration and partnership has been Cathy Blatnik from the Mid-Michigan Autism Association, and her son Dominic. I also love brainstorming with Meegan and Evan Winters from AbleVu and Kristy Durso from Incredible Memories Travel. 

Q5. What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?I’ve got a long list of next steps to increase accessibility initiatives for our community.  We recently hosted Lansing’s inaugural Tourism Accessibility Summit and we keep building from there. We have engaged with Wheel the World and are looking forward to completing an assessment and providing even more detailed accessibility information and training about our destination. 

Accessible Journeys Summer issue

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Accessible Journeys is the magazine for sharing and inspiring accessible adventures around the globe.

The July 2024 issue of Accessible Journeys magazine, guest edited by Samantha Rayburn-Trubyk, focuses on travel experiences and tips for individuals with dwarfism. Highlights include empowering stories from Jesse Nichols and Kai Rivas, adaptive adventures by Lisa Franks and tips for navigating travel with autism by Connor McClure. The issue also features accessible camping in Oregon, insights into inclusive cruising, and an exploration of accessible experiences in Tenerife. Each article aims to inspire and provide practical advice for travelers with disabilities.

Accessible Journeys is a digital quarterly publication that delivers accessible positive travel adventures around the world for our 1.8 million readers. Even the ads in Accessible Journeys have huge engagement and have a click through rate of over 5%, our readers are a very engaged audience who are excited about travel! We also publish the Tidbits newsletter that goes to over 92K readers, 2x per month with an open rate of 55%! We would love to include your destination for the Oct issue, the close date is Sept 15th. Make sure you subscribe to the magazine and TidBits so they come straight to your inbox. 

What Would You Do?

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August Scenario: Wheelchair accessible accommodations.

A traveler in a wheelchair is at the hotel where they booked an ADA room thinking the bed height would work out for them. It does not. How would you handle the situation? 

Arturo Gaona, Chief Partnership Partner, Wheel the World:

Hotel staff should be ready to lower or raise beds, either by taking down bed legs (which most cases require, at least in the US) or having available legs or a thinner mattress that can raise the bed. Another great option is to have at least one hoyer lift available; of course, this requires a minimum available space below the bed.

However, this should be addressed by preventing the scenario. How? Providing accurate and verified accessibility information, such as the bed height. Being ADA compliant in this case is not enough; the bed height should adapt to the user, not the user adapting to the law.

If the bed is too high, I would have the box springs removed. But next time I would remember to call Wheel the World to book my accessible room.

Stefan Muhle, Vice President & Regional Managing Director, Noble House Hotels:

Handling this situation requires empathy, understanding, and a proactive approach. Here’s how I’d manage it:

  • Listen, Empathize, and Acknowledge:
  • Listen to the guest’s concerns.
  • Acknowledge the issue and express understanding and empathy for their situation.
  • Immediate Action:
  • Check if our property has any other ADA rooms with different bed heights or adjustable beds that might better suit the guest’s needs.
  • If available, offer to move the guest to another room that better suits their needs.
  • Temporary Solutions:
  • If no other ADA rooms are available, look for temporary solutions such as bed risers or a different mattress (or topper) to adjust the height or providing a platform or step to make it easier for the traveler to get in and out of bed.

Social media responses from disability moms:

Talk to the hotel to see if they can adjust the bed height or change the room.

Ask for a refund.

Move to a different hotel if the beds aren’t adequate for your needs.

Take the box spring out or request a layaway bed.

Glidance Wins InnovateAble @DI Pitchfest: Revolutionizing Mobility for the Blind

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Tampa Bay, FL – July 18, 2024 – In a groundbreaking event celebrating the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Glidance emerged as the champion in the InnovateAble @DI Pitchfest. The competition, hosted by TravelAbility and held in conjunction with Destinations International’s annual convention, showcased cutting-edge innovations designed to remove barriers for travelers with disabilities. The Final Four were selected from over 45 companies seen at CES, CSUN, Abilities Expo and through an extensive product hunt.

The winner: Glidance: Pioneering Self-Guided Mobility for the Blind

Glidance, the world’s first self-guided mobility aid, combines artificial intelligence (AI) and sensor technology to create a robotic version of the service dog. Designed specifically for individuals with visual impairments, Glidance offers a revolutionary solution for navigating airports, hotels, and public spaces. Judges were impressed by its affordability and potential impact on the blind community.

“Amos Miller, the founder of Glidance, faced a critical question during the competition,” noted Jake Steinman, curator of the InnovateAble program. “Would this device render guide dogs obsolete? His response was insightful: While there are 9 million blind individuals in the U.S., there are only 80,000 guide dogs. Glidance fills a crucial gap and has ample room for growth.”

Other Remarkable Innovations

The InnovateAble @DI Pitchfest also featured three other remarkable innovations:

  1. AccessRec (Mobility): Co-founded by the creator of Mobi Mats, AccessRec introduced the concept of universally designed beaches. Their line beach mats, beach wheelchairs, and other recreational accessories make beaches, lakes, and uneven surfaces accessible to all.
  2. 360 Direct Video (Deafness): Empower 360 leverages AI-enabled American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in multiple languages. These avatars provide real-time ASL interpretation via video, enhancing communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers.
  3. Neurodiversity/Autism: Travelers with hidden disabilities and a sunflower lanyard that is now recognized in over 240 airports in over30 countries around the world .

TravelAbility and Destinations International remain committed to fostering innovation that empowers travelers of all abilities. The InnovateAble @DI Pitchfest exemplifies their dedication to creating a more inclusive and accessible travel industry.

About TravelAbility: TravelAbility is a leading organization dedicated to advancing accessible travel and tourism. Through partnerships, education, and advocacy, TravelAbility strives to make travel a seamless experience for everyone, regardless of ability.

About Destinations International: Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, representing over 6,000 professionals from 600 destinations in 15 countries. Their mission is to drive economic development through travel and tourism.

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