TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Parks and Public spaces

Accessibility at Disney World During the Pandemic – Is it still “The Happiest Place on Earth?”

by

Cinderella's castle at Walt Disney World.

Kelly Mack, a wheelchair user, recently traveled with her husband to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and wrote about her experiences for the Disney Information Station blog.

Mack says she traveled to Disney because she “felt very good about the precautions” taken to keep guests safe and because “it’s a place we can travel where we don’t worry as much about accessibility of the hotel, the transportation, and the overall fun because Disney has planned it all out.”

OUR TAKE: Accessible travel can be done safely during the pandemic and Kelly’s story highlights some of the steps Disney has taken in their parks and hotels that provide travelers with a sense of security.

To learn more about how Disney has safely reopened its parks and what visiting a theme park during the pandemic is like for a wheelchair user, click here.

EXTREME JEEPING: Wheelchair User Goes Off-road in Moab, Utah!

by

The Moab Area Travel Council has released a new video that spotlights David Adams, a Jeep enthusiast with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a form of Muscular Dystrophy. David uses a wheelchair, but thanks to a specially modified Jeep, he is able to explore Moab’s national parks, which he says offer the best views and vistas in the world.

The marketing video follows David as he takes the Jeep off-road, conquering obstacles like the Hell’s Revenge Sand Flats, Steel Bender Trail and Mickey’s Hot Tub. It’s an exhilarating journey that you won’t want to miss – and further evidence that disabled travelers are ready to explore your destination!

New Ninja Warriors Park is EPIC-ALLY Accessible

by

a climbing structure with several kids it I made of steel and wood.

Panama City, Florida is the new home to an accessible playground that’s inspired by the American Ninja Heroes TV show. How inclusive could a ninja park be? Very. There’s a wheelchair-accessible zipline and 30-foot climbing towers. Looking for a challenge? Hat tip to John Morris, the ultimate adventurer, for writing about this on his blog. wheelchairtravel.org. 

Panama City, Florida  is the new home to an accessible playground that’s inspired by the American Ninja Heroes TV show. How inclusive could a ninja park be? Very. THERE’S A wheelchair-accessible zipline and 30-foot climbing towers.Looking for a challenge? Hat tip to John Morris, the ultimate adventurer, for writing about this on his blog. wheelchairtravel.org. 

OUR TAKE: What a great way for parents to give COVID-19 the finger when lockdown ends! Of course, not everyone’s in Florida. If you can imagine one in your area, there are plenty of resources on fundraising, planning and building on accessibleplayground.net. Their motto is every child deserves to play! 

Must-read: “Don’t Let a Disability Keep You from Exploring the World”

by

 

Cover of book with three men standing on a mountain one in a backpack (which is Kevan)We Carry Kevan is the true story of how six friends carried one man across three countries. “Don’t let your disability stop you from exploring the world,” says Kevan Chandler in his new book, and documentary, and yes, even a Ted Talk. The man is unstoppable. Read more here.

The author is on a mission to redefine independent travel for wheelchair users like himself. And that he has. You can even buy the same backpack he designed for the trip. It will be available for purchase this summer. Details on his website.

 

 

 

 

Google Goes Accessible with Routes for Wheelchair Users. Plus: More Options

by

 

birds eye view of planes and houses

The tool: Google maps that integrate wheelchair accessible public transit routes into its directions feature.

The reviews: Cautiously optimistic, according to a New Mobility review.

The buzz: Few travel industry folks we spoke with even knew about the Google tool, which could become a helpful solution, particularly for city wheelers.

Who its best for right now: According the New Mobility review, “Users in six cities – New York, Boston, Tokyo, London, Mexico City, and Sydney – can search for directions between locations, choose public transit as the method of travel and then select “wheelchair accessible” from the route-options menu. As with all public transit searches in Maps, a selection of routes will appear, but now only routes with accessible stations and modes of transit will be included.” 
READ MORE

Another option: Project Sidewalk, a crowdsourced navigation tool that gamifies collecting data has been developed at the University of Washington Makeability Lab, was successfully tested in Washington, D.C. and according to their Twitter feed, has launched in Seattle with massive success. A recent tweet via @projesidwalk: “Project Sidewalk is now officially live in Seattle! In our first week, we collected over 10,000 sidewalk accessibility labels. Help us get to 20,000! You can participate from all seven continents–all you need is an Internet connection & a laptop!

 READ MORE

Our vote: Project Sidewalk, which looks like it’s off to a promising start.

Editor’s note: Don’t confuse Project Sidewalk with another (controversial) initiative from Alphabet called Sidewalk Labs, which will collect data on commuter routes in Portland. (This piece in Geekwire makes no mention of tracking wheelchair users or routes.)