TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

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News from the Travelability Community

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From California and British Columbia to Germany and around the globe, the TravelAbility community is making waves – and headlines.

Visit California | Ventura County Legislator Pushing to Make State Parks More Accessible to Those with Disabilities

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Destinations International | Beyond Boundaries: Stories of Resilience and Inclusion in Accessible Travel

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Destination BC | Invictus Games 2025: Why British Columbia is becoming a Hub for Accessible Winter Adventure

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Shaping the Future of Accessible Tourism at ITB Berlin 2025

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Lane County, Oregon | Accessibility Projects Work to Make Mount Pisgah Arboretum More Welcoming

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Wheel the World | Accessible Travel Tips from Our Community

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Incredible Memories Travel, Royal Caribbean, and Easy Access Travel | Accessible Travel Revisited: Readers Have Questions, Suggestions

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Morgan’s Studio Launches with New Inclusion Unlimited Series

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WAYMO | Ride For Two: Our Eyes-free Adventure

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(Watch the full adventure on YouTube)

Travel and Leisure Shares how Blind Travelers See the World in Ways Beyond the Visual

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Travel and Leisure Shares how Blind Travelers See the World in Ways Beyond the Visual

Why do blind people travel when they can never “see the world?” Travel and Leisure takes a deep dive into that question, uncovering how travel is so much more than meets the eye. Perhaps the sighted traveler is missing out on more than the blind traveler who travels deeper into the culture, stories, and people that really differentiate one place from another. This article is worth a read for all travelers who are ready to see the world more clearly.

What if You Could Touch a Sunset?

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By Ted Tahquechi of Blind Travels 

Last year, Blind Travels partnered with Redline Contemporary Art center of Denver and The Andy Warhol Foundation for visual art to develop a process that takes photographs and extracts the luminosity values and textures, then creates a 3d printable tactile print. This is not only great for the blind and low vision community, but has also been well received by the colorblind community and those who are on the autism scale, for their touch and audio features. The project was launched at the National Federation of the Blind national convention last year to rave reviews. 

Disabled Art is now working with galleries, museums and even the VA. Their goal is to make art accessible to those who can’t see and to try to shift the mentality for accessible art to one that is considered in the creation of an exhibition rather than as an afterthought. Each piece has the traditionally framed photograph, the tactile (touchable) print, and a plaque with a braille label and tactile scannable QR code. Scanning the QR code gives an audio description of the original photo, then walks the viewer through the features of the tactile print. This gives the viewer all the context they need for what they are feeling, and delivers a true multi sensory experience.  

Find out more at https://www.disabledart.com/.

The sun sets behind a red rock formation in the desert. Everything from the puffy clouds to the scattered bushes are aglow with the warm touch of the sun.
The same photo of the sun setting behind a rock formation in the desert. This one is in black and white and clearly shows the textured tactile version.

What Would You Do? 

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Each month we try to address various accessibility issues that may arise within the TravelAbility community. 

What Would You Do:  You’re a restaurant that received a call asking if you were accessible for wheelchairs. The party was told yes, but when the party arrived they found one step to get into the restaurant. What would you do?

Here’s what our community had to say…

Kim Molnar | Director of Tourism Prineville, Oregon

First thing I would do is sincerely apologize for the mistake and offer assistance.  If they choose to stay, I would also comp a portion of the meal. I would then make it a priority to fix the accessibility barriers and train the staff on giving proper information to future guests when asked if our property is accessible. If I had the guests’ contact info, I would follow up with any positive changes we had made. 

Pekka Paavonperä | Public Relations Consultancy owner and Accessibility Advocate

I would have purchased a ramp when I opened the restaurant. 

Marcia Frost | Wheelchair Accessible TV Travel Expert

I had this situation not long ago. The restaurant was wheelchair accessible in the sense there were no stairs inside or out. The problem was that the tables were all tightly fit together. They had to have a dozen customers get up and move tables and chairs to get me into a table! Then, they did the same when I left. It was quite embarrassing and I felt bad for the people who had to interrupt their meals.

The restaurant told me when I was leaving to call next time and ask for a table to be set up by the bar – right next to the front door. I have not been back.

Key Takeaways:

  • Make sure your staff no how to answer any questions on accessibility
  • Keep accessibility information up front on your website to avoid any uncomfortable accidents
  • If it’s only a few steps, consider purchasing a portable ramp
  • Have a plan to make it right

Best Practices Travel Accessibility Page of the Month: Discover Lancaster

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Here’s what sets Discover Lancaster apart when it comes to accessible landing pages…

TravelAbility’s Accessibility Playbook provides a basic guide for building an accessibility landing page that welcomes all to discover your destination. Discover Lancaster’s website is entering the advanced level because of its extensive listing of all types of attractions and resources. They’ve done a great job of working with their partners to build a platform of information on anything a disabled traveler could be looking for. Here’s how they measure up:

Creating an Accessible Landing Page: A Three-Level Guide

LevelKey ElementsDetails
LEVEL ONE: BASICStatement
✔️		“We are pleased to welcome visitors of all abilities. This page features a variety of accessible attractions, museums, recreational activities, and hotels to help visitors and local residents with disabilities discover what they can do in [Destination].”
Things to Do✔️Identify accessible attractions and experiences, and provide direct links to their accessibility pages.
Hotels & Lodging✔️List accessible hotels, highlight hotels with pool lifts exceeding ADA requirements, and survey hotels for detailed accessibility info. If partnering with Wheel the World, link directly to their booking page.
Additional Resources✔️Build an accessible itinerary with state/provincial/national stakeholders, and include links to relevant articles and media coverage.
Transportation✔️Link to accessibility pages for airports, public transportation, taxis & van services, and car rentals.
Medical Supplies & ServicesProvide links for wheelchair/scooter rentals and medical equipment rentals (Hoyer lifts, shower chairs, etc.).
LEVEL TWO: INTERMEDIATERecreation✔️Provide accessibility links for nearby parks, hiking trails, points of interest, botanical gardens, and zoos.
Sports Venues✔️Link to accessibility pages for college/professional stadiums, arenas, and racetracks.
Performance Venues✔️Accessibility links for symphonies, ballets, operas, theatres, and prominent nightclubs.
Dining & Food✔️List ADA-compliant restaurant chains and coffee shops (e.g., Starbucks).
LEVEL THREE: ADVANCEDEnhanced Engagement✔️Incorporate video testimonials from visitors with different disabilities.
Industry Collaboration & Drop-Down MenusSurvey industry partners to uncover accessibility features, and build a user-friendly drop-down menu for mobility, blindness/low vision, deafness/hard of hearing, and autism/neurodiversity.
Tagging & Search OptimizationTag accessibility links by disability type, allowing users to filter and search. Locations with multiple features should appear under each relevant category.

How does your accessibility landing page measure up? How can you bring it up to the next level?