TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Expert Q&A

TravelAbility Community Members Who Shined Bright

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Recognitions and updates from our partners in the field

Events

A photo from the Rose Parade of a dancer dressed as a three-headed red rose

Visit Lauderdale turns an industry lunch into a full-scale production

“We unveiled a dynamic new marketing plan for the year, a blossoming bouquet of innovative ideas and strategies that promise to dazzle and embrace.”

People

A collage of head shots of Alvaro Silberstein; Cory Lee, Suzanne Edwards, and Sylvia Longmire

Condé Nast Traveler Names 14 People Making Travel More Accessible in 2024

The list includes several current and former advisors to TravelAbility: Alvaro Silberstein of Wheel the World; Cory Lee of CurbFree with Cory Lee; Suzanne Edwards of AirBnB; and Sylvia Longmire of Spin the Globe

Head shot of Josh Loebner

Interview with longtime TravelAbility advisor Josh Loebner on inclusive design

Community/DMOs

A small boy using a wheelchair next to a man who is pointing out a mural of a dog's face on a city building

BBC features Fort Wayne as a model of accessibility

16 Michigan DMOs win accessibility grants

Visit Huntington Beach takes a field trip to Visit Mesa

Accessibility Champion: Richard Gray

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Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Accessibility for Visit Lauderdale

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

A: I am deeply passionate about making tourism accessible to ALL. To me, making tourism more accessible is a social responsibility and it is also a human right.

I have been involved in inclusion initiatives since 1991. That’s when I opened a gay-friendly hotel in Fort Lauderdale to provide a safe and fun accommodation for the gay traveler. Not many were reaching that market at that time. That’s when I understood how important it is for a destination to realize the needs of its diverse visitors. 

That same thinking led me to accessible tourism. One day, I realized there were only a handful of destinations catering to a traveler with differing physical and/or cognitive abilities. It didn’t sit well with me that millions of people could not enjoy our destination as I could. So, in 2020, I embarked on my journey to understand as much as I could about accessible tourism. At Visit Lauderdale, it is key that we promote inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunities for ALL individuals. Accessible tourism not only enhances the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, it also benefits the tourism industry economically.

Q: What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

A: I am the Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Accessibility for Visit Lauderdale. I have always been a believer in using marketing as a form of education and a firm believer of being gutsy and pushing barriers to market to all travelers. Just like when we became the first destination in the world to launch a transgender campaign to highlight the diversity, edge, and authenticity of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. The historic initiative was recognized by the United Nations. I intend to make a similar difference in the accessible space and expect Visit Lauderdale to be a loud voice for the accessible traveler. Recently, we have become a part of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and at the Broward County Convention Center. I’m very excited as we are the trailblazers here. The program allows people with hidden disabilities–such as learning difficulties, visual or hearing impairments, chronic pain, or any other hidden disability–to request extra time or help when traveling through the airport.

Quote: I have always been a firm believer of being gutsy and pushing barriers to market to all travelers.

Q: 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?

A: The most difficult obstacles for destinations attempting to advance accessibility include inadequate infrastructure and facilities, limited awareness and understanding of the needs of an accessible traveler, lack of government support and funding for accessibility initiatives, and social stigmas about persons with disabilities that can create barriers to inclusion and participation in tourism. Overcoming these challenges requires a collaborative effort involving government, businesses, industry leaders, and communities to prioritize accessibility and implement inclusive practices. At Visit Lauderdale, we are on a massive learning curve. We are committed to creating awareness, education and a warm welcome. We created a landing page with the most incredible accessible destination video. I am so proud of that video. The video highlights some of our fully accessible attractions like the Brightline, a high-speed passenger train that stops at key locations throughout South and Central Florida, Flamingo Gardens–a botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary, the Broward Center for Performing Arts–one of the top 10 most-visited theaters in the world, and adaptive kayaking on the intracoastal, to name a few. 

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

A: Jake Steinman is my inspiration, mentor, and go-to person with anything in regard to accessibility. He is a wealth of knowledge, and the reason Visit Lauderdale is a Titanium sponsor of TravelAbility. I hold him in the highest regard. Others who inspire me include Mayaan Ziv of Access Now and Camilo Navarro and the whole team at Wheel the World.

Q: What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?

A: I will continue to learn much, much more about the accessible platform. Visit Lauderdale is committed to showcasing the beauty and versatility of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, but to ALL. We are a destination where inclusion truly shines. We welcome “Everyone Under the Sun,” as our tagline says. Last year in June 2023, we were able to host the Deaf Seniors of America Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel, with more than 1,000 hearing-impaired seniors from around the world. And in the coming year, we will be hosting a TravelAbility travel agent training session. Visit Lauderdale will continue its journey to becoming a fully accessible destination and a thought leader in the accessible tourism space. I am personally committed to that.

New Accessible Landing Pages Added to Destinations with Accessibility this month

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Fort Wayne, Indiana: Fort Wayne, Indiana Accessibility (visitfortwayne.com)

Richmond, Virginia: Accessible Travel In Richmond | Airports, Amtrak & Attractions (visitrichmondva.com)

Orlando, Florida (updated): Orlando Special Needs Services & Accessibility Guide (visitorlando.com)

Mesa, Arizona: (updated): Live Life Limitless | Visit Mesa

Lexington, Kentucky: ACCESSIBLE LEXINGTON: Travelability.net/destination/lexington-ky/   

Kimberly Danesi’s Scrappy Approach Brings More Accessibility to Galveston

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By Jennifer Allen and Dan Tobin

Photo collage including head shot of Kimberly Danesi, Galveston Park Board logo, and image of grasslands along the Galveston coast.

When you hear of someone who is regularly pulling in multimillion-dollar grants, it’s tempting to think they started with a lot of wealthy friends, a team of experts, and a massive budget. Kimberly Danesi disproves the stereotype. Her journey to becoming an accessibility champion, and a major force in Galveston, was built from the ground up—or actually from the sand up. Danesi began by applying for modest $3,000 and $6,000 grants for beach access. Through her tenacity, she parlayed the thousands into hundreds of thousands and eventually into millions, all dedicated to accessibility and infrastructure. She has also risen to the lofty and influential post as interim CEO for the Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees.

Kimberly’s path wasn’t easy by any means, but it is a replicable model as she demonstrated in a recent interview with TravelAbility, provided of course, you supply the scrappiness. 

Find the Passion

It all starts with passion. Applying for grants is a  tedious process that requires time,  commitment, and a thick skin. When Danesi was asked where her passion comes from, she said it goes back to how she was raised. Her mom worked with kids with special needs and shared her own passion with her family. Passion is contagious—which has turned out to be key in Danesi’s work with the Galveston Park Board.

If your organization is lacking that passion, look for others outside your community who can provide ideas and inspiration. “You have a community through TravelAbility. Destinations International is another network that can help,” Danesi advises. 

These networks can help you identify and recruit champions from your own community —a disability mom, a nonprofit, a community member who’s already speaking up. “Go to them and build that relationship and ask questions. They have ideas, and they’ve thought about how to make it happen. Sometimes it’s about asking smart people stupid questions.” You’ll find advocates and their passion will spread. Look at enlisting advocates from local nonprofit organizations, United Way, your school district, the chamber of commerce, and on and on. You can never have too many. 

“You have a community through TravelAbility.
Destinations International is another network that can help.”

–Kimberly Danesi

Find Your Community, Or Build It

So much of Danesi’s success extends beyond her own strengths to the supportive community behind her. “It’s all about a sense of community,” she says. The grants you’re applying for are impacting the people in your community as well as the visitors you’re trying to attract. You’re all in this together. Build relationships with the organizations around you. 

Looking back to the early days of her organization, Danesi acknowledges that it’s hard to dedicate sufficient time to the grant writing process if you don’t have the budget, the staff, or the capacity to do so. Even this can be helped by the community, says Danesi. People often step up to the plate when they are a part of something bigger than themselves and know they can contribute in a meaningful way. You’ll often encounter community organizations who are already looking for ways to give back to the community and may be eager to help fund a project.

Scrappiness often comes through piecing together the smaller contributions from community organizations.

Be a Beacon

By now everybody in Galveston knows the Galveston Park Board is on fire for inclusion. They speak up about it. Everywhere. Always. As a result, funders have started coming to them. “If someone knows you’re looking for money and will act, they will share opportunities with you that they hear about.”

Networking is a lifestyle. When you’re constantly broadcasting a message of inclusion, you create new funding opportunities that weren’t considered before. 

Just Ask

This applies across the board.

When it comes to needing support from your community: just ask.

When a grant isn’t exactly what you need: Just ask.

Instead of funding accessibility assessments, Danesi utilized a college intern. Not only was that intern able to do the accessibility assessments, but she ended up being a link to another sizable grant opportunity. 

Danesi gave the example of the beach wheelchairs being distributed by the state of Texas for the national effort to improve beach accessibility. Danesi was offered one beach wheelchair, but she pointed out the expanse of the Galveston beaches and asked if she could have three, instead. They agreed without hesitation. “The worst they can do is say ‘no,’” she says.

Another example was when they were approved for a 1.4 million grant in 2017. Due to multiple setbacks, they weren’t able to implement the grant until four years later. By then, the cost of the project had nearly tripled. Knowing the project would no longer be possible with the grant, they asked for the difference—and it was given.

It never hurts to ask. The very worst that can happen is someone says “no.”

Keep Inclusion in Mind

Keeping  inclusion in the forefront has been central to Danesi’s success. She’s used her grants for building beaches, for adding Mobi Mats and beach wheelchairs, and for improving infrastructure, and for improving accessible amenities. Not all of these grants were disability inclusion specific. Danesi and her team have developed the vision to see how to make improvements that positively affect all travelers.

“This is not just value added for people with accessibility needs,” explains Danesi. “Every person uses this mat. We’re creating accessibility for everyone.” All of the beach goers with their wagons and gear prefer the easy access of the mat.

Persevere

“When you’re denied, and it does happen, you should follow up to find out why you were rejected,” Danesi advises. “We usually hear, ‘you have a great project, but this one was more aligned with our current grant, come back next year.’ Go back, they mean it.” A rejection isn’t the end.Take suggestions. Accept constructive criticism. Keep going.

Bonus Tips from Kimberly
“When you do get a grant, make darn sure that you blow it out of the water and impress these folks, because they’re usually a fountain. We’re repeat customers,” Danesi says. Go above and beyond. Exceed expectations. Communicate clearly.

A job well done goes a long way in helping with the next grant. When you apply for grants, include money for the positions for the people to implement them—you can do that for many grants. It doesn’t come out of the regular budget.

“Being tenacious, or ‘scrappy,’ is one of the things you’ve gotta do. You can’t give up easily. It’s a lot of work and it’s easy to get disappointed when it doesn’t work. Get back on the hobby horse. Keep trying.” 

TravelAbility to Host Emerging Markets Summit 2024 on Inclusive Travel in San Francisco

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 11, 2023 – TravelAbility, the leading organization for accessible and inclusive travel, announced today that it will host its Emerging Markets Summit on October 28-30, 2024 at the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco. The summit will bring together travel industry professionals, disability advocates, and travelers with diverse needs to explore the latest trends and best practices in inclusive travel.

The Argonaut Hotel, located in the historic Fisherman’s Wharf, is one of the most accessible hotels in San Francisco, according to several travelers with disabilities who praise its facilities and its services. The hotel offers spacious rooms, roll-in showers, grab bars, lowered counters, and other amenities that cater to the needs of travelers with a range of abilities.

The summit will provide travel industry professionals with a big-picture view and concrete strategies for tapping the growing market of accessible travel. Topics include:

  • How to design and market inclusive travel products and services
  • How to reach and engage travelers with disabilities and other emerging markets
  • How to create accessible and inclusive destinations and experiences
  • How to leverage technology and innovation to enhance accessibility and inclusion
  • How the emerging markets of diversity, sustainability, and accessibility intersect one another.

The summit will also offer two exclusive concurrent sessions for attendees who want to deepen their knowledge and skills in inclusive travel. The first session is a two-day immersive accessibility training for travel professionals, led by TravelAbility Ambassador Kristy Durso, who has developed an in-depth accessibility certification program. The second session is a half-day workshop on the travel needs of senior travelers, in collaboration with AARP.

“We are excited to host this summit and share our vision of making travel accessible and inclusive for everyone,” said Jake Steinman, the founder and CEO of TravelAbility. “We invite all travel industry professionals to join us and learn from each other.”

This year’s summit in Savannah sold out. To register for the summit or learn more about TravelAbility, visit or follow TravelAbility on Facebook and LinkedIn.

TravelAbility is dedicated to making travel possible for everyone, regardless of their abilities. In its five-year history, the organization has established itself within the tourism industry as a leading innovator, advocate, and resource on accessible travel.