Accessibility

Lesson 3: Minimal Budget, Maximal Impact

Between 2019 and 2020, travelers with disabilities spent $58.7 billion on accessible travel in the U.S. alone, according to a market study by Open Doors Organization.”

How can a destination make the greatest impact on accessibility with a limited budget?

Start by telling a real story.

If I had just $10,000 left in a budget, I wouldn’t spend it on checklists or audits. I would spend it on bringing in a family with accessibility needs and letting them explore your destination. Film them, not doing “disability-specific” things, but simply doing what they love. Let them be a family, and then show how your destination either supports or hinders their experience.

Capture the moments that work, and just as importantly, the moments where they struggle. That’s how you find the gaps. And that’s how you move hearts and minds.

Accessibility is not linear. There is no single checklist or seminar that can tell you whether your city is accessible. What’s accessible for me, as a wheelchair user, isn’t the same as what’s accessible for my friend who’s quadriplegic. Or for my daughter, who is cognitively disabled. Or for a traveler who is level three autistic. We all interact with places differently.

So the goal isn’t to declare, “This is accessible.” The goal is to tell your city’s story in a way that lets the traveler decide for themselves if it works for them.

And you do that by offering real, honest, visual access to what their experience might look like.

A great example is Lansing, Michigan. They partnered with a company called AbleVu, which I’ve worked with as well. AbleVu creates visual walk-throughs of attractions—not to judge or check boxes, but to tell the story of accessibility. A traveler can see what an entrance looks like, how the seating is arranged, or whether sensory-friendly spaces are available. That helps them make informed, safe choices.

One of their most surprising and inspiring features is an accessible indoor go-kart track. The owner, who was temporarily paralyzed after an accident, didn’t want to give up racing. So he designed a go-kart with hand controls and added a Hoyer lift. Now, anyone can join. Just reading “accessible go-kart” doesn’t quite capture it. But when you watch the video and see someone using it, you think, “Maybe I could do that too.”

That’s the ripple effect.

When you showcase real stories, you inspire people and not just inform them. You let families imagine themselves there. Suddenly, they aren’t just passing through. They’re planning full days, extended stays and return visits.

Information is the key. Many people with disabilities choose not to travel because they don’t know what to expect. But when that information is made visible, honest and welcoming, uncertainty becomes excitement.

It’s not about being perfect.

It’s about being prepared and transparent.

And that is something any destination can do, even on a limited budget.

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 part 1 & 2. Click here for the full interview.