The Intersection of Travel and Disability
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $510 million in American Rescue Plan State Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation grants to all 50 states and territories.
These funds will serve as a boost to tourism development and offer destinations an opportunity to place greater focus on an accessible travel future.
To learn more, read the full story at The Travel Vertical.
The Crystal Ball: Will Omicron lead to herd immunity? As the most perniciously contagious Covid variant yet, several notable immunologists believe that it may eventually infect 90% of the population, which is the percentage of penetration necessary for herd immunity… or maybe not.
What do you expect to see in 2022 and beyond?
A prototype for a “talking menu” will be unveiled at the Bungalow 44 restaurant in Mill Valley, California. Designed to improve access to the menu for those who are blind or have low vision, it was designed and developed by Chris Lona of CL designs, who presented his concept of a talking website at the 2019 TravelAbility Summit Launch Pad Pitch fest in San Francisco. The talking menu is the first innovation that will be invited to be part of an “incubator” where innovative assistive technology and products will receive mentorship and guidance from a team of investors, prominent travel industry suppliers and professional marketing consultants.
“Since Covid-19 cleanliness protocols were in place during 2020 when many restaurants deployed ‘touchless’ menus by snapping a QR code photo from their smart phone, many diners and restaurants are very familiar with the process,” remarked Jake Steinman, of TravelAbility. “I personally shared this link to this menu to mangers of five restaurants ranging from upscale fine dining to a breakfast and lunch diner who immediately grasped the concept and saw benefits that I hadn’t thought about.”
The following summarizes the benefits they saw:
Other benefits include availability in four other languages–French, Spanish, Portuguese and German—three different voices and the fact that it communicates a commitment to inclusivity to the local community.
The cost range is between $500-750 for an average menu and $250-400 per additional language.
To see the Talking Menu in action, check out Bungalow 44’s Autumn 2021 menu.
For more information contact: clona@cldesignonline.com
An unusual search is underway for a thief who pretends to need a wheelchair, according to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office in Monroe, Louisiana.
The “person of interest” uses the chair to travel from crime scene to crime scene, officials said in a news release. An out-of-focus photo of the man was shared on Facebook, with a plea for help with an identification. While he was seen using the wheelchair near the burglary scene, the man can walk, the sheriff’s office said. “He was seen walking and running from different vehicles while committing the burglaries.”
To learn more, read the reporting from The Sacramento Bee.
“As an industry, we must acknowledge the climate threat to tourism and live up to California’s well-deserved reputation as the best steward of the environment by encouraging responsible travel and adopting green practices,” Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California, said in a Nov. 4 statement. “The opportunity to act has never been greater.”
Beteta’s message is not hyperbole. In 2019, before the pandemic, the state’s tourism industry contributed $145 billion to California’s economy, capping a decade of annual revenue growth. But that growth stalled in 2020, dropping by 55%.
To learn more about Visit California’s sustainability pledge, read the coverage from the North Bay Business Journal.
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