TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Disability Advocates

As Hotels Become Sitting Ducks for Predatory Lawyers, What Can They Do?

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Close up shot of two people looking at a paper with their laptops open next to themHotels are common targets for lawsuits because of the depth of regulations that govern the industry, according to Hospitality.net. This piece suggests solutions including TravelTripper.com, a new monitoring system made specifically for hotels. They also do website audits regularly. Clients include small hotel groups, as well as at properties flagged by industry-leading brands such as Marriott, Equinox, Westin, Renaissance, Sheraton, and Le Meridien. 

OUR TAKE: While the disability community, long beaten down by a lack of enforcement may be understandably ambivalent and believe that litigation is the only way to force organizations to comply with the law, these click-by lawsuits are harming their image in the long run. More and more media outlets are running investigative reports portraying plaintiff attorneys (one has filed 2000 lawsuits and is under investigation himself for tax fraud) and their clients as greedy scam artists. TravelAbility Summit will hold a panel session that will include hotelier who’s been targeted for both website and physical property lawsuits. They will address what they learned and how they eventually complied.

 

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Must-read: “Don’t Let a Disability Keep You from Exploring the World”

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Cover of book with three men standing on a mountain one in a backpack (which is Kevan)We Carry Kevan is the true story of how six friends carried one man across three countries. “Don’t let your disability stop you from exploring the world,” says Kevan Chandler in his new book, and documentary, and yes, even a Ted Talk. The man is unstoppable. Read more here.

The author is on a mission to redefine independent travel for wheelchair users like himself. And that he has. You can even buy the same backpack he designed for the trip. It will be available for purchase this summer. Details on his website.

 

 

 

 

Google Goes Accessible with Routes for Wheelchair Users. Plus: More Options

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birds eye view of planes and houses

The tool: Google maps that integrate wheelchair accessible public transit routes into its directions feature.

The reviews: Cautiously optimistic, according to a New Mobility review.

The buzz: Few travel industry folks we spoke with even knew about the Google tool, which could become a helpful solution, particularly for city wheelers.

Who its best for right now: According the New Mobility review, “Users in six cities – New York, Boston, Tokyo, London, Mexico City, and Sydney – can search for directions between locations, choose public transit as the method of travel and then select “wheelchair accessible” from the route-options menu. As with all public transit searches in Maps, a selection of routes will appear, but now only routes with accessible stations and modes of transit will be included.” 
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Another option: Project Sidewalk, a crowdsourced navigation tool that gamifies collecting data has been developed at the University of Washington Makeability Lab, was successfully tested in Washington, D.C. and according to their Twitter feed, has launched in Seattle with massive success. A recent tweet via @projesidwalk: “Project Sidewalk is now officially live in Seattle! In our first week, we collected over 10,000 sidewalk accessibility labels. Help us get to 20,000! You can participate from all seven continents–all you need is an Internet connection & a laptop!

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Our vote: Project Sidewalk, which looks like it’s off to a promising start.

Editor’s note: Don’t confuse Project Sidewalk with another (controversial) initiative from Alphabet called Sidewalk Labs, which will collect data on commuter routes in Portland. (This piece in Geekwire makes no mention of tracking wheelchair users or routes.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profile: Airbnb’s Srin Madipalli Finds 27 Ways to Make Accommodations Accessible (Even When Everyone Is Doubting Him)

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When I last visited Srin in the lobby of Airbnb’s headquarters he had recently built the company’s accessibility team to a total of 16 people. He had just returned from a tour of four Asian countries where he was raising awareness among Airbnb hosts about the need for more accessible homes. Srin, due to his academic pedigree and natural charisma, is emerging as the most public voice of accessibility in travel with major backing. Not only is he approaching Airbnb hosts but his team is also approaching hotels to list their accessible inventory on Airbnb’s website. He generously offered to help develop content for TravelAbility Summit. “I’m approaching this like a political campaign,” said Srin. “Airbnb needed to find a simple message that appeals to the basic emotions.” —Jake Steinman, Founder, TravelAbility Summit.

A recent profile in New Mobility really nails the issues around accessible travel and captures Srin’s energy. 
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Why Thousands Pack in To See This Show: Q&A With The Brains Behind Abilities Expo

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Lew and Dave, the chairman and CEO of Abilities Expo standing in orange shirts and big smiles at one of their exposDavid Korse, CEO, and Lew Shomer, Chairman, the experts behind Abilities Expo, almost never stop smiling—even when nearly 200 nervous vendors, many they have never met, gather in one place for an Expo. The shows help thousands of people with disabilities and their families to see the future of mobility, home care, sports, and travel products. You can feel the positive energy in the air. What makes Abilities Expo feel so magical? Like many things in life, when intentions are all good, so is the vibe.

From the wheelchair repair booth to the ginormous climbing wall and the camo-colored outdoor wheelchair with Zamboni-meets ATV capabilities—it’s a lot to take in in one day. Also note: If you are not on wheels, you are in the minority, and you will feel that way, which is a good thing. Here, the founders take our questions:

Q: How did you get involved with the Abilities Expo?
A: We didn’t start the events. The first one was launched at the L.A. Convention Center in 1979 by its founder, a wheelchair user that had a vision for a disability event. This was before there was an internet and he wanted a selection of new products on display so he could go shopping. His vision turned out to be a viable business which he and his family ran for the next decade or so. After they retired, the shows went through three different acquisitions. When we first heard about them in 2008, they weren’t doing well and were up for sale. We saw them, loved them, saw the potential and in that summer, acquired the two existing/sustainable events in LA and near NYC (NJ). Now we have eight Expos in the U.S. and Canada combined.

Q: What did you do before taking over the business?
A: We are both tradeshow veterans with more than 35 years each in the tradeshow and conference industry. Lew founded Shomex Productions in 1984. It was the nation’s largest producer of Diversity Career fairs, producing more than 1,000 fairs throughout the U.S. in 2008, the company ceased doing fairs and became the administrative management organization for The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO).

Q: What aspects of the disability community does AE focus on?
A: We focus predominantly on mobility, but we also address the physical and behavioral aspects of disability.

Q: Where was the first event and how has it grown since 1979?
A: We don’t have records going back to 1979 but I’d guess 50 or so exhibitors. Our largest single event was in Los Angeles early in 2019 with 30% greater attendance. We’ve added a show this year in Dallas and our visitor numbers are growing quickly.

Q: The marketing materials have an incredibly positive and inspirational vibe, how did that come about?
A: Lew and Kevaleen, our marketing “hero” are really good at what they do. And I hope visitors discover for themselves that the marketing vibe is not manufactured—it mirrors the in-person vibe at the shows. We love what we are doing. When someone with limited mobility attends one of the shows and finds a product or service that makes their lives easier, it is literally a life-changing moment each time we see it.

Q: How has the event changed (evolved) over the years?
A: As we have grown the event has included more technology—we have a dedicated assistive technology section. On-site activities include everything an adaptive climbing wall (with a veteran, competitive athlete and double amputee), dance performances, adaptive hockey, and a wheelchair repair booth. As more assistive technology has come to market, we have created a dedicated assistive technology section at each show. One thing that is a constant is people creating a product they need for themselves—chairs, swim fins, educational and self-care product, you name it— and bringing them to the Expo to sell to the public. Necessity is the mother of invention.

Q: What have been your biggest challenges?
A: Making it easy and accessible for people with disabilities to get to the shows. Between accessible transportation, parking in close proximity to our halls, inexpensive parking, enough accessible taxis, and rideshares, we do a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure each location is the best for our audience.

Q: What do you feel are the most suitable products exhibiting this year that ease travel?
A: Sometimes we don’t know which new products will be at the show until we are actually there! There is often a combination of new entrepreneurial companies and familiar faces. It’s not unusual for first-time visitors to come as ‘observers’ and return as vendors the following year. On the floor in the most recent show there were a lot of products that make adventure travel and uneven terrain easier for wheelchair users, including portable mats that can be used on sand, wheelchairs that make the beach accessible and wheelchairs that can make it through mud and water if you’re interested in fishing and hiking. Hotels and individuals may be interested in products such as My Shower Buddy, lightweight chairs that work exceptionally well in an accessible shower. Cruise lines and accessible destinations—such as Quebec and Dutchess County, New York, are also growing in popularity.