TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Hotels

The Evolution of TravelAbility 2020-2022

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Since 2019, when we formed TravelAbility, our efforts have focused on creating an industry hub that provides research, tools, tips and innovations that the travel industry needs to be accessible for people with disabilities.  Below you will find a summary of the progress we’ve made on the portfolio of projects we’ve undertaken over the last three years. 

New for 2023:

  1. TravelAbility has signed an MOU with the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, part of the University of Central Florida , to develop a weekly one hour Accessibility in Travel learning module that will be a requisite for graduation for all 3300 students.
  2. TravelAbility for Hospitality, targeted to our proprietary database of 3300 hotel management company executives covering accessibility and sustainability
  3. Testing Ideas that can scale: Develop a series of beta/ pilot programs that will be introduced at EMS 2023 in Savannah
  4. Expand Accessible Destinations landing project top 20 tourism destinations in Europe
  5. Re-branding TravelAbility’s Launchpad pitchfest to the InnovateAble Showcase

Seven Unintended Consequences of Being an Accessible Hotel

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This is the second installment in our “Unintended Consequences…” series which focuses on the upsides that are experienced when accessibility is a priority. The first in the series, Unintended Consequences of Being an Accessible Destination, was introduced to the industry through Destinations International. The second installment, published as an op-ed in Travel Weekly, summarizes the unforeseen benefits hoteliers derive from simply being more inclusive for people with disabilities, foremost of which is that they will be prepared for the tsunami of aging travelers that will evolve into a disability in the very near future.  Read More.

IHG Hotels To Recruit More People With Disabilities In Australia

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IHG Hotels and Resorts is doubling down on efforts to make a career in hotels more accessible for people with disability through a new strategic partnership with Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) employment service, EmployAbility.

The partnership supports the employment of people with a physical disability across a wide variety of positions at IHG hotels around the country, not just desk-based roles.

A pilot program is already underway at a number of IHG properties including InterContinental Sydney Double Bay, Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. Read More.

What Is the Most Accessible Hotel Chain in America?

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Sylvia Longmire is no stranger to hotel stays. Since she began traveling as a full-time wheelchair user in 2015, she has stayed in hundreds of hotels across dozens of countries and states. The biggest issues for accessible travelers, however, can be found when traveling domestically.

As anyone searching for accessible hotel rooms knows, the biggest problem when it comes to consistency is that at least 90 percent of hotels are franchises. This means that though branding stays the same, each location could look nothing alike and have varying levels of accessibility.

Enter Home2 Suites. The Home2 Suites chain is a Hilton brand that launched in 2011, one of Hilton’s first new brands in 20 years. Today, it has approximately 400 properties across the U.S. While most of them are franchised, the interior design elements are extremely standardized with minimal deviation and layout differences. An incredible bonus for wheelchair-accessible travelers. Read on as Sylvia gives the good, and the bad, for booking your next stay at a Home2 Suite hotel.

Accessible Hotel Booking Engine Receives Capital Injection from U.S. Private Equity Firm

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Accessible Go logo.

Red Door Capital Partners, LLC, an independent private equity firm founded in 2019, recently announced their investment in the Series Seed Preferred Shares of Tourist Access LTD, the company we know as accessibleGO.

accessibleGO is a travel platform that offers bookings with accessibility data, reviews written by people with disabilities and a community offering accessibility information and support for like‐minded individuals needing the same services. The platform is operational, and following successful consumer marketing tests, accessibleGO quickly experienced 50,000 signups in a few months and saw a repeat bookings rate double the industry average.

“Red Door is so excited to be part of the opportunity,” says Richard Wolpow, Managing Partner. “It’s amazing the level of interest we have received. I was also amazed to learn how many people are peripherally connected to friend or family members that regularly experience the hurdles of travel for the disabled. Knowing that Miriam Eljas, Co-founder and CEO has experienced this firsthand her entire life with her mother only further supported that the right team is at the helm.”

To learn more about Red Door’s recent investment in accessibleGO, read their full press release.