TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Mobility

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.

Roll Play: Wheelchair User Shows PCMA Meeting Planners how Columbus Convention Center can be more Inclusive.

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Rosemarie Rosetti consults with the meetings and conventions industry on being accessible for all. Watch this video as she assesses the Columbus Convention Center with a team of meeting planners. Below you’ll find a series of bit-size videos (50 seconds – 90 seconds) where she dissects accessibility features at the convention center and offers a plethora of tips. 

Our Takeaway: We applaud Profession Convention and Meetings Association (PCMA) for including an accessibility field on their registration form, revealing that 33 of the 3300 attendees at their Columbus convention identified as having a disability, around half had mobility issues with the remaining reporting issues around blind/visual impairment, deaf/hard of hearing, or cognitive disorders.

Boomers are Booming. Are We Ready?

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As the world’s population is growing older, the tourism industry will have to adjust, meaning that tourism should be more accessible and inclusive for this category of travellers. Specifically, segments in the tourism sector should adapt and offer more pleasant experiences for this demographic that will soon become the leading group. Adapting, according to Kelly Torrens, the vice president for Kensington Tours, could include more breaks, slower walks, offering assistance for different activities and selecting less difficult terrains, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Our Takeaway: Destinations that ignore this market will lose market share to destinations and experiences that proactively prepare to serve this booming demographic.

Plans for World’s First In-Cabin Wheelchair Airline Announced. Will it Fly?

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The AirCraft Company, a new start-up based in Wichita, Kansas, has revealed its plans to produce a hybrid-electric, 30-seat regional airliner. Called the Pangea SY30J. One thing that might set The AirCraft Company apart from its competition is its focus on accessibility and comfort. Not only will the cabin be more spacious with larger seats for “real-size” people, but it will also be able to accommodate passengers’ wheelchairs inside the cabin. . Read more.

Our Takeaway: This futuristic approach to accessible design is heaven-sent for the disability community but there are still many hurdles on the horizon , for example, funding and FAA approval, before this becomes a reality.

What is the Accessibility Gap?

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According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 15% of the global population has a disability. Furthermore, the National Household Travel Survey indicates that 25.5 million Americans have disabilities that hinder their ability to travel. 

Travel has numerous benefits, including stress relief, mental health, physical health, education, personal growth, creating memories, improving relationships and career advancement. 

Unfortunately, a lack of general accessibility in the travel industry means these advantages are out of reach. So, what is being done and what can be done to alleviate this situation? Read More.

Our Takeaway: Due to abundant mainstream media coverage around accessibility, the travel industry is finally awakening to that fact that outmoded ADA regulations are only a baseline and there are encouragingly easy and affordable ways to fill the gap.

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