TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessible Landing Pages

Practical Hacks From the Accessibility Playbook: Put Your Website to the Test

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Accessible websites are often the first point of contact between a destination and a traveler. When key information is hard to find or impossible to navigate with assistive technology, travelers with disabilities are excluded before a trip even begins. This excerpt from the Accessibility Playbook breaks down practical, easy to implement website accessibility best practices that improve usability for everyone. Before you dive in, take this quick three question quiz to test your knowledge and see how accessible your website really is.

Take the Quiz!

Accessible Website Guidance

  1. Screen-reader Compatible Web Pages: Web pages must be readable by electronic “screen readers”, which are devices commonly used by the visually impaired to surf the internet.
  2. Alt-tagged Images: Images must have “alt tags” (a type of metadata) which will help visually impaired users to identify the image via text or via a screen reader. Search engine optimizers will know of alt-tags as a way to optimize images for ranking high in ‘Google Images’.
  3. Alt-tagged Tables: If you’re using tables on any web pages, they must also have alt-tags
    to help explain each column via text. The user’s screen reader will then read that text aloud, describing the contents of the table.
  4. Automatic Scripting: Any scripted display usage of image mapping should be accompanied by textual alternatives.
  5. Style Sheet Independence: Your web pages should be readable to screen readers, most of which cannot load style sheets.
  6. Accessible Forms: Web forms should be usable without a mouse, and each field should be
    labeled.
  7. Text Links to Plugins: If your website requires a specific plugin to work correctly, you
    should present the link to that plugin in text form.
  8. Color Schemes: Your website should not contain any colors or color combinations that are either integral to the correct usage of your website, or which may confuse those with color blindness in any way pertaining to your website, products or services.
  9. Keyboard-friendly Browsing: Your website shouldn’t be reliant on the usage of a mouse or touchpad. Users who wish to navigate using only keyboard keys should be able to do so.
  10. Harmless Website Design: Your website should not serve images or videos that can cause
    seizures.

Conduct a Website Audit

Website audits are a necessary process to assess how well your website meets the needs of people with disabilities, conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and complies with relevant regulations. While a website audit can be conducted by a member of your organization, it is always helpful to engage a third-party expert, like UserWay Scanner.

Accessible Landing Page Guidance

KEY ELEMENTS DETAILS
Statement“We are pleased to welcome visitors of all abilities. This page features a variety of accessible attractions, museums, recreational activities, and hotels to help visitors and local residents with disabilities discover what they can do in
[Destination].”
PlacementFeature landing page on homepage or at top navigation bar for easy access.
Things to DoIdentify accessible attractions and experiences, and provide direct links to
their accessibility pages.
Highlight Accessibility Advocates and ProgramsShowcase relationships with organizations like Wheel the World, KultureCity, or Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program. If you a certified partner in sensory accessibility and inclusion, link your website directly to the KultureCity App.
Hotels & LodgingList accessible hotels, highlight hotels with pool lifts exceeding ADA requirements, and survey hotels for detailed accessibility info. If partnering
with Wheel the World, link directly to their booking page.
Suggested ItineraryList accessible hotels, highlight hotels with pool lifts exceeding ADA requirements, and survey hotels for detailed accessibility info. If partnering
with Wheel the World, link directly to their booking page.
TransportationBuild an accessible itinerary with state/provincial/national stakeholders, and
include links to relevant articles and media coverage.
Medical Supplies & ServicesProvide links for wheelchair/scooter rentals and medical equipment rentals.
Outdoor Spaces and TrailsProvide accessibility links for nearby parks, hiking trails, points of interest, botanical gardens, and zoos.
Sports and Performance VenuesLink to accessibility pages for college/professional stadiums, arenas, racetracks, symphonies, ballets, operas, theatres, and prominent nightclubs.
Dining & FoodList accessible-compliant and sensory-friendly restaurants.
Enhanced EngagementIncorporate video testimonials from visitors with different disabilities.
Industry Collaboration & Drop-Down MenusSurvey industry partners to uncover accessibility features, and build a user-friendly drop-down menu for mobility, blindness/low vision, deafness/hard of hearing, and autism/neurodiversity.
Tagging & Search OptimizationTag accessibility links by disability type, allowing users to filter and search. Locations with multiple features should appear under each relevant category.
Involve Disabled VoicesInvite individuals with disabilities to write articles, review experiences, and contribute to the landing page experience.

Best practice landing pages

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to accessible landing pages. To get inspired, take a look at these destinations who have made great strides:

  • Discover Lancaster: Discover Lancaster’s accessibility page helps travelers plan with confidence by providing specific and reliable information on features like ramps, braille signage, and service animal accommodations.
  • Explore Minnesota: Explore Minnesota’s accessibility page stands out for its filterable, extensive accessibility features. This empowers users to customize searches by their unique needs, making trip planning more efficient and tailored.
  • Visit Ann Arbor: Visit Ann Arbor’s page builds trust through recognized certifications and showcases inclusive experiences in the community.
  • Visit Charlottesville: Visit Charlottesville’s accessibility page instills confidence in travelers with vetted information. It helps travelers plan for practical needs, such as bed and restroom dimensions, by providing verified credentials.
  • Visit Denver: The Visit Denver accessibility page demonstrates a commitment to accessibility with leadership in ADA compliance and top disability access rankings.
  • Visit Fort Wayne: Visit Fort Wayne’s accessibility page engages local stakeholders and promotes inclusive recreation with community-driven resources and adaptive sports highlights.
  • Visit Scotland: The VisitScotland accessibility page offers comprehensive, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand resources that cater to a wide range of accessibility needs.

Best Practices: What Works on Tennessee State Parks’ Accessibility Landing Page

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The Accessibility option in Tennessee State Park’s drop down menu brings you to a page of seemingly endless options. Planning barriers are removed with detailed information on facilities and experiences that are accessible for individuals with varying types of mobility needs. You can find information on:

  • Wheelchair-friendly paved trails and overlooks
  • All-terrain wheelchairs
  • Adult-sized changing tables
  • Colorblind viewers
  • Accessible kayak/canoe launches
  • Language and information access
  • Connection with an accessibility team
  • Individual park pages with details on ramps, accessible restrooms, parking spots, and more to ensure a barrier-free experience

Not only are accessible and adaptive options prolific, the information on them is easy to find.

Check out the beautifully organized landing page here.

Coopetition: TravelAbility’s New Word for Driving Change

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By Jennifer Allen

“Competing is not hating, it’s actually putting appreciation into action.” ~50 Cent

This is what we learned through the friendly coopetition – cooperation and competition – at the TravelAbility Summit. Pure Michigan’s announcement that they have more track chairs than any other state may be pushing Travel Oregon to top that number, but no one’s complaining. Coopetition is a force for positive change.

On that token, I dare you to outdo these initiatives.

  • Visit Mesa sends weekly emails with simple, practical things partners can do to be more inclusive.
  • Oregon is the first Accessibility Verified state – involving all seven tourism regions, covering accommodations, attractions, hotels, and restaurants, with information for visitors with both visible and non-visible disabilities.
  • Southern Oregon, North Alabama, and Discover Lancaster have offered independent Accessibility in Tourism workshops.
  • North Alabama published a print guide on accessible adventures, covering multiple disabilities and including sample itineraries.
  • Visit California launched a centralized accessibility resource site, paired with a video road-trip series by disability advocate Sophie Morgan to showcase inclusive travel experiences.
  • Kansas City’s MCI Airport added Aira — offering real-time visual navigation assistance via the Aira app for blind and low-vision travelers.
  • Tennessee State Parks recently installed eight additional adult-sized changing tables, now available in 18 parks across the state.

Don’t be intimidated – be inspired! How will you add to the Coopetition?

What Does the ADA Law Have in Common with Russian Roulette?

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photo of Jake Steinman in a striped button up, jacket, and black rimmed glasses.

By Jake Steinman 

To pass the original ADA, a compromise was made: accessibility standards were set to meet the median needs of each of four disability categories. In practice, that means that it works for half of the population and doesn’t work for the other half—because every disability has a spectrum. Unfortunately, travelers with disabilities don’t know which half they fall into until they arrive at a hotel, attraction, restaurant, or any public space. 

It’s Russian roulette—with three bullets in the chamber instead of just one!

What if you could get rid of the high-stakes anxiety with one simple, free task?

Read More on Travel Weekly

August What Would You Do? 

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Each month we address various accessibility issues that may arise within the TravelAbility community. 

What Would You Do?

You’re ready to showcase accessible travel options in your destination. You’ve built an accessibility landing page packed with hotels, restaurants, attractions, transportation, and even sample itineraries. But now comes the big question: where should it live on your website? Where will travelers actually find it?

Your Responses:

Anne Menendez | Director of Marketing, San Francisco Disability Business Alliance

Under “Experiences” and definitely with the same visibility, if not higher, as Travel for LGBTQ, Travel with Pets, and other options I have seen while omitting Travel for the Disability Community

Sonja Froese | Networking Nurse, Author and Social Media Manager

Front page to show your thoughtfulness and empathy, your organization skills and your strengths!

Everyone can use accessible activities, rooms and offers. Also to “prepare“ everyone that there could be people with disabilities

Beth Javens | Destination Dynamo!

A small ad-spend to market to this audience and they will find it on your site – you’ll never wonder!

Jennifer Allen | TravelAbility Editor

The TravelAbility Playbook recommends featuring your accessibility landing page on the homepage or at the top navigation bar for easy access. In my own travel planning experience, it’s easiest when it’s a part of the top navigation bar. When it’s not there, I look at the “Plan Your Visit” tab. If I still can’t find it, I’ll check out itineraries to see if there’s anything for wheelchair users, but at that point I assume I’ll have limited options.

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