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The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

July 2025 Around the Web

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Meet the Hiker Bringing Off-Roading Wheelchairs to L.A.

Austin Nicassio in an all-terrain wheelchair poses on a train with a lake and mountains in the distance

It’s a crisp, clear Southern California day, and I’m at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park with Austin Nicassio. He’s ripping up a steep dirt trail covered in rocks and roots in what looks, at first blush, like a miniature bulldozer. Until…

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Adaptation Ventures: The First US Angel Group for Disability Tech Startups

Two people in white t-shirts and Jeans sitting with a large dog in-between them and smiling broadly.

Despite these staggering numbers, disability tech companies attracted only around $4 billion in early-stage investments in 2022 — a fraction compared to… 

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Time to Check-Out… the European Accessibility Act and Its Impact on Travel, Hospitality and Leisure

EAA 2025 logo on blue background featuring yellow stars

The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) or EAA is a significant legislative measure aimed at improving accessibility for consumers… 

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Virgin Australia and Adelaide Airport Launch Australian-First Accessibility Program

A flight attendant and a pilot with three children smiling broadly inside of an airport

Virgin Australia and Adelaide Airport have today announced the official launch of the ‘Try Before You Fly’ (TBYF) program, committing long-term to… 

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One Blanket Accessibility Pass for Theme Parks Isn’t Cutting It

A split image shows two scenes at an amusement park. On the left, a young woman wearing a dark green hoodie covers her mouth with her hand and appears emotional or overwhelmed. On the right, she is seen from behind holding hands with a man in a dark hoodie as they walk together along a cobblestone path toward a roller coaster in the background. Trees and colorful buildings line the walkway.

Every summer for the better part of a decade, Monica Matheson would take her daughter Jessica to Canada’s Wonderland. But Jessica’s mother says a recent… 

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Six Dimensions of Accessibility: Zelenska Launches ‘When You Can’ Campaign

Olena Zelenska in a clean white blazer against a purple background

First Lady Olena Zelenska has announced the launch of the national social change campaign “When You Can, “aimed at raising awareness about six key…. 

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News from the TravelAbility Community

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TravelAbility Community Sweeps the Forbes Accessibility 100 List

Forbes Accessibly 100 graphic with black background and red boarders

Including: Alvaro Silberstein, Wheel the World; Mayan Ziv, Access Now; Kelly Twichel, Access Trax; Matt Ater, Vispero; Pierre Paul, We Hear You; Michael Buckley, Be My Eyes; Eve Andersson, Google; Betty Siegel, Kennedy Center; Keely Cat-Wells, Making Space; Squirmy and Grubbs; Dominic Marinelli, United Spinal; Kursat Ceylon, We Walk

Forbes Accessibility 100 List

Cannes Lions Awards

Cannes Lions 2025 logo in yellow on gray background

Josh Loebner also took a Cannes Award for Tennessee Sounds Sights! Well done! 

Tennessee Sound Sights received a Bronze award for Industry Craft and a Silver Award for Entertainment Lions For Music.

Winners and Shortlists

Meet the Google engineer making Maps more accessible

Sasha wearing a light blue shirt and gray pants poses in his wheelchair in a NY Subway station

And read a Q&A with our Advisory Board member, Sasha Blair-Goldensohn on Here and Now!

Read Here

New Grant for California Beaches!

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Orange County Coastkeeper and the California State Coastal Conservancy are teaming up once again to make California’s beaches and coastal spaces more accessible to all, according to a recent news release.

These new grants will offer up to $30,000 per project, according to Ouyang.

Funding is available to tribes, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies that provide free access to adaptive equipment on the coast and near lakes, rivers, and bays.

Read The Full Article Here 

Apply Here!

Happy Birthday, ADA! Celebrating 35 Years of Progress and Possibility

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On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for civil rights and equal access. For the first time, discrimination against people with disabilities was formally prohibited in public life—from transportation and employment to education, government services, and public accommodations. It was a groundbreaking shift in how we, as a society, defined inclusion. It was the start of a mental shift.

Today, 35 years later, we celebrate the milestones the ADA has made possible. Sidewalks now feature curb cuts. Buses kneel. Elevators speak. Doors open automatically. But more than that, the ADA sparked a cultural shift—establishing the expectation that people with disabilities belong in every space and every conversation.

Of course, we know the work isn’t finished. The ADA was never meant to be the ceiling—it was the foundation. ADA may have set the legal standard, but true accessibility comes from going beyond compliance. It means thoughtful design, lived-experience-led solutions, and a commitment to equity that invites everyone to fully participate in the world around them.

In the travel and tourism industry, we’ve seen that momentum grow. What began with minimum requirements has evolved into adaptive equipment rentals, sensory-friendly events, inclusive marketing campaigns, and accessible adventure experiences once thought impossible.

This year, as we celebrate the ADA’s 35th anniversary, let’s honor the progress while recommitting to the possibilities ahead. Accessibility is not a box to check—it’s a doorway to deeper connection, broader audiences, and better design for all.

Keep reading for more stories celebrating the ADA’s legacy and its future:

TravelAbility Backs Slamdance’s Boldest Move Yet: Unstoppable Goes Mobile

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Poster for the Unstoppable Summer Tour featuring a turquoise background and a hand wrapped around a red eyeball.

TravelAbility partners with Slamdance to sponsor Unstoppable: On the Road – a summer film series programmed exclusively by artists with visible and non-visible disabilities. The tour, happening in arthouse cinemas in seven cities across the US, kicked off on June 10th in Salt Lake City and moved onto Santa Ana on June 19th at the Frida Cinema. Here’s the remaining schedule:

July 6 – Seattle, SIFF Cinemas

July 8 – Chicago, Music Box Theater

July 19-20 – Milwaukee, Milwaukee Film

July 29 – New York City, Marlene Myerson JCC

August 1-3 – Miami, O-Cinema

Launched in 2020, Slamdance Unstoppable is a showcase of films made by filmmakers with visible and non-visible disabilities and aims to eliminate the prejudices and gatekeeping that have historically kept disabled filmmakers from being represented in the entertainment industry. Slamdance Unstoppable: On the Road will bring the section’s vital programming to a national tour that aims to elevate disabled artists, connect with audiences, and expand opportunities for authentic storytelling in independent film.

The Slamdance Unstoppable: On the Road lineup was programmed from major festivals, including Slamdance, Sundance, ReelAbilities, Superfest, and Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Each venue has curated a unique selection from the Slamdance Unstoppable programming, ranging from single-night screenings featuring a short and feature pairing to full three-day showcases. Slamdance has partnered with accessible venues for the tour and prioritized venues that provide ASL interpretation, captions, audio descriptions, and other accommodations. The tour will also feature in-person Q&As with local filmmakers and discussions at key locations. Slamdance will be providing travel and accommodation for filmmakers to be able to attend the events in person.

TravelAbility is delighted to partner with Slamdance on this breakthrough tour through promoting it within the accessible travel community and amplifying its reach. 

Taylor Miller, Festival Director, shares

“Our ‘Unstoppable On The Road’ tour is all about breaking down barriers and bringing vital, disability-led stories to communities everywhere. Partnering with Travelability is absolutely essential to this mission. Their expertise ensures that these powerful films and the talented filmmakers behind them can truly reach and connect with diverse audiences, creating a more inclusive and accessible world, one screening at a time.” 

For more information about Unstoppable: On the Road please visit their web-site.