Accessibility

Coldplay leads the way in making concerts more enjoyable for deaf fans with Vibrating Vests

April 30, 2024 by Eliana Satkin

In addition to a crew of signers, the shows in Singapore included handouts of vibrating vests. Will “sound shirts” be next?

Coldplay front man Chris Martin signed two songs, joining a lively team of sign language interpreters at the Singapore concert

A recent commentary in Channel News Asia lauded Coldplay’s January concerts in Singapore “game changing” for their outreach to deaf and hard of hearing fans. The three performances at the National Stadium included a team of very expressive signers including front man Chris Martin, who signed two of the band’s songs. The venue also distributed vibrating vests to allow deaf individuals to feel the beat.

New Hulu series, created by a woman with autism, lauded for avoiding stereotypes

April 30, 2024 by Eliana Satkin

Nina and Evie, played by Ashley Storrie and Kat Ronney from a scene in Dinosaur

One of the hardest aspects of living with autism, according to Scottish comedian Ashley Storrie, is “masking”–trying to hide it from everyone else. You would think then that creating and starring in a television series partly based on her life would be terrifying. Instead she found it liberating.

“Being Nina has made me realize that I should just be me and spend less time trying to make everybody feel more comfortable around my weirdness,” says Storrie about the character she plays on Dinosaur.

The title refers to Nina’s infatuation with dinosaurs and her job as a paleontologist, which she loves. But the six-episode series also shows Nina’s struggles to deal with both small and large disruptions to her routines. is propelled by a major disruption in Nina’s life as the sister she lives with gets engaged and prepares to move out.

The website “The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism” called the series “excellent” and declared it superior to the “stereotyped-laced” Netflix series Atypical about an autistic adolescent boy. Read an interview with Ashley Storrie on that site.

UK Tour Operator Secures $11 Million in Bookings for Accessible Florida Program

April 30, 2024 by Eliana Satkin

By Jake Steinman, CEO and founder, TravelAbility

Jake Steinman and Anna-Marie Janssen of Ocean Holidays pose at an exhibit booth.

The numbers are striking: In less than two years Ocean Holidays of the UK has landed more than $11 million in bookings for its new Accessible Florida promotion. We recently sat down with Anna-Maria Janssen, the product director at Ocean Holidays, for an exclusive interview about the groundbreaking program she spearheaded: The goal of the initiative is to ensure that every traveler, regardless of their abilities, can experience the magic of the Sunshine State without any barriers.

Q: Where did the idea for the program come from?

A: We’ve always had clients traveling with us who had special assistance requirements. However, about two years ago, we realized that we weren’t doing justice to these clients. Our business philosophy centers around doing the right thing, and it was time to take action. So we set out to create a program that would cater comprehensively to travelers with special needs.

Q: What sort of research did you do?

A: We spent over a year researching special assistance travel. We spoke to clients who had faced challenges while traveling. What were their concerns? What obstacles did they encounter? Armed with this knowledge, we delved into finding the right partners—accommodations, activities, and transportation—within Florida.

Our biggest challenge was the lack of information online, which meant we had to contact each individual supplier to make sure they had the right features and services to accommodate each client. Most challenging of all, were identifying transportation options for wheelchair users, especially airport transfers.

Q: Were most of your bookings for clients in wheelchairs or were there other special needs they requested?

A: Most clients request assistance for their actual travel journey (i.e at the airport special pre-booked seats, pre-booked airport support.)

Second to that are preferences for the hotel rooms ( i.e rooms on a specific floor, in a specific location.) They would also like us to inform relevant staff members so that people are more patient and kinder … we also have a fair amount of requests for local equipment rentals and information when it comes to accessibility for local attractions.

Q: Were there any surprises about the types of disabilities your clients had?

A: I was surprised about the volume of clients with unique and individual requirements including cognitive challenges, but I am afraid we do not store any data about the specific disability.

Q: It sounds like you are meticulous when it comes to the details.

A: When you book with us, you can rest assured that your special assistance needs are taken care of as we have a coordinator who triple checks that all the suppliers—including transportation, accommodations, and attractions—have all been confirmed well in advance of the booking and are suitable for the clients’ individual requirements. Then two weeks prior to departure we review the entire itinerary with the clients so there are no surprises.

Truth be told, when launching a new program not everything is perfect from Day 1. We also had a handful of hiccups after launch but we very quickly took any client feedback on board and adapted the program to get us to where we are today. It’s working relationships and getting feedback, listening, and adapting.

The Launch and Impact

In August 2022, Accessible Florida officially launched. Since then, the program has exceeded expectations:

£8.7 million GBP ($11,021,000) in holidays to Florida have been booked through the program.
4000 passengers have been booked so far.
Over 1000 bookings have been made.

In January 2024, Ocean Holidays was recognized for its efforts in making travel more inclusive by being awarded with the inaugural “Travel for All Award” at the Travel Weekly Globe Awards in London.

Cyclist with an artificial leg under the caption "Accessibility."

Investing in Excellence

Anna-Maria concludes: “It’s crucial for travel agents and travel providers to not be fearful of accessible bookings. It’s one of the reasons we invested in training our accessibility champions, to ensure they have the skills necessary and confidence to give all customers the best experience possible. We’re thrilled with the success of this program so far, and will continue to learn and develop the initiative as we help more and more customers book their dream Florida holiday. We are also looking to expand our program into other destinations in the future.”

The Accessible Florida isn’t just a program—it’s a promise. A promise that every traveler, regardless of their abilities, can explore Florida’s beaches, theme parks, and vibrant culture with ease.

TravelAbility Introduces Bed Height Mapping Pilot Program for Accessible Travel

March 30, 2024 by Eliana Satkin

A woman in a wheelchair with her hand on the bed in a hotel room. — Photo Credit: Wheel the World

TravelAbility has announced the launch of a pioneering initiative to map hotel bed heights, addressing the primary concern for wheelchair travelers: the unpredictability of bed heights in hotel accommodations.

Why This Matters: For individuals who use wheelchairs, traveling can often feel like a gamble due to the lack of standardized information on hotel accessibility. While their homes are tailored to their needs, and they are familiar with accessible local businesses, the same cannot be said for hotels they may visit. Images of hotel amenities abound, yet details on ADA-compliant rooms are scarce, leaving wheelchair users without the necessary information to plan their travels.

The Challenge: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets forth certain requirements for hotels, but bed height is not among them. Given the variation in wheelchair sizes, a one-size-fits-all approach does not exist, making this an area of concern for travelers seeking accessible accommodations.

TravelAbility’s Solution: In collaboration with five Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) that are members of the Destination A11Y Club, TravelAbility is spearheading a pilot program called Heads in Accessible Beds to collect and share essential data on the accessibility of hotel sleeping rooms and bathrooms. This information will be made available on a dedicated, easy-to-find landing page on each DMO’s website, ensuring that wheelchair users—as well as locals hosting visitors with mobility challenges—have access to the information they need to make informed travel decisions. Additionally, hotels can feature this data on their own accessibility pages, further aiding travelers in their planning.

The five destinations that will be participating in the pilot program are Visit Alexandria (VA), Experience Kissimmee (FL), Visit Tampa (FL), Visit Lex (KY) and Visit Myrtle Beach (SC).

Contact Information: Tricia Roth tricia@travelability.net

About TravelAbility: TravelAbility is committed to making travel more accessible for everyone. By providing crucial information and resources, TravelAbility empowers individuals with mobility challenges to explore the world with confidence.