TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Jake Steinman

Radical New Ideas for Flying Post Covid-19

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a couple who are asian wearing masks heading to a baggage claim

Better leave some extra time before you board that flight. NPR’s Marketplace explores what systems may be in place to protect you and your fellow passengers when flying takes off again. Read more.

Major Tour Operator Using “Well Being Directors” to Oversee Safety on Trips

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A set of items laid out in preparation for a trip including jeans, sneakers, sunglasses, passport, disinfectant, mask, gloves, shirt

The Travel Corporation, which owns 30 travel brands, announced new wellbeing policies for its guided vacations.  The Well-being Directors will be trained in supplier engagement and compliance, daily monitoring of distancing, and hygiene standards. They will offer personal support to guests who have any questions or concerns relating to wellbeing measures while traveling. See more.

TravelAbility 2019 Insiders ‘On the Move’ In 2020

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Here’s what our fabulous 2019 attendees and Advisory Board Members have been up to since we last met in San Francisco.
Congratulations to….

Josh Loebner headshot

…Josh Loebner, Director of Strategy for DesignSensory, for partnering with TravelAbility Summit on the launch of a new podcast series, ExplorAble.

upper body shot of John wearing a navy jacket and blue shirt sitting inside a plane smiling, wearing glasses

…John Morris on launching his new Wheelchair Travel podcast series. This is in addition to his weekly reporting on travel issues, accessibility and COVID-19.

...Sylvia Longmire for winning first prize at the Indie Book Awards for her recently released travel guide: Everything You Need to Know About Wheelchair Travel.

headshot of ed Harris with suit and red tie smiling brown hair brown eyes

 …Ed Harris, who was Chief Marketing Officer for Valley Forge CVB when he presented at TAS 2019, on his appointment to President and CEO of Discover Lancaster.

…Julie Jones on her video interview with Tapooz Travel’s Lauren Roffe. 

headshot Cory lee in teeshirt smiling

…Cory Lee Woodard for the launch of a Facebook series of interviews with destinations from Rochester, NY to Tempe, Az, and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

 …Sara Emmert, Director of Tourism Policy for New York’s state tourism office who was among the five New Yorkers that attended TAS 2019, on the launch of their new I LOVE NY accessibility landing page. 

…Kathryn Inglin, TAS attendee and marketing strategy and communications executive for the Presidio Trust in San Francisco, for upgrading their accessibility offerings and becoming the first park in the U.S. to achieve the international Green Flag Award, which recognizes the highest standards of management, maintenance and development in the public parks and green spaces sector around the world.

…Eric Lipp, founder of Open Doors Organization, on the release of their new ODO/Harris Interactive, a study of travel by Americans with disabilities. A summary will debut at virtual TAS 2020. 

…Myron Pincomb, Board Chairman of IBCCES, on the launch of the IBCCES Teletherapy Certification program insuring the individuals and students with special needs have the support they need during the Covid-19 epidemic. 

Breaking News: TravelAbility Summit Goes Virtual…as TravelAbility Week (with new dates)

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Going virtual for November 2020 TravelAbility Week

Here’s a quick roundup of the changes and what we have in store:

  • New dates: November 9-13, 2020, the same week as last year. 
  •  9:00 am -1:00 pm PST each day to accommodate time zones
  • Agenda re-imagined ‘Netflix’-style series.  See it here. 
  • 71 presenters/panelists/experts in one-place
  • New 3-part Train-the-trainer series as a follow-up to the event 
  • Work the Crowd:  One-on-one + small group breakouts end each day
  • Flexible registration options: A la carte/by day/entire series
  • Recorded sessions available after the event.

Note: I have personally sat through demos of 35 virtual conference platforms and tools, plug-ins and widgets (i.e. virtual whiteboards, virtual business cards (that include personal video messages) along with games like “Spin the Bottle,” and will deploy the best to simulate the personal chemistry and engagement found at live events.

After enduring the horror of Covid-19, we expect marketers will want to make the world better for all. In the future, our work will have purpose and business motivation baked into its model. The world got a warp-speed technical update during the pandemic—and that will continue in the recovery phase, too. It’s a movement for the future that will help our organizations recover revenue and build new opportunity. You’ll find this issue packed with links to learn more about superstars like the author of Being Heumann and star of Crip Camp, Judith Heumann, plus actionable ideas and content from industry insiders. —Jake Steinman, Founder, TravelAbility Summit

To learn and share more information with colleagues about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), we are sharing the link to their FAQ.

A fully revised program will be released August 3. Watch for it. 

Dig This: Ancient Greek Temples May Have Had Disability Ramps

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rendering of ancient pyramid buildings
image courtesy of Livescience.com

The most reasonable explanation for ramps is that they were intended to help mobility-impaired visitors access the spaces that they needed to experience religious healing. The Greeks built these spaces for disabled people so that their target visitors could access them.  Read more, here.