TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

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Accessible Experience: Lincoln Caverns

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By Jennifer Allen

Jennifer Allen and her 3 children, including a child using a wheelchair, explore an illuminated cave featuring dramatic stalactites and stalagmites along a railed pathway. The golden-hued limestone formations create a striking backdrop as they blend with the natural geological features.

A journey towards the center of the earth typically requires a lot of stairs. Thankfully, there are now a small handful of exceptions around the globe. One of those is in a small town in central Pennsylvania. For the first time, I was able to take my three children into a cave – something that I wasn’t sure we would ever be able to do.

While the main entrance to Lincoln Caverns is not wheelchair accessible, Lincoln Caverns has created accessible tours through the original entrance, along the highway. From this entrance, we were able to wheel through tunnels towards the heart of the cavern. I don’t know how much of the cavern we weren’t able to see, but I was really impressed by how much we were able to experience. We didn’t feel like we missed out on anything. Our guide showed us all the features of the cave and we followed his lead as we wandered and explored.

For your own convenience, it’s best to call ahead for the accessible tour, since you do need a personal escort.

Luray Caverns in Virginia also offers tours on wide, paved, well lit paths with a barrier free entrance. Due to some moderate grades, they don’t list themselves as wheelchair accessible.

Congrats to AbleVu and CurbFreeCoryLee on Launching “VU From the Curb Consulting”

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AbleVu, best known for its information-rich platform featuring virtual tours, photos, accessibility features, and anonymous Q&A, makes it easy for visitors of all abilities to research businesses before they arrive. Meanwhile, Cory Lee, through his widely recognized CurbFreeCoryLee platform, has been inspiring and educating audiences for more than a decade with firsthand stories of wheelchair-accessible destinations around the globe.

Together, they’ve created a powerhouse in building and promoting accessibility. Their new joint venture, VU From the Curb Consulting, is designed to help destinations worldwide move beyond minimum ADA compliance and create spaces that welcome travelers with both visible and invisible disabilities.

Together, Cory Lee and Meagan bring heaps of data and lived experience to the table. VU From the Curb Consulting will partner with DMOs, hotels, attractions, and other travel businesses to ensure accessibility isn’t just an afterthought, but an integral part of the visitor experience.

Lived Experience: @Discover_with_dallas in Wheelchair Accessible Milwaukee

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Sand and forests are no longer barriers in Milwaukee, thanks to the city’s adaptive equipment options. Accessibility influencers Dallas and her mom—who inspire over 500,000 followers across YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook—recently showcased Milwaukee in their latest vlog. From the accessible zoo and world-class museums to inclusive parks, playgrounds, beaches, and trails, the family highlighted just how much Milwaukee delivers for travelers of all abilities.

Hotel Spotlight: Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa

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Aerial view of the Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa with distinctive blue metal roofing and a central domed cupola, set among manicured lawns and mature trees, with a parking area visible to the left. The property overlooks a scenic river landscape with a dam or bridge structure visible in the distance, surrounded by lush greenery under a partly cloudy sky.

Sometimes accessibility comes down to the little things—like a phone call that makes a guest feel truly seen.

At the Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa, staff recently put their new Wheel the World Academy accessibility training into practice during a group booking. When a guest services employee, Keely Law, noticed that an incoming traveler was visually impaired, she didn’t make assumptions. Instead, she picked up the phone, connected with the traveler, and asked if he would prefer a room by the elevator.

The simple gesture surprised the guest, who shared how grateful he was that someone took the time to check in on his needs before arrival.

This is the kind of next-level customer service that accessibility training inspires—not just awareness, but action. After being equipped with practical tools and sensitivity, the hospitality team has moved beyond compliance to create thoughtful, personalized experiences.

For Renaissance Shoals, it’s proof that small moments can make a big impact—and that accessibility done well is about welcoming and care, not ADA checklists and guesswork.

Innovation of the Month: Lotus’ Wearable Access Ties for First Place

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Lotus, a first-place winner in this year’s InnovateAble Showcase, is reimagining what it means to access and control your environment. Lotus is a fabulously simple idea: a wearable ring that allows users to point and click to control lights, fans, TVs, and more—without Wi-Fi, apps, or rewiring. Founder Dhaval Patel’s journey to creating Lotus is both personal and innovative.

A sleek, ring-shaped smart device with a metallic silver and black finish floats in mid-air above a dining table, with a blurred home interior featuring warm lighting and plants in the background.

From Personal Struggle to Universal Solution

“The story of Lotus starts with me,” Patel explains. “I was born with twisted knees, and over the years I’ve been on and off crutches a lot.”

One night, exhausted after a long day, Patel realized he had left the lights on. “Too tired to get up, I slept with the lights on—the entire night,” he recalls. The next morning, he had a revelation: if even an Apple electrical engineer like me didn’t have smart home tech at home, who did?

That moment became the seed for Lotus.

The Problem: Homes Not Built for Smart Tech

Smart home technology often feels out of reach—especially for travelers, renters, and people with disabilities.

“Turns out 91% of homes in the U.S. were built before smart homes existed, with no easy way to upgrade,” Patel says. Even adopting an Alexa often requires rewiring switches, installing multiple speakers, and downloading additional apps. For homeowners, the time and cost can be daunting; for travelers and renters, solutions are virtually nonexistent.

This gap disproportionately affects nearly 30 million people with limited mobility—including veterans, older adults, and disabled individuals—who may already spend up to four hours a day on self-care.

The Lotus Solution: Point. Click. Control

Lotus sidesteps these barriers with a portable, plug-and-play design.

  • Step 1: Put on the Lotus ring.
  • Step 2: Snap the Lotus switch cover onto any wall switch. Simple magnets eliminate the need for rewiring.
  • Step 3: Point and click. Infrared technology works like a TV remote—no app, smartphone, or internet needed.

“Control lights, fans, appliances. Even fireplaces and TVs,” Patel explains. “And take it with you wherever you go—hotels, Airbnbs, visiting family. It’s portable.”

Who Benefits from Lotus?

Patel envisions four distinct customer groups:

  1. People with limited mobility (30M in the U.S.)
    Those with acute, permanent disabilities—such as veterans with injuries—need immediate solutions.
  2. Older adults (61M in the U.S.)
    Gradual conditions like arthritis make movement more difficult, and fall prevention becomes critical.
  3. Renters (110M in the U.S.)
    Lease restrictions and temporary housing often make rewiring impossible. Lotus offers smart-home convenience without permanent upgrades.
  4. Mass-market convenience
    Everyday users—from pregnant parents to anyone who’s simply cozy in bed—can benefit from the silent, point-and-click control.

It seems that Lotus falls right into the curb cut effect with technology that benefits everyone. “In other words, our mission is ‘to build technology anyone can use, by optimizing for disability first,’” Patel says. 

Pricing and Practicality

A Lotus starter kit (1 ring + 3 switch covers + charging accessories) retails at $399, or $349 for organizational bulk purchases. Individual pieces are also available:

  • Ring: $199
  • Switch Cover: $75

Every device is compatible with others, so users can easily expand their setup. Patel notes a fun side effect: “Your ring will even work in your parents’ home, and vice versa. It has network effects—like a telephone, the more people that have it, the more beneficial every person’s device becomes.”

Practical features add to the appeal: the ring is waterproof, and its battery lasts six months on a single charge.

A Legacy of Accessibility

For Patel, Lotus is about more than convenience—it’s about impact.

“My favorite quote is from Hamilton: ‘What is legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see,’” he shares. “That’s why I started Lotus—to build something that continues helping people, even after we’re long gone.”

This tech could instantly transform an accessible hotel room or short term rental, going beyond ADA to welcoming. The low-cost set up makes it possible to install in multiple locations, with rings available for users who need them.