TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Blind Travel

Disabled Travelers Share The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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The sometimes shocking experiences of real disabled travelers.

At the TravelAbility Summit, disability advocates and travel and hospitality professionals come together to reimagine what inclusive travel can truly look like. The event blends practical workshops, expert panels, and meaningful conversations that empower destinations, brands, and organizations to create more accessible experiences for all.

At last year’s summit, a panel of disabled travelers shared their firsthand experiences—the good, the bad, and the eye-opening. Lived experience remains the most powerful measure of true inclusion. We’re excited to keep the conversation going at our 2025 Summit in Sunriver, Oregon, taking place October 13–15th. Learn more and register today!

Watch the video below and explore the timestamped summary. How does your destination measure up?

At the 2024 TravelAbility Summit: Kristy Durso (TravelAbility, Incredible Memories Travel), Jessica Jordan Ping (The Rolling Explorer), Craig Radford (360 Direct Video), Sassy Wyatt (Blind Girl Adventures), and Talia Salem (Marriott).

Summary

  • Opening with Vulnerability – A wheelchair user shares a deeply personal and emotional experience of inaccessibility in Vancouver’s airport restrooms, transforming a humiliating moment into a story of compassion and advocacy.
    ➤ Restroom Accessibility Issue
  • Fairmont Hotel’s Kindness – The Fairmont Hotel provided sanctuary and dignity, reinforcing the power of empathy in service and influencing future travel recommendations.
    ➤ Fairmont’s Response
  • Denied Experiences on Honeymoon – Jessica recounts being refused full participation in a planned ATV adventure due to assumptions about her limb differences, underscoring the need for autonomy and transparency.
    ➤ Adventure Denied
  • Advocacy for Honest Accessibility Info – The discussion emphasizes how honesty about accessibility levels is more beneficial than misleading claims.
    ➤ Transparency in Accessibility
  • Communication Barriers for Deaf Travelers – Craig details a disappointing hotel and theatre experience where inadequate communication efforts highlighted systemic gaps in serving deaf guests.
    ➤ Lack of Accessibility for Deaf Guests
  • Navigational Struggles for Blind Travelers – Sassy shares multiple challenges at airports and train stations, from forced wheelchair use to being abandoned without communication or support.
    ➤ Travel Disorientation for Blind Travelers
  • Train Access Without Support – Despite being in a wheelchair and having heavy luggage, Sassy was left alone to navigate a train station without announcements or assistance.
    ➤ Abandoned at the Train Station

Insights Based on Numbers

  • While this session is anecdotal, the stories reflect pervasive issues affecting millions, particularly the frequent failures in communication and physical accessibility at transport and hospitality venues.
  • Real-time lived experience remains the most powerful metric for evaluating accessibility.

When Guide Dogs and Allergies Collide—What Would You Do?

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

What Would You Do?


An Uber driver pulls up to a scheduled ride and sees that the passenger is accompanied by a guide dog. The driver immediately shares that he has a severe allergy to dogs and says that he can’t let the dog in the car. The passenger, who is blind, is now stranded. Neither the driver nor the passenger are sure of what to do. If you were the driver? The passenger? The platform? What would you do?

Responses from Social Media:

Tricia Roth | Director of Marketing and Engagement, TravelAbility

“I think the Uber driver should arrange for another driver to come asap and if the person is alone stay with them until the next driver arrives.It would be great for Uber to include some type of filter on the app that addresses this issue so it does not happen repeatedly.”

Instagram Users

“The platform/app should have an option to indicate “guide dog” for the traveler, and “allergies” while onboarding new drivers.”

“Uber could provide incentives to drivers to provide these services. The online platform should have accessibility options to connect people with disabilities with equipped drivers.”

“The driver needs to contact Uber before pulling away and Uber should send a new driver.”

“The platform could ask about guide dogs, but that could make it even harder to get a ride.”

All respondents agreed that Uber should be responsible for finding a replacement driver before leaving the passenger. Adding accessibility filters to the platform would help avoid the situation altogether.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

News from the TravelAbility Community: June 2025

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Tourism season has begun and both accessible destinations and disabled travelers are ready. Check out what Visit Richmond, Explore Prineville, and the National Park Service have done to prepare, then read about how our travelers kicked off the season.

Visit Richmond and John Morris

Richmond, Virginia Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide

TravelAbility and Wheel the World

World Cup Cities Prioritize Accessibility

Prineville Chamber Unveils Remodel Ahead of Tourist Season

John Morris

Accessibility Takes Center Stage at 2025 Passenger Experience Conference

National Park Service

How the U.S. National Park System Is Welcoming Neurodiverse Travelers

Kristy Durso

Love, Promises, and Possibility at Beaches Turks & Caicos

Explore Prineville

Golf ‘Fore’ All: Explore Prineville Awarded Grant to Launch Adaptive Golf Program

Golf ‘Fore’ All: Explore Prineville awarded grant to launch adaptive golf program 

North Alabama and Jennifer Allen

A Family Guide to Wheelchair Accessible North Alabama: Small Towns, Big Adventures

Lynn Osmond

Lynn Osmond, CAE, Partners with Wheel the World and TravelAbility to Drive Accessibility in Tourism

Tom Babinzski, Even Grounds

Access4you Empowers Travelers Alike with Objective Information

Hidden DIsabilities Sunflower

Wings of Wonder: Accessibility for All Who Want to Travel

Alvaro Silberstein

5 Entrepreneurs With Disabilities to Know About

Sage Traveling

Disabled Travelers Are Often Ignored. Ras Al Khaimah Hopes to Change That

Visit Alexandria

Alexandria Disability Awareness Awards Set for June 25

Waymo

Riding Into the Golden Years: For older Angelenos, Waymo Promises Adventures for a Lifetime

Josh Loebner

Alexa Helps Make a Home More Accessible

How the Industry can Make Travel More Inviting to Blind and Low Vision Travelers

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Each year, the TravelAbility Summit brings together travel professionals, entrepreneurs, and disability advocates to explore how to make travel more accessible for everyone. Last year’s summit included a panel of blind travelers who shared the challenges they’ve encountered and offered insights on how destinations can eliminate barriers to blind travel.

Check out the panel’s key takeaways below and click the YouTube link to rewatch the session. Want to learn more? Don’t miss the 2025 TravelAbility Summit at Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, October 13-15, 2025, where you can connect with industry experts and disability advocates dedicated to making travel more inclusive for all.

Summary

  • 🏨 Accessible Hotel Experience: Hilton integrates “Be My Eyes”, allowing blind guests to receive assistance in navigating their rooms and amenities.
  • 🚖 Ride-Share Challenges: Blind travelers face cancellation issues with Uber/Lyft due to guide dogs. Some drivers refuse to pick them up, causing major inconvenience.
  • 🌎 Consistency in Accessibility: Industry experts emphasize the need for standardized Braille signage placement, so blind individuals can easily locate information.
  • 🗺️ Navigation Solutions: GPS apps, breadcrumb tracking, and NaviLens QR codes are proposed to enhance navigation in hotels, parks, and public venues.
  • 🏕️ Accessible Outdoor Travel: Blind hikers prefer better trail markings and audio guidance over excessive infrastructure changes.
  • 🏛️ Inclusive Museums & Attractions: Museums should provide tactile maps, high-contrast signs, and digital audio guides for blind visitors.
  • 🐕 Service Dog Challenges: Despite legal protections, hotels and ride services often misunderstand service dog policies, leading to unnecessary restrictions.
  • 🔊 Elevator Accessibility: Adding audio announcements to elevators improves accessibility, making travel easier for blind and visually impaired guests.
  • 🌍 Advocacy & Industry Standards: Experts encourage travel organizations to advocate for more accessible experiences, including better training for staff and public awareness initiatives.

Insights Based on Numbers

  • 20-40% of guide dog users face rejection from ride-share services due to misinformation or discrimination.
  • Hilton’s partnership with “Be My Eyes” enables guests to receive real-time visual assistance from trained personnel.
  • 273 Oregon State Parks are working towards better accessibility through improved signage, GPS solutions, and advocacy.

Watch the full session on YouTube!

Innovation of the Month: Aira

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Aira – Empowering Independence Through Visual and Sign Language Interpretation

Company Background & Mission

Aira (pronounced eye-rah) has been operating for over 10 years, building a reputation as a trusted accessibility partner primarily focused on serving the Blind and Low Vision (BLV) community. The company’s approach to innovation is grounded in co-creation—developing solutions hand-in-hand with the community to ensure services are genuinely aligned with users’ needs and expectations.

Over the years, Aira has built strong partnerships with more than 270 organizations, including national brands such as Target, Wal-Mart, Bank of America, and Starbucks.  Aira also partners with airports, state and local government agencies, higher education and museums across the United States. 

The very core of everything that Aira does is simple: we believe that ACCESS IS A HUMAN RIGHT. 

The very core of everything that Aira does is simple: we believe that ACCESS IS A HUMAN RIGHT.  

The Problem Aira Solves

Every day, individuals who are blind or have low vision face countless barriers when accessing visual information in real time. Whether navigating a busy airport, reviewing printed materials, or managing visual tasks at work, many situations require immediate, human-based visual interpretation that traditional assistive technology can’t provide. Aira bridges this gap by offering on-demand, live human support via a mobile or desktop application.

Recognizing the broader need for inclusive communication, Aira expanded its services in 2024 to include on-demand American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, furthering its mission of accessibility by also serving the Deaf community.  

Deaf community members face a variety of communication barriers throughout the day.  Oftentimes, all that is needed is a quick connection with an interpreter so that they can communicate freely, without barriers to gain important information in the classroom, in the workplace, while shopping or out enjoying vacation.  

How Aira Works

Through Aira’s mobile or desktop apps, users connect with trained Agents or certified ASL interpreters who provide real-time visual or sign language interpretation. The apps are available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, and can be flexibly deployed through a number of different methods.  Agents assist users by seeing through their device camera, offering descriptions and guidance to complete visual tasks. ASL users can initiate video sessions to connect with interpreters directly from the app, tailored to the meeting type or communication need.

Use Cases for Aira

  • Navigating complex environments like airports or office campuses
  • Reading printed and digital text (e.g., menus, signs, forms, emails)
  • Workplace accommodations and support during meetings or presentations
  • Home tasks such as organizing, labeling, or troubleshooting
  • Real-time communication in ASL for Deaf users during remote or in-person meetings; literally anywhere

Pricing Information

Aira’s services are available through multiple access models:

  • Free Access: Provided by Access Partners such as airports, universities, and businesses who sponsor usage for the public.
  • Subscription Plans: Individuals can purchase plans with a set number of minutes per month, suitable for different levels of personal or professional use.
  • Enterprise and Organizational Licensing: Companies and institutions can offer Aira as a workplace accommodation or customer support tool, with custom integration options.