Autism

Below is a letter from Mike Di Mauro, who spoke at TravelAbility Summit about his goal to visit all 50 states while delivering for Uber Eats to support himself.

Hello! I would like to send this email to thank everyone for allowing me to attend the summit last week and speak about my mission. I am trying to make history with this road trip that I am trying to get done and I know that it will not be easy. I know that together, we can help each other out and get this done. If I am not the first person to get this done, I will try to be the first person with autism to get it done! I also had a wonderful time hearing your sessions as well. It was great to learn about what you had to offer as well. I am looking forward to working with you all! I am sorry that I was not at all of the sessions but I had to try to share my mission with the vendors at the Connect conference to see if they could help me out as well. I really enjoyed the chance to go to the block party on Monday night and had a photo with the Vince Lombardi trophy! I also had the chance to hear two great athletes speak (Jerry Rice and Simone Biles) and had my photo taken with both of them. Interesting fact about the one with Simone Biles: after the presentation was over, I rushed over to the backstage area and out the door and as I was there, Simone was walking with a few people escorting her. I told her that I had autism and that I am a mental health advocate. I gave her my business card and then we had our photo together. Then I thanked her for what she has done at the Olympics and for the mental health community. I also asked her to please keep in touch with me! I feel that if we worked together then we could spread awareness for mental health in the world!

The link to join his Facebook group is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mikedsmission/

He can be reached by e-mail at: mikedemauro@aol.com

His GoFundMe page is: https://gofund.me/af457445

Note: Mike also attended the presentations at Connect Marketplace, an event co-located with TravelAbility. Below you’ll find him with Super Bowl winner Jerry Rice and Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles.

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John D’Eri co-founded the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida with his son, Thomas, in 2013. Following the success of the business, the pair expanded to Margate in 2017, and are now poised to open a location in Coral Springs later this year.

What sets Rising Tide apart from other car washes is its team: the majority of its staff are on the Autism spectrum.

D’Eri told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “My son Andrew is on the spectrum. There were no opportunities for him whatsoever. I have always been a serial entrepreneur so I decided that the best thing I could do was try to give him empowerment through employment versus some form of institutionalization like a group home.”

At Rising Tide, Andrew found work along with many others. The family has a bold vision for the new Coral Springs location: Within two years, they aim to have the car wash “100% staffed with diversity, meaning employees on the spectrum.” Those employees would include team leaders, D’Eri said and would set Rising Tide apart from other social enterprises focused on inclusion within the Autistic community.

To learn more about the Rising Tide Car Wash, check out the company website or read the full article in the Sun Sentinel.

When traveling, people with Autism face a unique series of challenges and obstacles that other disabled travelers may not need to consider. When developing travel products and programs, businesses and destinations should be mindful of the unique needs of autistic travelers to ensure accessibility for all.

Verywell Health recently published an article which provides a thorough guideline for families preparing to travel with their autistic children, or for autistic adults planning to travel independently. The resource is equally valuable for businesses within the travel industry, as they begin thinking about how to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for disabled visitors.

Travel training is an important step in preparing to travel with autism, or with autistic children. One popular way this familiarization can be achieved is through social stories, which are used by an increasing number of businesses – including Alaska Airlines – to help travelers with autism better understand what they’ll face while traveling.

To learn more about how autistic travelers prepare to travel, and how your business or destination can better meet their accessibility needs, read the full article that appeared in Verywell Health.