TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Mobility

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.

Delta’s Support of Roll-in Wheelchair Securement System Creates Burst of Hope for Disabled Travelers

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Our Takeaway: The new Wheelchair Securement System unveiled at an annual trade show in Germany gained spectacular credibility once Delta Airlines announced its support.

TravelAbility provided part of the funding that helped advisory board member John Morris’ travel to the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Show so he would be the first to test drive the securement system in real time.

Here’s what he found:

Delta Flight Products, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines that was established to re-think aircraft interiors, announced it was backing the Air4All wheelchair securement system on commercial jets — the company plans to unveil its design prototype at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany next week. Chris Wood, my friend and colleague in accessible travel advocacy, is a partner in the Air4All seating product. Last year, he spoke to me about his design innovation — you can watch our conversation here and read my initial reporting on Air4All here. With the announcement that Air4All will debut in Hamburg, I decided that I needed to be there — critical reporting on this product, its advancements, features and opportunities for improvement should come from within the disability community. I look forward to seeing, touching, and testing the Air4All system myself, and sharing my insights with each of you. Read More.

India by Rickshaw:  Leading Provider of Accessible Travel to Build 5000 Accessible Electric Rickshaws

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photo of a blue electric accessible rickshaw

Our Takeaway: Maybe Musk should have invested in EZ MOV rather than Twitter! A wonderful example of how a public-private partnership enhances existing—and familiar—transportation with infrastructure that converts a primitive method of getting from one place to another, in a completely contemporary way.

In the first-ever massive initiative in India to provide wheelchairs in auto rickshaws for physically disabled or mobility-challenged people for ease in travel, Ezy Mov, India’s leading Accessible Transport operator, has partnered with New Delhi-based Goenka Electrical Motors Private Limited (GEM) to manufacture 5,000 accessible wheelchair friendly e-rickshaws over the next two years.

Driven by its mission to realize the future of Accessible Transportation in India for disabled, handicapped or mobility–challenged people, Ezy Mov has plans to bring accessible transport even in the auto rickshaw segment right to the doorsteps of passengers.

Goenka Electric is one of the leading electric rickshaw manufacturers in the country with a wide variety of high-quality E – Rickshaws and Electric Vehicles. Ezy Mov is India’s leading and fastest-growing accessible transport provider with its fleet of on-call wheelchair taxis already plying in India – Mumbai

Greece Ramps Up Accessibility By Retrofitting Over 200 Beaches With Ramps That Fully Submerge Wheelchair Users Into The Sea

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picture o a beach in Greece with Thatched umbrellas

Our Takeaway: Here’s an example of a country drawing a line in the sand, so to speak. They are spending tens of millions of dollars to make Greece the most preferred beach destination in the world for beach lovers.

Describing access to the sea as an inalienable human right, Greek tourism authorities are retrofitting 287 beaches across the country with self-operating wheelchair ramps.

Self-operating means that wheelchair users can operate it by themselves without assistance from a friend or employee, offering a flexible freedom rarely found in difficult terrain such as beach sand.

So far, work crews have already installed the Seatrac system on 147 beaches, where disabled people can enjoy swimming in the country’s famous blue waters. Read More.

One Year Anniversary Edition of Accessible Journeys, Spring 2023 issue

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Accessible Journeys – travel without limits in a world where all are welcome.

The quarterly digital magazine Accessible Journeys has quickly become a leading resource for accessible travel information. A partnership between Mélange Publications and TravelAbility, the publication is a brand extension of the magazine, Accessibility for All.

Accessible Journeys features everything relevant to travel and accessibility: destination and accommodation guides, equipment reviews, travel tips, parenting information, innovative products, and more. It also shares expert input from bloggers, vloggers, and influencers – about 40 in each issue.

Launched in March 2022, Accessible Journeys grew from a circulation of 870 to 68,000 by the end of that same year. This growth is a testament to the importance of accessible travel and the valuable information the publication holds for everyone eager to explore the world.

Accessible Journey’s success is due in part to the editorial guidance provided by prolific leaders in the disability travel community. The Spring 2023 issue was steered by guest editor Cory Lee, who shared his insights into adventure travel. Guest editors Ashley Lynn Olson, Kay Kingsman, and Jennifer Allen have contributed their expertise in the past, keeping the publication on the leading edge.

Accessible Journeys provides value, insight, support and resources to the disability travel community.  

For advertising and marketing information contact Debbie Austin at daustin@readmelange.com

Read Accessible Journeys here

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