TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

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Top 10 Signs That Accessibility Is Going Mainstream

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Fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, shown above, are expanding their accessible clothing lines. [photo of a young boy and girl in sportswear holding hands and running courtesy Tommy Hilfiger.]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of U.S. residents with a disability is estimated at close to a quarter of the nation’s population, with that figure doubling among those aged 65 and older. “Travelers with a disability represent an underserved but growing segment of the population that has been neglected by the mainstream tour and travel industry,” says Steinman. “The travel industry has a huge opportunity and responsibility to help make travel more accessible—and the time to act is now. In fact, a recent study by the Harris Organization in partnership with Open Doors Organization estimates the size of the disability travel market at $17 billion dollars a year. We invite travel professionals to register now for TravelAbility Summit, here. To help define the market opportunity, this is our first of a series of TravelAbility Summit Insights. Here’s why we see accessibility as an ascending trend:

  1. Requests for wheelchairs at airports grew 30% from 2016 to 2017 and have averaged 17% each year since 2015, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 
  2. According to AARP research, over the next 20 years, 75 million Baby Boomers will be aging into disability. This demographic has amassed the largest accumulation of wealth in history—and have the time and desire to travel.
  3. Mattel will debut a doll with a prosthetic leg and another with a wheelchair for Christmas. 
  4. A Travel Weekly survey found that travel agents in one European country alone experienced a 50% increase in inquiries about accessible travel experiences.
  5. The Brussels Airport has hired six people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to work as X-ray screeners. The Brussels program, part of a pilot project, is reporting positive results.
  6. Over 20,000 travel agents in the U.S .have undergone a one-hour basic autism awareness/response training sessions through IBCCES. Another 5,000 travel agents have been trained by Special Needs Group on accessible wheelchair travel.
  7. The TravelAbility research team has identified over 50 technologies, apps, and products that make everything from traversing mountains to navigating museums more accessible.
  8. Since launching its adaptive clothing line in 2018, the Tommy Hilfiger brand has expanded the collection from children’s clothing to a full adult line.
  9. The Skift Global Forum, the leading trend-forecasting conference in the travel industry, included its first accessible travel presentation, “Accessibility: What’s It Worth,” making the business case for accessible travel.
  10.  Trick or Treat! Target is introducing a line of adaptive costumes for Halloween this year. 

Two Companies Disrupting the Wheelchair Rental Market for Good

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woman looks at art in museum while sitting in a mobility device by Whill/ScootaroundPeople that rely on mobility devices will no longer have to stress about having to travel with a wheelchair because they will be able to rent a personal EV (through an app) at the airport and/or final destination, thanks to the merger of two cutting-edge companies. WHILL – makers of the cutting-edge Model Ci and Model A Intelligent Personal Electric Vehicles (EVs), which won the CES Innovation Award at the Computer Electronics Show in 2018, and Scootaround a leading wheelchair and scooter rentals solutions company servicing 2500 locations in North America. Together, they will be the first to provide a worldwide Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) model. “This will improve the current travel landscape for mobility device users by increasing their freedom and independence,” says Justin Gagnon, vice president of sales and marketing for WHILL/Scootaround. Gagnon offered TravelAbility Insider some interesting insights about the market:

  • Currently, the company is piloting six trials worldwide, two of which, Dallas and Winnipeg, are in North America. In Winnipeg, Delta Airline agents offer disabled passengers who are awaiting connections the opportunity to test drive a WHILL Ci so they can maneuver around the airport independently.
  • WHILL wheelchairs appeal to cruise line companies as they are smaller, sleeker and designed to maneuver around small spaces, which means they may also be used in non-ADA staterooms.

Our take: Vertical integration comes to the airport wheelchair rental market as the demand for motorized wheelchair rentals rises significantly. This disruption will not only require less staff but will also give travelers who need mobility options more independence.

photo courtesy WHILL/Scootaround

62-Year-Old Autistic Man Creates His Dream Board Game Called Keys to the Capitals

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A Tulsa resident who was diagnosed with autism late in life said that as a kid he spent hours creating games in his mind. He kept them all a secret—for 24 years. But when he was diagnosed with autism, he pulled out his old ideas and began creating a board game that has players heading acroCove of the Keys to the Capitals game box with keys and a map of statesss the country finding the Keys to each state Capital in a prop plane. The game helps kids plan routes, learn geography and memorize the state capitals.

OUR TAKE: This Tulsa native’s experience shows how autism takes many forms and can be diagnosed at any age. Happily, his imagination led him across the U.S. on a travel adventure. READ MORE 

 

 

 

 

50 “Accessible Hacks”​ to Make Travel More Enjoyable for People with a Disability

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balloons made into the numbers 5 and zero floating in the sunlight next to some orange balloons with trees in the background

TravelAbility Summit is dedicated to improving travel experiences for people with disabilities that will be held in San Francisco November 11-13, recently released the names of 50 technologies, products, and services that will help the travel industry level-up their accessibility. The 50 final products make travel easier for all and were based on the feedback of people with disabilities, technical experts and disability industry leaders. Through the process of vetting 200 products, we learned an important lesson: There is no one product that works for everyone, which at first can make choosing products for your customers overwhelming. But there is a common need for trusted advice. That’s where we knew we could help.

The number one question we get from the travel industry is, how do I get started with an accessibility plan—and how can I do it on a budget? Our advice is to start anywhere—hack the system and try whatever you think will work best for your hotel, destination, attraction or museum.

The hacks are an eclectic mix of tools and devices that range from a portable wheelchair ramp to a free app with 2 million volunteers who can become the ‘eyes’ of a traveler who is visually impaired. There are also larger, business-oriented hacks, such as TravelTripper, a platform for making a hotel’s booking and browsing experiences more accessible. The travel market is already exploding with requests for more accessible ways to book rooms, see cities and set out on adventures without barriers. When you have to get started somewhere, you get creative. The 50 Hacks is a great place to do both of those things.

For those who may be skeptical, think about this: the hotel or attraction that has thought ahead to meet the needs of a person with a disability will find the most loyal customers the travel industry could have. And we’ve hacked the process for you.

A final word about our methodology: Four members of our team examined websites and/or conducted interviews with executives over a 7-month period; conducted interviews with several special needs travel agents, media, and members of the disability and travel communities, often in-person at conferences and expo trade events. Additionally, we crowdsourced input and recommendations from the most popular disability media and blog posts using a series of Google keyword alerts. The team also had in-depth discussions with flight attendants, airport wheelchair attendants, and travelers who have disabilities who used the products themselves.

For a full list of hacks to help you get started on your accessibility journey, click here.

Can You Hear Me Now? How the Travel Industry Is Answering That Call

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man standing in grand central Written by Stephen Frazier

Telecoils embedded in personal hearing aids have long been a discreet solution for people with hearing loss. They improve the quality of the sound they hear—whether it be in a noisy train station or on a city walking tour. Today many venues—from airport terminals to hotel conference rooms and theaters—offer a next-level hearing experience using a hearing loop. The loop transmits sound via an electromagnetic signal to personal hearing devices with telecoils, boosting volume and clarity. (With microphones turned off and telecoils turned on, travelers can hear public address systems, tour guides, ticket agents and others as though the person speaking was within inches of their ear.) Most background noise that can otherwise cover or interfere with understanding speech is eliminated. Sound is customized by the hearing aids to match the hearing loss pattern of each individual user, giving an extra boost to those frequencies that a person has the most difficulty hearing. Sounds great right? The only problem: Most people aren’t aware of how many places now use hearing loop technology and skip out on experiences they think they won’t enjoy, particularly when traveling abroad. Here’s what you need to know:

Where they are: In the U.S., a growing number of airports have installed the technology at departure gates and ticket counters. All New York City subway information and fair booths now feature hearing loops and new taxicabs are fitted with them. Many places of worship, museums, theaters, and other destinations now utilize this technology at ticket counters, for performances, and on walking tours. Even the 12,000 seats in the Breslin Center at Michigan State University offer hearing loop access to sporting and other events held there. All hearing loops use the same frequency in the U.S. and throughout the world. Whether you are at Domodedovo airport in Moscow, visiting Westminster Abbey in London or enjoying the Sydney Opera House in Australia, there are hearing loops.

How to know if there is a loop: The presence of hearing loop technology is usually announced by the display of an international symbol (T). If it carries a “T” the venue is either looped or provides neckloops to visitors. In the U.S. it is the standard blue and white disability signage colors but abroad it can be different colors. For travelers who have cochlear implants or telecoil equipped hearing aids, experts encourage people to purchase their own personal neckloop. Virgin Atlantic provides passengers on their international flights the choice of earphones or neckloops to connect to the aircraft’s sound system to listen to music or watch TV. On other airlines, personally owned neckloops will work as well or better. They also work any place that has an earphone jack, be it an airplane or at a theatrical production.

When to ask for a personal neckloop: Whenever a receiver and earphones are offered, travelers should ask if neckloops are available. Being able to hear better can help to ensure even greater satisfaction from a planned trip to any location in the U.S. or abroad. The 2010 revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandate that any public place of assembly with a functioning public address system must also have an assistive listening system (ALS) that can wirelessly connect to the telecoils in hearing aids. This requirement applies to any new or significantly upgraded PA systems. More and more venues now feature it whether it be the neckloop option at a multiplex or the looped U.S. Supreme Court chamber.

Additional information on hearing loop/telecoil technology can be found at Hearing Loss Association of America.  To find looped venues, check www.loopfinder.com/,  www.aldlocator.com/  and  www.time2loopamerica.com/loop-locator/

Stephen O. Frazier is a hearing loss support specialist, member of the Hearing Loss Association of America’s National ‘Get in the Hearing Loop’ Steering Committee and director of Loop New Mexico.