TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Denise Brodey

New Airline Therapy Dog Guidelines May Not Sit Well with Some

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It’s looA pug stares with a frown into the cameraking like some fuzzy friends will have a tougher time getting on board than they have in past years. The latest guidelines on flying with emotional support animals were announced, covering when and how pets can be transported. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules come on the heels of news that airlines and attendants were being overwhelmed by the number of emotional support animals—cats, dogs, bunnies, birds and beyond— being checked in to planes with their owners as emotional support animals. There were also safety concerns. The DOT remains committed to ensuring that our air transportation system is safe and accessible for everyone. Law enforcement’s focus will be on clear violations of the current rule and alleged violations of the Air Carrier Access Act, according to the report.

OUR TAKE: The guidelines clearly recognize the importance of service animals but are stricter on species, breeds, and documentation in advance of flights. (They do not banish pit bulls, but passengers with pigs, peacocks and squirrels should probably plan alternate routes. The rule favors airlines, saying that they have the right to turn away requests or animals if they seem to be of any threat to the public. .Animals can also be deterred if they are too large or too heavy or too small (under four months). The final statement can be found at regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2018-0067.

READ MORE

 

Mom Worried Her Son Would Bother His Seatmate on the Plane. But Instead…They Became Buddies

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If you saw the two seatmates cracking jokes and having fun on the direct flight from Las Vegas to PDX, you might have assumed that they were father and son. But this wasn’t the usual son-tells-father-to-stop-making-Dad-jokes banter. They were strangers: One, a 7-year-old autistic boy traveling on a short flight without his mom and the other, a passenger who happened to take the seat next to him. Because mom was a bundle of nerves, she decided to write a note of introduction for whoever might sit next to her son, shown here. The ride turned out to be a shining moment for both of them, each enjoying the trip and getting to know each other. The video has since gone viral. SEE MORE, here.   

OUR TAKE: If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. In the travel industry, which is all about new life experiences and connections, the story of the two seatmates couldn’t be a more appropriate example of that. Landon is definitely one of a kind! Find information on travel providers who specialize in working with people with autism, here. 

Personal Story: Arriving in the City That Never Sleeps Without My Legs

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When fashionista Madison Wilson arrived in New York City for Fashion Week, her wheelchair never made it off her departing flight and got left across the country. So, she had essentially arrived in the city that never sleeps while American Airlines left her legs in Chicago. When her wheelchair finally arrived in NYC five days later, it was broken and continued to become increasingly broken on the flight back home…READ MORE

OUR TAKE: Making connections with real people with real disabilities is the path to understanding them and the challenges they may face while traveling. At TravelAbility Summit, we take this idea seriously and our board, our content and our plans for our upcoming Summit all include the voices and experiences of people with disabilities. Use the links here to learn more about our Summit speakers and the Advisory Board instrumental in helping is to find such top-notch expertise.

photo credit: Madison Wilson

 

How to Plan a Cruise That’s Not a Snooze for People With Low Mobility

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flip flops at the edge of a pool that says 1.00M The flip flops have the British flag on them

Barbara and Jim Twardowski write about travel, lifestyle and boomer topics from the New Orleans area. In this piece for the New York Times, they have compiled some evergreen tips for cruise travel that are worth sharing, whether you’re worried about how to get from the plane to the ship or need an activity plan that caters to people with low mobility.  READ MORE

OUR TAKE: Planning is key to making the most out of a trip for people with disabilities. As part of the travel industry, it’s also one way you can make your organization stand out. Offering great service and suggestions to people who often feel overlooked (the disability community being one)is a great way to build incremental business and freshen up your collateral online and onboard.

 

Airlines, Hotels, Attractions Prove Disability Inclusion Isn’t Just the Right Thing to Do—It’s Great for Business

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an average of 28% higher revenue, 30% greater economic profit margins

According to a recent study of 140 U.S. companies by Accenture–alongside the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN those businesses that offered the most inclusive working environment for disabled employees achieved an average of 28% higher revenue, 30% greater economic profit margins, and twice the net income of their industry peers between 2015 and 2018. Here are 2019’s top travel-industry scorers on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a national comprehensive benchmarking tool.*

The following companies scored 80% or above on the DEI:

  • Airlines/Cruise Lines: American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United Airlines, Royal Carribean
  • Hotels: Choice Hotels
  • Attractions: The Walt Disney Company, Comcast NBCUniversal
    To learn  more about how they became models of inclusion in the travel sector, READ MORE

OUR TAKE: The business benefits of creating an inclusive workforce are now abundantly clear. But what are the benefits for travelers? The upside is huge, actually. An inclusive internal workforce is a natural pathway to creating accessible products and authentic marketing. The more first-hand knowledge you have of the disability community and the particular needs of a certain group, the better you will be able to serve that consumer. Kudos to all who scored in the top ranks on the Disability Equality Index, the most comprehensive benchmarking tool for disability inclusion.

*Please Note: A score of 100 does not mean to convey “perfection.” AAPD and Disability:IN recognize there is no one “right” way to practice inclusion, and that some practices may be more practical for some companies or industries than others. A score of 100 on the DEI simply means that a company adheres to many of the numerous leading disability inclusion practices featured in the DEI.