TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility Playbook

Accessibility Playbook Excerpt: Eight Myths about Autism

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April is Autism Acceptance Month! To celebrate, we’re sharing an excerpt from the Accessibility Playbook from Pete Wharmby, author of “Untypical: How the World Isn’t Built for Autistic People and What We Should All Do About It.” Wharmby’s writing illuminates how everyday assumptions—from customer‑service scripts to sensory environments—can either invite or exclude guests. The eight myths below are a concise, shareable primer for destination leaders and frontline teams. We’ve preserved the author’s original wording, including identity‑first language, so you can copy and paste this directly into staff briefings, partner toolkits, and training decks.

Eight Myths about Autism by Peter Wharmby

  1. Autistic people don’t feel empathy. The majority of us feel enormous amounts of empathy, even for non-living things, and especially for animals.
  2. Autistic people can’t make eye contact. Some of us don’t seem to mind it at all, whilst the many of us who hate it can force ourselves to when we feel its necessary.
  3. Autistic males are far more common than autistic females. The ratio is rapidly shifting to being more balanced as diagnostic understanding improves.
  4. Autistic people don’t have a sense of humor. I mean, some of us don’t, and some of us have what may be seen as a ‘different’ sense of humor, but there are a lot of funny autistic people out there, including those who do comedy professionally.
  5. Autistic people have learning disabilities. In fact a surprisingly low percentage of autistic people have co-occurring learning disabilities. However, people with learning disabilities are much more likely to be autistic too.
  6. Autistic people are all antisocial. Many of us may be asocial from trauma associated with social interaction, but it seems many of us are quite gregarious and even extroverted.
  7. Autistic people are all STEM subject specialists. Though plenty are, there are many of us who have skills, jobs and qualifications in the humanities, arts and other fields.
  8. Autistic people are all super-gifted in some way. Though some of us might be skilled in certain areas, and some of us might have excellent memories, plenty of us are perfectly average.

Accessibility Playbook Quiz: Are You Prepared for the Largest Demographic Shift in Modern Travel?

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Take this quiz to find out!

The Real Question

If:

  • 70% of older adults are planning travel,
  • they already drive the majority of travel spending,
  • disability rates increase significantly with age,
  • and 20% of our population is about to be over the age of 65…

Is your destination, business, or strategy ready for 2030? 

When one older adult needs accessibility, it rarely affects one booking. It affects grandparents, kids, siblings, cousins — entire reunion itineraries.

2030 isn’t coming quietly: it’s arriving with three generations in tow.

Learn more about this important demographic below in the Accessibility Playbook Excerpt.

Accessibility Playbook Excerpt: Ageing into Disability

More than half of U.S. spending on travel comes from the 50-plus community, yet many destinations are unsure on how to meet their evolving needs. In 2023, the annual leisure travel spend among adults over 50 was $236 billion.  

The average 50+ traveler anticipates spending about $6,847 in 2025.  Source: AARP Research.

As of 2020, 55.8 million individuals in the United States were ages 65 and older; close to 17 percent of the U.S. population. This age group is projected to grow to over 20 percent by 2030. (U.S. Census). 

Many older Americans have a disability and many more will acquire disabilities in the future as they age. Among adults 50-plus, 25 percent indicate having a disability. For adults aged 65 and older, this percentage increases to 35 percent. While many adults over the age of 50 need accommodations for a disability or health condition, aging travelers often don’t identify as disabled. Half of adults 50-plus say their difficulty began within the last 5 years, so these challenges are not something they have gotten used to. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many may be traveling for 

Behavioral Shifts Among Aging

55% Say their conditions have resulted in making changes to the way they travel, such as:

  • Travel more by car (48%)
  • Take shorter trips (49%)
  • Travel to a single location/destination (39%)
  • Limited mobility accommodations (10%)
  • 45% say their conditions have resulted in less travel
  • Book activities before arrival (26%)
  • 2 in 3 (66%) have made changes to the destinations they choose to go to
  • Less walking (19%)
  • Closer destinations (13%)
  • Choosing more often to stay with friends or family (38%) or in hotels (43%).

Aging Travelers Want to Travel More

Older adults are increasingly motivated to travel to reconnect with loved ones, relax, and recharge. If accessibility accommodations were put into place, half of non-travelers say they would be interested in future travel. Among non-travelers, the most difficult aspects of travel are activities at the destination (46%) and transportation to and from the destination (39%).

  • 95% believe travel is good for mental health
  • 85%​​ believe travel is a benefit for physical health

“Yes, our knees hurt from hiking,  we get pains here and there, but  we have also enjoyed massages in many different countries, along  with red light therapy, reiki and  more. We don’t believe that old  age equates with poor health.”  – Jack and Elaine from Seniors with Latitude. 

Travel Trends 

  • Top Domestic Destinations: The  South (38%) and West (31%) remain  the most visited regions, with hotspots  including Florida, California, and Las Vegas. 
  • Top International Destinations: Europe (42%) and Latin America/ Caribbean (33%) lead in popularity,  especially Italy, Great Britain, and Mexico. 
  • Health as a Travel Driver: Many  aging travelers are motivated by the  mental and physical health benefits of  travel. Destinations can position travel  as a form of wellness, not just a luxury.
  • Biggest Barrier: Cost is the leading  obstacle to travel—more so than personal health concerns or the health  of a loved one. 

Check back next month for tips on welcoming the aging traveler! To learn more about the Accessibility Playbook, visit https://travelability.net/accessibility-playbook/.

Learn more about TravelAbility’s Vision 2030 here.

Accessibility Playbook Quiz: Do You Speak Accessibility Fluently?

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(No trick questions… just real-world moments.)

Take the Quiz!

How’d you do?

If any of these made you pause (or rethink a phrase you’ve used), you’re exactly where you should be. Find the correct answers and more on disability language in this TravelAbility Playbook snippet.

COMMUNICATION GUIDANCE

Part of what makes communicating challenging is that people with disabilities are not a homogenous group. A good practice is to ask how someone prefers to describe themselves and, if you inadvertently offend someone with your language, apologize and ask them to share with you their preferred language. There are generally two ways to approach this: person-first or identity-first. Neither is right or wrong; we should simply honor an individual’s preference.

Person-first language: Person-first language emphasizes the person first — their individuality, their complexity, their humanness and their equality.

Example: “A person with a disability” Identity-first language: Identity-first language emphasizes that the disability plays a role in who the person is and reinforces disability as a positive cultural identifier.

Example: “Disabled person”

TIPSUSEDO NOT USE
Emphasize abilities, not limitationsPerson who uses a wheelchairConfined or restricted to a wheelchair, wheelchair bound
Person who uses a device to speak Can’t talk, mute
Do not use language that suggests the lack of somethingPerson with a disabilityDisabled, handicapped
Person of short stature Midget
Person with cerebral palsyCerebral palsy victim
Person with epilepsy or seizure disorderEpileptic
Person with multiple sclerosis Afflicted by multiple sclerosis
Emphasize the need for accessibility, not the disabilityAccessible parking or bathroomHandicapped parking or bathroom
Do not use offensive language Person with a physical disabilityCrippled, lame, deformed, invalid, spastic
Person with an intellectual, cognitive, developmental disabilitySlow, simple, moronic, defective, afflicted, special person
Person with and emotional or behavioral disability, a mental health impairment, or a psychiatric disabilityInsane, crazy, psycho, maniac, nuts

Avoid language that implies negative stereotypes		Person without a disabilityNormal person, healthy person

Practical Hacks From the Accessibility Playbook: Put Your Website to the Test

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Accessible websites are often the first point of contact between a destination and a traveler. When key information is hard to find or impossible to navigate with assistive technology, travelers with disabilities are excluded before a trip even begins. This excerpt from the Accessibility Playbook breaks down practical, easy to implement website accessibility best practices that improve usability for everyone. Before you dive in, take this quick three question quiz to test your knowledge and see how accessible your website really is.

Take the Quiz!

Accessible Website Guidance

  1. Screen-reader Compatible Web Pages: Web pages must be readable by electronic “screen readers”, which are devices commonly used by the visually impaired to surf the internet.
  2. Alt-tagged Images: Images must have “alt tags” (a type of metadata) which will help visually impaired users to identify the image via text or via a screen reader. Search engine optimizers will know of alt-tags as a way to optimize images for ranking high in ‘Google Images’.
  3. Alt-tagged Tables: If you’re using tables on any web pages, they must also have alt-tags
    to help explain each column via text. The user’s screen reader will then read that text aloud, describing the contents of the table.
  4. Automatic Scripting: Any scripted display usage of image mapping should be accompanied by textual alternatives.
  5. Style Sheet Independence: Your web pages should be readable to screen readers, most of which cannot load style sheets.
  6. Accessible Forms: Web forms should be usable without a mouse, and each field should be
    labeled.
  7. Text Links to Plugins: If your website requires a specific plugin to work correctly, you
    should present the link to that plugin in text form.
  8. Color Schemes: Your website should not contain any colors or color combinations that are either integral to the correct usage of your website, or which may confuse those with color blindness in any way pertaining to your website, products or services.
  9. Keyboard-friendly Browsing: Your website shouldn’t be reliant on the usage of a mouse or touchpad. Users who wish to navigate using only keyboard keys should be able to do so.
  10. Harmless Website Design: Your website should not serve images or videos that can cause
    seizures.

Conduct a Website Audit

Website audits are a necessary process to assess how well your website meets the needs of people with disabilities, conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and complies with relevant regulations. While a website audit can be conducted by a member of your organization, it is always helpful to engage a third-party expert, like UserWay Scanner.

Accessible Landing Page Guidance

KEY ELEMENTS DETAILS
Statement“We are pleased to welcome visitors of all abilities. This page features a variety of accessible attractions, museums, recreational activities, and hotels to help visitors and local residents with disabilities discover what they can do in
[Destination].”
PlacementFeature landing page on homepage or at top navigation bar for easy access.
Things to DoIdentify accessible attractions and experiences, and provide direct links to
their accessibility pages.
Highlight Accessibility Advocates and ProgramsShowcase relationships with organizations like Wheel the World, KultureCity, or Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program. If you a certified partner in sensory accessibility and inclusion, link your website directly to the KultureCity App.
Hotels & LodgingList accessible hotels, highlight hotels with pool lifts exceeding ADA requirements, and survey hotels for detailed accessibility info. If partnering
with Wheel the World, link directly to their booking page.
Suggested ItineraryList accessible hotels, highlight hotels with pool lifts exceeding ADA requirements, and survey hotels for detailed accessibility info. If partnering
with Wheel the World, link directly to their booking page.
TransportationBuild an accessible itinerary with state/provincial/national stakeholders, and
include links to relevant articles and media coverage.
Medical Supplies & ServicesProvide links for wheelchair/scooter rentals and medical equipment rentals.
Outdoor Spaces and TrailsProvide accessibility links for nearby parks, hiking trails, points of interest, botanical gardens, and zoos.
Sports and Performance VenuesLink to accessibility pages for college/professional stadiums, arenas, racetracks, symphonies, ballets, operas, theatres, and prominent nightclubs.
Dining & FoodList accessible-compliant and sensory-friendly restaurants.
Enhanced EngagementIncorporate video testimonials from visitors with different disabilities.
Industry Collaboration & Drop-Down MenusSurvey industry partners to uncover accessibility features, and build a user-friendly drop-down menu for mobility, blindness/low vision, deafness/hard of hearing, and autism/neurodiversity.
Tagging & Search OptimizationTag accessibility links by disability type, allowing users to filter and search. Locations with multiple features should appear under each relevant category.
Involve Disabled VoicesInvite individuals with disabilities to write articles, review experiences, and contribute to the landing page experience.

Best practice landing pages

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to accessible landing pages. To get inspired, take a look at these destinations who have made great strides:

  • Discover Lancaster: Discover Lancaster’s accessibility page helps travelers plan with confidence by providing specific and reliable information on features like ramps, braille signage, and service animal accommodations.
  • Explore Minnesota: Explore Minnesota’s accessibility page stands out for its filterable, extensive accessibility features. This empowers users to customize searches by their unique needs, making trip planning more efficient and tailored.
  • Visit Ann Arbor: Visit Ann Arbor’s page builds trust through recognized certifications and showcases inclusive experiences in the community.
  • Visit Charlottesville: Visit Charlottesville’s accessibility page instills confidence in travelers with vetted information. It helps travelers plan for practical needs, such as bed and restroom dimensions, by providing verified credentials.
  • Visit Denver: The Visit Denver accessibility page demonstrates a commitment to accessibility with leadership in ADA compliance and top disability access rankings.
  • Visit Fort Wayne: Visit Fort Wayne’s accessibility page engages local stakeholders and promotes inclusive recreation with community-driven resources and adaptive sports highlights.
  • Visit Scotland: The VisitScotland accessibility page offers comprehensive, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand resources that cater to a wide range of accessibility needs.

Practical Hack from the Accessibility Playbook: Welcoming the Aging Traveler

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The needs of the aging traveler often mirror those of disabled travelers, yet many older adults are less likely to ask for assistance or identify as disabled. This excerpt from the Accessibility Playbook goes over how to welcome the aging traveler. Before moving on, take this 3 question quiz to test your knowledge!

Take the Quiz!

To better support this growing segment, keep the following principles in mind:

Recognize diverse needs: Consider mobility, hearing, cognitive, and visual changes that may arise with age.

Prioritize respectful communication: Train staff to offer assistance without making assumptions and to recognize signs of anxiety or confusion.

Be transparent about accessibility: Clearly communicate which features are available and use visible signage and intuitive wayfinding.

Offer simple, supportive tools: Ensure digital tools are user-friendly and secure. Provide low-tech options and human assistance for travelers who may hesitate with technology.

Focus on empowerment, not special treatment: Thoughtful, simple accommodations improve satisfaction and strengthen your reputation.

Design for dignity: Move away from one-size-fits-all experiences. Encourage planning ahead, suggest shorter and well-structured itineraries, and promote airport “meet-and-assist” programs.

55% of older travelers are interested in curated travel experiences once they learn about them

The Aging Traveler: Obstacle’s and Solutions

Planning

ObstacleSolution
Unclear accessibility information makes older adults less likely to travel.Provide clear, detailed information about accessibility (steps, elevators, seats, bathrooms).
Uncertainty about airport help deters some from flying altogether.Provide information on the time it takes to travel from check-in to the gate at the airport, as well as the services available.
Uncertainty about refunds makes booking in advance a risk.Provide cost comparisons across platforms and clear, easily accessible cancellation/refund policies.
App-centric booking can be a barrier for older adults who prefer websites.Provide user-friendly interfaces with simple navigation and clear instructions on where to click and book.
Aversion to technology due to concerns about scams and data breaches.Provide education about online safety, clear fraud safeguards, and phone support.
Challenges using online platforms to book transportation and activities.Develop and promote curated travel experiences tailored to their preferences and needs.
Difficulty finding hotels that match specific needs and preferences.Provide enhanced search and filter options (pet-friendly, ground-floor room, grab bars in bathrooms).

94% of older travelers who have used AI for travel planning have found it useful.


Flying

ObstacleSolution
Difficulty getting through security (33%)Improved workforce: provide special TSA lines and allow more time (60%).
Difficulty getting from parking to the airport (33%) or to the gate (32%)Greater access to wheelchairs/motorized carts (52%).
Difficulty understanding announcements (21% among the 65% with hearing loss)Provide designated assistance desks where travelers can check for updated information and receive personalized help.
Difficulty waiting to board at the gate (15%)Offer check-in assistance (43%).

It’s hard for us to fly without precheck – it’s tiring to take off shoes and unpack bags. We’ve forgotten our suitcases after the hassle of putting our shoes back on.

Hotels

ObstacleSolution
Difficulty handling luggage (36%)Offer assistance (44%).
Difficulty entering the establishment (18%)Ensure step-free entry and automatic doors; offer porter assistance.
Difficulty getting in and out of the bathroom (17%)Install grab bars, walk-in showers, and non-slip flooring in accessible rooms.
Difficulty bathing (20%)Provide special rooms with accessible bathrooms and safety features (47%).
General discomfort due to age-related sensitivitiesOffer early check-in and room features that prioritize comfort such as ergonomic bedding and adjustable climate control.
Gaps in staff preparedness to accommodate older travelersTrain staff on how to identify and support guests who require accommodations (36%).

The biggest challenge is comfort. As we’ve aged, our bodies are less tolerant of discomfort and the resulting aches and pains. It can really ruin your travel

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