TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Eliana Satkin

Around the Web

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Celebrities, major brands, and global initiatives for inclusion.

Actress Selma Blair on How Her Disability Impacts Travel

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New Filmmaking Guidelines Show Inclusion Isn’t What We Thought it Was

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Rare Accessible Ice Palace in Adirondacks

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New Training Program for Accessible Travel Planning

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Australia Doing Away with Accessible Rooms – The accessible hotel room will be a relic of the past – replaced by an integrated modularity and customization that offers personalized, universally adaptive accessibility.

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Silver Train Makes New Tracks for Inclusion in China

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The Right Equipment Gets Everyone on the Slopes at these Ski Destinations

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Honda Creates the Scenic Drive for Visually Impaired

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New Tactiles Bring Hogwarts to Life for Blind Fans

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Shark Tank India Highlights Groundbreaking Disability Innovations

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UN Tourism and AccessibleEU Partner for Global Accessible Tourism

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Red Roof’s New Initiatives Give Back through Inclusion

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PBS Spotlights TravelAbility 2024 Speaker, Taylor Aguilar’s Journey as a Blind Traveler 

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By Jennifer Allen

Taylor was in the second year of her master’s program in film and television production when everything changed. She began losing her vision due to pseudotumor cerebri intracranial hypertension. “I couldn’t imagine letting all that hard work go for nothing,” she said. “I’m a really stubborn person… I could use the education I have to make it happen in some way, shape, or form.” And she did.

Now, PBS is broadcasting her story. 

After Taylor lost her sight, she moved to the Colorado Center for the Blind to relearn everything—from cooking and cleaning to doing makeup and using technology. Living what she once considered her worst fear, Taylor learned to trust her other senses. That shift changed not only her life but also the way she approaches filmmaking. As a casting director, for example, she doesn’t rely on facial expressions—she feels the energy of the actors. Her approach, she says, “transcends trying to see.”

Taylor became the first blind intern at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. This was where she connected with Jake and was asked to be TravelAbility’s first Fellow. She was pushing for better accessibility in film, advocating for audio descriptions, and creating projects like The Blind Movement, a reality show and podcast focused on blindness representation.

Her efforts gained attention and she was able to pre-produce a PBS special put together with her college professor.

With this PBS special, Taylor is putting herself, her production company, and her colleagues in the spotlight. “There are no internships for people like me. People won’t take a chance on me. I need to get my work out there to show it,” she explained. “I can’t play the game like I did before. I’m still the same person I was. I’m betting on myself and my friends.”

That bet is already paying off. Her editors, cast, and crew share how they’ve learned to do their work better by approaching filmmaking in new ways. 

The special follows Taylor’s journey through film school, losing her sight, re-learning how to get through each day, returning to the film industry, and starting a family. Her work is not only proving to herself what she’s capable of, it’s showing the world the raw talent and ability that comes through working harder to find new ways to do things with a disability. It’s also showing her own blind community all that is possible. 

“The easy things have become challenges – so now I’m a survivor.” She admits that she’s standing on the shoulders of giants – “following all of the disabled who have gotten us this far – allowing us to have platforms as regular people.” But now she’s becoming one of those giants, paving the way for all who will follow. 

Taylor knows that disabled creators are an untapped resource. “When you look at disabled influencers and celebrities, the numbers are evidence that the readiness to learn is there. The industry ought to take risks on us because there’s a lot to tap into. You need to think out of the box and be pushed out of your own comfort zone – you’re missing the opportunity and you’re not creating resources for the people who will need it.” 

She believes that representation is essential for future generations, and talks about the difference awareness could have made in her own life. “I never spoke about my vision loss at 13 because I never knew anyone else like me. I was afraid if I said something, no one would let me try, I would limit my own opportunities. If I had known about the blind community then, the transition would’ve been so much easier. Awareness matters for everyone.” This is part of what she hopes to change as a film producer.

Taylor doesn’t want to be remembered as a blind producer, she wants to be remembered as a good producer. She doesn’t need to be seen as an inspiration, but she doesn’t mind being the motivation behind change.

Watch the PBS special here.

Presentation of the Month

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Each year, the TravelAbility Summit brings together travel professionals, entrepreneurs, and disability advocates to explore emerging trends, challenges, and solutions in making travel more accessible for all. Last year’s summit included a panel of six influencers sharing their insights on how disabled content creators amplify authenticity in accessible destinations.

Check out the panel’s key takeaways below and click the YouTube link to rewatch the session. Want to learn more from disabled content creators? Don’t miss the 2025 TravelAbility Summit, happening at the beautiful Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, October 13-15, 2025. The event will feature more panels with disability influencers, as well as exciting networking opportunities, including influencer speed dating sessions. Learn more and register today at travelability.net.

Leveraging the Insight of Content Creators to Amplify Authenticity

📌 Summary

  • ♿ Disability Representation: Creators discuss their experiences growing up with disabilities, the challenges they faced, and how they now use their platforms to educate and inspire others.
  • ✈️ Accessible Travel Challenges: Issues such as lack of accessible infrastructure, untrained staff, and misinformation on accessibility are highlighted as major barriers.
  • 📱 Social Media and Awareness: Creators emphasize how social media plays a crucial role in spreading awareness, breaking stigmas, and educating people about disabilities.
  • 📊 Audience Demographics: The panelists describe the diversity of their followers, ranging from individuals with disabilities to those seeking to learn more about inclusivity.
  • 💡 Solutions for Accessibility: Suggestions include better staff training, clearer accessibility information online, and greater empathy from businesses.
  • 🤝 Collaborating with Destinations: Content creators outline how they work with travel destinations to promote accessibility, including creating blog posts, social media content, and consulting on accessibility improvements.
  • 📈 Impact of Authenticity: The importance of genuine representation and transparency when showcasing accessibility is emphasized, as misleading portrayals can be harmful.
  • ⚠️ Handling Negative Experiences: Panelists discuss how they manage situations when accessibility falls short, advocating for constructive feedback and open dialogue.

🔢 Insights Based on Numbers

  • 80% of blind people are unemployed, highlighting the need for workplace inclusivity.
  • A viral TikTok video with 25 million views showed the global interest in disability representation.
  • Many influencers have traveled to 40+ countries, demonstrating the demand for accessible travel.

Follow these Creators on Socials!

Alex Stratikis (Autism Adventures)

Instagram: @autismadventuresabroad

Facebook: @AutismAdventuresAbroad

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-ns7/

Chelsea Bear 

Instagram: @realchelseabear

Facebook: @realchelseabear

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseabear/

Jessica Ping (The Rolling Explorer)

Instagram: @therollingexplorer

Facebook: @therollingexplorer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicajordanping/

Sassy Wyatt (Blind Girl Adventures)

Instagram: @sassywyattofficial

Facebook: @SassyWyattOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sass-wyatt-08ba46111/

Houston Vandergriff (Downs and Towns LLC.)

Instagram: @downsandtowns

Facebook: @downsandtowns/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/downs-and-towns-houston-vandergriff/

Innovation of the Month

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C.O.O., Vannessa LeBoss, shares the journey, the mission, and the impact of 360 Direct Access.

360 Direct Access offers AI and genuine human solutions to expand services to the deaf, hard of hearing, and signing community

The Origin Story

CEO, Craig Radford, is Deaf himself.  360 Direct Access started as a consulting company in August 2017, with a mission to help businesses improve their accessibility services. We provided expert guidance to companies striving to create more inclusive environments, particularly for individuals with disabilities.

In August 2022, a personal experience highlighted the urgency of our mission. Craig shared, “While at an airport, I needed to change my flight—a simple task for most travelers, yet a frustrating ordeal for me as a Deaf individual. I spent 45 minutes on hold to connect with a third party-relay interpreter and another 45 minutes navigating phone trees and waiting for an English-speaking representative. Despite the long wait, there was a miscommunication in the interpreted session, and when I disconnected and saw my email confirmation, I was booked on the wrong flight.”

This moment was a stark reminder of the systemic barriers that millions of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals face every day. Whether it’s a phone call to customer service or an in-person interaction, the lack of accessible, efficient, and accurate communication solutions is a widespread issue.

The Solution

Determined to drive change, we launched 360 Direct Video, the first truly equitable customer service solution for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Our goal was to eliminate the delays, errors, and frustrations that come with traditional interpreting services, while providing an equitable communication experience for the millions of deaf customers today.

As we grew, we realized that technology could push accessibility even further. Six months ago, we acquired an AI sign language recognition company, and two months ago, we began integrating avatars to enhance our platform’s capabilities.

To make in-person interactions as seamless as virtual ones, we also partnered with a company to offer on-demand Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) via QR codes. This allows Deaf individuals to instantly access an interpreter with a simple scan—bridging the communication gap in real-time, anywhere.

With these new innovations and verticals, we decided it was time for a rebrand. What started as 360 Direct Video has evolved into 360 Direct Access—a name that truly reflects our broader mission: providing direct, immediate, and equitable access to communication for all.

After two years of dedicated work, we have secured major contracts, with more exciting partnerships on the horizon. The future of accessibility is here, and we are proud to be leading the way.

We provide trained deaf representatives and an innovative video platform with a signing widget that can go on any website page(s), providing a direct native-language customer support experience to deaf customers calling in. To date, ‘solutions’ are sub par and non equitable, where deaf individuals only have the choice to utilize third party relay interpreted calls or online chat conversations completed in English, which is a 2nd or even 3rd language for a large number within the deaf community. Our approach reduces call times by an average of 42%, increases engagement and customers within this community up to 533%, and provides a superior customer experience, while reducing costs for the business/organization.  We’re skipping past the calls wrought with frustration for both the agent and customer, miscommunications, and unnecessary escalations, as well as the associated higher costs.

Uses

Deaf individuals have the same daily communication needs that hearing people do.  Customer service spans Finance, Telecommunications, Government – local, state and federal divisions, Hospitality/Travel, Retail, and more.

For example, we just launched the first bank in the United States to offer Direct Video Calling (press release going out 3/10) so their Deaf customers can have an equitable communication experience when doing any of their banking needs.

Pricing

Our goal is to meet customers where they are.  Small businesses who want to be accessible can have answering services directly in sign language, while medium and large companies can decide between shared and dedicated customer support agents.  Our turnkey solution has both subscription plans starting at $360/month as well as dedicated agents at an hourly rate directly correlated with the type/level of support being provided. 

Check out the INNOVATEAble pitch here.

Accessible Experience of the Month: Accessible Apple Picking in Wisconsin

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Bumpy, narrow orchard paths littered with fallen apples makes apple picking exhausting, not impossible, to visitors with mobility needs. Thanks to a little creativity, and the construction of a first-of-its-kind wheelchair-accessible apple picking platform, everyone can now enjoy this quintessential harvest-time activity at Leffel Roots Orchard. Learn how they did it, here.