The Intersection of Travel and Disability
That’s right! Lake Erie and the town of Evans, NY are making history. Once projects are completed, this town will be the most inclusive inland lake community on the entire east coast for wheelchair users, and community members with adaptive needs.
This joint collaboration between the Western NY Walleyes Organization, the town of Evans, New York, and Wheelchairs and Walleyes shows what can be done when public and private organizations share a common goal.
Squirmy and Grubs share their life and travel experiences with a YouTube audience of almost two million. Shane is a full-time powerchair user with a severe muscle wasting disease, married to Hannah.
Last month, they visited Oregon with Wheel the World and had the opportunity to climb a tree with a power wheelchair. Check out their experience, here.
Please send any business inquiries to: squirmyandgrubs@gmail.com
MobilityWorks labeled Everline Resort and Spa as one of the most accessible resorts in America. According to their top five list, the resort includes an accessible fitness center, wheelchair height peepholes on doors and even audio/visual smoke detectors. The website also mentions:
The seventh annual INNOVATEAble highlighted groundbreaking ideas transforming how people with disabilities live and travel. The competition was close, with judges noting how tough it was to choose among such strong pitches. Taking second place was ScanMeHome, already making a huge impact for families living with autism. Below, founder Justin Behnke shares the story behind his innovation.
The idea for ScanMeHome came from my son, Jaxon. He’s nonverbal and autistic, and like many on the spectrum, he has intense sensory sensitivities. That meant wearables like GPS trackers or bracelets weren’t an option — he simply couldn’t tolerate them. Yet the fear of him wandering off and not being able to tell anyone who he was or how to reach me kept me awake at night.
I realized there was nothing in the marketplace that could meet his needs. Families like mine were left without a practical, immediate way to reconnect if their loved one got lost. That’s when I started building ScanMeHome: a simple, universal solution that doesn’t rely on batteries, devices, or apps — just a QR code that anyone can scan to instantly connect to a parent or caregiver.
ScanMeHome bridges the dangerous communication gap when someone can’t speak for themselves. In those critical moments — whether it’s at an airport, a beach, a theme park, or even a neighborhood walk — a quick scan of the code gives first responders, staff, or good Samaritans immediate access to contact details and instructions to help reunite families.
For families
Memberships start at $9.95/month or $99/year, with a 7-day free trial. During the trial, families can immediately access ScanMeHome by printing their own digital QR code or ordering iron-on tags.
For destinations & organizations
ScanMeHome also offers bulk membership programs as well as flexible short-term visitor passes, making it easy for destinations and partners to provide added safety and inclusion to the communities and travelers they serve.
At its heart, ScanMeHome was built so families like mine can experience the world with less fear and more freedom — knowing there’s always a way home.
Each month we address various accessibility issues that may arise within the TravelAbility community.
Imagine you’re no longer allowed to use the words “inclusion,” “equity,” “DEI,” or “diversity” in any of your marketing or communications. How would you propose programs or initiatives that are designed to welcome and serve everyone? What alternative words or language would you use to describe those efforts?
Surprisingly, we didn’t have many responses come in for this real-world problem. Perhaps it’s a little too real and a little too daunting. As someone who is actively facing this challenge, I thought I would share what I’m doing personally. It does seem strange to promote the idea that all are welcome, while deleting the terms that state it clearly, but it’s a necessity that many of us are facing.
I’m currently reworking a presentation that had been titled “Seeing the World Through Inclusion-Colored Glasses.” While it was a little tempting to replace each instance of “inclusion” with a “#!?!” to show that a “bad word” was being left out, I opted for a clearer message. I could have just replaced each I-word with “accessible,” but that isn’t what I mean. Inclusion isn’t just being able to get in and get around: it’s being made a part of all the action.
If a program is designed to welcome and serve everyone – that’s exactly what I’ll say. If I mean that there are no stairs, I’ll say there are no stairs. If a concert hall is being inclusive through their sensory options, hearing loops, and audio descriptions I’ll describe what they’re offering. The label may not be needed when we understand how people are being welcomed and made a part of all that is being offered.
In some ways, maybe being forced to use descriptions instead of labels will be helpful to the disability community. No one likes the hotel IG posts that praise an “accessible room” without saying anything about it, because accessibility looks different for everyone. “Inclusive” used to be a feel-good label that said all were welcome. Instead, it’s time to show just how we’re truly welcoming all.
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