TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

WTTC Issues New Guidelines for Accessible Travel

by

WTTC logo over aerial photo of tropical beach and resort hotels.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) released new guidelines for accessibility and inclusion in the travel and tourism sector. The guidelines focus on four pillars: Developing an Inclusive & Accessible System, Creating Safe Spaces, Designing an Engaging & Relevant System and Exemplifying Inclusion & Accessibility.

Among the recommendations are the following:

Developing an Inclusive & Accessible System

  • Consider the creation of a specific role for an accessibility expert
  • Collaborate with other businesses in areas where there are gaps in accessibility knowledge, experience and services
  • Consider conducting meaningful research with travelers with disabilities whenever possible
  • Offer travel products, services and facilities without accessibility barriers for those with physical, cognitive, intellectual or sensory needs
  • Avoid making assumptions about a traveler’s disability or their needs
  • Provide clear, detailed and accurate information for travelers with disabilities and share the information in a consistent manner across the business
  • Provide training to staff on disability awareness and how to support travelers with disabilities, including how to counter unconscious bias or stereotypes

Creating Safe Spaces

  • Foster a respectful environment at all locations and for all activities
  • Provide clear signage throughout the traveler’s journey for varying physical, cognitive, intellectual and sensory abilities
  • Make accessibility decisions using feedback and information obtained from travelers with those disabilities, empowering them to share honest feedback

Designing an Engaging & Relevant System

  • Regularly and proactively engage travelers with disabilities in the creation of accessible products and services and obtain their feedback
  • Include accessibility features in the booking process
  • Consider flexible itineraries for those with disabilities

Exemplifying Inclusion & Accessibility

  • Regularly and proactively engage travelers with disabilities in the creation of accessible products and services and obtain their feedback
  • Include accessibility features in the booking process
  • Consider flexible itineraries for those with disabilities

Although the recommendations are by no means groundbreaking – disability advocates and industry experts have promoted them as best practices for some time – it is valuable to have the principles of accessibility broadcast to a larger audience. At the next TravelAbility Summit event on June 24th, speakers will expand on these and other topics to help destinations and businesses reach their accessibility potential.

To read more about the WTTC guidelines, see this article from Travel Off Path.

National Park Service Produces Film Series to Showcase Accessibility at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

by

Tourist standing at foot of giant tree in Sequoia National Park.

The National Park Service has produced 6 films to highlight accessibility at the breathtaking Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

On its website, the Park Service states that it hopes the films give disabled visitors “an in-depth tour of selected features and facilities so that you can decide whether a visit, hike, camping trip, or tour are within your reach.

The individual films, each about 3 minutes in length, describe accessibility features such as tours of the Crystal Cave with American Sign Language, tactile exhibits on the Grant Tree Trail, wheelchair accessible Sequoia Shuttles, accessible campsites and more.

To learn more about the accessibility at the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and to watch the videos, visit the NPS website.

I Love (Accessible) New York! A Model of What a State Landing Page for Disabled Travelers Should Be

by

New York City skyline seen from pedestrian walkway on bridge.

Expanding access to accessible travel information and resources is one of the TravelAbility Summit’s key objectives, and many destinations are already providing excellent content through their websites’ accessible travel landing pages.

I Love NY’s Accessible New York page is one such example, with a sortable database of accessible activities and businesses throughout the state. Whether a person is traveling to the Adirondacks or the Greater Niagara Falls Region, the database contains a list of accessible attractions and provides basic information about the accessibility of various features, including accessible entrances, bathrooms, and more.

The page also includes trip ideas for visitors who are autistic or have developmental disabilities, people who are blind or have low vision, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

OUR TAKE: I Love NY, working with the consulting division of Open Doors Organization, has done the important work of creating a page to welcome disabled travelers to New York. The database contains space for many more accessible activities, and we look forward to seeing this resource expanded to include many more of the great things to do in the State of New York!

Could Changing Tables Soon Be Coming to a Rest Stop Near You?

by

Adult changing table mounted on bathroom wall.

Two teenage brothers from Kentucky – Josh and Jacob Line – came up with the concept of Angel Mats, changing areas outfitted with a changing table and privacy curtain to help families traveling with disabled children.

They have reached out to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, with the hope that Kentucky will be the first U.S. state to provide Angel Mats at interstate rest areas. Ultimately, they’d like to see their idea implemented across the country.

“It provides privacy for kids that are dependent and can’t use the bathroom per se and it’s basically to help them travel as a whole,” said Josh.

OUR TAKE: Having a safe place for families and caregivers to provide assistance to disabled people with toileting is a critical component of accessibility, and it’s exciting to see young people raising awareness on this issue. Disabled children age into adulthood, and we hope the State of Kentucky will be inspired to provide changing tables in each of its rest areas.

To read more about the brothers’ advocacy efforts, read this article from FOX 19.

Germany May Be the Most Accessible Destination in Europe… or the Planet

by

Greetings from Berlin, Germany postcard.

Although Europe’s borders remain closed to much of the world, Germany is prepared to capitalize on the post-pandemic accessible travel boom.

Writers Barbara and Jim Twardowski, in an article for the Abilities Buzz, stated that the country “is diligently working to make Germany a place where everyone can travel with ease and without barriers.”

The country has invested in a program to assess the accessibility of businesses, collecting the data in a centralized accessible tourism database. Local and regional tourism boards have also made investments in accessibility and tourism guides for disabled visitors, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, among others.

OUR TAKE: As the disability community is vaccinated and begins to plan their vacations for 2021 and 2022, destinations that have done the work to welcome them are likely to see an increase in travelers with accessibility needs. Germany’s long history of investment in accessible travel will aid in their recovery.

To read more about how Germany is preparing to welcome disabled travelers, click here.