Triumphs of our own – How the TravelAbility Community is Leading Accessibility Innovators in Transforming Travel and Tourism Worldwide.
Museums & Attractions
Travel Lane County Wins Prestigious Get in the Hearing Loop Award
Delivering lost sounds directly to hearing devices is changing the way people experience Eugene, Cascades & Coast Region
Travel Lane County, known as the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region, has been awarded the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) 2024 Get in the Hearing Loop Award for its work installing hearing loops throughout Lane County. “We are thrilled to be recognized with this HLAA award,” shared Andy Vobora, Travel Lane County Vice President of Stakeholder Relations. “In 2021, we recognized Ginevra Ralph and Sue Pritchard with the Travel Lane County Community Leadership Award for their work implementing hearing loop technology at the John G. Shedd Institute for Arts and for working with the Loop Lane Committee to advocate for hearing loops in other locations. It inspired me to request funds to work with our hotel and attractions members and get more locations looped. With an additional grant from Travel Oregon, we’ve been able to loop 40 locations throughout Lane County.” Travel Lane County will receive this award in Phoenix, Arizona in June at the 2024 HLAA Conference.
Hearing loops installed over the past year include:
- 25 Hotels
- 4 Performing Arts Venues
- 4 Visitor Centers
- 2 Retail/Restaurants
- 5 Museums/Attractions
The Wildish Theater was the final loop project implemented with the Travel Oregon accessibility grant when work was completed in March 2024. Travel Lane County, the City of Springfield, the Springfield Renaissance Development Corporation (SRDC) and the Wildish Theater partnered to bring the project to life.”We are so excited that the Wildish Community Theater has a Hearing Loop,” said Theater Board President, Kelly Mason.
“The Wildish Community Theater is well known for its high quality acoustics,” said Mike Eyster, SRDC President. Eyster went on to say, “The Hearing Loop will make the theater much more accessible to even more patrons. The Wildish is happy to be a destination that focuses on accessibility. The Theater couldn’t be more grateful for community partners that have a shared vision of inclusion and excellence and a commitment to making the Wildish a place that everyone can enjoy.” Mason and Eyster expressed appreciation for the generous donors that contributed to the Hearing Loop project.
More About Hearing Loops
Travel Lane County is committed to welcoming all visitors to the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region and ensuring they have a great Oregon experience. Hearing loss affects 48 million Americans – That’s 1 in 7 citizens that have this invisible disability. Hearing Loop systems allow customers with T-coil enabled hearing aids and cochlear implants to hear conversations clearly by delivering the staff’s voice directly into the visitor’s hearing device. Staff are better able to welcome guests and ensure they receive all the important information they require. Learn more at Hearing Loss Association of America.A special thank you to Alan Antilla, owner of Hearing Support Solutions, for assessing and installing all of the hearing loop systems at the hotels and attractions Travel Lane County has worked with over the past year.
Best of the Web: News, Info and Inspiration
A roundup of the best articles and resources we found in the past month related to disability and accessible travel.
Neuro diversity:
There’s Finally a Travel Group for Neurodiverse Young Adults – Thrillist
Wheelchair Accessible Tours:
2023 Accessible Travel Award Winners – Wonders Within Reach
20 of the Best Wheelchair Accessible Beaches in California
Accessible Beach Opens in Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast
Blind and Low Vision:
8 Trip-Planning Tips for Blind or Visually Impaired Travelers
All the Light We Cannot See star Aria Mia Loberti strolls Golden Globes red carpet with guide dog
Deaf and Hard of Hearing:
Meet an Alaska Airlines leader with a disability who says he is doing what he was meant to do
Disability Resources:
Travel Genius Introduces Geni-us: An AI Map For Travellers, Enabling Inclusive Journeys
TravelAbility Community Members Who Shined Bright
Recognitions and updates from our partners in the field
Events
Visit Lauderdale turns an industry lunch into a full-scale production
“We unveiled a dynamic new marketing plan for the year, a blossoming bouquet of innovative ideas and strategies that promise to dazzle and embrace.”
People
Condé Nast Traveler Names 14 People Making Travel More Accessible in 2024
The list includes several current and former advisors to TravelAbility: Alvaro Silberstein of Wheel the World; Cory Lee of CurbFree with Cory Lee; Suzanne Edwards of AirBnB; and Sylvia Longmire of Spin the Globe
Interview with longtime TravelAbility advisor Josh Loebner on inclusive design
Community/DMOs
Oregon Coast Scores $1.1 Million in Grants for Accessibility
As we reported in last month’s Insider, Travel Oregon has awarded $3.6 million in competitive grants to DMOs, attractions, and cities for inclusion and accessibility projects. Of that total, more than $1 million will go to Oregon Coast organizations.
The scope and diversity of the funded projects is vast. Travelers with disabilities will gain both new and improved access to a wide range of natural, recreational, and historic sites. The grants will also fund accessibility studies by Wheel the World in two regions along the coast. Read more.
TravelAbility TakeAway: If you want to see the impact that all of you are making through your participation in TravelAbility, take a trip to Oregon. Travel Oregon, which sent more than 30 staff members to the Savannah summit, is putting into practice ideas and partnerships they’ve developed through active engagement with the network. It’s inspiring to see an ambitious program implemented state-wide.
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