The Intersection of Travel and Disability
TravelAbility Advisory Board member and owner of Incredible Memories Travel Kristy Durso recently jumped out of an airplane – skydiving with Skydive Lonestar in Luling, Texas.
A wheelchair user, Kristy is proof positive of the demand for thrilling accessible activities within the travel industry and the opportunity for businesses that meet the needs of disabled travelers.
To check out Kristy’s blood pressure-raising experience, watch the video of her jumping out of the airplane.
In a post on its blog, Airbnb announced a new initiative aimed at improving the quality of accessibility information provided on its property listings.
Since 2019, hosts have been required to upload photos to support claims of accessibility, but Airbnb has now assembled a specialized team to review those photographs to determine if they meet the standards for accessibility required by disabled guests.
According to The Verge, Airbnb’s head of hosting accessibility standards, Suzanne Edwards, said that “Airbnb agents are trained based on a rigorous set of accessibility photo standards.” The company has already reviewed 100,000 accessibility features in 25,000 properties.
To learn more about Airbnb’s new investments in accessibility, read the full article from The Verge.
Travelability Advisory Board member Mark Jones, manager of accessibility and services for guests with disabilities (whew!), reveals how understanding deaf visitors began by listening to members of his immediate family–since he is what deaf culture refers to as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults); both parents as well as his brother are deaf. His passion for accessibility over the 25 years he has been with the park has helped Disney World provide state-of-the-art accessibility for not only the deaf, but also guests with a panoply of other disabilities.
Spoiler Alert: Prepare to learn a couple of basic ASL words.
It’s below-freezing, there are snow flurries in the air, and darkness is beginning to fall on Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park. Too cold to sleep in a tent, you set your sleeping bags down in one of the park’s heated bathroom facilities – you doze off, sleeping soundly until 5 a.m., when you awake eager to photograph the beautiful sunrise.
Except, unbeknownst to you, a blizzard has left several feet of snow on the ground, and the roaring winds have moved a mountain of snow in front of the door – trapping you inside. This was the experience of Marlene Valle, a deaf traveler who writes the blog Deafinitely Wanderlust. Unable to hear the sounds of the storm outside, she and her boyfriend slept through the blizzard and were trapped in the National Park for 5 days.
To read more about Marlene’s experience, and how she made it to safety, read the full story on her blog. It’s a nail-biter!
TravelAbility announces its strategic partnership with Mélange Magazines for the publication of a quarterly digital magazine specifically aimed at travellers with disabilities and seniors. Mélange Accessible Journeys, will publish its first issue on March 1st, 2022. Designed to be an accessible travel and tourism resource, the magazine will enhance the travel experiences for travellers with special requirements.
“We are very excited about the collaboration with Mélange,” commented TravelAbility’s Jake Steinman. “They have the publishing expertise and the experience building a successful Travel & Lifestyle magazine as well as, publishing Accessibility for All, a sister publication that reaches over 800,000 readers in 63 countries.”
TravelAbility is dedicated to training the travel industry – destinations, attractions and hotels – about how they can become more welcoming to people with disabilities,” said Steinman. “Now, working with Mélange, we will be able to expand our archives of over 300 newsletter items into full stories that travellers with disabilities will enjoy and use.”
Mélange Accessible Journeys will be the ultimate starting point for travellers seeking destinations that are equipped with the conveniences people with disabilities and seniors need for a comfortable and enjoyable vacation experience. The magazine will reside on digital newsstands, easily accessed from any digital device. It will also be available on both the TravelAbility and Mélange’s websites.
“Multiple synergies exist between our two companies in the collective passion to enrich the lives of people with disabilities and seniors,” Mélange’s Debbie Austin stated, “and we’re delighted to launch this partnership with TravelAbility, a recognized leader in the accessible travel space.”
Leveraging the capabilities of both companies, Accessible Journeys will deliver valuable content in a user-friendly format, highlighting accessible travel possibilities around the world. Debbie Austin added: “We are indeed excited about the journey ahead.”
Note: Be the first to learn about marketing and promotional opportunities with the magazine contact: daustin@readmelange.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.