TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Editorial

Introduction to the Summit

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attendees at the The Emerging Markets Summit pose for a group photo with Founder Jake Steinman

By Jennifer Allen

“Feeling incredibly inspired and uplifted after attending the Travelabilty’s Emerging Markets Summit! The collective spirit and determination of the accessible community here has truly left me in awe… Every speaker, panelist, and attendee has brought their unique perspective and expertise to the table, fostering meaningful conversations and sparking innovative ideas. It’s evident that collaboration and cooperation are key to building a more inclusive travel industry. I’m leaving this conference with a renewed sense of purpose and a deep belief in the power of accessibility. Let’s continue to amplify the voices of those who have been marginalized, challenge the status quo, and create a world where travel knows no bounds.” 

This feedback from Lesly Palmer, of Pixie Travel, echoes the sentiments of attendees across travel industries at the 2023 Emerging Markets Summit. The summit included a wealth of information, from grant writing and technology breakthroughs, to accessibility travel research and guides on how to create change. 

The incomparable value of the summit comes from combining all of the elements for accessible travel in one place. The innovations; disability travel bloggers, who are really the detectives out to share the real scoop;  influencers; those with lived experiences; experts; and attendees all come together for a glorious three days of both education and support. The past five years have served as a foundation of trust, establishing not only TravelAbility, but also a community of like-minded world-changers.

The abundance of knowledge and innovation shared over the weekend couldn’t be covered in a single newsletter, but the following articles are a small sampling of the driving force for change that is the Travelability Summit.

Conde Nast Magazine announces, “Beyond Barriers” Monthly Column Celebrating Accessible Travel

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photo of a disabled skier on top of the mountain

Tom D Morgan-Courtesy Sophie Morgan

Our Takeaway: In some ways, the UK media is light years ahead of their American counterparts when it comes to inclusive values.  Will others follow?

I would like to share a photograph. In it, a smiling 18-year-old girl wearing a faded sleeveless vest and ragged jeans leans forwards to counterbalance a backpack. She is embarking on her first intrepid adventure, standing on the precipice of a journey, but also of girlhood. She’s at that giddy time when everything seems to offer the promise of potential opportunity. The world is her oyster, and she knows it. When I look at this picture, nostalgia twists gently in my stomach. Then the feeling tightens with foreboding. In just a few weeks, that girl—her wanderlust tickled from a trip around southern India—will be paralyzed in a car crash. Read More.

TravelAbility Launches Newsletter for Hoteliers

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Logo for TravelAbility for Hospitality with black and blue type superimposed over a beach

Our Takeaway: We hear stories about hoteliers cringing when they see people with disabilities about to check into their hotels. This newsletter provides a positive approach to accessibility designed to reduce hoteliers’ fears.

By being inclusive for people with disabilities today, we’re laying the foundation for the 77 million baby boomers, 40% of whom, according to the CDC, self-identify as having a disability after they turn 65. Additionally, they have an average net worth of $1 million, stand to inherit $13 trillion from their parents and not only do they have the time to travel, but consider it a priority.

While ADA law provides some baseline regulations for infrastructure for people with disabilities, it does not take into account that every disability has a spectrum. It took over 18 months to write the law, and it was written for the median. This means that even fully ADA-compliant hotels only work for 50% of the people. The other 50% have to be detectives to find out if the accommodations meet their particular requirements because detailed information is not online.

Each issue will be carefully curated to include articles that take a useful and practical approach to innovations and guidance that will make hospitality more inclusive for ALL guests. Read More.

One Year Anniversary Edition of Accessible Journeys, Spring 2023 issue

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Accessible Journeys – travel without limits in a world where all are welcome.

The quarterly digital magazine Accessible Journeys has quickly become a leading resource for accessible travel information. A partnership between Mélange Publications and TravelAbility, the publication is a brand extension of the magazine, Accessibility for All.

Accessible Journeys features everything relevant to travel and accessibility: destination and accommodation guides, equipment reviews, travel tips, parenting information, innovative products, and more. It also shares expert input from bloggers, vloggers, and influencers – about 40 in each issue.

Launched in March 2022, Accessible Journeys grew from a circulation of 870 to 68,000 by the end of that same year. This growth is a testament to the importance of accessible travel and the valuable information the publication holds for everyone eager to explore the world.

Accessible Journey’s success is due in part to the editorial guidance provided by prolific leaders in the disability travel community. The Spring 2023 issue was steered by guest editor Cory Lee, who shared his insights into adventure travel. Guest editors Ashley Lynn Olson, Kay Kingsman, and Jennifer Allen have contributed their expertise in the past, keeping the publication on the leading edge.

Accessible Journeys provides value, insight, support and resources to the disability travel community.  

For advertising and marketing information contact Debbie Austin at daustin@readmelange.com

Read Accessible Journeys here

Rethinking Accessibility Project Honors Global Accessibility Awareness Day

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TravelAbility is delighted to announce, “Rethinking Accessibility,” a pilot project to uncover and showcase accessibility information on the websites of participating destinations that are proactively trying to make travel easier for people with disabilities by highlighting what CAN be done instead of what CAN’T be done. This initiative will culminate on May 18, Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

“While the ADA provides some baseline for physical infrastructure such as ramps and grab bars in bathrooms, there’s no ADA for information,” remarked Jake Steinman, founder of TravelAbility.  The following members of our Destination Ally Club partners opted into the pilot program designed to uncover a variety of accessibility features that will make them more inclusive to people with disabilities and seniors.

A total of 201 surveys were completed revealing new and interesting accessibility features that will be added to their websites, all of which have a landing page dedicated to accessible content. 

Here are just a few examples of unique features from the survey results and links to their accessible content pages.

In Fairfax County, VA: While the Mount Vernon home of George Washington has inaccessible stairs leading to the second floor, they provide iPads that connect to the tour guide leading the tour upstairs.

In Mesa, AZ: Emotional support goats are available at a yoga studio located inside an addiction rehab facility.

In Kissimmee, FL: Local theme park offers wheelchair-accessible Zip Lines descending above alligator habitats.

In Tampa, FL: Visit a children’s museum that holds monthly sensory-friendly events for families and caregivers of children on the autism spectrum.

In Lancaster, PA: the Dutch Wonders theme park offers 35 rides that are fully accessible.

These landing pages will be aggregated as part of Travelability’s  “Destinations with Accessibility” project, which currently contains accessibility content for 143 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands.

Outcomes for the “Rethinking Accessibility” project will become part of a series of case studies that will be featured at TravelAbility’s Emerging Markets Summit, August 18-20, 2023, in Savannah.  “According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the population lives with some form of disability,” commented Steinman. “Travel is the toy department of life, and everyone should be able to enjoy it.”

Contact: TravelAbility: Jake@travelability.net