TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Disability Advocates

Don’t Miss Out on Expert Advice at TravelAbility Summit! Meet A Few of Our Superstar Speakers

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Meet two of our superstar speakers—and watch for more updates on our speaker’s page. There’s really a lot of talent and expertise in our lineup. Start here:  

Eric Lipp is the founder and executive director of the Open Doors Organization (ODO), which commissioned groundbreaking research on accessible travel identifying the untapped market at 17.3 billion dollars in 2015. He started ODO after personally experiencing the restrictions that people with disabilities face in everyday life. (Eric was diagnosed with Von Hippel Lindau disease at age 30, which resulted in a tumor growth on his spinal cord, ultimately limiting his mobility.) In 2014, Open Doors launched Open Taxis, a centralized taxi dispatch for wheelchair accessible vehicles in Chicago with over 350 vehicles. Passengers can either call Open Taxis for service or use its smartphone app that includes key features such as estimated wait time and an estimated fare quote.

Marc Garcia is president and CEO of Visit Mesa. Under Marc’s leadership Visit Mesa has become the country’s first-ever destination marketing organization designated as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). As a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, Marc has raised the bar in the city of Mesa by requesting partner businesses in the hospitality community follow their lead to undergo autism training. Guest-facing staff at Mesa businesses are actively being approached and will complete autism sensitivity and awareness training within the next six months. Prior to joining Visit Mesa, Marc was vice president of Visitor Marketing & Community Development for the Greater Phoenix Visitors & Convention Bureau.

photo of Suzanne Boda courtesy American Airlines PR;  photo of Marc Garcia courtesy IP Photography

You can find out more about all of the speakers on our site, here. 

REGISTER NOW for the two-day event in San Francisco this November! REGISTER NOW

 

 

 

Denver Brew Pub Taps Into Opportunity by Hiring People with Disabilities

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bar chalkboard with different craft beer taps Not sure that hiring people with disabilities will be a good fit? That’s quickly changing in restaurants and pubs across the country. Take Brewability Lab, the first brewery in the U.S. staffed by adults with developmental disabilities. The Denver, Colorado operation will be called Brewability on Broadway, according to a recent announcement. Founder Tiffany Fixter describes the new Denver location as “far more accessible and conducive to business” than its original space. Vinepair recently wrote about the new place. See a video of the staff on-site, here.

Our Take: More restaurants and bars are finding that hiring disabled workers makes good business sense and positions their brand as forward-thinking trailblazers in their communities. 

 

How to Plan a Cruise That’s Not a Snooze for People With Low Mobility

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flip flops at the edge of a pool that says 1.00M The flip flops have the British flag on them

Barbara and Jim Twardowski write about travel, lifestyle and boomer topics from the New Orleans area. In this piece for the New York Times, they have compiled some evergreen tips for cruise travel that are worth sharing, whether you’re worried about how to get from the plane to the ship or need an activity plan that caters to people with low mobility.  READ MORE

OUR TAKE: Planning is key to making the most out of a trip for people with disabilities. As part of the travel industry, it’s also one way you can make your organization stand out. Offering great service and suggestions to people who often feel overlooked (the disability community being one)is a great way to build incremental business and freshen up your collateral online and onboard.

 

Airlines, Hotels, Attractions Prove Disability Inclusion Isn’t Just the Right Thing to Do—It’s Great for Business

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an average of 28% higher revenue, 30% greater economic profit margins

According to a recent study of 140 U.S. companies by Accenture–alongside the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN those businesses that offered the most inclusive working environment for disabled employees achieved an average of 28% higher revenue, 30% greater economic profit margins, and twice the net income of their industry peers between 2015 and 2018. Here are 2019’s top travel-industry scorers on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a national comprehensive benchmarking tool.*

The following companies scored 80% or above on the DEI:

  • Airlines/Cruise Lines: American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United Airlines, Royal Carribean
  • Hotels: Choice Hotels
  • Attractions: The Walt Disney Company, Comcast NBCUniversal
    To learn  more about how they became models of inclusion in the travel sector, READ MORE

OUR TAKE: The business benefits of creating an inclusive workforce are now abundantly clear. But what are the benefits for travelers? The upside is huge, actually. An inclusive internal workforce is a natural pathway to creating accessible products and authentic marketing. The more first-hand knowledge you have of the disability community and the particular needs of a certain group, the better you will be able to serve that consumer. Kudos to all who scored in the top ranks on the Disability Equality Index, the most comprehensive benchmarking tool for disability inclusion.

*Please Note: A score of 100 does not mean to convey “perfection.” AAPD and Disability:IN recognize there is no one “right” way to practice inclusion, and that some practices may be more practical for some companies or industries than others. A score of 100 on the DEI simply means that a company adheres to many of the numerous leading disability inclusion practices featured in the DEI.

 

Surprising Tips for Traveling with a Chronic Illness From 18 People Who Do It Often

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Going on vacation, or even getting out of town on business, can be a necessary break from everyday life. But traveling to and from a destination and dealing with unexpected changes can be stressful. Flight delays, missed connections, lost luggage, and hotel reservation issues can all put a huge damper on a trip. For people who live with chronic illness, traveling means having to worry about these common issues on top of issues like inaccessibility, ableism, and health risks. The phrase, ‘I need a vacation from my vacation’ is very true”, writes the author of this very helpful Bustle.com story.
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OUR TAKE: Many companies are trying their hardest to launch effective tools that will help travelers to know ahead of time what to expect and what to request in advance of their stay. Among them is Airbnb, which this summer released new guidelines that require hosts to list clearer information about the accommodations they are able to provide, and photos of their listing’s “accessibility features.” Many hotels will make lists of restaurants and places to eat for people who have serious food allergies that restrict their diet. Although airlines don’t have the best record with passengers with disabilities (particularly when it comes to keeping wheelchairs from getting damaged), certain airlines will give you the first row (after first class) to sit in. But travelers need to be reminded to check the box that says they require assistance when purchasing a ticket. Much of the concerns and many of the challenges can be overcome by planning ahead. As for business owners in  the hospitality industry, this piece is a good reminder to have (or update) information on facilities, pharmacies, emergency clinics, restaurants and rentals that may be of help to people with chronic illnesses.