TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Neurodiversity

How Autism-Certified Hotel and Airline Brands Made a Huge Difference for One Family

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Felicia Callafange smiling on the airplane alongside her mother Flavia. They are holding a doll and a stuffed teddy bear. (Photo credit: Autism Double-Checked.)

Fourteen-year-old Felicia Callafange, who has autism, is an extremely friendly and high-energy person. Her mother Flavia said she loves talking to people, which can sometimes come across as “aggressive,” and she has trouble sitting still during long plane rides. Callafange has learned that there isn’t much she can do to calm Felicia during a meltdown.

“For someone who doesn’t know what autism is and just looks at her, she’s a pretty girl with bad behavior, and I’m a bad mother,” Callafange said. “I heard these insults all the time.”

But a recent trip from their home in Chile to New York City provided a radically different experience, thanks to certifications provided by Alan Day’s Autism Double-Checked. After flying LATAM airlines and staying at Virgin Hotels of New York City, Flavia said the family will only travel with autism-friendly companies from now on. Read more.

Our Takeaway: Partnerships between travel companies and autism experts/advocates can make a dramatic difference to families with autistic children. Autism Double-Checked is providing an excellent model of what can be done through education and staff training. For example, Karisma Hotels & Resorts launched an Autism Concierge service that uses autism-trained “e-mail concierges” to deal with real time issues. The email concierge concept is an important (and affordable) innovation, as far as we’re concerned. The fact that it’s actually working can open new possibilities for hotels to become more accessible for families dealing with cognitive disabilities.

Tips for Traveling with a Neurodivergent Child

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A recent survey found that 87% of parents with autistic children avoid family vacations due to the overwhelming challenges posed by new environments, sounds, smells, and disruptions. Behavioral issues related to emotional meltdowns can disrupt the entire trip. 93% of respondents would be more likely to travel if autism-certified options were available, with 97% expressing dissatisfaction with current travel options for families with autistic individuals. Read More.

Our Takeaway: By implementing thoughtful accommodations and services that consider the specific needs of neurodivergent guests, the hospitality industry can create a welcoming and supportive environment for all travelers. Training and awareness for staff can result in not only happy guests but also in a greater confidence in repeat travel and stronger brand loyalty, as families with neurodivergent members feel valued and encouraged to return to establishments that genuinely understand and accommodate their needs.

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.

Tips and Tricks to Traveling Safely With Someone That Has Epilepsy

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image of an open suitcase with a woman packing it

Our Takeaway: Please share these hard-to-find insightful tips with anyone you know that has a family member with epilepsy and fears traveling this summer.

People with epilepsy can and do travel using every mode of transportation. However, it may require extra planning, such as ensuring you have enough medication and requesting accommodations if needed. This article will discuss the challenges of traveling with epilepsy, how to prepare, and how to make your trip go smoothly. Read More.

Innovative Indiana-Based Program Trains People with Disabilities for Hospitality Work

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Hamilton County Tourism, Invest Hamilton County, and JANUS Developmental Services established a new partnership program with the support of the local hospitality industry and American Rescue Plan Act recovery funds provided by the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners and Council.

“Disadvantaged workers and the hospitality industry were both communities hit hard by the pandemic,” said Invest Hamilton County President & CEO Mike Thibideau. “This is a high-impact collaboration. Programs like this build community, provide economic opportunity and help fill important roles in our ecosystem.” 

In December 2022, the first cohort began training people with disabilities at the Hampton Inn Fishers with great success. The individuals enlisted in the program provided pre-cleaning services to over 30 rooms in one day. Guests, employees, and hotel management provided positive feedback and multiple individuals are on the path to permanent part-time positions.

 “This program is a win-win for these individuals who could thrive in a lodging community atmosphere, as well as the hotel managers in need of talent to provide the best in hospitality service,” said Hamilton County Tourism President/CEO Brenda Myers. “We appreciate our partners for their innovative thinking.” Read more.

Our Takeaway:  Of the 10 individuals with Down syndrome that were trained, three are currently employed at the Hampton Inn Fishers. These employees have been placed in rotation to work the front desk, the kitchen and housekeeping.  Additionally,  Shepards Hotel in Clemson, South Carolina, which has 40 individuals with Down syndrome, representing nearly 40 percent of their total staff, and the Martigny Boutique Hotel in the Valais region of Switzerland, with 55% of their team members working with disabilities, have built a foundation that supports people with intellectual disabilities.  Given the persistent workforce shortage in hospitality, this may be a powerful new source of talent.

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