TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Hidden Disabilities

How Autism-Certified Hotel and Airline Brands Made a Huge Difference for One Family

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Felicia Callafange smiling on the airplane alongside her mother Flavia. They are holding a doll and a stuffed teddy bear. (Photo credit: Autism Double-Checked.)

Fourteen-year-old Felicia Callafange, who has autism, is an extremely friendly and high-energy person. Her mother Flavia said she loves talking to people, which can sometimes come across as “aggressive,” and she has trouble sitting still during long plane rides. Callafange has learned that there isn’t much she can do to calm Felicia during a meltdown.

“For someone who doesn’t know what autism is and just looks at her, she’s a pretty girl with bad behavior, and I’m a bad mother,” Callafange said. “I heard these insults all the time.”

But a recent trip from their home in Chile to New York City provided a radically different experience, thanks to certifications provided by Alan Day’s Autism Double-Checked. After flying LATAM airlines and staying at Virgin Hotels of New York City, Flavia said the family will only travel with autism-friendly companies from now on. Read more.

Our Takeaway: Partnerships between travel companies and autism experts/advocates can make a dramatic difference to families with autistic children. Autism Double-Checked is providing an excellent model of what can be done through education and staff training. For example, Karisma Hotels & Resorts launched an Autism Concierge service that uses autism-trained “e-mail concierges” to deal with real time issues. The email concierge concept is an important (and affordable) innovation, as far as we’re concerned. The fact that it’s actually working can open new possibilities for hotels to become more accessible for families dealing with cognitive disabilities.

INNOVATEAble Recap: Watch the Presentations of the Top Three Products from the Emerging Markets Summit

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Logo: TravelAbility Presents INNOVATEAble

One of the most talked about segments at the Emerging Markets Summit in Savannah last month was InnovateABLE, a Shark-Tank-like competition of accessible products. Here are the presentations of the judges’ top three finishers:

Tied for First: Translate Live’s Instant translator speaks, reads, and writes more than 100 languages, including American Sign Language and Braille: Watch presentation

Tied for First: Color blindness is now covered by the ADA. Enchroma glasses and screen viewers allow color blind people to see true colors: Watch presentation

Third Place: GRIT Freedom Chair: Designed by MIT engineers, the GRIT Freedom Chair is a mix between a manual wheelchair and a mountain bike. Watch presentation

Tips for Traveling with a Neurodivergent Child

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A recent survey found that 87% of parents with autistic children avoid family vacations due to the overwhelming challenges posed by new environments, sounds, smells, and disruptions. Behavioral issues related to emotional meltdowns can disrupt the entire trip. 93% of respondents would be more likely to travel if autism-certified options were available, with 97% expressing dissatisfaction with current travel options for families with autistic individuals. Read More.

Our Takeaway: By implementing thoughtful accommodations and services that consider the specific needs of neurodivergent guests, the hospitality industry can create a welcoming and supportive environment for all travelers. Training and awareness for staff can result in not only happy guests but also in a greater confidence in repeat travel and stronger brand loyalty, as families with neurodivergent members feel valued and encouraged to return to establishments that genuinely understand and accommodate their needs.

INNOVATEABLE Pitch Fest Showcases 11 Cutting Edge Adaptive Innovations for Travel

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Our Takeaway: For the past four years TravelAbility has hosted LaunchPad, a pitch event curating the best innovations that can help the industry make travel easier for disabled travelers. This year’s event has been rebranded as the InnovateAble Showcase and will be held via Zoom on July 26th from 10AM to 1PM PST to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the ADA.

“We are excited to bring together some of the brightest minds in assistive technology to showcase their latest innovations,” said Jake Steinman, Founder of TravelAbility. “This is a B2B event and an opportunity to feature entrepreneurs with innovations that can be introduced through the destination channels to their industry partners.”

This year’s pitch event will be held via Zoom. Those interested in attending should contact us at: info@travelability.net.

Canadian Family Takes the World’s First Autism Certified City to the Test

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picture of a glowing green scorpion

It could have sparked a meltdown, landing in a strange city and driving a child who needs routine and predictability to a Sonoran Desert Park full of scorpions, black widow spiders and rattlesnakes for a full moon hike. But Jennifer’s 10-year-old son, Charlie, took an instant liking to Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park, probably because of the philosophical storytelling of ranger Jackie Vallejos, and the feeling of anonymity that came with joining 40 strangers to explore the unfamiliar landscape.

“Is anyone scared of a mouse or a grasshopper?”, the ranger asked at the start of the 90-minute night hike. “How about venomous desert creatures such as spiders and snakes?”

Our Takeaway: Autism to Mesa.AZ is poised to become what Broadway is to New York. 80% of their hotels, attractions museums, restaurants, and tours not to mention, city police and fire departments, having all been autism certified through International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Read More.