TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Expert Q&A

Accessibility Champion: Julie Pingston, President & CEO, Choose Lansing

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Q1. When did you begin focusing on accessibility in your destination and what was the impetus for wanting to make your destination more accessible?

As a destination, we had a very specific starting point in 2017 when we partnered with our performing arts center. The goal was to fill a 2,400-seat theater for a 100% Sensory Friendly Broadway Performance of Disney’s The Lion King, debuting in 2018. What started as a marketing campaign, evolved into a multi-dimensional strategy that has altered our community and how we welcome visitors of all abilities. 

We worked to create sensory inclusive programming in all of our attractions and provided sensory toolkits in many more locations. We created training for understanding of neurodiversities for our front-line staff throughout the community and created an accessibility web page detailing sensory events and opportunities as well as the “know before you go” information for all to access. 

We filled that theater in 2018, and it was an amazing opportunity for all to experience a Broadway show in their own way. This work was the first step, leading us to focus on accessibility as a destination and continue the journey to truly be welcoming to all.

Q2. What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

I serve Choose Lansing as President & CEO and lead our amazing team in developing the Lansing, Michigan region as a visitor destination. I spend a lot of time on advocacy, community relations and board relations while remaining highly engaged in our accessibility efforts.

Q3. Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers that you face regarding the advancement of accessibility in your destination? What initiatives have you undertaken to improve accessibility in your destination, and which are you most proud of?

The main obstacle we have faced is creating the time to keep advancing our efforts throughout the destination. We want to do it all immediately. The work that goes into accessibility is important because it creates opportunities to have experiences that many take for granted. Watching families participating in a sensory inclusive event as a complete family, without having to leave someone out, is so inspiring. I want that for everyone. That has been my drive to create strategies and to have those “what can we do next” conversations about accessibility and inclusivity. 

“Watching families participating in a sensory inclusive event as a complete family, without having to leave someone out, is so inspiring. I want that for everyone. That has been my drive to create strategies and to have those “what can we do next” conversations about accessibility and inclusivity.”

Julie Pingston

I’m proud that our partners have truly embraced the accessibility efforts throughout our destination and that we were able to host our first Tourism Accessibility Summit this past fall.  I’m equally proud that I have been able to share our story with other destinations to continue to grow the work. 

Q4. Who do you follow? Name an organization/company/individual you look to for ideas or inspiration.

I look to my colleagues in destination marketing organizations around the world who are leaders in innovation and avenues to spread accessibility efforts throughout the travel industry. 

For the past seven years, my main source of inspiration and partnership has been Cathy Blatnik from the Mid-Michigan Autism Association, and her son Dominic. I also love brainstorming with Meegan and Evan Winters from AbleVu and Kristy Durso from Incredible Memories Travel. 

Q5. What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?I’ve got a long list of next steps to increase accessibility initiatives for our community.  We recently hosted Lansing’s inaugural Tourism Accessibility Summit and we keep building from there. We have engaged with Wheel the World and are looking forward to completing an assessment and providing even more detailed accessibility information and training about our destination. 

Accessibility Champion: Lynn Smith

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Chief Marketing Officer, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program

She may not be a magician, but Lynn Smith is making the invisible seen around the world.

Q1. What motivated you to become involved in accessibility and do you have a personal connection to disability?

I firmly believe that everyone, at one time in their lives, will experience a non-visible disability. We all have friends and family who are affected by disabilities and conditions that are not immediately apparent to others, and I want all of them to feel supported and able to thrive to the best of their potential.

Removing the stigma around non-visible disabilities is crucial. It’s about making it easier for people to get the help they need and ensuring they feel valued and included. My passion for equity and social justice drives me to contribute to efforts aimed at creating a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, feels empowered to participate fully in all aspects of life. 

“I firmly believe that everyone, at one time in their lives, will experience a non-visible disability.”

Lynn Smith

Q2.  What is the goal of your organization?

Some disabilities, conditions or chronic illnesses are not immediately obvious to others. For some people, this can make it hard to understand and believe that someone with a non-visible condition genuinely needs support. You may be questioned on if you have a disability because you don’t “look like you have a disability.”

That is why we created the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower – to encourage inclusivity, acceptance and understanding.

It is a simple tool for you to share that you have a non-visible disability voluntarily. By wearing the Sunflower, you’re letting everyone know that you might need extra help, understanding, or just more time.

Our goal is simply to improve everyday experiences for people with non-visible disabilities. We do this through the Sunflower symbol which helps make the invisible, visible.  

Q3: Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers you face around accessibility and what actions/initiatives are you taking to address them?

Aside from budget limitations, the most challenging obstacles to accessibility include the lack of awareness about disabilities that are not immediately apparent, stigma and discrimination, inflexible policies, and limited resources. To overcome these barriers, initiatives include educational campaigns to raise awareness, advocacy for policy changes, training programs to sensitize businesses and communities, promotion of inclusivity in all sectors, and fostering collaborations with other organizations and advocacy groups. By implementing these strategies, initiatives like the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program aim to create a more accessible and inclusive environment for individuals with hidden disabilities.

Q4. What accomplishments are you most proud of?

One of my proudest accomplishments is being part of an organization that shares my values and is dedicated to making a difference globally. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program operates in 34 countries, with seven offices. I am proud to contribute to its impactful mission. Working alongside such a dedicated team of individuals and being able to play a role in making the world more inclusive and understanding is incredibly rewarding.

Q5: Who do you follow?  

In addition to Jake and the TravelAbility team, I look to the following for ideas and inspiration:

The amazing HD Sunflower team

Melody Olander of But You Don’t Look Sick.

Richard Gray from Visit Lauderdale

DFAWG – The Dementia Friendly Airport Workers Group

Meegan Winters of AbleVU

Accessibility Champion: Ross Heller

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Publisher USAE News and CustomNEWS Inc.

Q1. What motivated you to become involved in accessibility and do you have a personal connection to disability?

As publisher of USAE Weekly Newspaper, a publication which covers the association and meetings industry, I feel we have a responsibility to cover the issue of accessibility. Understanding of accessibility, in all its aspects, to an association executive is as important as knowledge of food and beverage and/or site selection.

Over the years, disability has always played a role in my life. Among my company’s most successful telemarketers was an employee who had become blind as an adult. His lack of vision did not detract from his ability to talk to clients on the phone. In fact, after my nomination of him, the State of Maryland awarded him its Handicapped Employee of the Year Award.

Q2.  What is the goal of your organization?

USAE’s goal is to thoroughly cover the news of the association and meetings industry including news of CVBs and the hospitality community. We are the only industry trade publication to designate a reporter to regularly cover accessibility. 

Q3. Of what accomplishments are you most proud?

That USAE continues to thrive and bring important news and information to its community of readers 42-years after its founding.

“As a news organization we are continually on the search for knowledge of what others are doing in the field of accessibility so we can pass it along to our community of readers.”

Ross Heller

Q4: Who do you follow? 

As a news organization we are continually on the search for knowledge of what others are doing in the field of accessibility so we can pass it along to our community of readers. Our search is not limited to a specific individual or organization.

What Would You Do to Manage an Autistic Child’s Meltdown?

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© 72soul | Dreamstime.com

We are thrilled to introduce our brand-new monthly series, “What Would You Do?” Each month, we’ll present a unique scenario and invite you to consider how you would handle it.

This Month’s Scenario: Managing an Autistic Child’s Meltdown

Imagine you’re the manager of an attraction, and suddenly, an autistic child experiences a meltdown that disrupts other guests that embarrasses their family. One of the guests asks you, as the manager of the facility: “Aren’t you going to do something about this?”

What Would You Do?

As part of our commitment to fostering understanding and empathy, we encourage you to share your insights and creative solutions. Let’s learn from each other and create a more accessible and supportive environment for all our visitors.

Here are answers from three perspectives:

Talia Salem, Content Strategist, Ritz Carlton division of Marriott

I’ve been in this situation many times with my child. The first thing I do is try to survive the meltdown and keep her and others safe. I ask other people to please give us some space because sometimes during meltdowns there’s a lot of kicking and flailing of limbs. Sometimes at theme parks and other places with lines people are too close and are often in our space, which makes them at striking distance during a meltdown. I try not to place too many demands on my child and work with her to calm her nervous system through rocking, music, compressions or whatever works at the time. Then if needed (as often people make rude comments) I explain that my daughter has autism and struggles with impulse control, waiting in lines or whatever the case is. I’ve been able have some good conversations with people on occasion. Often though people stare like I have 5 heads and honestly I hate that. But I’m getting better at ignoring the stares and focusing on what my child needs to be safe and get calm in the moment and try to meet a need like a quiet space some food a drink a movement break etc.

Bartocz Czajka, Strategist, lecturer, Special Education teacher

Parents usually are able to anticipate a meltdown. So the focus should be on preparation and not on the actual meltdown. If that happens (you obviously cannot think of everything 😉 just communicate to other guests about autism-related circumstances and always have a quiet room available for the person(s) involved to get through the crisis

Jennifer Allen,

I’m going to second Talia from the mom perspective! Please just give us a moment, and a bit of space, to sort ourselves out. Getting involved may only escalate things. For the establishment, it would be a GIFT if employees had a basic understanding of what was happening. That may even give them the ability to field any questions that are coming at us from other guests.

Question of the Month: Where Have You Seen the ROI for Accessibility?

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Robert Kneschke | Stylephotographs

Aside from “The Right Thing to Do,” where have you seen a return on investment (ROI) for accessibility? With the increasing attention on accessibility in the media and the proliferation of assistive technology, innovations, and amenities, disability awareness today is at a similar stage as sustainability was five years ago. We reached out to several members of the Destination A11y Club—a consortium of DMOs committed to proactively promoting accessibility—to learn about the ROI they are experiencing.

Answers from Destination A11y Club Members:

Courtney Cacatian, Executive Director, Visit Charlottesville/Albemarle:

  • “Designing and promoting accessible experiences allows communities to access new audiences. These audiences may already be aware of your destination and want to travel there but may be unaware of how. By answering how, you’re addressing that demand and growing word-of-mouth through an often-close-knit community.”

“Designing and promoting accessible experiences allows communities to access new audiences. These audiences may already be aware of your destination and want to travel there but may be unaware of how.”

Ed Harris, President and CEO, Visit Lancaster:

  • Top 5 Reasons for Accessibility ROI:
    1. More respect from internal staff members and community stakeholders.
    2. Positive feedback and relationships with elected officials.
    3. Compliance with ADA regulations.
    4. Positive PR and media placements.
    5. Attracting a more diverse population.

Patrick Harrison, Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Tampa Bay:

  • “At the end of the day, this is a money business, so hotel bookings are the ROI. The number of travelers with accessible needs is enormous, and they want to travel and spend their money.”

Brett Laiken, VP Marketing, Visit Florida:

  • “Seeing people comment on social media about accessibility in Florida is what I look for. And obviously, bookings through Wheel the World.”

Jason Holic, Sr. VP, Operations and Community Engagement, Experience Kissimmee:

  • “Ultimately, we’d like to measure ROI in incremental room nights. Until we can achieve that through co-ops and partner booking data, ROI comes from additional partner engagement opportunities, co-op campaign matching funds, and destination marketing thought leadership.”

Stuart Butler, Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Myrtle Beach:

  • For stakeholders (hotels and attractions):
  • A massive reduction in the risk of costly lawsuits.
  • A significant untapped market of people with disabilities who represent potential customers and employees. Accessibility opens the door to serving this segment and boosting market share.
  • Consumers with disabilities offer high value due to their strong ties to their community and increased likelihood of repeat visits.
  • Investing in accessibility demonstrates commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility, enhancing brand image and fostering customer loyalty.

Julie Pingston, President and CEO, Visit Lansing:

  • “I spoke twice at the Michigan Tourism Conference this week on accessibility, sharing our ‘why’ for developing and promoting accessibility:
    1. It connects to our organizational goal of being welcoming to all.
    2. We’re addressing the needs of an emerging market for travel to our destination.”

Patrick Lennon, VP Marketing, Visit Fairfax:

  • “As part of our accessibility involvement with the DAC, we reached out to various county and city manager departments to learn about the features and services they’ve developed for people with disabilities. This has resulted in new relationships with city staff, where their accessible features are now being promoted through us.”