TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Government

DMO DIY Dept: Travel Oregon Shows How You Can Create Your Own TravelAbility Summit

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A group of 30+ Oregon DMO employees wearing their summit badges beneath a "Welcome to Oregon" headline set against an image of an evergreen tree on a hilltop

If you attended the TravelAbility Summit in Savannah in August, you were probably just as likely to meet someone from the Northwest as the Deep South. Oregonians seemed to be everywhere. And they were. Travel Oregon brought a posse of 34 people to Georgia, seizing the opportunity to create a kind of Summit-within-the-Summit.

“It worked out well for the state,” said Kevin Wright, VP of Marketing for Travel Oregon. “We brought the attendees, and they did the work and now we’ll be one of the most accessible states in the country.” Read more.

Our TakeAway: It sounds like Oregon is laying down a challenge. Next year’s summit in San Francisco provides a great opportunity for other states to follow Oregon’s lead and bring an even larger delegation. Competition aside, it’s a smart idea to leverage the national event to foster state-level collaboration.

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

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A moderator who uses a wheelchair hosts a panel discussion at the 2023 EMS Summit; image includes the logo for Travelability: The Intersection of Travel and Accessibility.

We’re thrilled to announce that the next Emerging Markets Summit will take place 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.

“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 the Summit sold out for. If you’d like to reserve your spot for 2024 or learn more about TravelAbility, visit [www.travelability.net] or follow TravelAbility on [Facebook] and [LinkedIn].

Read more: EMS2024 Announcement

Hotel Accessibility Reaches the Supreme Court

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A young white woman sitting in a chair in a hotel with a service dog at her feet. (Photo credit: Disability:IN.)

The Supreme Court is preparing to weigh in on two critical issues in the case of Acheson Hotels v. Laufer. The central issue is to what extent disabled travelers can hold hotels and other public accommodations accountable for failing to meet the standards of the ADA, including failure to describe their accessibility features accurately on their website. The second issue is whether a “tester” who has never stayed at the hotel has standing to bring a suit. “Being a tester in civil rights cases is an honored and necessary role,” writes Lucy Trieshmann of the ACLU. “It has evolved over the years, from Black patrons trying to enter a ‘whites only’ waiting room, to women applying for typically male jobs, to families applying to ‘singles only’ housing. In each case, the tester has no intention of taking the job or renting the housing — but, as a member of the class of people facing discrimination, can go to court to enforce civil rights laws.”

Trieshmann of the ACLU, who describes herself as a wheelchair user with multiple disabilities, a number of examples from her own experience of how hotels fail disabled travelers: “Hotels often take a kitchen sink approach to accessibility, throwing in a visual accommodation here and a mobility accommodation there, but failing to provide full accessibility to either group. This overlooks the point of accessibility, effectively making the room useless to many disabled travelers.” Read more.

Our takeaway. The ADA is clear on the responsibility of hotels and other public accommodations to make their facilities accessible for disabled travelers AND to let visitors to their websites know that their venue is accessible. Travelers with disabilities need easy access to specific information about the hotel’s accessibility features in order to determine whether they will be able to get to and use the room.

Crafting an Inclusive Online Experience

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photo of hands typing on a laptop

By Jennifer Allen

In the digital realm, inclusivity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental principle that shapes the way we connect, engage, and communicate. Luke Johnson of Simpleview and AudioEye and Jason McKee of Perspective Tester joined the Emerging Markets Summit to present a guide for businesses and individuals looking to create webpages that are not only visually appealing but also accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. 

Why Web Accessibility

Web accessibility means people are not excluded from something on the basis of a disability – similar to having a ramp for an historic building. In today’s interconnected world, web accessibility is more than a design choice—it’s a moral and legal imperative. 26% of adults in the U.S. Identify as having a disability. 96%  of the top 1 million homepages have accessibility errors. $13 Trillion in annual income is controlled by people with disabilities and their families and friends.

The Legal Landscape: Navigating Legal Obligations

Lawsuit hawks prowl the web looking for website that don’t meet legal requirements. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), web accessibility is obligatory for businesses open to the public. In March 2022, the U.S. Justice Department echoed the necessity of web accessibility, reinforcing the convergence of law and inclusivity. Even Beyonce was sued for a lack of website accessibility. Aligning with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ensures technical compliance, paves the way for an equitable digital experience, and avoids nasty lawsuits.

Reputation

Reduce your risk and improve reputation by supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Customer Satisfaction

Accessible content improves engagement, making it more user-friendly for people with and without disabilities.

Discoverability

Accessible websites are easier for search engines and voice experiences to index, boosting discoverability and SEO.

Putting Principles into Practice: Actionable Tips

Alt Text for Images: A Universal Language:

Alt text is a caption description of an image that assistive technologies (i.e. screen readers or refreshable braille displays) announce for individuals with visual, sensory, or learning impairments. Ensure that every image tells its story through alt text.

Accessible Event Collateral – Bridging the Physical-Digital Gap:

Maps, menus, brochures, and flyers in PDF format or as images are not accessible to people who use screen readers and mobile phones. The speakers recommended providing all event collateral in HTML or other text-based formats. This ensures that everyone, including those using screen readers and mobile phones, can access essential information. 

Detailed Descriptions for Physical Accommodations – Empowering Informed Choices:

Descriptions of the physical accommodations at many hotels, events, and attractions are not detailed enough for people who require them. Use thorough, honest, specifics. Is there limited van-accessible parking? Does the park have paved or dirt pathways? How wide is the shower door? Provide comprehensive information about physical accommodations at hotels, events, and attractions. This transparency allows individuals to make informed decisions that align with their needs.

Diverse Contact Options – Enabling Inclusive Communication:

Not everyone has the same level of ability or preference for communication: provide multiple contact options on your website. Offer other ways to get in touch, like email, live webchat, phone numbers, or online forms that accommodate all users. Embrace a range of contact options to cater to different communication preferences. 

Take the Next Step

If you’re not sure how your website measures up, or where to get started, the speaker’s companies offer more practical solutions. 

AudioEye 

AudioEye is a web accessibility platform that improves accessibility and minimizes risk for digital surfaces, including websites. They provide industry-leading automated fixes and unmatched expertise. U.S.-based accessibility experts audit your content and build custom fixes to make your site more accessible. They find issues and fix them in real time for every user.

Perspective Tester

Perspective Tester gives you access to a direct audit from a disabled user. You can find real problems, and real solutions, through real users.

SimpleView

SimpleView partners with a variety of organizations to help you build a website that better reaches your audience while improving inclusion.

In the tapestry of the digital landscape, web accessibility isn’t just a technical checkbox—it’s a legal necessity, a reflection of values, and an investment in success. By weaving these practical tips into your webpage’s fabric, you’ll break down barriers while improving business. With each line of code, each design choice, and each interaction, you are shaping the online presence of your company. Make sure your website is reflecting the company you want to be.

The problem: 95% of websites are not digitally accessible making them less for not only the 12 million people in America who are blind but also people with cognitive disabilities.

Solution: 

Web Accessibility

  • Web accessibility means people are not excluded from websites on the basis of a disability – similar to having a ramp for an historic building for wheelchair users.
  • In today’s interconnected world, web accessibility is more than a design choice—it’s a moral and legal imperative.
  • 26% of adults in the U.S. identify as having a disability.
  • 96% of the top 1 million homepages have accessibility errors.
  • $13 Trillion in annual income is controlled by people with disabilities and their families and friends.

Discover What’s Missing and Fix it

Reputation and Legality

  • Avoid lawsuit hawks prowling the web looking for websites that don’t meet legal requirements.
  • Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), web accessibility is obligatory for businesses open to the public.
  • Aligning with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ensures technical compliance, paves the way for an equitable digital experience, and avoids nasty lawsuits.
  • Reduce your risk and improve reputation by supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Customer Satisfaction

  • Accessible content improves engagement, making it more user-friendly for people with and without disabilities.

Discoverability

  • Accessible websites are easier for search engines and voice experiences to index, boosting discoverability.

How the Disability Community Found Accessible Journeys 

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Photo of the Summer Issue of Accessible Journeys Magazine with a picture of a woman dresses in an off white jumper over a dark shirt

Readership stats: Spring 2022: 780 readers  Fifth Issue: Spring 2023: 1.7 million readers   Average: 370,000

By Jennifer Allen

In the world of travel, embracing inclusivity and accessibility has become paramount. One trailblazer leading the charge is Debbie Austin, the visionary behind the remarkable digital magazine “Accessible Journeys“, published in partnership with TravelAbility.  From modest beginnings to exponential growth, Debbie brought her audience from 780 readers to 1.7 million in less than a year’s time, and transformed her magazine into a beacon of awareness and advocacy, connecting with the disability community and inspiring change within the travel industry. Debbie shared her experiences at the 2023 Travelability Summit, giving practical advice that can be applied in other areas of the travel industry. Debbie breaks it down into four replicable steps:

1. Work with Disability Voices: Amplifying Stories, Connecting Communities

“The trajectory changed when we bought in guest editors, probably because they were sharing from their own travel perspective. It’s not merely an interview we’re having with them, where we have one article. They’re able to look within their own network of resources, and get other people to share their own experiences based on whatever the theme of that magazine is at that point in time. So that is when things started to change. We had Kay, the Awkward Traveler as the first guest editor. She has an invisible disability. Then, the second was Jenn from Wonders Within Reach, who speaks about family travel. Stuff like that has appealed to more people, and we hope that it continues to appeal to people. So with Wonders Within Reach’s issue, we had over 380,000 readers, then we moved on to the spring issue with Cory Lee, where we had 1.7 million readers.” 

These authentic voices resonate deeply, creating a sense of community and fostering genuine connections, extended from the communities they’ve already built.

2. Host Giveaways: Fostering Engagement and Excitement

Through partnerships with travel companies and hotels, the magazine experienced a surge in readership. 

“We did a giveaway with the accessibleGO travel club which has over 90,000 members. And so we saw numbers increase as a result. The second one was with the Schoolhouse Hotel and also accessibleGO.”

This was another great way for expanding reach and getting the magazine in front of new eyes.

3. Utilize Instagram: Harnessing the Power of Visual Storytelling

In the digital age, social media platforms have emerged as gateways to global audiences. Debbie’s revelation regarding the role of Instagram in her magazine’s growth is striking. “That will be social media 100%,” she asserts. “It was mind-boggling when we realized the amount of readers that we attracted.” Leveraging Instagram’s visual appeal, “Accessible Journeys” draws readers in with captivating imagery and shares stories that resonate deeply. The link in the bio leads readers to relevant articles, creating a seamless transition from eye-catching posts to engaging content. The Instagram page for “Accessible Journeys” was only started in February of this year, but exponential growth can be directly linked to the platform by viewing how many people have accessed the magazine through the link in bio.

4. Use Imagery to Attract Attention: Capturing Hearts Through Curiosity

As much as we say not to judge a book by the cover, it’s clear that readership is still linked to the image on the cover of the magazine. 

“What’s on the cover is the draw. Because with Cory, we were talking about adaptive activities. So we had a lot of curious people wondering, ‘okay, adaptive activities, somebody with a disability. How does that work?’ I think that generated a lot of interest. We have several hundreds of thousands of readers, and we linked that to what’s on the cover.”

Using an image that sparks curiosity will hook the reader.

Conclusion

Debbie’s journey with “Accessible Journeys” underscores the impact of intentional inclusivity on the travel industry. Her strategic approach—leveraging giveaways, collaborating with influencers, utilizing Instagram, and prioritizing captivating imagery—has propelled the magazine from its humble origins to a transformative force for change. 

Debbie admits that she doesn’t care why people read it, as long as they do. “I just want them to read it because it’s raising awareness of disabilities and that’s what is really important to us. Because the more you know, the more you can change your perspective of people with disabilities overall, and that means that we will get closer to a barrier free world, which is what we are all about. You want to make sure that people know, so they can change their mindset, their opinions, and their behaviors, because we really do believe that knowledge is key. We’re all about telling stories and raising disability awareness.” Through these stories, she aspires to motivate individuals to embark on their own journeys, regardless of limitations. “If there’s somebody else doing it, chances are you can do it too,” she emphasizes. As “Accessible Journeys” continues to pave the way for a barrier-free world, the travel industry learns the power of sharing, connecting, and advocating for transformation.

Problem: Reaching the disability community through marketing

Solution: Insights from “Accessible Journeys” success:

  • Amplify Authentic Voices:
    • Guest editors with personal experiences foster engagement.
    • Community connections grow through shared stories.
  • Engage Through Giveaways:
    • Partnerships with travel entities expand reach.
    • Giveaways introduce the magazine to new audiences.
  • Leverage Instagram:
    • Visual storytelling on Instagram attracts readers.
    • Bio link guides seamlessly to magazine content.
  • Curiosity-Driven Imagery:
    • Intriguing cover images pique interest.
    • Images that raise questions hook readers.