TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

5 Accessibility Ideas Totally Worth Stealing

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a blind sea otter lifts his head while swimming in water at an aquariumTravelAbility Insider recently interviewed Lynn Walsh, accessibility and inclusion manager at John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  Her tips for staff training, best practices, and cross-pollinating ideas can be used for nearly any attraction or destination. Here they are:

  1. Be honest with visitors. If you’re “working on it”—whether it’s a ramp or a website change—let people know. Otherwise, the disability community is likely to assume that accessibility is not on your radar or that you are not interested in hearing their ideas. And don’t forget to let people know the resources and accommodations you do have—that accessible restroom may not be a big deal to you, but it’s huge to those who need it!
  2. Train your staff—all of your staff. From those who interact with guests on a daily basis, to those who are writing the grants or cleaning the facility—accessibility and inclusion are a part of everyone’s job. Training will provide the knowledge and confidence needed for all staff to work within their sphere of influence to create an accessible and inclusive environment for all.
  3. See your destination or attraction through someone else’s eyes. Find local User/Experts who are willing to share their feedback and ideas. Lynn has engaged numerous people from the disability community on various projects at the aquarium to learn from their expertise. Work with those who you’re creating the experience for – don’t assume to know what people with disabilities want or need.
  4. No need to reinvent the wheel. Engage with peers – share ideas and resources. Is there an Access Network in your location? Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower Chicago’s cultural spaces to become more accessible to visitors with disabilities. CCAC provides free professional development opportunities and other resources to cultural administrators in the Chicagoland area. Look for an Access Network in your area.
  5. Look for opportunities everywhere. Recently one of Shedd’s marine mammal trainers was inspired by Cruz, a totally blind sea lion that calls Shedd home. Cruz responds to audible and tactile cues, which made the trainer wonder if Cruz would respond to voices heard through an iPad. To our delight, Cruz does respond to the iPad cues – which means we can now take the sea lion experience on the road to those who can’t physically come to the aquarium due to illness or disability. And yes, that’s a photo of Cruz in the water at Shedd Aquarium.

 

OUR TAKE: Major museums and cultural institutions are substantially ahead of many other non-theme park attractions on accessibility as they have been conditioned to be responsive to the needs of their local disability communities and by doing so they are already prepared for tourists who are disabled.   Many, such as Shedd Aquarium, have “accessibility” or”diversity” directors, staff positions destined for future growth. Even tourism suppliers without a staff person dedicated to accessibility can deploy any or all of these practical and low-cost ideas on an ad hoc basis to level up their appeal to the disability their own disability community and tourists as well. 

How DMO’s and Hotels Can Help Conferences Become More Accessible

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Wheelchair user Sylvia Longmire using a lift to attend a social gathering at a recent TedX conference.Sylvia Longmire, president of Spin the Globe, refers to herself as an accessible travel agent, blogger, disabled veteran and MS’er. She is also one of the most influential—and opinionated—voices reviewing destinations, cruise lines, hotels and attractions from a wheelchair user’s point of view. She doesn’t hold back. In a recent blog piece, she discussed the challenges of attending conferences and conventions.  

Our Take: Please, share this post with Meeting Planners, an integral part of our industry, who can use her suggestions to make their events more inclusive. Longmire’s spot-on advice can help raise awareness and improve accessibility conditions. We’re looking forward to what she writes next.

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Tokyo We Have a 2020 Paralympics Problem: All Your Hotels Have Only One Accessible Room

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Paralympic high jump athlete going over the barThe August date for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan is nearing—and it’s reportedly looking like a hot mess. One problem, according to organizers and staff, is a lack of accessible hotel rooms. And it gets worse from there. According to The Guardian, British Paralympic officials looking for hotels near their training camp in Yokohama got a cold shoulder and reportedly seemed uninterested in hosting world-renowned athletes. Other hotels have reportedly demanded they be paid to make the rooms accessible for athletes in wheelchairs.

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Which UK Airports Will Be 2020 All-Stars? (Plus: Free Accessible UK Itinerary)

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silhouette of a boy walking through airport very serene photoWhen a civil aviation report shows that 10% of airports in the UK don’t have a high quality of accessibility what exactly does that mean? For starters, a quarter of airport businesses could not accommodate those in wheelchairs, and a third of companies were unable to accommodate for those with cognitive impairments like autism. Even what may seem to be minor hassles—long wait times for assistance or untrained desk staff—are major factors in a disabled travelers experience. As revisions to systems are made, airports that were looking pretty dismal are rising all-stars. Edinburgh’s ‘Very Good’ rating was particularly impressive given that just two years ago its accessibility was considered ‘Poor’. Another all-star was Liverpool. READ MORE

BONUS! If you want a great experience touring London, here’s an Accessible London itinerary from TravelAbility Summit Advisory Board Member Cory Lee. Thanks, Cory, your expertise is always appreciated.
 

What Exactly Is an Accessibility Dream State? Michigan. Here’s Why.

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cars racing down a Main Street in the rain

Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan based in Lansing, challenged his industry during their 2018 Governor’s Conference to submit any new initiatives around accessible travel. One year later at their 2019 Governor’s Conference on Tourism, his partners went above and beyond the call of duty and submitted 19 new accessible or adaptive initiatives, which you can read about, below. Just think what could happen if all 50 states replicated the effort with a similar challenge to their partners!


Because the ideas are so smart that they’re worth stealing, we’ve listed each new initiative submitted by Michigan’s tourism industry in 2019 here:

  1. Michigan State Parks offer an accessible kayak ramp and fishing pier at Interlochen State Park. Rifle River State Park hosts accessible hunting and some State Park beaches feature track wheelchairs for access to the beach and “mobi mats” for traditional chair access.
  2. Traveling long distances in Michigan by car got easier. The Kellogg Foundation has funded fully accessible state rest areas.
  3. The Ann Arbor Area CVB is updating their website this year to be compliant with ADA, including WCAG 2.0. The destination is welcoming to everyone and is removing barriers by making the website accessible to all using Audioeye technology. Watch a demo, here.
  4. The Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum offers a Sensory Night every third Wednesday of the month. It’s a night for all to come to play in an inclusive, sensory-friendly environment.
  5. The Holiday Inn & Suites Mt. Pleasant has rooms to accommodate hearing disabilities as well as ADA (wheelchair) accessible rooms.
  6. Special Olympics Michigan offers a sensory room for athletes during the State Summer Games on the campus of Central Michigan University.
  7. The Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau (GLCVB), who help to market Disney’s The Lion King performances, took a broad view of what other activities they could offer families visiting for the show. They gathered information on all current sensory-friendly programming offered in the local community. GLCVB says the assessment led to a much broader vision for the original simple marketing initiative and it became a multi-dimensional collaboration that has changed the community and how they welcome all visitors.
  8. In 2018, over 800 hospitality and tourism staff were provided with autism spectrum disorder education and training in the Lansing region. As a result of the education process, seven attractions are now offering scheduled sensory-friendly programming and making information and resources available to guests in advance and while on site. Three attractions have enhanced and improved their existing programming as a result of the educational outreach.
  9. At Lansing’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts, there are now 100% sensory-friendly performances of Disney’s The Lion King. Family members who have seen the show told front-line personnel that they “usually don’t travel or go out in public much” due to people not understanding their circumstances and they were glad to “feel welcome here.”  Many comments indicated this was one of the few special events their entire family had been able to attend together.
    More details, here.
  10. Genesee County has developed Bluebell Beach to be inclusive. It includes accessible parking spaces and an accessible pathway from the parking area to the pavilion and accessible restrooms. Enjoy a barrier-free splash pad, paved pathways around the park and a connection to Flint River Trail, all meeting ADA accessibility standards. A barrier-free playground, complete with transfer station and Genesee County’s first Universally Accessible playground is installed at Bluebell Beach. Learn more, here.
  11. The Barrier-Free Treehouse at For-Mar Nature Center is designed to allow visitors of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience a treehouse overlooking the Kearsley Creek. Nestled back in black cherry, red oak, white oak, basswood, and butternut hickory trees, the treehouse stands approximately 30 feet above the bed of the Kearsley Creek oxbow and can be accessed by either staircase or ta ramp with grades to meet ADA requirements. Learn more, here.
  12. The Alpena Bi-Path is an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail that winds throughout the City of Alpena. The paved path includes routes that run along picturesque Thunder Bay River and Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary, Lake Huron. The path also allows for access to Island Park, a nature preserve located within the City of Alpena. Walking, jogging, biking, fishing, rollerblading, wheelchair, assisted walker, and mobility scooter riders are seen enjoying the path year-round. The path also connects parks, shopping districts, waterways, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, two islands, fishing platforms, a boat harbor and lighthouse as well as residential areas to allow for universal access to some of Alpena’s most beautiful spaces. In addition to stunning natural beauty, the Bi-Path is considered an outdoor gallery with sculptures and public art along the route.
  13. Ocqueoc Falls is the largest waterfall in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and the only universally-accessible waterfall in the United States. Ocqueoc provides approximately six miles of hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing opportunities with three marked loops. A viewing area, boardwalks, as well as limestone steps and wheelchair access allow for visitors to safely enter the falls (yes, even in a wheelchair). The remnants of an old mill race can be seen just above the falls and a State Forest Campground is located at the falls as well. Trails are groomed in the winter season for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire biking.
  14. Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is a visitor center for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, featuring hands-on interactive learning activities for all ages. The Exploring the Shipwreck Century exhibit is located in the center’s main hall and includes a full-size replica wooden Great Lakes schooner and shipwreck where visitors can board the decks, feel a Great Lakes storm, and touch the massive timbers of the boat resting on the lake bottom. The handcrafted schooner follows ADA compliance allowing for mobility-assisted access inside the vessel as well as other areas of the exhibit.
  15. South Haven has several local projects developed to provide access to Lake Michigan and the Black River in South Haven including an accessible concrete walkway  from the parking area to Lake Michigan at the Pilgrim Haven Natural Area just south of South Haven, an accessible kayak launch has been installed at Black River Park, an accessible fishing platform and bridge was installed at SHOUT park along the Black River in 2018 and an accessible walkway was installed on North Beach from the parking lot to the edge of Lake Michigan in 2018.
  16. Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn has exceeded ADA compliance by providing their guests with in-room information, for example, which direction (left or right) the bed or toilet transfers are in a particular room. The Lodge has embraced this concept and prominently promotes it on their website. They will hard block a room for a guest with a particular need so they can have the best accommodation for them.
  17. Frankenmuth is also exploring ways to provide additional accessible parking for large events, some of which are located in grassy areas.
  18. Midland’s Canopy tour at Whiting Forest is fully accessible. This is the nation’s longest canopy park.
  19. Muskegon’s Winter Sport’s Complex has developed a fully accessible luge experience, designed for non-winter use. This allows persons with a walking disability to experience the sheer joy of the luge.

Check for more updates and future innovations in the news section, here.

 

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