TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Museums & Attractions

Oregon Coast Scores $1.1 Million in Grants for Accessibility

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Historical photo in sepia tones of an older Black man playing a violin

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.

Accessibility Champion: Alison Brooks

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Vice President, Destination Experience & Advocacy, Visit Mesa

Q: When did you begin focusing on accessibility in your destination and what was the impetus for wanting to make your destination more accessible?

A: Mesa became the first-ever Autism Certified City (IBCCES) in 2019. The response was so very positive, that we soon realized that inclusion through accessibility was a community shared value and we knew that we wanted to further expand accessibility through technologies, programs and education that would make a better experience for our visitors and residents alike.

Q: What are your main responsibilities and tasks in your organization?

A: I oversee our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility efforts, our partnership program and assist our CEO with governmental affairs.

Q: Aside from budget, what are the most difficult obstacles or barriers that you face regarding the advancement of accessibility in your destination?

A: In a city so large (over 500K population), along with over 4 million visitors, the most challenging thing is bringing awareness to the many offerings we have in Mesa. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, Aira, Wheel the World partnership, autism certification, and Threshold 360 virtual tours from the accessibility perspective, are all fantastic ways that help people prepare for and enjoy their experience while in Mesa.  We do advertise these programs regularly through many platforms, as well as share them on our website and social media, but it still can be difficult to get the word out!

Q: What initiatives have you undertaken to improve accessibility in your destination, and which are you most proud of?

Quote: Drip learning will be a huge focus for us in 2024.

A: The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, Threshold 360 virtual tours, Aira, Wheel the World and Able Vu partnerships, and autism certification are all programs we’ve put into place for our destination. It’s hard to choose one that I’m most proud of, but I would say that I’m proud that Visit Mesa was the first to partner with many of these programs and work side-by-side to help implement their product into a destination. Becoming the first Verified Destination through Wheel the World was definitely icing on the cake.

Q: Who do you follow? Name an organization/company/individual you look to for ideas or inspiration.

A: Visit Tampa Bay does an amazing job with their accessibility and storytelling of inclusion overall! Of course, I have to give a “shout-out” to Travelability, as Jake Steinman and his team continue to make a profound impact on destinations becoming more accessible.

Q: What are your plans around accessibility in 2024?

A: We will continue to measure engagement with the programs we have in place now. Additionally, drip- learning will be a huge focus for us, as I strongly feel that education creates confidence for our partners to better serve guests with disabilities. I cannot share yet, but I can say we are working on something that could positively impact a lot of visitors and residents in the very near future.

Tips on Accessible Solo Travel by Chelsea Bear, a TravelAbility Board Member

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Woman wearing sunglasses and smiling as she stands in front of a body of water

Research. Planning. More research. Repeat.

That’s the message threaded through Chelsea Bear’s Trip Advisor article on solo travel for people with disabilities: You can’t be overprepared.

Chelsea confesses that as a person with cerebral palsy who uses an electric scooter, she used to think that solo travel was not an option for her.  Now, she writes, “at age 30, I can happily say that my younger self’s beliefs and fears were completely wrong—I’ve traveled to 10 countries outside of the United States and dozens of states domestically.” In addition to tapping her own experience, Chelsea shares tips from leading travel influencers including Corey Lee, Sylvia Longmire, and Houston Vandergriff. Tips range from zip ties to extra batteries to mapping every conceivable destination and resource ahead of time. Read more.

Disability Opportunity Fund Awards $250,000 in their own Shark Tank

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Group of 13 people posing with an oversized check bearing the Maidenbaum logo and standing in front of a Maidenbaum backdrop

Long Islanders typically cringe at the mention of sharks, but eight companies serving the disability community were thrilled to enter the Shark Tank in Garden City last month organized by the Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF). The fund gave out $250,000 during the pitch fest to support product development and job creation benefiting individuals with disabilities. First prize of $50,000 went to Valence Variations, which has developed an AI-powered app that can read and interpret a speaker’s emotions.

“Thank you so much to the Disability Opportunity Fund for this opportunity,” said Valence Vibrations Co-Founder and CEO Chloe Duckworth. “This capital is going to accelerate our growth to be able to support more neurodiverse people and help in building digital accessibility.”

The Shark Tank competition was part of the DOFs (DOF) 15th anniversary celebration. The evening also included a major funding announcement from the Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group, which together with DOF awarded $75,000 in grants to 15 Long Island nonprofit organizations that support people with disabilities. Each organization received a $5,000 grant to continue and expand on their work. Read more.

TravelAbility TakeAway: Are Shark Tank competitions taking a bite out of the traditional phone book-sized grant proposal? (By the way, what’s a phone book?) That could be a welcome trend in the industry, particularly for the extroverts out there who make it look easy. Don’t be fooled: Pitching to an audience is still a lot of work and a lot of pressure.

Travel Oregon Awards 3.6 Million in Grants for Inclusive Tourism

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Woman using a wheelchair on a beach with steep cliffs rising out of the ocean

As part of an ongoing and far-reaching statewide initiative, Travel Oregon has awarded $3.6 million in competitive grants to DMOs, attractions, and cities for inclusion and accessibility projects.

The grants program targets funding for accessibility and inclusivity for underserved and under-resourced communities including people with disabilities, BIPOC, Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes and LBGTQIA+. Funded projects reflect and align with Travel Oregon’s vision of a welcoming destination where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment and celebrates rich, diverse cultures—and must improve tourism infrastructure or enhance promotion of accessible and inclusive tourism.

“To say I’m inspired by the potential of this year’s grant awards would be an understatement,” said Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon. “Upon completion, each project will make a substantial impact on the accessibility and inclusivity of the tourism industry in Oregon, supporting Travel Oregon’s vision of a welcoming destination for all where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment and celebrates rich, diverse cultures.” Read more.

TravelAbility TakeAway: No question that Oregon is one of the key states to watch for leadership on inclusive and accessible travel. As we reported in last month’s Insider, Travel Oregon had the largest contingent of attendees at the Emerging Markets Summit in Savannah in August, with more than 30 staffers. They are using the TravelAbility network to great advantage, studying model initiatives from around the country and the world and turning that research into sustainable practice.