The travel industry, thanks to collaboration with disability experts, is entering the next decade well positioned to make a difference in the lives of the 1 in 5 people with a disability. Here are our bold predictions, drawn from insights from hundreds of blog posts, several podcasts, as well as scores of conversations during our listening tour following the first annual TravelAbility Summit held in 2019 in San Francisco.
- More awareness by travel companies about the need for accessibility to become a core value. It’s a must for companies who are trying to understand how to prepare for the Silver Tsunami of baby boomers as they age into reduced mobility.
- More emphasis on Universal Design of public spaces and guest rooms as hotels undergo renovations on a 15- or 20-year cycle. More hotels will promote their accessible rooms to locals who have a relative or friend with a disability visiting, but their homes are not accessible.
- More media hype around the 30th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). This will no doubt result in increased pressure on the travel industry to level up their accessibility game.
- Fewer damaged wheelchairs as airlines begin to work together to develop more effective “below the wing” baggage handler training for power wheelchairs. When damaged, they’re expensive to repair and have led to four and five-figure settlements.
- An increase in “drive-by” ADA compliance lawsuits around accessible websites. The increase in lawsuits over web accessibility will be driven by the current vagaries in standards and the precedent set by the 2019 Domino’s pizza case. (A recap of ADA website actions for the past three years can be found here.)
- More support from elected officials for accessibility initiatives as disability is one of the few bipartisan issues that bring everyone together. Just this year, aware of the potential voting power of Baby Boomers, the Mayors of Philadelphia, Chicago, Reno and New York City all embraced accessibility as a civic goal as have several governors.
- Less lip service from hotels about how accessible they are as they continue to offer only what is required by the ADA, a law that is 30 years old. Also: more scrambling to improve their face-to-face accessibility staff as Boomers age into a disability.
- More destinations proactively becoming accessible as this accessibility becomes viewed as the easiest (and least expensive) form of product development. More destinations will follow the lead of Eugene, Oregon, which has collaborated with their City Manager to increase accessibility in nature parks and public transportation. (As an example, here’s how Travel Oregon promoted accessible nature options.).
- More airports leading the way in technology and training for aging travelers as well as those with hidden disabilities. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport now offers lanyards to those on the autism spectrum that allow them to pre-board flights. Seventeen airports participated in the ARC Wings for Autism initiative as well as the self-driving wheelchair initiative at Narita Airport.
- More affluent Baby Boomers leasing accessible rooms in hotels rather than moving into an assisted living center, which they see as an old-age home. Anecdotal evidence indicates this is already happening.
- More “sharing economy” companies such as Lyft, Uber, and Airbnb expanding their accessibility offerings to fill a need that has not been well served by taxi companies. Uber WAV now enables drivers to rent rear-entry accessible vehicles with ramps.
- More adaptive technology and “longevity” products targeting Boomers with age-related reduced mobility, vision and hearing loss. Some of these products will improve travel. For example, prominent Silicon Valley VC firm Andreeson Horowitz led a $20 million funding round for “Honor” which connects home care workers with seniors—a service that can also be used while on vacation.
- More family-oriented destinations and attractions embracing training to accommodate those on the autism spectrum as well as certification to ensure loyalty of customer base.
- Increasingly, Millennials find accessibility to be “cool.” Although difficult to measure, anecdotally the younger generation considers organizations that prioritize accessibility as more aligned with their personal values.
- A greater prioritization of Visitor Service training programs–both in-person and online—will proliferate as consumer-facing staff of travel suppliers will need to understand ways to address problems that arise during the check-in process and the stay.
- More hotel concierges conducting in-depth research about the accessibility features of the attractions and restaurants they are recommending. Along with a list of recommended places to eat and things to do, the concierge will offer an accessible guide to recommended restaurants, attractions, and museums.
- Incidences of “parking-shaming” are on the rise. Already a common occurrence, wheelchair users will become vocal when they find spaces occupied by drivers with questionable handicap permits. There’s even an APP for that (see more here.) We also predict that shortly, travelers with a disability will be able to reserve an adjacent parking space during the booking process.
- More college-level tourism programs incorporating courses with accessibility and visitor experience training. This trend could evolve to become a pipeline for organizations looking to hire talent with disability and inclusion experience. Here’s an example from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Hospitality program.
- The cost for a website to become ADA compliant will decrease dramatically as Google begins to “deprioritize” non-accessible websites in search results. Already innovative start-ups such as Accessibe, which can convert a 1000 page website into compliance using AI technology for under $500 per year, has attracted nearly 20,000 clients–including TravelAbility Summit.
- An all-out search for euphemisms to replace the word “disabled”. The search will likely be led by Boomers who abandoned words like handicapped or wheelchair-bound because they felt pejorative and insulting. Perhaps this is the year for AARP to launch a contest to find a more modern term incorporating reduced mobility and empowerment.
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