TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

New Travel Guide Shows Wheelchair Users How to Explore Salt Lake City

by

Salt Lake City skyline.

TravelAbility Advisory Board member John Morris recently traveled to Utah and published a free wheelchair accessible travel guide to Salt Lake City on his website, Wheelchair Travel.

The travel guide contains detailed information on accessible attractions, hotels and transportation services in Salt Lake City – resources disabled travelers need to confidently explore new destinations. In rating the key areas of access for disabled tourists, Morris gave Salt Lake City high marks for the accessibility of its tourist attractions and public transportation system.

The Salt Lake City wheelchair travel guide is one of more than 50 accessible travel guides on the Wheelchair Travel website and can be accessed by clicking here.

Savannah Launches “Savannability” Accessibility Initiative

by

Savannah, Georgia city skyline.

Van Johnson, Mayor of the City of Savannah, Georgia, recently announced the formation of the “Savannability Task Force,” which will work to make the city a more inclusive and welcoming place for disabled people.

The group’s membership is composed of disabled citizens, as well as local partners, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, and others. Together, they will examine accessibility issues in education, transportation, employment and other areas, providing recommendations on how to remove those barriers.

In speaking about the new task force, the mayor said, “We want Savannah to be welcoming, navigable, and inclusive for everyone who lives in or visits our city, so our community can benefit from their unique abilities whether they are visually, audibly, physically, or developmentally challenged, or if they are simply aging.”

OUR TAKE: The City of Savannah is taking an important step by involving people with disabilities in planning for the future. When a city commits to accessibility and inclusion, it can become a more equitable place for everyone – residents and visitors alike.

To read more about the Savannability Task Force, click here.

Sponsored by TravelAbility Summit. Register Today for TravelAbility2021 Use code TAS21 to save $50 (offer good until March 4th)

The “Right Stuff?” Europe to Recruit Disabled Astronaut for Space Travel

by

Astronaut floating in space.

The European Space Agency is accepting applications to fill up to 6 spots in its astronaut program, and it is seeking to promote diversity in its selection process. The agency will at the same time pursue a separate goal of recruiting a disabled person to join its astronaut corps, and has asked the International Paralympic Committee for assistance in finding the right person.

Dr. David Parker, director of the European Space Agency’s robotics and human spaceflight program, has said the recruitment of a disabled person “is not about tokenism.” He told BBC News that the agency is “not looking to hire a space tourist that happens also to have a disability,” but is looking for a person “to do the science; they would need to participate in all the normal operations of the International Space Station (ISS).”

To qualify, candidates are expected to have a master’s degree in a relevant field. Conditions which would have previously disqualified a candidate, such as lower limb deficiency or restricted growth, will be considered in pursuit of a disabled astronaut. Applications will be accepted beginning March 31st.

OUR TAKE: Diversity and inclusion initiatives often overlook disabled people, but the European Space Agency is taking a bold step in welcoming disabled people into its astronaut program. For many disabled people, the thought of a zero-gravity world is a dream – space is a place where every person has equal freedom to float. Could space be the great equalizer?

To read more about the space agency’s search for a disabled astronaut, click here.

This story sponsored by Google: See Google “Assist” accessibility features in action here.

Grandma of the Year Builds Wheelchair Ramps Using Legos

by

Wheelchair going up a ramp made of lego blocks.
Image courtesy REUTERS.

Rita Ebel, a 62-year-old wheelchair user (and grandmother!) living in Hanau, Germany, has devised a unique way to bring accessibility to her town’s shops, restaurants and salons. Using hundreds of lego bricks and glue, Rita builds ramps that make it possible for wheelchair users to enter businesses.

“For me it is just about trying to sensitise the world a little bit to barrier-free travel,” she told Reuters. The colorful ramps are easy to spot, and they are creating interest in accessibility.

Rita’s idea is being exported to other countries – groups from Austria, Spain, Switzerland and the United States have asked for ramp building instructions. It might not be long before a colorful lego ramp appears in your neighborhood!OUR TAKE: Accessibility can often be achieved with limited investment, and some businesses are just a bag of legos short from becoming wheelchair accessible. Rita’s clever idea has attracted international attention and started a discussion about the importance of basic access. Way to go, Rita!

To read more about Rita’s wheelchair ramps, click here.

Indian Café Reopens Following an “Accessibility Makeover”

by

Coffee beans, ground coffee and a completed drink.

The Downtown Café, a popular dining establishment in Patna, Bihar, India, is set to reopen following an “accessibility makeover.” Café owner Astik Kumar was encouraged to make the improvements after he witnessed a physically disabled family member struggle to get inside.

Among the accessibility features installed were an accessible toilet, a ramp to enter the building and wheelchairs available to customers who need them. Braille menu cards have also been printed for visually impaired customers, and there are plans to invest further in making the space more accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

On speaking about his goals, Asik said that “my aim is to make The Downtown Cafe inclusive in every sense of the word.” He said he would like to see smaller cities like Patna adopt greater sensitivity to the needs of disabled people, like that exhibited in larger cities such as Delhi and Mumbai

To read more about the café’s incredible transformation, click here.