Denise Brodey

TravelAbility Summit 2019, held this November in San Francisco, was the first national summit that explored ways the travel industry can better serve the disability community.  While sessions and panels during the Summit identified a substantial disconnect between the two groups, the event provided a bridge between the network of travel industry professionals and the travelers with disabilities attending the conference. Bringing together these communities that might otherwise not speak with each other was a major achievement of the Summit. We are committed to continuing this critical conversation.  

While the conference focused on the intersection of travel and accessibility, it also created the opportunity for the disability community, which is built around advocacy groups promoting access for specific disabilities, to come together over the common cause of accessible travel.  What these groups all have in common is the aspiration to travel because it’s the toy department of life. We were delighted to make this happen

Here are our top takeaways from this year’s Summit:

1. “Nothing About Us Without Us.” This should be the guiding principle for any travel organization that wants to increase its accessibility. This means destinations building accessible products and content being featured on their website should include advice from local organizations representing different disabilities. Consultation with people with disabilities should be the first step when hotels are renovating ADA rooms. Accessibility initiatives should be taken in partnership with people with disabilities
2. Accessibility is Good for Business Significant numbers were presented indicating the size of the accessible needs travel market, the growing numbers as we age into disability, and the friends/family/companions/caregivers directly impacted by travel decisions. Something we can change: 87% of autism-affected families don’t travel at all. 
3. Accessibility is Hospitality. The Americans with Disabilities Act will turn 30 in 2020. Three decades after the passage of ADA, compliance makes travel possible—but far from pleasant. “Accessible” isn’t a decent definition. Many establishments still don’t do enough and empathy cannot be regulated. Wheelchair travelers need hotel and bathroom interior photos; blind travelers need housekeepers who don’t move items. 
4. Lowering the Fear Factor For Travelers Must Be a Focus. Fear of the unknown plays a big factor when people with disabilities are considering destinations and especially hotels, while fear of imperfection makes many hotels and attractions ambivalent and/or uncomfortable about welcoming disabled guests.
5. Fear Motivates. Some fears can be productive and result in compliance action: FOGS (Fear of Getting Sued) and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) are primary motivators of compliance.
6. There Are Easy Fixes. While almost all hotels post images of their rooms, public space, and exterior on their websites for everyone to see, few include photos of their ADA accessible rooms, which is critical for those with disabilities to determine if the hotel is right for them. 
7. Empathy Creates Change. Language, empathy, and understanding matter. Because people don’t know what to say or how to say it, they should simply ask, “How can I assist you?” In fact, many travelers with special needs indicate that potentially litigious situations could be nipped in the bud through better frontline staff training.   
8. Count Me In: Volunteers Are Abundant and Available. for initiatives and events where they can help people with disabilities.  For example, Be My Eyes, a free app that connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers from all over the world through a live video call now has 3 million volunteers and 150,000 users. 
9. All Disabilities Have a Spectrum. Autism isn’t the only disability with a spectrum. Every disability has a spectrum which makes it impossible to be accessible for everyone. However, as Aaron Clefton, an ADA plaintiff attorney panelist told the audience, “If my clients had been treated with respect and had their problems addressed with courtesy, none of them would have sued.” 
10. ROI for Accessibility is Real. It’s really quite simple:  If you’re accessible for those who are disabled today, you’ll be accessible for the 77 million Baby Boomers who have the wealth, time and interest to travel as they age into a disability tomorrow.
11. Universal Design Benefits Everyone.  Curb cuts were originally for wheelchair users but they are also used for baby carriages, scooters, skateboarders. AVA, one of the products featured in Launchpad, is a voice-to-text service where deaf attendees can easily follow what presenters are saying through their app.  At the same time, everyone can click “save” and they will have a PDF of the speech.  Prominent hotel chains such as Marriott are working on the accessible rooms of the future. 
12. Destinations Are the Evangelists of Accessibility As a collection of suppliers and a conduit of information, DMOs are in a good advocacy position to share information, spearhead movements, promote certification, host workshops, raise awareness, train and amplify the message. 
13. Compliance Goes Beyond Having An Accessible Website. Having accurate up-to-date information about accessibility on a travel supplier or destination’s website is the most effective form of customer service, but efforts shouldn’t end there.
14. Nature Belongs to Everyone. National and local parks and beaches are developing innovative approaches to help people with a variety of disabilities enjoy nature and the salutary effects that outdoor activities bring to everyone.  
15. Family and Caregivers Need Vacations Age-related diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers are stressful for caretakers. Leaving a cognitively challenged elder at home is not an option. Vacation options that provide solutions are in demand
16.  There Are P.R. benefits to Becoming Accessible. Destinations and suppliers who have promoted their accessibility initiatives have received favorable coverage from local news outlets as it is viewed as cutting edge and positive service for the community.   
17. Practical Products Solve Accessibility Problems. TravelAbility’s pre-conference LaunchPad, a pitchfest featuring 15 companies (a mix of start-ups and established businesses), showcased emerging assistive technology and products to the travel and disability community. The voting outcome revealed that the judges favored practical products engineered for everyday use over emerging technology. 
18. Inspo-Porn Is a Thing. “Inspiration porn”, which people with a disability find offensive, is the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability.  Someone needs to tell the news media and their viewers. Learn more.
19. Simulating the Travel Experience Creates Real Benefits. It has been proven, from airports to air carriers to hotels, simulation reduces anxiety among those on the autism spectrum. It opens great possibilities for virtual reality technology.
20. Awareness Creates Community. Connecting with people with disabilities, exposure to ideas and innovation plus resources creates a new travel community committed to accessibility.