TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Hidden Disabilities

650 Famous People with Non-Visible Disabilities. How Many Do You Recognize?

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Billie Eilish with neon green hair holding a microphone and singing

This website unearthed 650+ famous people with disabilities during our recent research on neurodiversity. What is an example of a disability? According to Disabled World it is:

“A disability is often used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic diseases. A disability can be present from birth or occur during a person’s lifetime.”

Our Takeaway: Shining the spotlight on successful people with hidden disabilities helps remove the stigma associated with hidden disabilities and reinforces the notion that a disability is not an obstacle to success. Read More.

Legoland Puts All the Pieces Together for Guests on the Autism Spectrum

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Legoland Resorts announced last month that all its North American theme parks would become Certified Autism Centers (CAC) by March 31st. Legoland parks in Florida and California received autism certification in 2022. The company’s newest theme park in New York will receive autism certification when it reopens in March.

The certification involves specialized training for staff, sensory guides at each ride advising if there are features such as bright lights and loud sounds that might impact visitors who are on the spectrum, and the availability of low-sensory areas and quiet rooms. Read More.

Our Takeaway: Parents with children on the autism spectrum are not willing to have their families forgo vacation experiences at theme parks and attractions. They will choose to spend their money at places that are welcoming to all of their children. Credible certification is a key to winning the trust and confidence of these travelers.

Canada’s First Convention Center Certified for People on the Spectrum

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Officials with the Niagara Falls Convention Center said that having the center certified by KultureCity,  a non-profit organization that offers products and training to accommodate people with sensory needs, and not just those with autism, is part of the center’s commitment to make the facility more accessible and inclusive to everyone attending an event.

To receive this certification, the Niagara Falls team was trained by leading medical professionals to better recognize guests with sensory needs and how to handle sensory overload situations — enabling the center to offer an accommodating and positive experience for all visitors.

In addition to staff training, the building is now outfitted with dedicated quiet spaces and provides sensory bags that people can borrow during an event.

TravelAbility Insider Insight: Convention centers that host events for the local community, such as auto shows, Comic Con and others, can now receive a torrent of local media and a reputational boost at the same time. Additionally, with meeting planners now including accessibility in their RFP’s for venue selection, having a convention center certified for all types of disabilities can be a differentiator that can result in more business as well reputational boost through articles such as this. Read more.

Dubai Airport Launches New Initiatives for People withHidden Disabilities

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Dubai Airport is introducing a comprehensive new program to ensure the delivery of a sector-leading, inclusive, and seamless travel experience for all People of Determination (POD) with hidden disabilities that travel through Dubai International (DXB).

As part of Dubai Airport’s shared values ‘We all meet the world differently’, this new initiative will contribute to the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 vision for Dubai to be the world’s leading disability-friendly city and barrier-free community empowering and welcoming all POD travelers. Read more.