TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

Visit Mesa Launches Aira, Guided Visual Interpretation for Visitors & Residents

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Visit Mesa logo.

New App-Based Resource One of Several Tech Tools to Aid Travelers with Enhanced Mobility in Mesa, Arizona

Oct. 11, 2021 – MESA, Ariz. – As part of Visit Mesa’s on-going mission to ensure Mesa, Ariz. is regarded as one of the nation’s most accessible travel destinations they are launching a partnership with Aira, an on-demand visual interpretation service. The launch of the service will be made available to visitors to Mesa, as well as residents, on Oct. 15, National Blind Americans Equality Day.

Aira is a new accessibility technology that serves people who are blind or have low vision. Prior to arrival, visitors can download the Aira app to their smart phone and get access to a trained Aira agent who can assist with trip planning. While in Mesa’s city limits, visitors can access the agent to guide them throughout public buildings, attractions, restaurants, hotels and more. Customers of Aira are referred to as Explorers and this instant access to visual information at the touch of a button will enhance everyday efficiency, engagement, and independence.

“We are thrilled to welcome Visit Mesa as an Aira Access partner. Their commitment to providing an accessible, independent visitor experience for the blind and low vision community is another example of their mission to provide never-ending inspiration and discovery,” said Troy Otillio, CEO of Aira.

In Mesa, this service is one of several initiatives the destination marketing organization is implementing to ensure all visitors are welcomed and travel to Mesa is enjoyable.

“Visit Mesa is on a journey to becoming a recognized leader in travel accessibility,” said Alison Brooks, director of destination experience and advocacy at Visit Mesa. “We are putting travel inclusion at the forefront of all we are doing in Mesa and this new service shares an important message to this customer base that their needs and requirements to better experience and explore our destination will be supported. We want every visitor, and ultimately resident of Mesa, to explore our city with ease and comfort.”

Aira’s visual interpretation services are currently available in all Starbucks and Target stores nationwide. The free service for Mesa, Arizona will be available starting Friday, Oct. 15. As part of Visit Mesa’s commitment to accessibility, any guest living or visiting Mesa who is blind or has low vision can use the Aira service while located within Mesa city limits. The service outside of Mesa’s borders is complimentary for up to five minutes and then fees apply. Both iOS and Android phones are supported.

“We want residents and visitors alike to know that Mesa is committed to inclusivity and accessibility, and the availability of Aira is another step in the right direction,” said Mesa Mayor John Giles. “Visit Mesa has become a leader in our region, in putting tools like Aira to work to create greater ease for both guests and residents.”

Visit Mesa helped establish the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity & Inclusion to enhance and implement equity, diversity and inclusion for youth and adults within the Mesa community. The Foundation will support programs that expand upon accessibility throughout Mesa with a special emphasis on technology. Additional programs supported by Visit Mesa include the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program and the on-going efforts surrounding Mesa, Arizona’s designation as an Autism Certified City.

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Watch this video to see how Aira visual interpretation services impact the community:

Learn more about Visit Mesa and their mission to promote the value and vitality of Mesa’s visitor economy to create a better community at www.VisitMesa.com.

Florida Nudist Colonies Have Real Skin in the Game When it Comes to Accessibility

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Man wearing a black face mask that reads, I'd Rather Be Naked.

During a reception at the Florida Governors Conference on Tourism I found myself seated next to someone wearing a mask that read: “I’D RATHER BE NAKED.” The provocative nature of the mask aroused my curiosity as I leaned over to inquire about what, besides his face, was behind the mask. He introduced himself as Martin Novoa, a board member of the South Florida Free Beaches Association, and the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. foundation, which advocates for nude beaches on public lands, beaches and waterways in South Florida. Curiosity prompted him to ask about my TravelAbility badge and when he learned that we produced a conference about making travel easier for people with disabilities, we discovered we had something in common: helping people with disabilities enjoy the travel experience.

After their request for a grant to purchase amenities for wheelchair users was rejected by Miami-Dade County officials, they held their own fundraising event that raised thousands of dollars for beach wheelchairs, beach wheelchair mats as well as showers that could be adjusted for wheelchair users. “It’s integral to our vision of full enjoyment that accessibility be built into all the opportunities,” said Novoa.

Watch TravelAbility’s interview with Martin below:

Our take: Sometimes accessibility surfaces when and where you least expect it. Perhaps nudists, an often jeered-at subculture of beach enthusiasts, have developed a baseline empathy for a group similarly overlooked by society. Or, while they may have been naïve to believe that a county government wouldn’t draw political derision for using taxpayer money to fund nude beach amenities, as a practical matter, they needed to provide access in order to retain members that were aging into a disability. Either way, while hats may be the only item of clothing considered optional, we collectively take ours off to them now as an homage to their proactivity.

A Simple (and FREE) BABY STEP to Eliminate the #1 Pain Point for Wheelchair Users

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Standard wrenches o a black background.

I wanted to share with you an e-mail that Alison Brooks, Director Destination Experiences and Advocacy, Visit Mesa, sent to her partners as an example of a baby step suggestion spurred by a TravelAbility presentation by Lauren Van Horn, from Open Doors Organization that revealed that excessive door pressure was the number one barrier for people with disabilities in 2020 Harris Poll study of Adult Travelers with disabilities.  


We wanted to share Alison’s frisky approach to the e-mail she sent to her industry Visit Mesa parnters:

Subject line: Grab an Allen Wrench…

I recently attended the TravelAbility summit in Tampa, Florida which was all about making the future more accessible for people with a variety of disabilities. There were so many take-aways, but I wanted to share this simple one with you today.

It’s about doors! Have you ever encountered a really heavy door? The one that takes a lot of strength to pull it open and slams behind you? Imagine if you had a disability such as being in a wheelchair, or even being elderly! Those doors can be a struggle. 

Here’s where you, as a business owner or advocate, can help! Grab an Allen wrench, watch this quick video, and make a difference to someone with a disability today! It’s a simple, FREE, way to go above and beyond.

Thank you for your support of our vision to make Mesa the most inclusive destination in the country!

Alison

PS – let me know if you adjust your business door or encourage someone to do it. Your feedback is appreciated.

Note: Alison related that all TravelAbility Insider readers are welcome to use this copy verbatim to help reduce the number one pain point for wheelchair travelers when they travel.

Mélange Magazine Debuts with Accessibility For All Issue

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Covers of 3 Melange Magazine issues

Mélange Magazine recently launched a new publication under the title Accessibility for All, which tells stories important to the disability community.

The July 2021 issue features a story with the headline, “Should I say ‘disabled person’ or ‘person with a disability?” Dr. Mary Ann McColl, Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy (Occupational Therapy) and in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, answers this question and provides some recommendations for interacting with members of the disability community. Her article is a must-read.

The latest issue also features some accessible travel stories, including a profile of an accessible travel blogger in Israel and the story of a transportation company in St. Maarten.

The Mélange Accessibility for All magazine is a fantastic resource for the disability community, and those seeking to learn more about developing accessible travel products and services. To see what’s inside, check out the July 2021 digital issue.

TravelAbility and Threshold 360 to Promote Accessibility Through Virtual Tours

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Threshold 360 logo.

TravelAbility and Threshold 360, the leading platform for 360° virtual tour creation and delivery in the Hospitality & Tourism industries, today announced a strategic partnership to make virtual tours of hotels and resorts more readily available to anyone with a disability. The agreement will allow TravelAbility’s Accessible Landing Pages to showcase destination venues through a 360-degree interactive experience via the Threshold capture and publishing platform.

“ The partnership will make tours available to consumers at the TravelAbility website and will allow anyone to virtually explore all parts of a hotel including outdoor areas, reception, guest facilities, restaurants, and hotel rooms,” said TravelAbility founder, Jake Steinman. “Our users will be able to compare hotels and other facilities by how well-matched they are to their specific needs before they book creating more accurate expectations for the traveller and enhancing the guest experience.”

“Threshold has also built accessibility into its virtual tours functionality,” said Daniel Kraus, CEO of Threshold 360. “Each component of a Threshold virtual tour has customized Alternative Text (ALT-Text) entries which are interpreted by screen readers. Additionally, the Threshold Viewer and Map are fully keyboard compliant, and buttons are appropriately labeled to be automatically announced by screen readers. Threshold also allows for the disabling of Autoplay and further customization of its viewer for more advanced screen reader functionality and the next major release will support audio voice-over for all virtual tours.”