TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Denise Brodey

Step-by-Step Guide to What Hotel Rooms Need (from a disabled dating coach and comedian)

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Comedian in wheelchair petting a dog that has a walking aid from Twitter
“We all know each other” comedian and dating coach Lakhani wrote on his Twitter feed.

In a guest blog for wheelchairtravel.org, comedian and self-described dating coach on wheels Amin Lakhani writes a detailed guide to assess whether a hotel room meets his needs (he has muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair ). Lakhani writes, “from my experience, accessible can mean vastly different things to different hotels, so my goal is to get 100% confirmation.” His detailed lists and sample letters are a lesson in advance planning—as well as candor and confidence that can be used as a rubric for anyone wondering how to make an accommodation wheelchair accessible. 

OUR TAKE: Being disability accessible has always been difficult because every disability has a spectrum and it is impossible to be accessible for everyone.  Mr. Lakhani gives the travel industry fresh insights as to how he prioritizes accessible features that mean something to him, while also providing a turnkey follow up e-mail template that guests can use during the booking process.  Additionally, the payoff for hotels is that there will fewer surprises at arrival, thereby reducing ill-will as well as the likelihood of possible litigation. 

Necessity Was Truly the Mother of Invention for This Launchpad Winner

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illustration of a rocket with the words TravelAbility Launchpad 2019
To learn more about Launchpad, view a summary of the 2019 winners here.

Several years ago Lesli Wang was searching for a portable toilet safety product for her mom, who suffers from a muscle-wasting disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis. She uses a commode over her toilet to reduce muscle strain when sitting and lifting, as well as to prevent falls.  While there were many raised toilet seats and toilet safety frames on the market, they were designed for in-home use and did not offer the portability we needed for visiting family and friends, in public restrooms, and when traveling. Wang conceived of a product her mom could carry and use easily to fill the gap in the market. Her savvy helped her to win a Launchpad Emerging Entrepreneur Award this November at TravelAbility Summit in San Francisco. “Launchpad helped me to make a personal connection with a future customer,” said Wang. “Putting faces to names and networking was invaluable for our company.” TravelAbility Insider caught up with Wang after the event for a Q&A:

Q: Why do you think no one else had created a similar product already? 

 It does seem simple—if one needs toilet safety at home, they would certainly need it outside the home. But there’s this misconception that ADA-compliant toilets address the concerns of everyone faced with challenged mobility. That’s incorrect. We saw a gap in the market and our research showed that the vast population using walking aids needs support close to the body to assist with lifting upright from a seated position.  

Q: What’s unique about the Free2Go Rollator design? 
It is designed to incorporate the benefits of a raised toilet seat and toilet safety frame into the walking aid already being used those with challenged mobility.  These benefits, along with being compact, making it ideal for travel. Essentially, someone with limited mobility can safely walk/roll into any bathroom, position the frame over a fixed toilet of any height, lift the padded seat and go—without needing extra help. 

Q: How is it being used in the travel industry?
The Free2Go Rollator has only recently been introduced to the travel industry. But I had realized the need a long time ago when traveling with Mom. We needed to be sure that she could safely use a toilet wherever we were. That meant lugging her cumbersome commode everywhere, including many hotel lobbies. But we did what was necessary at the time.  

Today, I travel frequently aboard cruise ships for business. The number of rollators aboard ship, on the tour buses and in port is quite significant. The numbers are clearly a sign that people are determined to maintain their independence regardless of physical limitations.  

Many of these travelers are using a raised toilet seat in their cabin; however, when out and about the ship, the distance from the ships’ food and entertainment venues to their cabin can be staggering; not a good situation for slow walkers.  The Free2Go Rollator allows them to safely use a toilet in any restroom aboard ship and, most importantly, when in port.  Risking a debilitating fall in a third world country shouldn’t be a worry.

Q: What use case scenarios do you envision for hotels, attractions, and museums?
A: I hear frequently from customers that they are finally able to resume activities independently outside their home. Before they had the product, they told me they thought restaurants with friends or going to theme parks with their grandchildren were all a thing of the past—simply because they could not perform the most basic act of daily living – using the toilet. With the Free2Go Rollator, they have exactly what they need to maintain their safety, independence and, most importantly, their dignity.

Q: What are your primary challenges for growth?

A: Being the sole owner and operator brings many challenges and it is hard to do it all.  To move Free2Go Mobility Products and the Free2Go Rollator forward in 2020, we will be seeking investment capital, as well as partners that offer management, mentoring, marketing and sales expertise. We got a sense of how to prioritize and think strategically about the future of the product through the advice we got at Launchpad.  

Q: What are your key learnings from the TravelAbility Summit?

A: The TravelAbility Summit solidified for me that the accessible travel industry ($17 billion in annual spending) is on the rise. It confirmed my thoughts that individuals, regardless of their limitations, are determined to engage in activities outside the home. Experiencing new things and socializing are key to barrier-free travel.  For all of us participating in the Summit, it was evident that the opportunities for our products and services are very promising. 

headshot of Lesli Wang smiling wearing white collared shirt

1st place winner, Emerging Business, TravelAbility Launchpad
Lesli Wang, Founder and CEO Free2GoMobility

Free Advice on How to Make Your Website Accessible

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hands pointing to a laptop

“Creating an accessible website is not just about ADA compliance,” writes Ann Smarty of ConvinceandConvert.com. “It’s about creating an opportunity for a huge part of your potential customer base to purchase from you or to join your community.” Smarty (pants, sorry we couldn’t resist the pun) also implores: “Ignore this cohort and you fail to serve one-fifth of the U.S. population.” Her plan includes both short- and long-term goals, some do-able in a matter of hours or days. The basics:

  • use clear language
  • large buttons
  • accessible forms and
  • detailed alternative text and titles.

OUR TAKE: People with disabilities do much of their buying online—if and when the website they attempt to use is accessible. Let’s be honest—by leaving your website unaltered you’re basically sending a middle finger to the disability community. We feel so strongly about accessibility the TravelAbility Summit featured three different website developers, each with a different approach as well as defense and plaintiff to address the issue. 

20 Accessible Travel Predictions For 2020

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words 2020 written out with binoculars in the background

The travel industry, thanks to collaboration with disability experts, is entering the next decade well positioned to make a difference in the lives of the 1 in 5 people with a disability. Here are our bold predictions, drawn from insights from hundreds of blog posts, several podcasts, as well as scores of conversations during our listening tour following the first annual TravelAbility Summit held in 2019 in San Francisco.

  1. More awareness by travel companies about the need for accessibility to become a core value. It’s a must for companies who are trying to understand how to prepare for the Silver Tsunami of baby boomers as they age into reduced mobility.
  2. More emphasis on Universal Design of public spaces and guest rooms as hotels undergo renovations on a 15- or 20-year cycle. More hotels will promote their accessible rooms to locals who have a relative or friend with a disability visiting, but their homes are not accessible.
  3. More media hype around the 30th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). This will no doubt result in increased pressure on the travel industry to level up their accessibility game.
  4. Fewer damaged wheelchairs as airlines begin to work together to develop more effective “below the wing” baggage handler training for power wheelchairs. When damaged, they’re expensive to repair and have led to four and five-figure settlements.
  5. An increase in “drive-by” ADA compliance lawsuits around accessible websites. The increase in lawsuits over web accessibility will be driven by the current vagaries in standards and the precedent set by the 2019 Domino’s pizza case. (A recap of ADA website actions for the past three years can be found here.)
  6. More support from elected officials for accessibility initiatives as disability is one of the few bipartisan issues that bring everyone together. Just this year, aware of the potential voting power of Baby Boomers, the Mayors of Philadelphia, Chicago, Reno and New York City all embraced accessibility as a civic goal as have several governors.
  7. Less lip service from hotels about how accessible they are as they continue to offer only what is required by the ADA, a law that is 30 years old. Also: more scrambling to improve their face-to-face accessibility staff as Boomers age into a disability.
  8. More destinations proactively becoming accessible as this accessibility becomes viewed as the easiest (and least expensive) form of product development. More destinations will follow the lead of Eugene, Oregon, which has collaborated with their City Manager to increase accessibility in nature parks and public transportation. (As an example, here’s how Travel Oregon promoted accessible nature options.).
  9. More airports leading the way in technology and training for aging travelers as well as those with hidden disabilities. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport now offers lanyards to those on the autism spectrum that allow them to pre-board flights. Seventeen airports participated in the ARC Wings for Autism initiative as well as the self-driving wheelchair initiative at Narita Airport.
  10. More affluent Baby Boomers leasing accessible rooms in hotels rather than moving into an assisted living center, which they see as an old-age home. Anecdotal evidence indicates this is already happening.
  11. More “sharing economy” companies such as Lyft, Uber, and Airbnb expanding their accessibility offerings to fill a need that has not been well served by taxi companies. Uber WAV now enables drivers to rent rear-entry accessible vehicles with ramps.
  12. More adaptive technology and “longevity” products targeting Boomers with age-related reduced mobility, vision and hearing loss. Some of these products will improve travel. For example, prominent Silicon Valley VC firm Andreeson Horowitz led a $20 million funding round for “Honor” which connects home care workers with seniors—a service that can also be used while on vacation.
  13. More family-oriented destinations and attractions embracing training to accommodate those on the autism spectrum as well as certification to ensure loyalty of customer base.
  14. Increasingly, Millennials find accessibility to be “cool.” Although difficult to measure, anecdotally the younger generation considers organizations that prioritize accessibility as more aligned with their personal values.
  15. A greater prioritization of Visitor Service training programs–both in-person and online—will proliferate as consumer-facing staff of travel suppliers will need to understand ways to address problems that arise during the check-in process and the stay.
  16. More hotel concierges conducting in-depth research about the accessibility features of the attractions and restaurants they are recommending. Along with a list of recommended places to eat and things to do, the concierge will offer an accessible guide to recommended restaurants, attractions, and museums.
  17. Incidences of “parking-shaming” are on the rise. Already a common occurrence, wheelchair users will become vocal when they find spaces occupied by drivers with questionable handicap permits.  There’s even an APP for that (see more here.) We also predict that shortly, travelers with a disability will be able to reserve an adjacent parking space during the booking process.
  18. More college-level tourism programs incorporating courses with accessibility and visitor experience training. This trend could evolve to become a pipeline for organizations looking to hire talent with disability and inclusion experience. Here’s an example from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Hospitality program.
  19. The cost for a website to become ADA compliant will decrease dramatically as Google begins to “deprioritize” non-accessible websites in search results. Already innovative start-ups such as Accessibe, which can convert a 1000 page website into compliance using AI technology for under $500 per year, has attracted nearly 20,000 clients–including TravelAbility Summit.
  20. An all-out search for euphemisms to replace the word “disabled”. The search will likely be led by Boomers who abandoned words like handicapped or wheelchair-bound because they felt pejorative and insulting. Perhaps this is the year for AARP to launch a contest to find a more modern term incorporating reduced mobility and empowerment.

Why Airbnb Is Sponsoring the Olympics and Paralympics through 2028

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Man on a bike with three wheels training with a helmet on.

Airbnb has signed sponsorship agreements with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee through 2028, a move aimed at offering alternative housing options around the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The joint announcement in SportsTravelMagazine.com also explains that Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere, according to its Cofounder Joe Gebbia. “We are proud that the Olympic (including Paralympic) spirit will be carried by our community.”

OUR TAKE: Highlighting the pride and accomplishments of athletes on the world stage is brilliant marketing—but there’s more you should know. Japan’s laws require that hotels have only one accessible room for the disabled which has caused a torrent of criticism for the organizers. (This for a country whose fertility rate is so low that one economist estimated that, if it were to continue at the same level, by the year 2400 there would be no one left in the country). Airbnb hopes to supplement the dearth of hotel rooms available with accessible homes.