TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Expert Q&A

Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Seven

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Lesson 7: Measure What Matters 

How can destinations effectively measure the impact of their accessibility efforts? Why does it matter?

Measurement is the next frontier for accessibility. For a long time, we simply haven’t been tracking it. And if we’re asking destinations to invest in accessibility, then we absolutely need to help them understand the return on that investment, both socially and financially.

I’ve started asking DMOs: If you’re spending money to improve accessibility, wouldn’t you want to know what kind of change it’s making in your destination? Until recently, most hadn’t even thought to ask that question. But that’s changing. There’s a growing awareness that you can’t improve what you don’t measure.

So what can you measure? Start with the basics: increased visitation from people with disabilities and their families. Look at whether those visitors are staying longer now that they know they’ll be supported. Track repeat visits—because when we find a destination that truly gets it, we come back and we bring others. Word-of-mouth is powerful in the disability community, especially in online travel groups. And don’t forget usage data:

  • How often are sensory rooms or adaptive equipment being used?
  • Are visitors using visual wayfinding tools or assistive services?
  • Are people engaging with accessibility-focused web content?

You can also look at behavior online. Are visitors clicking into your accessibility pages? Are they spending time with content that features inclusive imagery or shows accessibility in action? These signals tell you what’s resonating—and what might still be missing.

But it’s not just about numbers. It’s about the stories behind them. I’ve seen guests in tears after attending a festival where they finally felt included. I’ve heard from families who were able to spend an entire day at an attraction, for the first time, because a sensory room gave them the space they needed. That’s impact. That’s what success looks like.

And here’s the thing: the data will follow the effort. When you invest in accessibility, when you prepare for guests instead of just meeting the legal minimum, your destination becomes more welcoming for everyone. 

That builds loyalty. It drives revenue. And it creates a culture people want to be part of.

So yes, we absolutely need to measure it. When you can point to results like bookings, web traffic or transformed experiences, you give stakeholders and investors a reason to keep going. That’s how real, lasting change happens.

Check back next month for the final part! 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 thearchives for the rest of the series.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. 

Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Six

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Lesson 6: Empathy trumps all

How can destinations improve everyday visitor experiences to be more inclusive for guests with different accessibility needs?

Start by shifting perspective.

The most effective thing a destination can do is see the world through someone else’s eyes. Accessibility training isn’t just about regulations or checklists—it’s about understanding what different people need to feel welcome, safe and valued.

I’ve built a complete training program covering nine different areas of accessibility, not just disability. Because accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. It looks different for someone with a mobility device, for someone who is neurodivergent, or for a family traveling with sensory needs.

Neurodivergence is a great place to start.

It’s approachable and impactful. Something as simple as a sunflower lanyard signals to staff that someone might need extra time, clearer communication, or a little more patience.

Or work with organizations like Kulture City. They provide training and sensory tools like backpacks with noise-canceling headphones and fidgets. These tools help staff better support guests in museums, zoos and event spaces.

Traverse City is a great example.

After I spoke at the Pure Michigan conference, their tourism director approached me and said, “This feels like so much. Where do I begin?” I told him to start small.

They created a sensory room in time for the National Cherry Festival, and it was used constantly. Guests came in overwhelmed and left in tears of gratitude. That one room changed everything. Now, the city is Kulture City certified and asking, “What can we do next?”

That’s the ripple effect we want to see.

And this isn’t just for big cities. Rural destinations actually have a huge opportunity to lead. Smaller crowds, slower pace and simpler experiences make them ideal for travelers with mobility challenges, sensory sensitivities, or neurodivergence. Some of my best travel experiences have been in small towns that brought creativity, not big budgets, to the table. A $40 ramp, a few grab bars, or textured guide bumps for white cane users can transform access. 

And while training is foundational, destinations can do even more with affordable, creative tools that don’t require massive infrastructure:

  • Hero Door Openers: Install in minutes, with no hardwiring needed. They are perfect for historic buildings and cost a fraction of the cost of retrofits.
  • FreedomTrax: Converts a manual wheelchair into a powered, all-terrain vehicle. I use one. It gave me freedom I never imagined.
  • Rio Mobility: Allows wheelchair users to explore bike trails alongside their families.
  • Aira: Live interpreters for blind or low-vision guests, accessed via phone or tablet.

The key isn’t changing your destination. It’s changing the access.

Whether you’re a national park or a rural town, there are scalable solutions for nearly every barrier.

You don’t have to offer every accommodation—you just have to ask the right question:

“How can we help you do what you came here to do?”

That one shift turns limitations into service. It moves us from rules to relationships. And it doesn’t just build accessibility—it builds trust, loyalty and return visits.

Because people don’t remember perfect. They remember prepared.

Check back next month for Part Seven! 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 the archives for the rest of the series. 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. 

Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Five

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Lesson 5: Show, Don’t Tell – Representation that Resonates

Instead of asking, ‘Is this accessible?’ try asking, ‘How can I help you do what you came here to do?’

How can destinations use marketing content to build trust with travelers who have disabilities?

Marketing plays a huge role in accessibility. And I don’t just mean making sure your website is technically usable. It’s about trust.

When I land on a destination’s site, and I don’t see visual descriptions on images, or the videos don’t have captions, or the accessibility page is hidden in the footer, it tells me everything I need to know. It says, “We haven’t thought this through.” That’s why accessible web design and inclusive web development matter so much—not just for compliance, but to signal that everyone is welcome, and someone has actually thought this through.

So here’s where I’d start:

  • Every photo should include a visual description and alternative text.
  • Every video should have closed captions, not just for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but for everyone. (Seriously, so many people watch videos with captions now. Even my kids do.)
  • Accessibility info should be easy to find. Don’t bury it. Make it visible and proud.
  • Representation matters. Don’t just include people with disabilities—feature them authentically.

Market research already shows people are more likely to buy a product when they see someone like themselves using it. So representation isn’t just a “nice to have.” It drives engagement.

But here’s the key: don’t make the disability the center of the story.

My favorite marketing videos are the ones where I’m just having fun. Rolling through a destination, interacting, enjoying myself. Maybe you see my wheelchair, maybe you don’t. Maybe someone’s using ASL or a white cane. The point is that accessibility is part of the experience—it’s not the headline.

When you do that, you speak to everyone. You make the story feel human, not performative.

I’ve made plenty of promotional videos that were more like infomercials: “Come here, we’re accessible!” They’re fine. But they don’t move people the way authentic stories do.

One of my favorite videos didn’t even mention my wheelchair. I just said: “If you can’t walk, you roll. If you can’t see, you listen. If you can’t hear, you observe.”

That speaks to everyone. It’s not about disability, it’s about living fully. And that’s what travel should be. Bringing people together.

When destinations lean into inclusive storytelling, they don’t just reach people with disabilities. They reach families, friends, caregivers and anyone who values empathy and openness.

It’s good storytelling. It’s good marketing. And it’s how we close the gap between invitation and inclusion.

Check back next month for Part Six! 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 the archives for the rest of the series. 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. 

Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Four

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Lesson 4: Accessibility Sells

What’s an example of a destination that saw a clear return on investing in accessibility?

Absolutely. One of my favorite examples is Beaches Turks & Caicos, a resort that truly listened, made a change and saw immediate results.

They addressed something many destinations overlook: guaranteed accessible room bookings. In the Caribbean, it’s especially difficult to reserve an accessible room with certainty. Unlike categories like ocean-view or suites, accessibility often isn’t treated as a priority. 

But Beaches made it one.

After hearing me speak about this gap, they created a new booking category for accessible rooms in 2021. That small change, simply naming the category and guaranteeing it, was transformational. The result? It became so popular that it was harder to book than their top-tier suites.

They eventually had to double the number of accessible rooms on the property to meet demand.

Now, they’re building a new wing, and while I don’t know the exact number of accessible rooms it will include, I do know they’re adding more. That’s what happens when you truly meet a need. You see a return, not just in guest satisfaction, but in occupancy and loyalty.

They didn’t stop at basic accessibility either. At one of their Sandals properties, which caters to adults, they began offering accessible suites with luxury-level services. Those rooms are constantly booked. And that proves an important point: people with disabilities span every demographic. Some are wealthy, some are not. Some are parents, newlyweds, solo travelers. We all want options.

Too often, hotels treat accessibility as an afterthought. ADA rooms are usually the lowest tier, with sterile decor and bathrooms that feel more medical than welcoming. Even in countries like the U.S., where laws require accessible rooms across categories, enforcement is uneven. Many accessible rooms still only offer one bed, forcing families to book multiple rooms or settle for poor accommodations.

My solution? Make every bathroom accessible. Install grab bars. Widen doorways. 

These changes aren’t expensive, and they help everyone. The athlete recovering from a workout. The couple celebrating with champagne. The parent bathing a child. If you design for inclusion, those features enhance the experience instead of standing out.

So yes, Beaches Turks & Caicos is a great case study. They didn’t need a massive budget. They simply restructured their booking engine, identified a real need and saw results. That’s the takeaway. Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s smart, scalable business.

Check back next month for Part Four! 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 the archives for the rest of the series. 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. 

Advice Line: Lessons with Kristy Durso Part Three

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Lesson 3: Minimal Budget, Maximal Impact

Between 2019 and 2020, travelers with disabilities spent $58.7 billion on accessible travel in the U.S. alone, according to a market study by Open Doors Organization.”

How can a destination make the greatest impact on accessibility with a limited budget?

Start by telling a real story.

If I had just $10,000 left in a budget, I wouldn’t spend it on checklists or audits. I would spend it on bringing in a family with accessibility needs and letting them explore your destination. Film them, not doing “disability-specific” things, but simply doing what they love. Let them be a family, and then show how your destination either supports or hinders their experience.

Capture the moments that work, and just as importantly, the moments where they struggle. That’s how you find the gaps. And that’s how you move hearts and minds.

Accessibility is not linear. There is no single checklist or seminar that can tell you whether your city is accessible. What’s accessible for me, as a wheelchair user, isn’t the same as what’s accessible for my friend who’s quadriplegic. Or for my daughter, who is cognitively disabled. Or for a traveler who is level three autistic. We all interact with places differently.

So the goal isn’t to declare, “This is accessible.” The goal is to tell your city’s story in a way that lets the traveler decide for themselves if it works for them.

And you do that by offering real, honest, visual access to what their experience might look like.

A great example is Lansing, Michigan. They partnered with a company called AbleVu, which I’ve worked with as well. AbleVu creates visual walk-throughs of attractions—not to judge or check boxes, but to tell the story of accessibility. A traveler can see what an entrance looks like, how the seating is arranged, or whether sensory-friendly spaces are available. That helps them make informed, safe choices.

One of their most surprising and inspiring features is an accessible indoor go-kart track. The owner, who was temporarily paralyzed after an accident, didn’t want to give up racing. So he designed a go-kart with hand controls and added a Hoyer lift. Now, anyone can join. Just reading “accessible go-kart” doesn’t quite capture it. But when you watch the video and see someone using it, you think, “Maybe I could do that too.”

That’s the ripple effect.

When you showcase real stories, you inspire people and not just inform them. You let families imagine themselves there. Suddenly, they aren’t just passing through. They’re planning full days, extended stays and return visits.

Information is the key. Many people with disabilities choose not to travel because they don’t know what to expect. But when that information is made visible, honest and welcoming, uncertainty becomes excitement.

It’s not about being perfect.

It’s about being prepared and transparent.

And that is something any destination can do, even on a limited budget.

Check back next month for Part Four! 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 the archives for part 1 & 2. 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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