TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Destinations

Kissimmee Community Corrals to Save Lives Through YouTube

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This interview with Jason Holic of Experience Kissimmee reveals a lethal risk of tourism, along with a possible solution.

In a destination built around sunshine, pools, and family vacations, water is part of the experience. But in Experience Kissimmee, that reality also revealed a serious challenge.

The Hidden Cost of Backyard Pools

“One of the most attractive aspects of Florida is our abundance of water activities, and this is true of the many pools and other features in Kissimmee,” said Jason Holic. “Many of these pools are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.”

But access does not always come with awareness.

“However, not all visitors are aware of the level of supervision and safety precautions required to maintain a positive swimming experience, especially in the presence of children.”

The issue came into focus through local data.

The data shows upwards of 450 deaths by unintentional drowning in Florida each year.

“Our partners in Osceola County government alerted us to water safety data indicating Fire Rescue & EMS and Sheriff’s Office responses to incidents in areas with high levels of vacation rental properties,” Holic explained. The data shows upwards of 450 deaths by unintentional drowning in Florida each year. “Other reports have also shared that some drowning victims were also on the autism spectrum.”

Data to Action: Creating “Mission Zero”

As a destination marketing organization, Experience Kissimmee was not positioned to lead a public health initiative. But they chose to act anyway.

“As a destination marketing organization primarily funded by the Tourist Development Tax, our primary responsibility is to market the destination to drive visitation and grow the positive impacts of the visitor economy,” Holic said. “Our ability to influence public health matters is limited.”

“However, after learning of the statistics and lack of a Water Safety Task Force dedicated to Osceola County, we decided to take action anyway.”

That decision led to a collaborative effort across the community.

“We convened a task force consisting of representatives from the Department of Health, Fire Rescue & EMS, the Sheriff’s Office, the School District, resort hotels, vacation rental management companies, a local water park, and other business and civic leaders.”

The group aligned around a shared goal.

“The task force reviewed the data and trends and reached consensus on establishing what was coined “Mission Zero,” our vision to prevent all drowning deaths within Osceola County, whether from residents or visitors.”

“Mission Zero,” our vision to prevent all drowning deaths within Osceola County, whether from residents or visitors.”

A Simple, Scalable Solution

Rather than pursuing a costly or complex campaign, the group focused on something practical and replicable.

“We broke off into blue sky brainstorming groups to field all sorts of ideas and concepts for review and vetting,” Holic said. “Over the course of a couple of months, the task force settled on a concept we deemed to be easily executable and potentially replicable across the state and even nation.”

The result was a pre-arrival education strategy.

“In partnership with task force members including the Department of Health, our team developed pre-arrival communication templates for vacation rental managers to implement in their email and text automations to confirmed guests.”

These messages are designed to meet visitors before they ever arrive, directing guests to visit the water safety landing page on experiencekissimmee.com with the added incentive of exclusive discounts after watching a one minute safety video.

“Each month, the Experience Kissimmee team solicits and updates the available offers, aiming to have at least seven in rotation at any moment.”

Cut Costs, Keep the Change

The fun, family focused video shares clear, actionable steps for a safer pool experience.

“In a fun and engaging way, the video reinforces the importance of adult supervision, the proper functioning of door alarms and access gates, and the need to remove toys as a pool attractant and visibility impediment.”

The video was another part of community engagement, keeping costs minimal. “The safety video was developed at cost by a local marketing agency that participated in the task force,” Holic said. “The script and final cut were reviewed and approved by the Department of Health.”

Good for Guests, Good for Locals

While vacation rental partners are key channels, the initiative has quickly grown beyond that initial audience.

“In addition to distribution via the vacation rental property management companies, other local stakeholders including the Sheriff’s Office have spread the word among their stakeholders and community members,” Holic said. “This expands the potential reach from just vacation rental guests to all visitors and residents in Osceola County.”

The program is also being integrated into influencer and media visits.

“Media and content creators Experience Kissimmee hosts at vacation rentals with pools are introduced to the water watcher program.”

Some partners are also going even further, supplementing instructions and training.

What Good Is It?

When asked about the impact, Holic acknowledged that it’s still too early to tell, but momentum continues to grow and the outlook is bright.

“The program is still expanding to more vacation rental management companies and is only a couple of months old,” Holic said. “There has been tremendous interest in the water safety and public health communities in the region, and the interest is spreading to other destinations and locations within the state.”

The long-term goal is broader adoption.

“Our hope is that other destinations see the work that we’ve done, how we’ve minimized cost and avoided using TDT funds, and that they are able to adapt the program to their unique needs.”

Your Turn to “Be the Change”

For destinations facing similar challenges, Holic’s advice is clear.

“Convene others within your destination and see what collective action you can take,” he said. “You may be surprised how willing and eager others are, especially those outside the typical tourism industry circles, when it comes to even potentially saving lives or influencing behavior to address other public priorities.”

And in doing so, destinations may discover a new kind of impact.

“It’s not something we get to do every day in destination marketing, and it can only serve to increase our relevance and support within the communities we serve.”

Visit Lansing’s New Route to Accessible Wayfinding with AARP

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Julie Pingston wearing a purple blazer smiles at the camera while standing indoors near a row of glass windows. The setting appears to be a professional office or hallway.

For nearly a decade, Julie Pingston has been quietly shaping what accessibility looks like in Lansing, Michigan. What began with sensory-friendly programming has grown into something much larger, more embedded, and, as she describes it, “simply part of how the community operates.” It’s definitely something to be proud of.

Now, that work is expanding beyond venues and experiences and into the streets themselves.

A Walking Audit with Purpose

The newest initiative is a partnership with AARP Michigan centered around what is known as a “walking audit.” 

“This walking audit,” Pingston explains, “is a training on how to do a walking audit. This is what we’re calling a train-the-trainer.”

The concept is collaborative and practical. Teams move through a community together, walking and rolling through public spaces to evaluate how accessible they truly are. The goal is not just observation, but education and replication.

“It’s a team that goes through wayfinding, curb cuts, lighting, visual and audio cues, identifying barriers,” she says.

Rather than receiving a report from an outside evaluator, participants are immersed in the process themselves. 

“You’re going through with them,” she says. “It’s not that they just send you a report. You’re learning together.” This lived experience, instead of a report on paper, brings us one step closer to true understanding.

“The synergy of that one day, will spill out when everybody learns and takes that knowledge back to wherever it makes sense to implement. Some people might want to do that in their own neighborhood. Some people might want to do it along our river trail, or incorporate bike trails. It’s a very robust program.”

The Inspiration

Pingston has a reputation for prioritizing accessibility and inclusion, so she was excited when AARP Michigan reached out to her for this initiative. “It just makes sense with everything TravelAbility has been saying with the growth in the aging population and all of these amassing and overlapping needs as we move forward.” 

AARP connected with Pingston at just the right moment, on a call during last year’s TravelAbility Summit, when she was already in go-mode applying all that she was learning. Thanks to AARP’s online toolkit, getting started is easy.

From Awareness to Action

The audit examines the everyday details that can make or break accessibility.

“It will identify a lot of those things that are a hindrance to mobility,” Pingston says. “It could be that the crosswalk signals are not audio, they’re only visual. It focuses on lighting as well. Is it pedestrian friendly or not? Are there proper curb cuts? Are there visual cues or auditory cues missing?”

Some barriers are less obvious until you experience them firsthand.

“In our downtown, I can think of a place with large planters about a third of the way into the pedestrian path,” she says. “For someone with low vision or using a mobility device, these are an impediment. I don’t know how people don’t walk right into them.”

The audit also pushes communities to think more broadly about infrastructure.

“One of the things I want to cover is a road downtown that goes 45 miles an hour through a busy intersection near our convention center,” she notes. “How do we identify the impact on the walkability of the city, and then how do we elevate change?”

That question sits at the heart of the initiative.

“My goal is to have change affected by this,” Pingston says. “Not just identifying issues, but making sure we can point them out and have them addressed.”

What We Mean by “Walk” 

While the program is called a walking audit, Pingston is quick to expand the definition.

“I’m really trying to shift that,” she says. “Let’s think of people rolling, and walkers, and strollers, and everything that needs to move down this path.”

That mindset aligns closely with broader conversations across the accessibility space, particularly as aging populations and disability needs increasingly overlap.

How You Can Hop On Board

For destination marketing organizations looking to follow suit, Pingston emphasizes that the barrier to entry is lower than it might seem.

“Check out the online toolkit,” she says. “You don’t even have to sign up as an AARP member. You can go on and get the toolkit.”

From there, DMOs can scale up.

“If your community wants to do the bigger step, reach out to your local or statewide AARP to partner with them,” she advises. “There may be a grant for the facilitation process.”

The facilitator component, which Lansing is utilizing, helps deepen the learning and ensures participants know what to look for.

“I might know personally that something doesn’t look right,” Pingston says. “But there are things I don’t know. There’s so much value in doing it as a team effort and learning together.”

Building a Case for Change

One of the most significant outcomes of the audit is not just awareness, but documentation.

“It’s going to provide a documented resource that the community or the city can use as a tool going forward,” Pingston explains. “A lot of people know things anecdotally, but once you put it all in one package and say, this is how we can make this better, it becomes something people can prioritize.”

That shift from anecdotal to actionable is where real progress happens.

An Accessibility Champion’s Next Move

For Pingston and her team, the walking audit is one step in an ongoing journey.

“You never want to just be set with what you’ve done,” she says.

Future plans include expanding accessibility efforts into sports and education, building on Lansing’s strong foundation.

“We have a very vibrant sports commission,” she says. “So how can we take what we’ve done on the visitor and meetings side and transfer that over to sports? We’re a Big Ten university destination, so there are a lot of opportunities to connect with adaptive sports.”

At the same time, the sensory inclusive work that started it all continues to thrive.

“It has not wavered,” Pingston says. “Everyone we brought in is still engaged. We have not lost any of them. It’s become routine.”

And that may be her greatest accomplishment of all.

“It’s become routine,” she repeats. “This isn’t going to go away.”

For other destinations, that consistency offers both inspiration and a roadmap. Start with intention, build with community, and keep going until accessibility is no longer an initiative, but simply the way things are done.

Lived Experience: Learn Through Real Travels of Disabled Content Creators with Learners and Makers

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Jodie standing by a scenic river overlook wearing a yellow dress and using a cane.

@LearnersandMakers

🗺️ Nomad Fam: 14 Countries | 🦿 Mom Amputee
📷 Tips for stress-free family travel
⏳ Slow down ~ enjoy ~ connect
✈️ If We Can, You Can!
Total followers across platforms: 20,000
Accessible Nature in North Alabama

We are the Learners and Makers: Jodie, Anthony, Connor, and Aster. Jodie is an above-knee amputee who uses a prosthetic leg. We empower families and people with mobility disabilities to travel confidently, their way. With a cozy vibe that focuses on how to slow down, connect, and enjoy each day, our worldschooling family of four has been traveling the world full time since 2022.

Hills, trails, lakes, and gardens open green space to visitors who have mobility disabilities

When seeking outdoor recreation, a traveler with a mobility disability isn’t just looking for green space, but a welcoming space. Fortunately, from gardens in urban Huntsville to state parks throughout North Alabama, you can find not only Southern hospitality, but accessibility.

6 accessible natural wonders in North Alabama

As an above-knee amputee who uses a prosthetic leg for walking mobility, Jodie visited 6 natural spaces in North Alabama, along with husband Anthony, 13-year-old son Connor, and 11-year-old daughter Aster:

  1. Cathedral Caverns State Park
  2. Talmadge Butler Boardwalk Trail at DeSoto State Park
  3. Little River Falls
  4. Huntsville Botanical Garden
  5. Bridgeport Walking Bridge
  6. Lake Guntersville State Park

Each destination considers accessibility a priority, with constant improvements made and more underway to continue increasing access for people with disabilities, impairments, or other mobility conditions.

Cave Tour at Cathedral Caverns State Park

Our family of four has visited caves throughout the USA, and even one in Vietnam, but never have we encountered a cave as accessible as Cathedral Caverns.

Uneven stone steps? Nope. The cave is also devoid of the metal staircases often present in other public caves. A 25-foot-tall, 126-foot-wide natural entrance also made it easy for staff to add a paved, gently inclined slope for visitors.

Large illuminated rock formations reflected in water inside a cave.

The there-and-back tour totals a little over half a mile. Ever since becoming part of the state park system in 2000, Cathedral Caverns has had many improvements to its access, including:

  • Visitors with mobility disabilities can ride in an electric vehicle with the tour guide
  • A wide paved asphalt path takes visitors through the cave. Most of the way is level, with some slope, and a couple of steep sections
  • Ambient lighting so visitors can focus on the sights and features, and less on monitoring how they move through the cave

There are no tight spaces throughout the 3,350 feet you head into the cave, either. Intriguing rock formations come to life with lore throughout the large passages and caverns. Each guide has their own stories to tell and highlights distinct features of the cave and its history, from once storing barrels of Cold War survival supplies, to the shark teeth in the ceiling that remind us this once was sea floor.

While here, also visit the Unclaimed Baggage Center

Nearby Scottsboro is home to one of the region’s most famed attractions. Unclaimed Baggage Center has become a bargain store repository for items left on planes, trains, buses, and more.

Read the Full Article
Work with Learners and Makers

Visual-First Hospitality: Hosting FAM Trips for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Travelers

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By Jennifer Allen

As accessibility is growing in popularity, more and more destinations are eager to hop on the band wagon. In the excitement to be perceived as “accessible,” it’s important to remember that “accessibility” means very different things to different people. For example, a roll-in shower is not only not helpful to a traveler who is blind, it’s an added barrier. How is he to know where the shower entrance is if it’s level with the floor? Coming to terms with the fact that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to accessibility may leave you feeling overwhelmed. Where do you even begin? Thankfully, this is where we can learn from others within the TravelAbility community. There’s always a trailblazer kickstarting new initiatives and helping us to see the world in a new way, and to create a welcome like never before.

Through Wheel the World, Discover The Palm Beaches hosted a Deaf FAM trip to welcome Renca and Dillon, two Deaf influencers. Erika Constantine, SVP Marketing for Discover The Palm Beaches, shared the experience in a recent interview. Joel Barish, co-founder of DeafNation also contributed his insights as a Deaf traveler.

How do you find talent who’s willing to work with you?

Constantine shared, “We worked with WTW to identify talent. Renca is a popular deaf-travel influencer whose content could really highlight the experiences through The Palm Beaches.”

There’s a wide community of disabled content creators who are ready to work with destinations, including those who are a part of the TravelAbility Creator Community. Joel Barish, for example, is a Deaf influencer who has traveled to 108+ countries and filmed over 4,000 videos documenting Deaf experiences worldwide. In addition to heading up one of the largest Deaf communities in the world, he reaches over 100,000 through social media. 

The talent is easy to find and ready to help.

How do you prepare for a FAM tour for people who are deaf or hard of hearing? 

As Joel points out, “Destinations should understand that Deaf travelers are fully capable, independent travelers — we simply access information visually. Preparation is key.”

Constantine agreed. “Not all deaf travelers will be as savvy as Renca and Dillion, and training is key for frontline staff to recognize the needs of each traveler, in order to provide helpful assistance for all those who visit in the future.” 

Joel highlights preparation as, “being ready for sign language access (whether through an interpreter, VRI, or local signers), ensuring visual communication tools are available, and understanding that clear pre-trip communication is essential.

It’s also important to recognize that sign languages are not universal. Each country has its own sign language, so thinking ahead about local resources makes a big difference. Most importantly, approach Deaf travelers with inclusion in mind, not as a special accommodation — accessibility should be integrated into the experience from the start.”

What about the logistics?

The Palm Beaches have so many accessible resorts, attractions, and outdoor activities, that the first step for their team was narrowing down what they could do during a three-day visit. “We wanted Renca and Dillon to experience a taste of what we have to offer all visitors,” Constantine shared. “We collaboratively reviewed appropriate locations with the Wheel The World creative team that would be visually exciting and tell the story of accessibility in The Palm Beaches.”

“We pitched several resorts,” Constantine shared, “and felt The Ben, Autograph Collection Hotel in downtown West Palm Beach would be a fitting homebase. Since The Ben was mapped by WTW, we knew it offered accommodations such as a visual phone and door and fire alarm signals for travelers with hearing needs. We chose several local attractions and restaurants where a member of the staff was available for sign language assistance, like The Norton Museum of Art and Loggerhead Marinelife Center, or provided printed guides, like the Jupiter Lighthouse and Mounts Botanical Gardens.

What are the greatest challenges facing Deaf travelers?

According to Joel, “The biggest obstacle is the lack of sign language content and visual accessibility. Many destinations promote inclusion but rarely include Deaf people in their storytelling or provide sign language information. Tourism videos, welcome briefings, guided tours, and safety instructions are often entirely audio-based.”

The Palm Beaches FAM trip didn’t encounter any major obstacles. “In some locations,” Constantine shared, “like restaurants that didn’t have a staff member who was familiar with sign language, Renca used her phone to type messages or translate conversations. This made communication smooth.”

Joel reminds us that overcoming barriers doesn’t have to be complicated. “Clear visual communication and a willingness to adapt go a long way. Inclusion is less about perfection and more about intention and collaboration.” He recommends things like “Offering flexible communication methods such as speech-to-text apps, written communication, VRI, or local interpreters,” and “Including sign language in promotional and informational content.”

What are the benefits for the destination? 

In addition to extending marketing to the world’s 430 million people living with significant hearing loss, Constantine shared that, “It was truly meaningful to experience the genuine hospitality for which our destination is known through the eyes of travelers such as Renca and Dillon. Seeing the way the front-line staff of our attractions and resorts welcomed them made me feel a sense of pride in our destination and all Discover The Palm Beaches has done to highlight and encourage accessible travel.”

What else should people know before working with people who are deaf on a FAM tour? 

It doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, Constantine shared that, “If you work with WTW and have your venues and attractions mapped, it will be easy to identify the locations that are accessible for all.” Just choose the places that you already know will work, and it will be seamless. Joel also highlighted the power of connecting visitors with local Deaf communities or signers.

  • Find your talent, 
  • communicate to make sure you’re meeting their needs, 
  • highlight all you’ve already created to welcome them, 
  • share your story in a way that’s accessible to all, 
  • and reach your target audience.

Learn more about DeafNation or connect with Joel here: https://deafnation.com/

See the results from Discover The Palm Beaches’ FAM trip below!

Shaping Accessible Travel: Destination A11y Club Members Drive Innovation

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What began as a space to connect around the TravelAbility Playbook has evolved into something far bigger. The Destination A11y Club (DAC) is no longer just sharing ideas. It’s launching pilots, influencing policy conversations, embedding accessibility into education, and building tools that will shape how destinations prepare for 2030 and beyond.

Here’s a snapshot from February’s DAC meeting.

Jake Steinman, Founder, TravelAbility

The 2030 “Moonshot” + Convention Center Pilot

Following a 47-stop listening tour that included meetings with Destination DC and VISIT FLORIDA, Jake shared two major initiatives:

1. TravelAbility Approved Convention Centers (Pilot Launching)

A new program designed to align accessibility with sustainability-level standards. Five DAC DMOs will pilot the program. Coverage from USAE will provide marketing and gauge interest.

2. America 250: Accessibility Handbook

Along with the DAC, TravelAbility is developing an accessibility framework to support America 250 celebrations — with a legacy impact that extends beyond 2026. The goal is to position DMOs as the accessibility hub connecting transportation, planning, disability services, and city leadership.

3. Plug-and-Play Accessibility Guide

TravelAbility has compiled vetted InnovateAble products, affordable, scalable solutions for convention centers, cities, and hotels, creating an actionable menu of improvements tied directly to the 2030 demographic shift.

Destination Updates from the Field

Tami Reist, CEO, Visit North Alabama

Launched a first-of-its-kind accessible adventure guide and distributed $500 micro-grants across her 16 counties to spark tangible improvements—from sensory rooms and Braille signage to automated doors for independent wheelchair access—now compiling the results into a regional booklet tied to America 250. She’s leveraging the initiative to engage congressional and transportation leaders on the coming 2030 accessibility surge, while also pushing the hotel industry to confront unmet demand for accessible rooms and rethink compliance as both an economic and community imperative.

Molly Barbeiri, Visit Tampa Bay

Announced that early bird registration is now open for the upcoming TravelAbility Summit in Tampa, alongside monthly strategy calls with TravelAbility positioning the city as a model accessible destination of the future. As part of that effort, Tampa is working with a the host hotel to transform two ADA rooms into hands-on accessibility showrooms featuring InnovateAble style “catalog” products, inviting hotels and attractions to tour the spaces daily and accelerate adoption across the destination.

Cassie & Rami, Visit Charlottesville

Hosted their third annual “Tourism for All” conference, drawing 125 tourism professionals and centering accessibility with a dedicated panel. Secured a $10,000 grant from Virginia Tourism Corporation to bring Houston Vandergriff of Downs & Towns to the destination for a three-day, history-focused itinerary aligned with America 250. Houston’s project now appears in 100,000 printed visitor guides, which also feature a new accessibility page directing readers online—work that has already inspired Tennessee State Parks to pursue a similar collaboration, with Charlottesville next presenting on accessibility at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference.

Kate Lieto, Experience Grand Rapids

Launched a new AI Accessibility Agent in partnership with Wheel the World, the result of nearly a year of development. The visitor-facing chatbot includes accessibility details for roughly 500 mapped venues—sourced through the local disability network, Wheel the World data, and hosted influencers—and can answer both broad trip-planning questions and highly specific ones, like exact hotel bed heights, with more enhancements still to come.

Claire Mouledoux, Visit Alexandria

Launching a new destination campaign that, for the first time, features a traveler with a visible disability in the primary cast, signaling a meaningful step forward in representation. With new senior operations leader Mary Ronaldo championing accessibility internally, the team is continuing staff-wide training with Visitable and hosting a “Welcoming Travelers with Disabilities” member program this April at Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus—embedding accessibility across marketing, operations, and membership efforts.

Julie Pingston, Choose Lansing

Launching a walking study with AARP to train stakeholders on infrastructure improvements that benefit both residents and visitors.

Kate Sappell, Travel Oregon

Concentrating on the DOJ’s digital accessibility compliance deadline, supporting partners in meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards through a statewide webinar and a new “Ask an Expert” program that offers up to five hours of one-on-one consulting with accessibility specialist Jen Macias. The team is also working to better connect physical accessibility assessments with the online visitor experience and will spotlight that progress at the Governor’s Conference in panels including disability advocate Sophie Morgan.

Toni Bastian, Visit Richmond

As host of this June’s TBEX, Visit Richmond created 19 pre-conference tours and ensured each one includes detailed, practical accessibility information on the event website—raising the bar beyond the typical “not ADA” label seen at prior conferences. The team used TravelAbility’s AI Companion to refine clear, respectful language for the descriptions, aligning with TBEX’s broader accessibility programming this year, which includes a keynote including Cory Lee, Leslie Walker, and Phoenyx Powell.

Kitty Sharman, TravelAbility

Nearly 3,000 students have completed an accessibility module based on the TravelAbility Playbook embedded within required coursework, helping scale accessibility education across the next generation of industry leaders.

Hot-Off-the-Press Data | Brian Searfoss, VP Client Engagement, Longwoods International

In partnership with TravelAbility, Longwoods analyzed 3,985 overnight trips (Jan–June 2025).

Key Findings:

  • 18% of U.S. travel parties include someone requiring accessibility services
  • 62% mobility-related
  • 20% hearing
  • 20% vision
  • 18% cognitive/neurodiverse

This is not an occasional traveler segment:

  • 36% take four or more trips annually
  • 58% strongly prefer returning to destinations that prove accessible
  • 80% of travelers with disabilities plan their own trips

Accessibility performance nationally is holding steady — but not improving. Some destinations saw satisfaction decline in 2024.

The takeaway: accessibility isn’t niche. It’s loyalty, frequency, and long-lead planning power.

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