TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility Funding

Accessibility Champion: Charles Hammerman

by

President and CEO, Disability Opportunity Fund

Head shot of Charles Hammerman

“The Schoolhouse Hotel is the first full-service boutique in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and the first all-ADA compliant hotel in the world.”

Q1.  What motivated you to become involved in accessibility and do you have a personal connection to disability?

I am a former Merrill Lynch professional and former Assistant United States Attorney as well as being the father of a child with cerebral palsy, I launched The Disability Opportunity Fund in 2007. It is a national nonprofit  that provides financing, technical services, and advocacy to increase access to appropriate and affordable housing and related services for people with disabilities. The fund was incubated under the umbrella of the Burton Blatt Institute of Syracuse University, named after my late uncle who was a pioneering disability researcher and advocate.

Q2.  What is the goal of your organization?

As a Nationally Certified CDFI, DOF’s mission is to provide financial products, technical assistance, equity investment and financial advisory services that improve the quality of life and build personal wealth for people with disabilities and their families, as well as supporting organizations serving this market.

 Q4. What accomplishments are you most proud of?

The Schoolhouse Hotel is the first full-service boutique in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and the first all-ADA compliant hotel in the world. We transformed the historic White Sulphur Springs schoolhouse into a hub for the community and visitors alike. The hotel features 30 uniquely appointed guest rooms and suites; the Varsity Club restaurant/grill; the Rooftop Bar serving small plates and cocktails in the open air before stunning mountain views; and flexible ballroom and meeting space for weddings, conferences, and other events.  We believe The Schoolhouse Hotel showcases the best of West Virginia hospitality and lodging in a completely inclusive atmosphere.

Q3: What are the most difficult obstacles or barriers you face around accessibility and what actions/initiatives are you taking to address them?

The question is not really applicable to our work. The Schoolhouse Hotel is fully accessible and addresses the needs of our guests. We are very proud of being an example to other hospitality operators to also be inclusive.

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

We follow accelerators focused on disabilities like Multiple https://www.multiplehub.org/ and Enabled Ventures https://www.enableventures.vc/

Wheel The World Donates $60,000 to TravelAbility Foundation to Support Accessible Travel

by

Four men and two women holding an enlarged check made out to TravelAbility for $60,000. L-R. Camilo Navarro, Arturo Gaona, Andres Villagran, Wheel the World. Tricia Roth, Jake Steinman and Becka Gill, Travelability team.

Wheel The World, the leading solution for accessible travel, announced today that it has donated $60,000 to the TravelAbility Foundation in 2023, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes inclusive travel and hospitality for people with diverse needs.

The donation was raised through an agreement whereby Wheel the World would donate a percentage of their income from the Destination Verified assessment program to the TravelAbility Foundation.  

The funds will be used by the TravelAbility Foundation to support its programs and initiatives, such as the Accessibility Playbook, a comprehensive guide for destinations, hotels, attractions, and dining to improve their accessibility and attract more travelers with disabilities. The Foundation also hosts the InnovateAble Challenge, an annual assistive pitch fest, held virtually to showcase the best of the best in assistive technology, innovation, and amenities that can ease the travel barriers for people with disabilities.  

“We are grateful for the support we received from Wheel the World and its community. This donation will help us continue our mission of connecting and educating the travel industry and the disability community to create more inclusive travel experiences for everyone,” said Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of the TravelAbility Foundation.

Wheel The World is a social startup with the purpose of making the world accessible for travelers with disabilities. The platform of the company allows users to book accessible hotels and experiences with all the accessibility details they need, such as wheelchair accessibility, hearing and visual aids, dietary options, and more. Wheel The World also offers multi-day trips and group tours to more than 250 destinations around the world, featuring accessible activities such as hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, and zip-lining.

In 2023, the foundation sponsored an end-to-end accessible adventure to Costa Rica for four disabled travelers, organized by Wheel the World. Additionally, it funded tuition for a blind documentary filmmaker who participated as a panelist at the TravelAbility Summit in Savannah’s accelerated film program, enabling them to take a film course in Los Angeles.

“Travel is a human right, and we believe that everyone should be able to explore the world without limits. We are proud to partner with the TravelAbility Foundation, an organization that shares our vision and values, and to support their work in making the travel industry more accessible and inclusive,” said Alvaro Silberstein, co-founder and CEO of Wheel The World. 

For more information about Wheel The World, visit wheeltheworld.com or follow them on [Facebook], [Instagram], [Twitter], and [YouTube].

For more information about the TravelAbility Foundation, visit travelability.org or follow them on [Facebook], [Instagram], [Twitter], and [LinkedIn].

TravelAbility Deepens Its Impact with Formation of the TravelAbility Foundation

by

The New Nonprofit Arm Provides Additional Tools to Promote Inclusive Travel

TravelAbility Foundation logo on top of a screened image of a person in a wheelchair on a field of grass.

Sausalito, CA—TravelAbility, the leading organization working to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities, has announced the formation of the TravelAbility Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to removing barriers to accessible travel. 

“The Foundation gives us a new set of tools to expand our work within the travel industry and create additional pathways to support individuals with disabilities, families, and seniors,” said Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of TravelAbility. “It diversifies our business model and allows us to pursue new sources of funding in support of, and in partnership with, our network.”

TravelAbility has grown rapidly in five years primarily through the guidance and resources it provides to destination marketing organizations (DMOs) including a very successful annual conference, the Emerging Markets Summit. Other programs and initiatives include The Accessibility Playbook, Accessible Journeys Magazine, hospitality training courses, and the recently launched TravelAbility Trusted, a vetted list of vendors and service providers that meet TravelAbility’s standards for accessibility. 

“The for-profit and the non-profit complement each other,” said Steinman. “They will share some resources, but they are separate entities with different goals. The for-profit provides goods and services to our clients in the field. The nonprofit will focus more on advocacy and in identifying and scaling up promising practices from our network.”

The Foundation recently landed its first donation, a $60,000 gift from Wheel the World. See related story. It is also in the process of hiring grant writers to partner with leaders of DMOs seeking public funding for innovative solutions to improve access for travelers with disabilities. 

TravelAbililty’s reach is local, regional, and global. It is the official Accessibility Advisor/Partner for:

-Destinations International

-Visit Florida

-The American Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival

-Conference Direct

-Visit the Palm Beaches

Funders can also support the Foundation’s work by making donations on its website.

For more information contact info@travelability.net.

TravelAbility Community Members Who Shined Bright

by

Recognitions and updates from our partners in the field

Events

A photo from the Rose Parade of a dancer dressed as a three-headed red rose

Visit Lauderdale turns an industry lunch into a full-scale production

“We unveiled a dynamic new marketing plan for the year, a blossoming bouquet of innovative ideas and strategies that promise to dazzle and embrace.”

People

A collage of head shots of Alvaro Silberstein; Cory Lee, Suzanne Edwards, and Sylvia Longmire

Condé Nast Traveler Names 14 People Making Travel More Accessible in 2024

The list includes several current and former advisors to TravelAbility: Alvaro Silberstein of Wheel the World; Cory Lee of CurbFree with Cory Lee; Suzanne Edwards of AirBnB; and Sylvia Longmire of Spin the Globe

Head shot of Josh Loebner

Interview with longtime TravelAbility advisor Josh Loebner on inclusive design

Community/DMOs

A small boy using a wheelchair next to a man who is pointing out a mural of a dog's face on a city building

BBC features Fort Wayne as a model of accessibility

16 Michigan DMOs win accessibility grants

Visit Huntington Beach takes a field trip to Visit Mesa

Oregon Coast Scores $1.1 Million in Grants for Accessibility

by

Historical photo in sepia tones of an older Black man playing a violin

As we reported in last month’s Insider, Travel Oregon has awarded $3.6 million in competitive grants to DMOs, attractions, and cities for inclusion and accessibility projects. Of that total, more than $1 million will go to Oregon Coast organizations. 

The scope and diversity of the funded projects is vast. Travelers with disabilities will gain both new and improved access to a wide range of natural, recreational, and historic sites. The grants will also fund accessibility studies by Wheel the World in two regions along the coast. Read more.

TravelAbility TakeAway: If you want to see the impact that all of you are making through your participation in TravelAbility, take a trip to Oregon. Travel Oregon, which sent more than 30 staff members to the Savannah summit, is putting into practice ideas and partnerships they’ve developed through active engagement with the network. It’s inspiring to see an ambitious program implemented state-wide.