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The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

September News from the TravelAbility Community

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Sophie Morgan’s Visit to Bend Oregon Featured in Conde Nast | Outdoor Adventure Belongs to Everyone

A scenic view of Bend, Oregon, featuring the Deschutes River with people floating on rafts and kayaks. The river is lined with lush greenery and modern homes in the foreground, while the Old Mill District with its three iconic smokestacks and shops stands prominently in the background, framed by forested hills and a clear blue sky.

Bend, Oregon. It is one of those places people talk about with a kind of reverence. “Oh, Bend,” they’ll say, drawing out the vowel like there is a secret there that will only be revealed when you go. A renowned outdoor adventure capital, it draws climbers, kayakers, and powder chasers in droves. But as a wheelchair user….

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Pure Michigan | disABILITY PRIDE: How Accessible is West Michigan?

A colorful grid pattern of pastel squares in various colors serves as the background for text reading "disABILITY PRIDE" in bold lettering

Access isn’t only about ramps and doorways. It’s about being able to move, speak, live, learn and belong with independence, safety and dignity. But in West Michigan…

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Explore Minnesota | New Ely Resort Features Fully Accessible Lodging and Activities for All to Enjoy… Together

A person in a wheelchair fishes from a boat, with other people nearby and water visible in the background, overlaid with "Kare 11 extra" text branding.

Great challenges sometimes inspire great ideas.

That’s the case at one of Ely’s newest resorts, which offers a more accessible gateway to Minnesota…

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Discover Los Angeles | Los Angeles Reaffirms Accessibility Goals Ahead of 2028 Paralympic Games

A person in a wheelchair wearing a red cape poses heroically against a city skyline backdrop, embodying strength and empowerment.

Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined Council member Imelda Padilla, International Paralympic Committee Chief Paralympic Games Officer Colleen Wrenn, LA28 Chief…

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XRAI and Dallas Fort Worth | XRAI Glass to Pilot Real-Time Captioning and Translation at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

A woman in casual clothes walks outside an airport terminal, pulling a wheeled suitcase and looking at her phone.

We’re proud to share that XRAI Glass has been selected to pilot our real-time captioning and translation technology at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) this summer, helping to improve communication at some of the airport’s most critical touchpoints….

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Visit California | Visit California Launches Accessibility Hub to Support Travellers with Disabilities

A man in a wheelchair sits by a wooden bench in a grassy coastal area overlooking the ocean. He is wearing a white cap and light-colored clothing, facing away from the camera toward the blue sea and horizon.

Visit California is making it easier for travellers with disabilities to plan their perfect Golden Coast getaway with the launch of its new Accessibility Hub, an online platform designed to streamline accessible travel across the state, without wading through scattered sources….

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Wheel the World | Explore Siouxland Is Now ‘Destination Verified’ for Accessible Travel

A decorative wooden sign reading 'SI♥UXLAND' sits on a wooden table. The letters are painted in white and blue, with a red heart symbol replacing the 'O' in 'Siouxland'. Blue chairs are visible in the background around the table.

Explore Siouxland has earned ‘Destination Verified Status’ from Wheel the World’s Accessibility Verified Program.

Wheel the World is a travel platform that verifies and catalogs accessible and…

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Visit Florida | America’s Best Small Retirement Town Has Pristine Beaches, Accessible Activities, and 320 Days of Sunshine a Year

Aerial view of a white sand beach with clear turquoise water and a long wooden fishing pier extending into the Gulf. Beachgoers are scattered across the sand with umbrellas and chairs, while sand dunes with sea grass are visible in the foreground.

With 320 days of sunshine, plenty of parks, and no state income tax, Panama City Beach (PCB) is an affordable small-town gem (population 19,393) on Florida’s Panhandle that’s increasingly capturing the attention of retirees…

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Sassy Wyatt and Alex Stratikis | 8 Disabled Travellers Reveal What Makes a Destination Truly Accessible for Them in Conde Nast

A man in a light blue t-shirt stands against an ornate historic wall featuring elaborate Renaissance-style frescoes with painted panels in warm oranges and reds, circular medallions, arched windows with metal grillwork, and a central painting of a figure on a white horse.

What does it really mean for a place to be accessible? As a wheelchair user, I’ve spent the past 20 years travelling, writing, and speaking about accessible tourism. I’ve crawled off trains when assistance hasn’t…

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Las Vegas’ Harry Reid Airport Unveils Free ASL App to Aid Hearing-Impaired Travelers, Enhancing Accessibility and Communication

A pair of blue wireless earbuds sits in an open white charging case on a gray desk surface, with one earbud inside the case and the other resting beside it. In the background are blurred desk items, including a smartphone, a gold pen, a laptop, and what appears to be a blue and brown desk accessory.

In a positive move towards inclusion and accessibility, Harry Reid International Airport in  Las Vegas has introduced a complimentary service designed to assist hearing-impaired travelers….

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Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Four

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Lesson 4: Accessibility Sells

What’s an example of a destination that saw a clear return on investing in accessibility?

Absolutely. One of my favorite examples is Beaches Turks & Caicos, a resort that truly listened, made a change and saw immediate results.

They addressed something many destinations overlook: guaranteed accessible room bookings. In the Caribbean, it’s especially difficult to reserve an accessible room with certainty. Unlike categories like ocean-view or suites, accessibility often isn’t treated as a priority. 

But Beaches made it one.

After hearing me speak about this gap, they created a new booking category for accessible rooms in 2021. That small change, simply naming the category and guaranteeing it, was transformational. The result? It became so popular that it was harder to book than their top-tier suites.

They eventually had to double the number of accessible rooms on the property to meet demand.

Now, they’re building a new wing, and while I don’t know the exact number of accessible rooms it will include, I do know they’re adding more. That’s what happens when you truly meet a need. You see a return, not just in guest satisfaction, but in occupancy and loyalty.

They didn’t stop at basic accessibility either. At one of their Sandals properties, which caters to adults, they began offering accessible suites with luxury-level services. Those rooms are constantly booked. And that proves an important point: people with disabilities span every demographic. Some are wealthy, some are not. Some are parents, newlyweds, solo travelers. We all want options.

Too often, hotels treat accessibility as an afterthought. ADA rooms are usually the lowest tier, with sterile decor and bathrooms that feel more medical than welcoming. Even in countries like the U.S., where laws require accessible rooms across categories, enforcement is uneven. Many accessible rooms still only offer one bed, forcing families to book multiple rooms or settle for poor accommodations.

My solution? Make every bathroom accessible. Install grab bars. Widen doorways. 

These changes aren’t expensive, and they help everyone. The athlete recovering from a workout. The couple celebrating with champagne. The parent bathing a child. If you design for inclusion, those features enhance the experience instead of standing out.

So yes, Beaches Turks & Caicos is a great case study. They didn’t need a massive budget. They simply restructured their booking engine, identified a real need and saw results. That’s the takeaway. Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s smart, scalable business.

Check back next month for Part Four! Noble Studios conducted a thorough interview with Kristy Durso going over the many facets of creating a destination that is truly for everyone. This series is pulled directly from the interview. Check out the archives for the rest of the series. Click here for the full interview. 

Kristy Durso is sitting in her wheelchair on the beach, smiling over her shoulder with the beautiful turquoise ocean in the background.

Featured public speaker, accessibilities advocate, entrepreneur, Army veteran, and military wife Kristy Durso is Travelability’s Ambassedor and owns and operates Incredible Memories Travel, a full-service travel agency that assists everyone, including those with accessibility needs. She has three children, one who has autoimmune issues and food allergies, another on the spectrum, and another with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. 

TravelAbility + VisitAble: A New Chapter in Disability Inclusion Training

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Most destinations think they’re inclusive… until their staff training says otherwise.

Over the past year, one theme has come up in nearly every conversation we’ve had with destinations: training. 

It’s not enough to install ramps or update websites if frontline staff don’t know how to welcome travelers with disabilities. In fact, when we surveyed more than 150 attractions, hotels, restaurants, and tour companies across ten destinations, 70% said staff training was their top request.

That’s why we’re excited to announce a new partnership with VisitAble—a company we’ve appreciated and collaborated with for years—to bring scalable, self-paced disability inclusion training to tourism teams nationwide.

VisitAble’s training is straightforward, practical, and designed to create the kind of mindset shift that turns accessibility from a compliance issue into what it really is: advanced customer service. The modules cover common mistakes, updated language, interaction best practices, accessibility guidelines, and industry-specific scenarios. The entire training takes just 60 minutes for managers and 30 minutes for frontline staff.

Destinations already using VisitAble are seeing the payoff. Travel Lane County’s CEO Samara Phelps noted that the flexible video modules made it easy for her team to complete training around busy schedules while still gaining crucial insights. In Richmond, more than 1,800 employees across hotels and attractions have gone through the training, which Toni Bastian, Director of Accessibility, called “a reliable and engaging resource for our tourism community.”

For TravelAbility, this partnership is about impact at scale. VisitAble’s founder, Joe Jamison, put it best:

“To create lasting impact, we must shift industry-wide mindsets around disability and accessible travel. Our training is designed to create that shift, and our partnership with TravelAbility will scale it.”

We couldn’t agree more. If your destination is ready to move from good intentions to real action, let’s get started together.

Get a free quote

Or read more in Trend Hunter’s feature.

Josh Loebner Shares How Accessibility Marketing Has Gone Mainstream

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Accessibility isn’t a niche – it’s the new standard. At last year’s TravelAbility Summit, Josh Loebner gave a talk on how what was once seen as a compliance checkbox is now a creative frontier. From fast food to fine dining, Super Bowl ads to global travel, accessibility is shaping the way the world connects. 

Clients like Coca-Cola and Ford are proving that inclusive design is central to modern branding. This session dives into why accessibility matters to everyone—and how it’s becoming the gold standard across industries.

Watch the video and dive into the summary below! For more insights like this, join us in Central Oregon for the 2025 TravelAbility Summit from October 13th to October 15th at the Sunriver Resort. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders, meet accessible travel influencers, and stay up to date on new innovations in assistive technology for the travel industry.

Register Today!

Summary

  • 🎙️ Introduction and Personal Background
    Josh Loebner shares his 20-year journey in advertising, his PhD focus on disability inclusion, and his leadership at VML as the Global Head of Inclusive Design.
    Watch here
  • 🏆 Creative Accessibility in Advertising
     Accessibility is shifting from compliance to creativity. VML’s initiatives, like winning the Grand Prix Lion, illustrate how design can be both imaginative and inclusive.
    Watch here
  • 🌍 VML’s Global Reach and Clients
     VML is a vast global agency with 30,000 employees and notable clients such as Ford, Coca-Cola, and Unilever, all integrating accessibility into diverse brand strategies.
    Watch here
  • 📈 Accessibility Goes Mainstream
     Search trends and public interest in accessibility are on the rise. It’s now seen as relevant to everyone, not just those with disabilities.
    Watch here
  • 🧏 Captioning for All
     Captioning is widely used, even by those without hearing loss, enriching media experiences through creative and nuanced text.
    Watch here
  • 🍔 Accessible Advertising Examples
     Wendy’s global campaigns are cited as inclusive. Accessibility is considered at all touchpoints, including fast food and fine dining experiences.
    Watch here
  • 🚗 Accessibility in Travel and Public Spaces
     The video explores how accessibility is integrated across travel experiences—from airports to local venues—highlighting thoughtful design.
    Watch here
  • 🏪 Retail Accessibility
     Retail giants like Walmart and Target now have accessibility centers and leads, showing industry-wide commitment to inclusion.
    Watch here
  • 📱 Innovative Scenic Audio App
     A powerful example involving a Scenic audio app for blind users uses AI and generative tools to create immersive travel experiences.
    Watch here
  • 🔮 Future of AI and Accessibility
     VML aims to make all ads accessible by 2025 using AI for audio descriptions and captions—blending tech and inclusion.
    Watch here

Insights Based on Numbers

  • 🌐 30,000 Employees at VML: Emphasizes the scale and global capability of the agency.
  • 📊 Rising Google Trends: The year-over-year growth in accessibility-related searches shows societal shifts.

Lived Experience: Lily Yu Explores Torrance, California

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Lily Yu is the adventurous soul behind Deaf Journey – a travel blog for Deaf travelers. Driven by wanderlust and fueled by inclusion, she has visited 54 countries and shares her experiences online to show that deaf people can travel and overcome barriers without hearing sounds. In addition to her blog, she has over 117k social media followers.

Her latest blog post features Torrance, California. From tea rooms to Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s house, find out why she calls it one of the most exciting and accessible destinations in the South Bay!

Read Here

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