TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Disability Advocates

Lived Experience: Can an Autistic Adult Use Travel as Therapy? 

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Aleks smiling and sitting on a cement block with a beautiful turquois ocean stretching out behind him

Alex Stratikis is the writer behind Autism Adventures Abroad. He invites readers to join him on his journey of self-discovery as he travels the world, finding himself and what it means to be human, while also understanding more about his autism and about the needs of neurodivergent individuals more generally.

In a recent article, Alex explores the idea of travel as therapy for an autistic adult:

Travel offers more than just a break from routine for autistic adults—it can be deeply therapeutic, fostering personal growth, emotional healing, and sensory exploration. While everyday life may feel rigid and overwhelming due to strict routines and heightened sensory sensitivities, travel provides a liberating contrast, encouraging flexibility, independence, and self-discovery. The author, an autistic solo traveler who has visited over 65 countries, shares how navigating unfamiliar places has strengthened their confidence and adaptability, while also offering moments of calm through sensory-friendly experiences like quiet beaches or cozy bakeries. They emphasize the importance of preparation, self-advocacy, and managing sensory input to create fulfilling and accessible travel experiences. Through both structured planning and spontaneous adventure, travel becomes a transformative tool—not just for exploration, but for understanding oneself and the world in new, affirming ways.

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News from the TravelAbility Community

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TravelAbility Community Sweeps the Forbes Accessibility 100 List

Forbes Accessibly 100 graphic with black background and red boarders

Including: Alvaro Silberstein, Wheel the World; Mayan Ziv, Access Now; Kelly Twichel, Access Trax; Matt Ater, Vispero; Pierre Paul, We Hear You; Michael Buckley, Be My Eyes; Eve Andersson, Google; Betty Siegel, Kennedy Center; Keely Cat-Wells, Making Space; Squirmy and Grubbs; Dominic Marinelli, United Spinal; Kursat Ceylon, We Walk

Forbes Accessibility 100 List

Cannes Lions Awards

Cannes Lions 2025 logo in yellow on gray background

Josh Loebner also took a Cannes Award for Tennessee Sounds Sights! Well done! 

Tennessee Sound Sights received a Bronze award for Industry Craft and a Silver Award for Entertainment Lions For Music.

Winners and Shortlists

Meet the Google engineer making Maps more accessible

Sasha wearing a light blue shirt and gray pants poses in his wheelchair in a NY Subway station

And read a Q&A with our Advisory Board member, Sasha Blair-Goldensohn on Here and Now!

Read Here

July Ambassador Report: On the Road with Kristy Durso

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Kristy Durso isn’t just advocating for accessibility—she’s helping redesign the framework that tourism, conferences, and education are built on. Even in the midst of moving her home to Colorado, Kristy has been busy pushing accessibility to the forefront of hospitality conversations across the globe. She even whipped up another children’s story while riding along with her moving truck. Here are some highlights from the past month:

American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA)

Kristy’s input was put into practice at this year’s ASTA conference, making it one of the most accessibility-forward conference experiences she’s seen.

“They had a sensory suite for travelers to take a break—it was right on the front page of the conference website,” she shared. “There were resources for each major area of accessibility. For Blind and low vision travelers, they had a link to Be My Eyes. For Deaf and hard of hearing, they listed three different transcription services. For mobility, they had a local DME company listed so people could rent or repair equipment.”

It wasn’t just about putting accessibility information out there—it was about centering it.

“The sensory room was one of the most talked-about features of the show,” Kristy said. “I walked in on day one and saw someone already using it. I turned to the organizer I’d been working with, and he immediately said, ‘We have to do more.’ Then another attendee came out and said, ‘This needs to be at every single conference.’”

Kristy is already in conversations about improvements before the next national conference.

Reaching Across the Ocean

Kristy has been making waves for months with her keynote speech on Reframing Accessibility, this time she took it across the waves.

Kristy was the keynote speaker in Slovenia’s Accessibility in Hospitality conference.

This time, she was able to  share her wisdom virtually, from the comfort of her home… at 4:00 a.m.

Coming Up

In the coming months, Kristy is planning to:

  • Moderate a panel at Destinations International
  • Speak at ASTA’S Expedition Conference
  • Deliver a Keynote in Alabama and evaluate a hotel property committed to accessibility
  • Guest lecture at Florida International University
  • Present at the American Indigenous Tourism Conference
  • Head to D.C. as an ambassador during ASTA’s Legislative Days, where she’ll speak directly with senators and representatives about accessibility issues.
  • Lecture for Ms. Wheelchair PA

There’s also something new in the works that could take her message to a wider audience: a potential talk series produced by a film company in Oregon.

“I want to take destinations on the journey,” she said, “from not thinking accessibility applies to them, to understanding disability as a culture—not a charity case.”

Kristy’s voice is shaping the future of accessible travel, and her message is clear: accessibility isn’t a special feature—it’s a standard that everyone deserves.

Kristy Durso is sitting in her wheelchair on the beach, smiling over her shoulder with the beautiful turquoise ocean in the background.

Meet Kristy: Kristy is a writer, speaker, and disability travel advisor. She has experience across multiple disabilities traveling as a wheelchair user with a pace-maker along with her children with intellectual disabilities, autism, ADHD, and over 30 food allergies. 

As TravelAbility’s ambassador, she networks and speaks around the globe to promote accessibility and inclusion in the travel space.

TravelAbility Backs Slamdance’s Boldest Move Yet: Unstoppable Goes Mobile

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Poster for the Unstoppable Summer Tour featuring a turquoise background and a hand wrapped around a red eyeball.

TravelAbility partners with Slamdance to sponsor Unstoppable: On the Road – a summer film series programmed exclusively by artists with visible and non-visible disabilities. The tour, happening in arthouse cinemas in seven cities across the US, kicked off on June 10th in Salt Lake City and moved onto Santa Ana on June 19th at the Frida Cinema. Here’s the remaining schedule:

July 6 – Seattle, SIFF Cinemas

July 8 – Chicago, Music Box Theater

July 19-20 – Milwaukee, Milwaukee Film

July 29 – New York City, Marlene Myerson JCC

August 1-3 – Miami, O-Cinema

Launched in 2020, Slamdance Unstoppable is a showcase of films made by filmmakers with visible and non-visible disabilities and aims to eliminate the prejudices and gatekeeping that have historically kept disabled filmmakers from being represented in the entertainment industry. Slamdance Unstoppable: On the Road will bring the section’s vital programming to a national tour that aims to elevate disabled artists, connect with audiences, and expand opportunities for authentic storytelling in independent film.

The Slamdance Unstoppable: On the Road lineup was programmed from major festivals, including Slamdance, Sundance, ReelAbilities, Superfest, and Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Each venue has curated a unique selection from the Slamdance Unstoppable programming, ranging from single-night screenings featuring a short and feature pairing to full three-day showcases. Slamdance has partnered with accessible venues for the tour and prioritized venues that provide ASL interpretation, captions, audio descriptions, and other accommodations. The tour will also feature in-person Q&As with local filmmakers and discussions at key locations. Slamdance will be providing travel and accommodation for filmmakers to be able to attend the events in person.

TravelAbility is delighted to partner with Slamdance on this breakthrough tour through promoting it within the accessible travel community and amplifying its reach. 

Taylor Miller, Festival Director, shares

“Our ‘Unstoppable On The Road’ tour is all about breaking down barriers and bringing vital, disability-led stories to communities everywhere. Partnering with Travelability is absolutely essential to this mission. Their expertise ensures that these powerful films and the talented filmmakers behind them can truly reach and connect with diverse audiences, creating a more inclusive and accessible world, one screening at a time.” 

For more information about Unstoppable: On the Road please visit their web-site.

Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Two

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Kristy Durso freefalls through the sky, strapped to a skydiving instructor, smiling with pure joy as they soar high above the landscape. Her wide grin and outstretched arms capture the thrill of the moment and her fearless spirit.

What helps skeptical tourism businesses understand the value of investing in accessibility?

I like to share stories that challenge assumptions. Like the list of things I’ve done as a wheelchair user that most in the room haven’t. Or my son, who has intellectual disabilities, but has read Julius Caesar, Lord of the Rings and The Count of Monte Cristo. Most adults haven’t read all three. Or my daughter, who has 30 food allergies and is still one of the most adventurous eaters I know.

These moments open people’s eyes. They show that people with disabilities aren’t defined by limitations. They are travelers, adventurers and consumers—just like everyone else.

Here’s what really seals the deal.

Accessibility is just smart customer service.

Tourism is a customer service industry. Accessibility is about meeting your guest’s needs, just like you would for dietary preferences or language barriers. So why not for mobility, sensory, or cognitive needs?

The good news is that once a business starts doing this, and truly commits to it, they usually don’t want to stop. I’ve seen destinations begin with small steps, like Traverse City adding a sensory room, and quickly become champions for accessibility. They see the results. They hear the gratitude. They feel the difference it makes.

To any business that’s hesitant, I say this: “Start with the human connection. Show the economic value.”

Then let them experience the joy of being a place where everyone belongs.

Check back next month for Part Three! Noble Studios conducted a thorough interview with Kristy Durso going over the many facets of creating a destination that is truly for everyone. This series is pulled directly from the interview. Check out last month’s issue for Lesson #1. Click here for the full interview. 

Kristy Durso is sitting in her wheelchair on the beach, smiling over her shoulder with the beautiful turquoise ocean in the background.

Featured public speaker, accessibilities advocate, entrepreneur, Army veteran, and military wife Kristy Durso is Travelability’s Ambassedor and owns and operates Incredible Memories Travel, a full-service travel agency that assists everyone, including those with accessibility needs. She has three children, one who has autoimmune issues and food allergies, another on the spectrum, and another with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. 

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