TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility Awards

24 Accessibility Champions to Watch in 2024

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We think of champions as the visionaries and motivators who inspire the rest of us with their commitment to a cause and, often, their eloquence which is always backed up by concrete action. We are kicking off a year-long celebration of 24 Champions of Inclusive Travel.

These are leaders from all parts of our movement who have made inclusion and accessibility a fundamental principle of their work. They are always looking to identify solutions to obstacles and practices that stand in the way of full and equal access for individuals with disabilities and sometimes that involves creating new approaches that can be scaled up in other locations. That’s how the Champions drive systematic change and a more inclusive future.

Each month we will feature interviews with two Champions in this newsletter. We begin the rollout this month with Richard Gray of Visit Lauderdale and Alison Brooks of Visit Mesa. 

Accessibility Champion: Richard Gray

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Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Accessibility for Visit Lauderdale

Q: When did you begin focusing on accessibility in your destination and what was the impetus for wanting to make your destination more accessible?

A: I am deeply passionate about making tourism accessible to ALL. To me, making tourism more accessible is a social responsibility and it is also a human right.

I have been involved in inclusion initiatives since 1991. That’s when I opened a gay-friendly hotel in Fort Lauderdale to provide a safe and fun accommodation for the gay traveler. Not many were reaching that market at that time. That’s when I understood how important it is for a destination to realize the needs of its diverse visitors. 

That same thinking led me to accessible tourism. One day, I realized there were only a handful of destinations catering to a traveler with differing physical and/or cognitive abilities. It didn’t sit well with me that millions of people could not enjoy our destination as I could. So, in 2020, I embarked on my journey to understand as much as I could about accessible tourism. At Visit Lauderdale, it is key that we promote inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunities for ALL individuals. Accessible tourism not only enhances the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, it also benefits the tourism industry economically.

Q: What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

A: I am the Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Accessibility for Visit Lauderdale. I have always been a believer in using marketing as a form of education and a firm believer of being gutsy and pushing barriers to market to all travelers. Just like when we became the first destination in the world to launch a transgender campaign to highlight the diversity, edge, and authenticity of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. The historic initiative was recognized by the United Nations. I intend to make a similar difference in the accessible space and expect Visit Lauderdale to be a loud voice for the accessible traveler. Recently, we have become a part of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and at the Broward County Convention Center. I’m very excited as we are the trailblazers here. The program allows people with hidden disabilities–such as learning difficulties, visual or hearing impairments, chronic pain, or any other hidden disability–to request extra time or help when traveling through the airport.

Quote: I have always been a firm believer of being gutsy and pushing barriers to market to all travelers.

Q: Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers that you face regarding the advancement of accessibility in your destination? What initiatives have you undertaken to improve accessibility in your destination, and which are you most proud of?

A: The most difficult obstacles for destinations attempting to advance accessibility include inadequate infrastructure and facilities, limited awareness and understanding of the needs of an accessible traveler, lack of government support and funding for accessibility initiatives, and social stigmas about persons with disabilities that can create barriers to inclusion and participation in tourism. Overcoming these challenges requires a collaborative effort involving government, businesses, industry leaders, and communities to prioritize accessibility and implement inclusive practices. At Visit Lauderdale, we are on a massive learning curve. We are committed to creating awareness, education and a warm welcome. We created a landing page with the most incredible accessible destination video. I am so proud of that video. The video highlights some of our fully accessible attractions like the Brightline, a high-speed passenger train that stops at key locations throughout South and Central Florida, Flamingo Gardens–a botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary, the Broward Center for Performing Arts–one of the top 10 most-visited theaters in the world, and adaptive kayaking on the intracoastal, to name a few. 

Q: Who do you follow? Name an organization/company/individual you look to for ideas or inspiration.   

A: Jake Steinman is my inspiration, mentor, and go-to person with anything in regard to accessibility. He is a wealth of knowledge, and the reason Visit Lauderdale is a Titanium sponsor of TravelAbility. I hold him in the highest regard. Others who inspire me include Mayaan Ziv of Access Now and Camilo Navarro and the whole team at Wheel the World.

Q: What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?

A: I will continue to learn much, much more about the accessible platform. Visit Lauderdale is committed to showcasing the beauty and versatility of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, but to ALL. We are a destination where inclusion truly shines. We welcome “Everyone Under the Sun,” as our tagline says. Last year in June 2023, we were able to host the Deaf Seniors of America Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel, with more than 1,000 hearing-impaired seniors from around the world. And in the coming year, we will be hosting a TravelAbility travel agent training session. Visit Lauderdale will continue its journey to becoming a fully accessible destination and a thought leader in the accessible tourism space. I am personally committed to that.

Marlee Matlin Makes History as Awards Show Host with Deaf Co-Star

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Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur pose with two others in front of an MAA backdrop

Oscar winners Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur who Co-Starred in the film CODA reunited as the first deaf co-hosts of the Media Access Awards, which celebrate films, television shows, and performances that include characters with disabilities. 

Matlin has seen significant progress in Hollywood’s understanding of accessibility but she emphasizes that there is still a long way to go. When she attends awards shows, she says she often feels drawn into the role of accessibility advisor. 

“I don’t want to call it worrying, but I’m still attending with something in the back of my mind saying, ‘How is it going to look? Who are the interpreters? Where are they going to place it? Where are we going to sit?’” she says. “More and more, they’re all talking about DEI — everybody in Hollywood. But they forget about access and accessibility. They forget that there is a group of us that needs access to be part of the whole picture.”  Read more.

TravelAbility TakeAway: Matlin articulates the double-duty that many individuals with disabilities are often compelled to take on. Beyond navigating an event or project on their own, they also take on the role of educating the organizers about accessibility. Matlin is a powerful spokesperson for the cause. 

Accessibility Champion: Alison Brooks

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Vice President, Destination Experience & Advocacy, Visit Mesa

Q: When did you begin focusing on accessibility in your destination and what was the impetus for wanting to make your destination more accessible?

A: Mesa became the first-ever Autism Certified City (IBCCES) in 2019. The response was so very positive, that we soon realized that inclusion through accessibility was a community shared value and we knew that we wanted to further expand accessibility through technologies, programs and education that would make a better experience for our visitors and residents alike.

Q: What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

A: I oversee our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility efforts, our partnership program and assist our CEO with governmental affairs.

Q: Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers that you face regarding the advancement of accessibility in your destination?

A: In a city so large (over 500K population), along with over 4 million visitors, the most challenging thing is bringing awareness to the many offerings we have in Mesa. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, Aira, Wheel the World partnership, autism certification, and Threshold 360 virtual tours from the accessibility perspective, are all fantastic ways that help people prepare for and enjoy their experience while in Mesa.  We do advertise these programs regularly through many platforms, as well as share them on our website and social media, but it still can be difficult to get the word out!

Q: What initiatives have you undertaken to improve accessibility in your destination, and which are you most proud of?

Quote: Drip learning will be a huge focus for us in 2024.

A: The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, Threshold 360 virtual tours, Aira, Wheel the World and Able Vu partnerships, and autism certification are all programs we’ve put into place for our destination. It’s hard to choose one that I’m most proud of, but I would say that I’m proud that Visit Mesa was the first to partner with many of these programs and work side-by-side to help implement their product into a destination. Becoming the first Verified Destination through Wheel the World was definitely icing on the cake.

Q: Who do you follow? Name an organization/company/individual you look to for ideas or inspiration.

A: Visit Tampa Bay does an amazing job with their accessibility and storytelling of inclusion overall! Of course, I have to give a “shout-out” to Travelability, as Jake Steinman and his team continue to make a profound impact on destinations becoming more accessible.

Q: What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?

A: We will continue to measure engagement with the programs we have in place now. Additionally, drip- learning will be a huge focus for us, as I strongly feel that education creates confidence for our partners to better serve guests with disabilities. I cannot share yet, but I can say we are working on something that could positively impact a lot of visitors and residents in the very near future.

TravelAbility Welcomes Eight New Advisory Board Members

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As evident from this jam-packed newsletter, TravelAbility is growing. In addition to launching new partnerships and initiatives, we are broadening and deepening our leadership by expanding our advisory board with a stellar group of executives, advocates, and industry insiders:

Suzanne Edwards, Head of Accessibility Standards, Airbnb. She is a wheelchair user and a surfer/para-athlete who will help Airbnb prepare for hosting Paralympians in 2024. Read more about Suzanne.

Curt Cottle, Senior Policy Advisor, National Tour and Travel Office (NTTO) . He represents the travel industry’s voice within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Read more about Curt.

Lesly Simmons,  Head of Community Innovation, Amazon. She is a pioneer in the event industry who created and curated impactful experiences for Amazon’s events division. Read more about Lesly.

Chris Collinson, Entrepreneur and Investor. He founded Connect and grew it into a strong leader in the meetings and events industry over 20 years, before retiring.  Read more about Chris.

Sophia Hyder Hoch, Chief Diversity Officer, Destinations International. She is our main contact as we work with DI to make accessibility available to all their 700+ destinations. Read more about Sophia.

Jason Holic, Sr. VP, Operations and Community Involvement/former politician, Experience Kissimmee. He has shown his ability to provide TravelAbility with insights on how to use data and creativity to motivate partners to adopt accessibility. Read more about Jason.

Alexander Hauerslev Jensen, Accessible Partnerships, Google, who helps create pathways to Google products that enhance the experiences of users with disabilities. Read more about Alexander

Rebcca Stair Gill,  VP Business Development, TravelAbility and publisher of Accessible Journeys.  She is a skilled marketer and builder of strategic, branded, social content partnerships. Read more about Rebecca.

View the full advisory board here.