TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility Champion of Change

Accessibility Champions of Change: Disabled Travelers Shaping the Travel Industry

by Leave a Comment

By Jennifer Allen

TravelAbility’s Accessibility Champions are trailblazers, waymakers, and bold leaders who have transformed destination and brand cultures through inclusion. Honorees have included people like Alison Brooks, who helped create the nation’s first autism-certified city; Tami Reist, who repositioned North Alabama as a destination for all; and Kevin Wright, who led the effort to make his state the first accessibility-certified state. 

This Disability Pride Month, we’re celebrating a different kind of change maker. These are the people who are boldly going, regardless of barriers, and creating a way for others to follow. These disabled travelers are not only showing the disability community what’s possible, but they’re showing destinations where the gaps in accessibility are holding them back, and inspiring them and working with them to pave the way for future visitors.

As a disability mom, I’ve benefited first hand from the change that has taken place in their wake. When I research a destination, it’s their blogs that I turn to. When we experience a barrier-free vacation, I know it’s because one of them has gone before me, raising the awareness to create change. It’s only because disabled people travel that destinations are working to become more accessible. ROI’s become more poignant as trail blazers find a way to go before the going is smooth. In this era in between awareness and change, that travel requires a certain level of bravery and resilience. 

These travelers may not be intentional advocates, but in showing up they’re raising awareness of the needs for all who may follow. Travel may be their only intention, but as they continue to go and explore the world is taking shape around them to better welcome all.

Cory Lee – Wheelchair Travel

Cory Lee, a wheelchair traveler, smiles while sitting in a beach wheelchair on a white sand beach with the ocean and beachgoers in the background.

It was only weeks after receiving the diagnosis that stated our 15 month old son would never walk again. We were trying to find our way out of a slump by finding our way back into the world. My husband was scouring the internet from the sofa, looking for possibilities for a kid in a wheelchair when he perked up and summoned me to take a look. “Have you seen this Cory Lee guy? He’s been to all seven continents in a wheelchair!” Here we were, wondering if we’d ever be able to hike again, while this guy had already conquered the world in his chair. That was a turning point for us. We went from wondering how we would ever do anything, to figuring out how we could do everything.

Cory Lee is a full time wheelchair user, travel writer, and content creator. After being told he couldn’t have a job because he was in a wheelchair and the job would require travel, he ironically decided to make travel his job. He shares accessibility highlights from his journeys, and he meets with destinations to go over any barriers he experienced and ways to improve.

After working with NYC, Cory Lee pointed out the inconvenience that his only accessible room options required him to share a bed with his caregiver. They listened to his concerns, and when I visited with my children a few years later we were able to find accessible rooms with two beds. This is what progress looks like.

↪Learn more about working with Cory Lee.

Sassy Wyatt – Travel for Blind and Low Vision

Sassy Wyatt sits on a park path, smiling as she holds the paw of her black guide dog wearing a harness and bright yellow collar.

Even as a fierce advocate for accessibility and inclusion, I’m aware that I live with the ableist tendencies that come from not knowing any better. 

I didn’t understand why travel was so valuable to a person who can’t see the experience until Sassy Wyatt stood on the TravelAbility Summit stage and graciously explained it to me. I learned how her accessibility barriers are different from mine and that she’s fully aware when people like me are standing around silently, not sure how to interact. When she came off the stage and was finding her way back to her room, I asked if she needed any help, just like she’d taught me from the stage. She took my arm and I followed her pace to lead her to the elevator. When she complimented my guide skills and asked if I had experience, I didn’t know how to tell her that I had never spoken to a person who was blind in real life before that moment. 

Sassy Wyatt’s encouragement goes far beyond giving me the confidence to interact with people who are different from me. She shares her travel experiences on social media, opening eyes to a travel experience that is boldly different from a sighted person’s experience. Reaching travelers with needs like hers, she shows them all that is possible, while working with destinations to raise awareness and improve upon what’s available. As an accessibility consultant, she helps bridge the gap in both the physical and digital worlds.

↪Learn more about working with Sassy Wyatt.

Alex Stratikis – Adventures with Autism

Alex Stratikis smiles while overlooking a desert oasis landscape, wearing a red shirt, sunglasses, and a backpack.

Do people with Autism even want to travel? Alex’s lifestyle screams YES! 

While parents like me are wondering how to navigate changes in schedule and sensory challenges, and destinations are fumbling over how to create spaces that welcome the rapidly growing population of both children and adults with autism, Alex is showing them how it’s done. His writings show why people with autism should travel, and how to do it well. His advocacy takes accessibility beyond a moral obligation that businesses and organizations should be aligning themselves with, to showcase it as the undisputable business opportunity that should not go unnoticed. 

With 66 countries under his belt, Alex is a pioneer in travel with autism as he works to support the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors to improve accessibility and attract neurodivergent travelers.

↪Learn more about working with Alex Stratikis.

The blue stripe in the disability pride flag, representing mental health disabilities, tends to be the most overlooked.

Angie Reagan – Pushing through with Mental Health Disabilities

Mental health travel advocate Angie Reagan takes a group selfie with her service dog and community members, including a man using an adaptive handcycle, at a Tahoe-area park.

The blue stripe in the disability pride flag, representing mental health disabilities, tends to be the most overlooked. 

While the travel industry is only beginning to recognize the impact mental health can have on travel, Angie is helping bring those conversations into the spotlight. Traveling with her service dog, Simba, Angie openly shares her experiences navigating a world that is not always understanding or accommodating of invisible disabilities. Too often, people with mental health disabilities face skepticism, barriers, or closed doors. Yet Angie continues to show up, travel, and advocate for others who face the same challenges.

Through Access Tahoe, she brings people together for roundtables, outreach events, and community discussions designed to gather input, share progress, and create practical solutions. Her work empowers individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations to build more inclusive environments in public spaces, workplaces, and everyday interactions.

By sharing both her travels and her personal journey, Angie is helping destinations better understand an often-overlooked segment of the disability community. Her willingness to keep moving forward, even while battling her own depression, is raising awareness, challenging misconceptions, and helping create a more welcoming world for future travelers.

↪Learn how to work with Angie.

Joel Barish – Travel for Deaf and Low Hearing

Deaf travel advocate Joel Barish jumps playfully above an abandoned, graffiti-painted airplane at an urban site during his travels.

When destinations talk about accessibility, Deaf travelers are often left out of the conversation. Joel Barish is helping to change that, one adventure at a time.

Having visited more than 108 countries, Joel has made it his mission to experience and share Deaf culture around the world. Through sign language videos and social media, he has introduced thousands of viewers to Deaf communities in every corner of the globe, proving that travel is richer when it includes everyone.

As co-founder of DeafNation, Joel hosts No Barriers with Joel Barish, a travel series that takes viewers along as he explores destinations, samples local cuisine, meets Deaf business owners, and uncovers the stories behind the places he visits. Along the way, Joel works with tourism offices to increase awareness and accessibility for Deaf travelers while highlighting Deaf-owned businesses and accessible experiences.

↪ Learn more about working with Joel Barish.

Growing older doesn’t have to mean staying home.

Jack and Elaine – The Aging Traveler

Senior travel advocates Jack and Elaine take a selfie in front of a historic European castle on a bright, sunny day.

The travel industry spends a lot of time talking about the future traveler. Jack and Elaine are already showing us who that traveler will be.

As millions of Baby Boomers age into disability, destinations are facing a new reality: travelers who still want adventure but may need more information, more flexibility, and more thoughtful accommodations along the way. Through their platform, Seniors with Latitude, Jack and Elaine are helping both travelers and destinations navigate that transition.

Growing older doesn’t have to mean staying home. Along the way, they share practical guidance on everything from packing and trip preparation to staying safe on the road, giving older adults the confidence to keep exploring. Their partnerships with destinations help highlight what works, identify opportunities for improvement, and demonstrate the growing value of welcoming aging travelers well.

↪Learn more about working with Jack and Elaine.

15 TravelAbility Partners Named to Forbes Accessibility 200 List

by

The Forbes Accessibility 200 highlights the biggest innovators and impact-makers in accessibility, from juggernauts like Microsoft to VC-seeking startups. Based on more than 700 interviews and input from an expert advisory board across all sectors of business and society, the list highlights companies, individuals, and organizations that make the world more available to everyone.

This year’s list features 15 TravelAbility partners and community members who have earned the right to this notable recognition. Congrats, change makers!

  • 360 Direct Access 
  • Access Trax 
  • Aira
  • AirBnB 
  • Be My Eyes 
  • Fora Travel  
  • Google  
  • Lotus Laboratories 
  • Making Space 
  • Samaritan Partners 
  • Sign-Speak 
  • Squirmy & Grubs 
  • Waymo 
  • We Hear You 
  • Wheel the World 
See the full list here

Accessibility Champion Kristy Durso Ties the Knot by Creating Inclusive Wedding Venues

by

When Kristy Durso, TravelAbility’s ambassador and full time wheelchair user, began planning her daughter Gavilan’s wedding, she expected the usual details: flowers, food, music, seating charts.

What she didn’t expect was how often accessibility still falls completely outside the conversation.

That realization became the foundation for what is quickly growing into one of the most exciting new inclusion initiatives in the travel and events space: accessible weddings.

The idea first began taking shape after Durso’s inclusive vow renewal at Beaches Turks & Caicos, where she saw firsthand what happens when accessibility is intentionally integrated into a celebration centered around family, connection, and joy.

“There’s this assumption automatically that it’s selfish to plan a destination wedding,” she said. “Or that the disabled person just isn’t going to be able to go.”

Kristy Durso

“Nobody’s doing this,” Durso said. “And I can’t think of a single other life event that is more family-oriented and should be more inclusive than a wedding.” Studies repeatedly show weddings as one of the top reasons for travel among the aging population, where we have the highest rates of disability.

Yet too often, accessibility is treated as optional. Or worse, it’s considered too late.

“How often does it end up being, ‘Well, grandma’s not coming because it’s not accessible?’” she asked.

Durso remembers consulting with a travel advisor planning a destination wedding in Mexico when online comments immediately questioned why someone would host a destination wedding if disabled family members couldn’t attend.

“There’s this assumption automatically that it’s selfish to plan a destination wedding,” she said. “Or that the disabled person just isn’t going to be able to go.”

That mindset is exactly what she wants to change.

Accessibility Starts Before the Venue Tour

One of Durso’s biggest frustrations is that many venues market themselves as “accessible” while only considering part of the experience.

“The inside facility where the reception happens may be accessible,” she explained. “They may have what they think is an accessible restroom. But that doesn’t mean they thought about accessibility for the wedding itself.”

Outdoor ceremonies remain one of the biggest barriers.

“How many weddings are in a forest, on the beach, or in the grass?” she said. “There’s no way for the wheelchair user to safely get there.”

And the issue extends far beyond wheelchair users.

“It affects the aunt who’s had a stroke, the grandfather who uses a walker, the child who uses a wheelchair, the athlete who’s on crutches that week,” Durso said. “Accessibility should be thought of from the very beginning.”

Because several guests had environmental allergies, the wedding used silk flowers instead of real arrangements. Durso also discovered that many smaller caterers still lack a true understanding of food allergies and cross contamination.

“Your destination is known for weddings,” she said, “and it may be known for accessibility,but is it known for accessible weddings?”

Kristy Durso

“They think they can sanitize equipment and use the same equipment,” she said. “What they don’t realize is they’re getting lucky.”

In her view, many guests with severe allergies are quietly adapting rather than speaking up.

“They’re either incredibly lucky, eating before the wedding, or bringing their own food,” she said.

“I want accessible weddings,” she said. “I want accessibility to be a question from the get-go.”

The Questions Nobody Asks

Some of the most important accessibility solutions, Durso says, cost absolutely nothing.

While speaking with a DJ during the wedding planning process, she encountered a question she had never heard asked before.

“He asked if there would be anybody there who had epilepsy and if he should leave the strobe light at home,” she said.

When she later asked whether that was a standard question for all weddings, the answer was no.

“He asked because I specifically said we were planning something accessible.”

For Durso, that moment perfectly illustrates the gap between awareness and infrastructure.

“That should be a standard question every single time,” she said. “It’s a two-and-a-half-second question. There’s no cost to asking it, but the cost of not asking it could be great.”

Building the Blueprint for Inclusive Weddings at the 2026 TravelAbility Summit

For destinations already investing heavily in accessibility, Durso believes weddings represent a massive untapped opportunity.

“Places like Tampa or Huntington Beach are already popular wedding destinations,” she said. “If they’re already investing in accessibility, this is the next link they haven’t explored yet.”

Durso is now working to help the wedding industry create practical systems that make accessibility easier to implement from the start.

As part of her efforts, she’ll be presenting at the 2026 TravelAbility Summit to help destinations create better accessibility intake forms, build relationships with accessibility suppliers, and connect them with the tools and equipment that can make any wedding welcoming for all.

One question, she says, should already be on every destination’s radar:

“Your destination is known for weddings,” she said, “and it may be known for accessibility,but is it known for accessible weddings?”

Accessibility Does Not Exist in a Vacuum

At the core of Durso’s work is a larger philosophy that extends well beyond weddings.

“If we continue to talk about accessibility as its own topic in a vacuum, then we’re going to continue to fail people with disabilities,” she said.

That idea has become central to her broader advocacy work and perfectly aligns with TravelAbility’s mission of connecting accessibility across every aspect of life and travel.

“When we talk about sports tourism but don’t include accessibility, we fail people with disabilities,” she explained. “When we talk about the wedding industry and don’t include accessibility, we fail people with disabilities.”

For Durso, accessibility is not a niche topic.

“It exists in all areas of life,” she said. “No event should exist without the thought of accessibility.”

Visit Mesa Launches Food Inclusivity Program Removing One of the Greatest Barriers in Accessible Travel

by

With the mission to become one of the most accessible states in the U.S., there’s always something new coming from Mesa, Arizona. In this article, Alison Brooks shares about the latest initiatives that are changing the approach to inclusion in travel.

Food as the Overlooked Barrier in Accessible Travel

Food safety is often overlooked in conversations about accessibility, but it should not be. Food allergies affect an estimated 32 million Americans, including millions of children. Even if it is not something you personally experience, it is highly likely that someone you are traveling with does.

When you think about accessibility holistically, it is not just about physical infrastructure or sensory considerations. It is about whether someone can fully participate in the experience. If a visitor does not feel safe eating in your destination, that limits their ability to engage, explore, and enjoy their stay.

This is why food inclusivity matters. It is fundamental, not optional.

Introducing the Food Inclusivity Program

Visit Mesa’s food inclusivity program is a natural evolution of the work we’ve already been leading in accessibility. 

As the first Autism Certified City in the country and the first destination verified by Wheel the World, we’ve spent years building a foundation that prioritizes inclusion across the full visitor experience. That includes initiatives like Aira for blind and low-vision individuals and adoption of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program across the city.

As we evaluated the full travel journey, one gap became very clear: food. No matter who you are or how you travel, everyone has to eat. For visitors with food allergies, sensitivities, or dietary restrictions, that part of the experience can create anxiety and uncertainty, often limiting where they feel comfortable going.

Our food inclusivity program was designed to address that gap directly. At its core, it focuses on education, preparedness, and awareness across the hospitality community. In partnership with the Kyah Rayne Foundation, we are providing free, on-demand food allergen certification training for anyone who comes into contact with food, whether at a hotel, restaurant, or attraction. The goal is to ensure staff understand common allergens and, just as importantly, know how to respond in the event of an emergency.

This initiative is about creating an environment where visitors can feel more confident and supported, knowing that the destination has taken intentional steps to prioritize their safety and comfort.

If You Build It…

Building it is not enough. In order to draw visitors, guests need to know that the measures in place are real, ongoing, and widely adopted across the destination. Building trust starts with consistency and transparency.

For us, that means continuing to actively communicate this initiative, both through our marketing efforts and through direct engagement with our partners. It is not a one-time effort. We are regularly reconnecting with businesses to reinforce the importance of food safety, refresh training, and encourage best practices.

Simple but meaningful steps, such as clearly labeling food at buffets, adding allergen and dietary information to menus, and making that information easily accessible on websites.

That includes simple but meaningful steps, such as clearly labeling food at buffets, adding allergen and dietary information to menus, and making that information easily accessible on websites. These actions help visitors make informed decisions before they even arrive.

Equally important is the partnership itself. This only works if our hospitality community is engaged and committed. Over time, that consistency helps build confidence.

It is also important to acknowledge that no system is ever perfect. However, as we move into the next phase of the program, adding tools like EpiPens on-site provides an additional layer of reassurance that safety has been thoughtfully considered.

Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery

Our hope is that this initiative does not remain unique to Mesa. It should be adopted, adapted, and improved by destinations everywhere. Creating safer, more inclusive environments benefits not just visitors, but entire communities.

The initiative is structured in phases to allow for both immediate impact and long-term growth.

Phase one, which is currently underway, focuses on education. Through our partnership with the Kyah Rayne Foundation, we are offering free, on-demand allergen awareness and safety certification to our hospitality partners. This ensures a consistent baseline of knowledge across the destination.

Phase two expands into preparedness. Working with the Mesa for All Foundation, a community-led nonprofit that grew out of Visit Mesa’s accessibility efforts, we plan to help equip participating establishments with EpiPens. This adds a critical layer of safety and responsiveness in the event of a severe allergic reaction.

Phase three broadens the scope of inclusivity beyond allergens. This includes integrating training around food sensitivities, cultural and religious dietary considerations, and overall awareness that supports a wider range of visitor needs.

For destinations looking to follow a similar path, the starting point is partnership. The Kyah Rayne Foundation operates nationally and provides a strong framework for training and certification. Engaging a partner like that, and then aligning your local hospitality community around a shared goal, is the most effective way to begin building momentum.

For destinations looking to follow a similar path, the starting point is partnership.

Up Next for Mesa

We recently hosted Dani from Love on the Spectrum, which was an exciting opportunity to have someone with a large and engaged audience experience Mesa and share our accessibility efforts with their followers. Moments like that help amplify the work in a very authentic way.

We also signed a four-year agreement to host the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Championships at the Arizona Athletic Grounds. This is a significant opportunity to collaborate with partners like Wheel the World and others to ensure the experience is seamless from the moment athletes begin planning their trip to the time they are on the court competing. It is about removing friction at every stage and creating an environment where people feel welcomed and supported.

At the same time, the work does not stop with new initiatives or major events. A key focus moving forward is continuing to refine what we have built and making sure people are aware of it. That includes not only visitors, but also the residents and businesses who bring these experiences to life. One cannot succeed without the other.

1 Million Impacted: Meg Raby and KultureCity Create Sensory Inclusion One Bag at a Time

by

By Jennifer Allen

While most people are familiar with the five senses, KultureCity teaches about eight. Then they introduce a powerful ninth: the sense of belonging.

Some leaders build programs. Others build belonging.

TravelAbility’s Advisory Board member Meg Raby Klinghoffer is doing both. As Chief Koji Officer at KultureCity, sensory training developer and trainer, writer, speaker, and autistic self-advocate Meg’s default setting is “world changer” – on and off the clock.

KultureCity is the nation’s leading nonprofit in sensory accessibility and inclusion, serving the one in four individuals with invisible disabilities or sensory sensitivities. While most people are familiar with the five senses, KultureCity teaches about eight. Then they introduce a powerful ninth: the sense of belonging.

“Yes, there are tools that are needed. Yes, there’s training that’s needed,” Meg says. “But that foundation of curiosity and empathy toward guests, patrons, and your own staff is essential for actual accessibility and inclusion to happen.”

That ninth sense of belonging is what Meg champions every day.

Leading with Curiosity

If it seems like Meg’s work and life blur together, it’s because her passion is deeply personal and woven through every part of her story. As a child, and an autistic rule-follower, she wore a back brace 23 hours a day for her scoliosis. She had many diagnoses and exceptionalities, but living in constant physical discomfort while navigating life with autism sharpened her empathy early.

It also shaped the advice she now shares with partners across the country: “It’s all about having curiosity about one another.”

In her trainings, she encourages staff to assume guests are well-intentioned. To pause before reacting. To wonder what kind of morning someone may have had. To consider what unseen challenges might be influencing behavior. “It’s not just a cliche phrase, it’s completely truthful: no matter who it is, or how averse to a person you may feel, we have no idea what’s going on in someone else’s life.” When we operate from curiosity instead of judgment, everything changes.

That same empathy extends beyond trainings and boardrooms.

In 2019, Meg published My Brother Otto, a children’s book celebrating neurodiversity and sibling connection. The book has become a powerful entry point for conversations about autism, difference, and belonging.

She also serves as the autistic maternal voice for Scary Mommy, where her honest, often humorous essays on parenting and neurodiversity have reached thousands of readers. Through storytelling, she does what she does best: makes invisible experiences visible.

Turning Passion into Impact

Meg wears many hats at KultureCity. She oversees Koji, the organization’s free AI communication tool within the app. She co-develops and delivers more than a dozen sensory accessibility trainings, including specialized modules for environments like zoos, aquariums, and museums. She leads customer success and partnership engagement. She also helps guide the organization’s growing footprint in travel alongside TravelAbility.

With more than 3,000 certified locations and over one million sensory bags distributed, KultureCity now partners with organizations ranging from local businesses to NFL and NBA venues. Super Bowl host stadiums are required to be trained. Airports across the country are embracing sensory inclusion. Entire cities are exploring certification.

For Meg, success is simple: someone walks into a space, goes to a game, or boards a plane and thinks, They thought of me.

What Keeps it all Moving

When asked about the KultureCity’s fast and steady expansion, Meg brings it back to personal connection and story. There’s always some connection to someone with a need, and that’s what will continue to fuel passion and growth. For example, moved by the story of a coworker’s autistic son, the Salt Lake City International Airport didn’t stop at installing a single sensory room — they built three, thoughtfully spaced throughout the facility. They paired them with staff training and sensory bags for travelers.

When an artistic river tunnel connecting terminals began causing dizziness and migraines for some seniors with dementia, the airport reached out again, asking what more could be done.

Of course KultureCity was ready with suggestions: strobe-reduction glasses, noise-canceling headphones, clear signage, and sanitizing stations on both sides of the tunnel so travelers can borrow tools as they pass through.

“That’s when you know a partner is all in,” Meg says. “When they ask, ‘What more can we do?’”

Creating Cohesion in a Fragmented Space

“There’s so much out there, so many options that it can put you into freeze mode, and you don’t know where to begin,” Meg explains. “The issue with all things disability is there are not a lot of go-to resources with cohesion.” You may look at dozens of options, and they’re all good options, but how do you know which one will make the most difference?

The KultureCity symbol has become a widely recognized sign of welcome for those seeking sensory-friendly spaces. “Our goal is not to be a monopoly, but to be a symbol — that all who see it will think, ‘Oh my gosh. They thought of me, or of my child, or mother, or brother, or sister.’” 

That symbol matters. Because visibility matters.

“We’re in this to make the world better for those who feel unseen,” she says. “It doesn’t have to take much money or much time, and the impact is immeasurable.”

For organizations hesitant to begin, she offers reassurance.

“People will think, ‘I have to change so much.’ And there’s something gentle and inviting about partnering with KultureCity.” It’s accessible and comprehensive — meeting organizations wherever they are on their inclusion journey.

Inclusion doesn’t require perfection. It requires intention.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to third parties.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to 3rd parties.