TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

John Morris

TravelAbility Tampa Update: See Michelle Obama Live and In Person

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Michelle Obama headshot.

Since TravelAbility Tampa will be one of the events co-located with Connect Marketplace, attendees will have the opportunity to extend their experience on September 1st by visiting the Connect Marketplace exhibit hall and listen to former first lady Michelle Obama in conversation at no additional charge. the former first lady will be in a moderated conversation on September 1st at 5:15 PM

All In-Person Attendees Receive:

  • 12 hours of content over 1.5 days
  • Opening Reception at the Tampa Bay Aquarium
  • A moderated conversation with Former First Lady Michelle Obama
  • TravelAbility Accessibility Subject Matter Expert (ASME) Certificate
  • A Special Rate of $199 per night at the Tampa Water St. Marriott
  • Recordings of All Sessions to share with your Team

Register Today. Space is Limited.

Mélange Magazine Debuts with Accessibility For All Issue

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Covers of 3 Melange Magazine issues

Mélange Magazine recently launched a new publication under the title Accessibility for All, which tells stories important to the disability community.

The July 2021 issue features a story with the headline, “Should I say ‘disabled person’ or ‘person with a disability?” Dr. Mary Ann McColl, Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy (Occupational Therapy) and in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, answers this question and provides some recommendations for interacting with members of the disability community. Her article is a must-read.

The latest issue also features some accessible travel stories, including a profile of an accessible travel blogger in Israel and the story of a transportation company in St. Maarten.

The Mélange Accessibility for All magazine is a fantastic resource for the disability community, and those seeking to learn more about developing accessible travel products and services. To see what’s inside, check out the July 2021 digital issue.

More Hearing Loops Coming to an Airport Near You

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an airport looking at arrival departure screens in waiting areas

A new accessibility policy promulgated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will require the installation of hearing loops at all new and renovated airport terminals, as well as bus, train, and ferry stations.

Hearing loops are copper wires that transmit audio as electromagnetic signals, which are picked up by the telecoils or t-coils found in most hearing aids and cochlear implants. Using this technology, deaf and hard-of-hearing people can gain improved audio quality and speech recognition, ensuring they have access to import communications, including gate changes and boarding announcements in the airport environment.

Runway Girl Network reports that there are now 18 airports in the United States with some degree of hearing loop technology, including at the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.

In speaking to the new requirements, the Port Authority said that “Port Authority facilities will even better serve the diverse population of people with disabilities who rely on our services.”

OUR TAKE: Hearing loop technology dramatically improves the travel experience of many deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and we look forward to the installation of this feature in many more airports across the United States.

To read more about hearing loops and their availability in U.S. airports, see the article from Runway Girl Network.

The World’s Only All-Accessible-Room Hotel to be Featured at TravelAbility Tampa

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Rendering of a hotel exterior.

TravelAbility Tampa is honored to announce that the Disability Opportunity Fund and its latest development, The Schoolhouse Hotel, have become platinum partners for our 2021 events.

The Schoolhouse Hotel, which plans to open 1Q of 2022, was conceived and developed by Charlie Hammerman and the Disability Opportunity Fund. In keeping with their focus on the disability market, the hotel is committed to making this the first hotel in the country where every room and amenity is adapted for use by disabled people. The hotel’s development is an integral part of the revitalization of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

“They chose White Sulphur Springs for The Schoolhouse Hotel project because the town suffered a devastating flood five years ago and they found the resiliency and courage of their residents inspiring,” commented Jake Steinman, founder of TravelAbility. “And we’re delighted to be able to help connect them to our network of travel industry professionals as well as special needs travel agents and  influencers who need to experience this incredible property first hand.”

The Schoolhouse Hotel is taking one of the town’s most precious, historical buildings—its schoolhouse—and transforming its 109-year history into a hotel unlike any other in America. All 30 of its rooms, as well as all of the amenities such as the bar, restaurant, rooftop bar, and ballroom, will be fully accessible to people with a range of disabilities.

The Schoolhouse Hotel is focused on accessibility for everyone from the moment a guest books a room through its website, all the way through check-out.

“We have spent a great deal of time listening to people with various disabilities to understand what they look for with regard to a comfortable, welcoming hotel stay,” says Hammerman, “and will be incorporating these initiatives into the design of not only our rooms, but also our public spaces, guest rooms, food and beverage operations and event space.”

“We’re looking forward to having Charles and his team presenting The Schoolhouse Hotel and Disability Opportunity Fund at TravelAbility Tampa this August 30-31,” stated Steinman. “Over 25 presenters with a variety of lived experiences and disabilities will have an opportunity to meet with him directly and learn more.”

TravelAbility and Threshold 360 to Promote Accessibility Through Virtual Tours

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Threshold 360 logo.

TravelAbility and Threshold 360, the leading platform for 360° virtual tour creation and delivery in the Hospitality & Tourism industries, today announced a strategic partnership to make virtual tours of hotels and resorts more readily available to anyone with a disability. The agreement will allow TravelAbility’s Accessible Landing Pages to showcase destination venues through a 360-degree interactive experience via the Threshold capture and publishing platform.

“ The partnership will make tours available to consumers at the TravelAbility website and will allow anyone to virtually explore all parts of a hotel including outdoor areas, reception, guest facilities, restaurants, and hotel rooms,” said TravelAbility founder, Jake Steinman. “Our users will be able to compare hotels and other facilities by how well-matched they are to their specific needs before they book creating more accurate expectations for the traveller and enhancing the guest experience.”

“Threshold has also built accessibility into its virtual tours functionality,” said Daniel Kraus, CEO of Threshold 360. “Each component of a Threshold virtual tour has customized Alternative Text (ALT-Text) entries which are interpreted by screen readers. Additionally, the Threshold Viewer and Map are fully keyboard compliant, and buttons are appropriately labeled to be automatically announced by screen readers. Threshold also allows for the disabling of Autoplay and further customization of its viewer for more advanced screen reader functionality and the next major release will support audio voice-over for all virtual tours.”