Expert Q&A

Are There Any New Solutions to Help Travelers on the Autism Spectrum Enjoy More and Worry Less?

May 29, 2019 by Denise Brodey

The answer is Yes! Two ideas, both developed by people who have autistic family members, are worth reviewing:

1. In Brisbane Airport, lanyards that travelers wear discreetly alert staff that they may need help during travel. Of course, behind the lanyards is a lot of staff training. The combination of understanding and ability to advocate for oneself is proving to be a success. Read the stories of families who have tried it and the mom who created the program after a traumatic trip with her teenage daughter here.

2. A customize-able mobile app designed to prepare travelers who experience things like noise, bright lights and touch very differently. The mobile app from MagnusMode, also inspired by an autistic family member, makes new situations easier to manage The app runs a potential traveler through scenarios that could be loud, noisy or uncomfortable, for example. SFO airport will be the first U.S. airport to offer the program, which has already proven successful with attractions such as zoos and aquariums. Read more here.

Why Thousands Pack in To See This Show: Q&A With The Brains Behind Abilities Expo

May 15, 2019 by Denise Brodey

David 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.

What Exactly Is an Accessibility Dream State? Michigan. Here’s Why.

April 17, 2019 by Denise Brodey

Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan based in Lansing, challenged his industry during their 2018 Governor’s Conference to submit any new initiatives around accessible travel. One year later at their 2019 Governor’s Conference on Tourism, his partners went above and beyond the call of duty and submitted 19 new accessible or adaptive initiatives, which you can read about, below. Just think what could happen if all 50 states replicated the effort with a similar challenge to their partners!

Because the ideas are so smart that they’re worth stealing, we’ve listed each new initiative submitted by Michigan’s tourism industry in 2019 here:

Michigan State Parks offer an accessible kayak ramp and fishing pier at Interlochen State Park. Rifle River State Park hosts accessible hunting and some State Park beaches feature track wheelchairs for access to the beach and “mobi mats” for traditional chair access.
Traveling long distances in Michigan by car got easier. The Kellogg Foundation has funded fully accessible state rest areas.
The Ann Arbor Area CVB is updating their website this year to be compliant with ADA, including WCAG 2.0. The destination is welcoming to everyone and is removing barriers by making the website accessible to all using Audioeye technology. Watch a demo, here.
The Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum offers a Sensory Night every third Wednesday of the month. It’s a night for all to come to play in an inclusive, sensory-friendly environment.
The Holiday Inn & Suites Mt. Pleasant has rooms to accommodate hearing disabilities as well as ADA (wheelchair) accessible rooms.
Special Olympics Michigan offers a sensory room for athletes during the State Summer Games on the campus of Central Michigan University.
The Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau (GLCVB), who help to market Disney’s The Lion King performances, took a broad view of what other activities they could offer families visiting for the show. They gathered information on all current sensory-friendly programming offered in the local community. GLCVB says the assessment led to a much broader vision for the original simple marketing initiative and it became a multi-dimensional collaboration that has changed the community and how they welcome all visitors.
In 2018, over 800 hospitality and tourism staff were provided with autism spectrum disorder education and training in the Lansing region. As a result of the education process, seven attractions are now offering scheduled sensory-friendly programming and making information and resources available to guests in advance and while on site. Three attractions have enhanced and improved their existing programming as a result of the educational outreach.
At Lansing’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts, there are now 100% sensory-friendly performances of Disney’s The Lion King. Family members who have seen the show told front-line personnel that they “usually don’t travel or go out in public much” due to people not understanding their circumstances and they were glad to “feel welcome here.” Many comments indicated this was one of the few special events their entire family had been able to attend together.
More details, here.
Genesee County has developed Bluebell Beach to be inclusive. It includes accessible parking spaces and an accessible pathway from the parking area to the pavilion and accessible restrooms. Enjoy a barrier-free splash pad, paved pathways around the park and a connection to Flint River Trail, all meeting ADA accessibility standards. A barrier-free playground, complete with transfer station and Genesee County’s first Universally Accessible playground is installed at Bluebell Beach. Learn more, here.
The Barrier-Free Treehouse at For-Mar Nature Center is designed to allow visitors of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience a treehouse overlooking the Kearsley Creek. Nestled back in black cherry, red oak, white oak, basswood, and butternut hickory trees, the treehouse stands approximately 30 feet above the bed of the Kearsley Creek oxbow and can be accessed by either staircase or ta ramp with grades to meet ADA requirements. Learn more, here.
The Alpena Bi-Path is an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail that winds throughout the City of Alpena. The paved path includes routes that run along picturesque Thunder Bay River and Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary, Lake Huron. The path also allows for access to Island Park, a nature preserve located within the City of Alpena. Walking, jogging, biking, fishing, rollerblading, wheelchair, assisted walker, and mobility scooter riders are seen enjoying the path year-round. The path also connects parks, shopping districts, waterways, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, two islands, fishing platforms, a boat harbor and lighthouse as well as residential areas to allow for universal access to some of Alpena’s most beautiful spaces. In addition to stunning natural beauty, the Bi-Path is considered an outdoor gallery with sculptures and public art along the route.
Ocqueoc Falls is the largest waterfall in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and the only universally-accessible waterfall in the United States. Ocqueoc provides approximately six miles of hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing opportunities with three marked loops. A viewing area, boardwalks, as well as limestone steps and wheelchair access allow for visitors to safely enter the falls (yes, even in a wheelchair). The remnants of an old mill race can be seen just above the falls and a State Forest Campground is located at the falls as well. Trails are groomed in the winter season for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire biking.
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is a visitor center for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, featuring hands-on interactive learning activities for all ages. The Exploring the Shipwreck Century exhibit is located in the center’s main hall and includes a full-size replica wooden Great Lakes schooner and shipwreck where visitors can board the decks, feel a Great Lakes storm, and touch the massive timbers of the boat resting on the lake bottom. The handcrafted schooner follows ADA compliance allowing for mobility-assisted access inside the vessel as well as other areas of the exhibit.
South Haven has several local projects developed to provide access to Lake Michigan and the Black River in South Haven including an accessible concrete walkway from the parking area to Lake Michigan at the Pilgrim Haven Natural Area just south of South Haven, an accessible kayak launch has been installed at Black River Park, an accessible fishing platform and bridge was installed at SHOUT park along the Black River in 2018 and an accessible walkway was installed on North Beach from the parking lot to the edge of Lake Michigan in 2018.
Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn has exceeded ADA compliance by providing their guests with in-room information, for example, which direction (left or right) the bed or toilet transfers are in a particular room. The Lodge has embraced this concept and prominently promotes it on their website. They will hard block a room for a guest with a particular need so they can have the best accommodation for them.
Frankenmuth is also exploring ways to provide additional accessible parking for large events, some of which are located in grassy areas.
Midland’s Canopy tour at Whiting Forest is fully accessible. This is the nation’s longest canopy park.
Muskegon’s Winter Sport’s Complex has developed a fully accessible luge experience, designed for non-winter use. This allows persons with a walking disability to experience the sheer joy of the luge.

Check for more updates and future innovations in the news section, here.

Travel Expert of the Month: John Sage of Accessible Travel Solutions

March 15, 2019 by Denise Brodey

We caught up with TravelAbility Summit Board member and travel expert John Sage, whose company offers fully-vetted, accessible vacations in 45 countries. Read his expert answers, below:

Q: Your disability occurred during a snow skiing accident around 2000 when you were 22. How and when did you decide to use your disability to help others travel?

A: Despite my T-4 Spinal cord injury at age 22, I decided to embark on several European travel adventures during my twenties. Each trip was very time consuming to plan because I needed to make sure that my accessibility needs were met throughout. I discovered first-hand the numerous accessible travel challenges and lack of resources to overcome them.

In 2008, I planned a trip for six of my friends and afterwards, they told me “You should write a book. You should be the disabled Rick Steves.” Instead, after some time exploring my options, I started an accessible travel website with the plan to make money advertising. This effort didn’t work out the way I wanted it to but it did inspire me to start a travel business dedicated to people with disabilities. There was a huge need for accessible travel expertise and services and my company has grown fast.

Q: As an entrepreneur, you have multiple divisions, how did that come about?

A: Several years ago, I attended the Cruise3sixty travel conference and I was looking forward to visiting the booth of whoever the leading accessible tour operator was. I was surprised to see that there was none. Following this, I decided to start a second company called Accessible Travel Solutions, a B2B company working with travel agencies, cruise lines, OTA’s, and other businesses. We took our most popular, accessible travel services and offered them through this brand. We have had a lot of success helping big and small businesses add accessible travel options to their offerings. In 2016, Accessible Travel Solutions won Travel Weekly’s “Tour Operator of the Year” Award.

Q: Your website states that you have accessible travel options in 50 countries, are these mostly cruise-type shore excursions?

A: While a big part of what we do is to provide accessible shore excursions to the cruise line industry, we offer much more than that! With Sage Traveling, Accessible Caribbean Vacations, and Accessible Travel Solutions you can book everything from accessible guided tours, accessible shore excursions, accessible transfers, accessible travel packages and accessible escorted group trips. The majority of our destinations are in Europe and the Caribbean but we are also currently conducting research and working on adding destinations such as Alaska and New Zealand.

I’ve personally been to most of the destinations in my manual wheelchair to evaluate things like sidewalk ramps, accessible bathrooms, entrances of museums, churches, castles, palaces, forts, accessible hotel rooms, and trains. My team and I work with our local partners to design and execute accessible tour itineraries that are reliable and enjoyable. We have reservations agents in 3 countries who provide pre-trip consulting, handle all the trip details, and provide 24/7 emergency assistance. This team is focused 100% on accessible travel.

Q: You have said that accessibility means different things in different countries. Any tips on the most accessible European cities? Or cautionary tales?

A: Here are three articles I wrote several articles these topics, which are available on my website, sagetraveling.com, including The 3 Most Wheelchair Accessible Cities in Europe, The Top 10 Europe Handicapped Travel Tips and 25 Things That Can Go Wrong Traveling With a Disability.

Q: Do cruise lines understand the importance of accessibility in shore excursions?

A: In the past, the issue was that most of their local tour operators didn’t have the accessibility knowledge and experience to design and execute accessible tours. They would ask their local tour operators to offer accessible tours, and the local operator would either say ‘no’ or they would take their shortest simplest tour, add a bus with a wheelchair lift and drive people around for 2 hours without getting out of the bus (which is not the vacation experience most people are looking for).

When I meet with the cruise lines and tell them we can be a single point of contact providing fully-accessible vetted tours in 90+ ports, they are relieved because it’s something they wanted to provide but weren’t sure how to tackle. Our tours are not “window” tours where people simply see a destination from onboard a bus. Our tours are actual experiences where travelers get to enjoy incredible sites and unique visits firsthand. Some of the most popular experiences we offer include the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the Pompeii Ruins in Naples, La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Louvre Museum in Paris, San Cristobal Fort in San Juan, the Monkey Sanctuary in Roatan, the Diamond Waterfall in St. Lucia, and many more.

Q: How do you vet all of these shore excursion itineraries? Did you have someone in a wheelchair actually conduct the research in each destination?

A: Unfortunately, one cannot simply rely on something being accessible just because the internet says so. Much information is outdated or simply inaccurate.

The Autism Two-Step: A Conversation with Alan Day, Founder of Autism Double-Checked

February 11, 2019 by Denise Brodey

WORDS OF ADVICE

Alan Day (left) is a leader in the effort to make the travel experience both meaningful and positive for autistic children and their parents and a TravelAbility Summit Board Member. An experienced travel agent, Day began his travel agency career with Liberty Travel in 1999 and then, on moving to Connecticut in 2005, he formed his own travel agency. Day’s son has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and, based on the significant challenge autism had on their own family vacations, Alan refocused his agency to specialize in providing assistance and support to families who are similarly impacted. With his colleague David Tait—both are British expatriates—he co-founded Autism Double-Checked, which provides a training and certification program for businesses and organizations who provide travel product. You can find his website, here.TravelAbility Report interviewed Day recently and asked him about his work and mission. The following are excerpts from our conversation.

Q: How is it that you have come to be such an ardent advocate for individuals with disabilities who want to travel?

A: We weren’t able to travel with my son for the first, about eight to nine years of his life because of my wife’s work schedule. When we finally managed to get some time, we took him on vacation and, of course, realized after a couple of days what a tough thing that was to do to try to take a vacation with him without some support. I came back from that trip and started researching what help is out there for traveling with autism. I found nothing. I thought, “There must be more people like us. Somebody better do something about this.” I got involved. But I think what made me so ardent about standing up for the whole community was that I realized how many people are involved in this—and what little provision there is. This is more than just a few individuals. There’s a whole community out there. Autism is not a disability, autism it is a different ability. That’s something I feel very strongly. We need to make those worlds meet, whether that’s with travel or with anything else.

Autism is not a disability, autism it is a different ability. That’s something I feel very strongly, says Day.

Q: Are there special needs for autistic travelers that are not readily apparent when one discusses people with disabilities?

A: There are. The clear, obvious thing to say is that autism is not generally a visible disability—in the way that you would not miss someone who has a wheelchair. With autism, there may be no outward signs. There are some clues occasionally—stuff like kids wearing noise cam headphones in a situation where there’s not that much noise. The first issue, which is not obvious or visible are the problems related to reduced executive function (Executive function is a term that is widely used in autism circles to describe a broad array of skills that have to do with an individual’s cognitive function.) This impacts waiting online for attractions, etc… It’s not apparent until you meet that situation. The other issue that is not readily apparent is that, because of the way autism is, they really struggle to understand figurative language. My prime example of that is telling a kid with autism I’ll be back in just a minute. You are very likely setting the expectation that you’ll be back in 60 seconds. These obviously are not apparent issues.

Q: Of late we have noticed that Autism Double Checked has certified certain destinations and attractions as autism prepared. How does this work?

A: It’s possible for anybody to turn around and say, “Hey, we’re autism-friendly!” Okay, what does that mean? Autism Double- Checked actually does mean something with a national standard comprised of two elements. The first is the training part. For certification, every member of staff whoever gets to meet the public has to undergo training and must pass the test of knowledge at the end of that training. The second element is the production of the visitor guide, which provides information to the parents in a standard format which has been specifically produced to meet the needs of the autism community.

Q: What are the most common slights experienced by autistic travelers?

A: Very likely, none that the autistic traveler would notice. But the common slight is to the parents. For example, someone who has no real comprehension of all this cannot distinguish between an autistic meltdown and a temper tantrum. Guess which assumption they make? Parents are judged as being lousy parents who have a brat that they won’t control when, in fact, it is a physiological behavior which exhibits itself in the distress of a meltdown. But parents are concerned that they will be perceived as bad parents. It’s very, very common. And there just aren’t good answers to it. One of the answers is having trained staff. If they see a situation like that, they will be able to patiently explain to others. Part of the training is how to explain common issues to bystanders.

Q: Are there any steps that travel suppliers could quickly take—actions that do not require special training or require a substantial outlay of resources—to make them more aware of the needs of travelers who have autism … or other “invisible” disabilities?

A: First off, although it is a national standard, an Autism Double-Checked certification can be rolled this out very quickly and it is very inexpensive for what it is. That said, it does take some time and does involve some costs. The cost-free answer is to treat every individual with respect; make no judgments, and listen to the parents of that child. Three commandments are: Respect, don’t judge, listen.

Q: Are there any major attractions in the U.S that are examples of “best practices” when it comes to accommodating travelers with disabilities?

A: The shining star is the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida. They were very good at just regular ADA issues and when they undertook our training, their pass rate was 96.4%. They put I don’t know how much resources over and above what we said was going to go into their Visitor’s Guide. When you’re talking about Best Practices, it doesn’t get better than that. For want of a better word, a stellar visitors guide.

Q: What specifically about the Kennedy Center Visitor’s Guide (KCVG) makes it such an example?

A: The KSCVC Guide is great for two reasons: In addition to pointing out every possible sensory hazard, it also explains accommodations offered in order to navigate them. Very importantly the index is by sensory issue. This means that a parent who is concerned only about noise can easily find the necessary pages. If only concerned about some other issue they can find it without having to read through the things that have no impact on their child.

Q: Since the in-flight experience can be so traumatic for autism family members, are you working with any airlines? If so, how?

A: Two airlines are currently working through the certification program. The first is JetSuiteX in California/Nevada. They are most of the way through. The second is Flair Airlines in Edmonton Canada. They have started and should be fully certified soon.

Q: What could be done to improve the overall situation?
A: We need to get to a mindset that inclusivity includes everybody. We can’t just pay lip service.

For more information, for example, on specific airlines or the Kennedy Center Visitors Guide mentioned here, Alan Day can be reached at aday@autismchecked.com

Expert Q&A

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We caught up with TravelAbility Summit Board member and travel expert John Sage, whose company offers fully-vetted, accessible vacations in 45 countries. Read his expert answers, below:

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Autism is not a disability, autism it is a different ability. That’s something I feel very strongly, says Day.

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