TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Speakers 2019

A Free Presentation From DesignSensory: Advertising Targeting Disabled Travelers

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a slide that says toolkit for destination, ongoing research, creative assets and campaign inclusion
courtesy Josh Loebner, DesignSensory

For the past few months, TravelAbility has been offering a free download of the highest-rated presentations from TravelAbility Summit. This month we’re featuring the presentation, “Advertising Targeting Disabled Travelers” from Josh Loebner, director of strategy at DesignSensory, here.  We’ve also given you the presentation in a nutshell, including key learnings and links to previous Summit presentations, below.  

o  Presentation in a Nutshell Designsensory lays out a plan for operationalizing tourism advertising.

o   Key Learnings In 2018, less than 20 national brands included disability portrayals in integrated campaigns

If You Missed Last Month’s Free Presentation on Boomers from AARP You Can Find it here.

7 Attendees Speak Their Minds About TravelAbility Summit 2019

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crowd at San Francisco reception talking during conference to other attendees
Attendees socialize at the hotel and talk all things accessibility, tech and more.

Here are seven comments from TravelAbility Summit attendees that were either posted online or sent to us via e-mail. We are humbled. -Jake, Tricia, Denise, and the TravelAbility Team.

When Travel and Disability Intersect

  • “I found the Summit to be a fascinating and educational three days. In targeting the intersection of disability and travel I think you’ve locked on to a critical conversation. Coming from the disability side, I knew there was work to be done but if I’m being honest, I had no idea how much there is and how large the disconnect is between the two communities. In conversation after conversation I was both shocked at how little many of the travel industry representatives knew or understood about accessibility and disability while also being impressed by their genuine desire to learn and their openness to new ideas. That combination makes me think that the TravelAbility summit could grow into something much, much bigger and even more impactful.”  Ian Ruder, New Mobility Magazine

Innovative Business Owners

  • “What a fantastic, first ever, TravelAbility Summit! This was truly a don’t-miss conference. My colleague and I met innovative business owners, bloggers, disability experts, fellow DMO’s championing accessibility issues, and so many incredible professionals. Thank you for making this worthwhile summit happen. I can’t wait to work with everyone in the coming months and attending TravelAbility Summit 2020!  Judi Durant, Ft. Myers CVB

 People Are Just Glad You’re Trying

  • “Such a great first-time conference! I learned so much and made so many great connections. The top two things I learned at the conference were: It’s OK if you don’t know exactly what language to use or how to approach the topic of accessibility. People will be glad you are trying and there are great resources and experts along the way to help you. We also learned how people can help us make our destinations, websites, social media, hotels and restaurants accessible to all travelers.” Carol Astley, Travel Oregon 

Awareness + Empathy

  • “Two takeaways: First, we are early in the journey of providing equal access to the joy and benefits of travel for people with disabilities (mobility, vision, hearing, autism and more.) This journey starts with awareness, empathy, and understanding of the nuances and issues that need to be solved. Second, this group of attendees is made up of pioneers and leaders who have the vision and passion to make a true difference. We need to move from discussion to action, even if small. Aira is here to help.” Troy Otillio, Aira 

 Strong Connections

  • “This conference and the people that were included resulted in an event that was inspiring, timely, poignant, and truly educational through listening and empathy. I made some strong connections. Some are real opportunities to make a difference if we work collaboratively with other companies. Thank you for including and featuring me in the program and letting me know how I and Pegasus as a company can further support you with future TravelAbility events or any other work that you do. Nate Lane, Pegasus

Baby Steps Work!

  • “First let me just congratulate you on, really, an impressive event. And second, let me thank you for including Open Doors in it. Your dedication to the cause is obvious not just in pulling off a major – not to mention brand new – event, but also in how to present yourself and your passion for accessible tourism. I’ve always said it takes just one champion to make a huge difference and you’ve proven that point once again. TravelAbility was a huge stepping-stone for the disability community but the real impact I saw was in the industry—and that’s exactly where it needs to be. You brought together strangers who all have a common goal of universal access in an industry that all people, regardless of limitations, want to be a part of.  Eric Lipp, Open Doors Organization

And Last But Not Least, Awesome Talent

  • “As I leave San Francisco I am reminded of the amazing week I’ve had here at the first-ever TravelAbility Summit. So many awesome speakers, companies and presentations! Congratulations to Jake Steinman and his team for a great conference.” Ron Petit, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

The 2019 TravelAbility Summit Slideshow: A Fabulous Audience, Expert Speakers and a Lot of Learning!

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  • Susan Sygall, Mobility International meets Carole Astley & Sachie York from Travel Oregon
  • Lara Sandora, Adrian Smith, Madeline Chase share their travel stories as moms of children on the autism spectrum with Marc Garcia, Visit Mesa
  • An engrossed audience at LaunchPad
  • Kerry Mauger, Wings for Autism Program Manager, The Arc
  • Conference Guests enjoying themselves at the LaunchPad reception.
  • Laszlo Horvath, LaunchPad Emcee with Jason McKee from Accessibility Shield
  • Conference Session
  • Theresa Stern from Guide Dogs for the Blind
  • Brandon Hochman from My Shower Buddy, co-winner of LaunchPad 2019
  • two women smiling at reception
    Carole Astley & Sachie York from Travel Oregon
  • Jeff Yoshioko, WHill & Lesli Wang, Free2Go Mobility Solutions- LaunchPad 2019 Winners
  • Mike May from Access Explorer
  • Nate Lane, Pegasus, Harris, Visit Valley Forge & Art Jimenez,Reno-Tahoe USA
  • Jay Cardinali with Kirsten Baker, Jeenie
  • Meegan Winters from Able Eyes presents at LaunchPad
  • John Morris from wheelchairtravel.org
  • The Judges at LaunchPad
  • Chris Lona, CL Designs presenting at LaunchPad
  • Troy Otillio, Aira and Christopher Shilder, Marriott International
  • Srin Madipalli and the audience members listening to conference presentation
    AirBnB Accessibility Expert Srin Madipalli
  • Sid Marcos, Outlandish Travel
  • Patty David from AARP shares data on the Boomer Travel Market
  • Michael Sobell, Autism on the Seas, Ron Pettit, Royal Caribbean and Julie Jones from Australia
  • Mary Kay Vrba tells the story of the Think Differently initiative in Dutchess County
  • Makiko Matsuda Healy from NYC & Co
  • We Love NY Makiko Healy,Sara Emmert, Susanne O’Neil & Mary Kay Vrba
  • Karlene Holloman, Point Hospitality
  • Judi Durant & Josh Lambert from the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel share the secrets of their customer service training
  • Advisory Board Members Dave Lorenz, Visit Michigan & Josh Loebner, Designsensory
  • Janis Ross of Eugene & The Cascades shares the accessibility initiatives from Eugene
  • TravelAbility Founder Jake Steinman fields a question
  • Accessible Travel Pioneer Eric Lipp of Open Doors organization
  • Dave Lorenz from Visit Michigan explains how they raised the bar on accessibility
  • Lunch time
  • Accessible Travel Experts Sue Slater, Presto Magic Travel, Myron Pincomb IBCCES & JohnSage, Accessible Travel Solutions
  • Camilo Navarro shares the mission of Wheel the World
  • Overcoming the Fears of Accessibility Mike May, Access Explorer, Isabell Ducharme Keroul & Srin Madipalli AirBnB

Thank you to all who attended. We can’t wait to see you in 2020.

Congratulations to the Winners of the TravelAbility LaunchPad Pitchfest

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TravelAbility’s pre-conference LaunchPad, a pitchfest featuring 15 companies (a mix of start-ups and established businesses), showcased emerging assistive technology and products to the travel and disability community. The voting outcome revealed that the judges favored practical products engineered for everyday use. Each winner provides a practical solution to make an aspect of travel accessible for people with a disability. Note: In the first-place category for Established Business, winners were tied.

Jeff Yoshioko headshot wearing tie and black jacket smiling dark hair and eyes

1st place winner,
Established Business:
 Jeff Yoshioko, Sr. Marketing Manager, WHILL

WHILL provides a worldwide Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) model to improve the current travel landscape for mobility device users by improving their freedom and independence. Currently in beta testing at Winnepeg and Minneapolis airports, WHILL offers cutting-edge Model Ci and Model A Intelligent Personal Electric Vehicles (EVs). “WHILL has won several design and innovation awards including a TIMES Best Invention of 2018,” said Jeff Yoshioka, national sales manager. “It’s great to be further recognized as a product that can create a unique and more positive experience for people with a disability as they travel.”  See the brief explainer video here. Note: WHILL recently merged with Scootaround, a leading wheelchair and scooter rentals solutions company.

1st place winner,
Established Business:
Israel Gamburd, Founder, My Shower Buddy

Many of us take the experience of showering for granted—there’s not much for us to worry about. But for people with disabilities, it’s a lot different. Shower Buddy offers independence and freedom from anxiety or worry about slips and falls or needing someone to help you bathe. The six different models range from pediatric to adult. Having one in a hotel would easily convert a regular bathtub or step over shower into an Accessible shower. “I had no idea there would be so much interest in Shower Buddy from the hotel industry until we were invited present at TravelAbility’s LaunchPad Pitchfest,” commented Israel Gamburd, president of  Shower Buddy. “ We’re now looking into the possibility of exhibiting at hotel procurement shows. TravelAbility has opened the possibility of an entirely new channel of distribution for us.”   See a video here. 

headshot of Lesli Wang wearing white collared shirt and black sweater smiling, short hair

1st place winner,
Emerging Business:
Lesli Wang, Founder, and CEO, Free2GoMobility

By combining the benefits of toilet safety products used in the home (a raised toilet seat on toilet safe frame) along with a compact rolling walker ‘rollator’ the award-winning Free2GoRollator allows anyone to safely use a toilet in a restroom while traveling—whether you are off with family and friends, in a public restroom or at an airport, hotel or cruise line bathroom.)  “I am thrilled to have won TravelAbility’s award for Best start-up among the 15 finalists that presented during the LaunchPad pitchfest,” said Lesli Wang, founder and CEO of Free2Go Rollator. “ I invented this product because my mom needed assistance in using the restroom and we thought a rolling walker that could be adapted to any toilet was the right solution. This award validates all the hard work in developing and marketing this product.”See the video here. 

About the Judging and Criteria

Eight judges, divided into two-hour shifts, were asked to evaluate each of the finalists on a 1-5 scale using the following criteria:

  • What is the problem and solution that you provide?  
  • Does the product make travel easier for people with a disability? 
  • Does the company have a viable business model?
  • Is the value proposition convincing? 

The Top 20 Takeaways From TravelAbility Summit (Yes, Inspo-Porn is One Of Them)

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BeMyEyes founder presents on stage standing next to podium
After Will Butler’s presentation on Be My Eyes, many attendees said they wanted to use the app. Here’s the link.

TravelAbility Summit 2019, held this November in San Francisco, was the first national summit that explored ways the travel industry can better serve the disability community.  While sessions and panels during the Summit identified a substantial disconnect between the two groups, the event provided a bridge between the network of travel industry professionals and the travelers with disabilities attending the conference. Bringing together these communities that might otherwise not speak with each other was a major achievement of the Summit. We are committed to continuing this critical conversation.  

While the conference focused on the intersection of travel and accessibility, it also created the opportunity for the disability community, which is built around advocacy groups promoting access for specific disabilities, to come together over the common cause of accessible travel.  What these groups all have in common is the aspiration to travel because it’s the toy department of life. We were delighted to make this happen

Here are our top takeaways from this year’s Summit:

  1. “Nothing About Us Without Us.” This should be the guiding principle for any travel organization that wants to increase its accessibility. This means destinations building accessible products and content being featured on their website should include advice from local organizations representing different disabilities. Consultation with people with disabilities should be the first step when hotels are renovating ADA rooms. Accessibility initiatives should be taken in partnership with people with disabilities
  2. Accessibility is Good for Business Significant numbers were presented indicating the size of the accessible needs travel market, the growing numbers as we age into disability, and the friends/family/companions/caregivers directly impacted by travel decisions. Something we can change: 87% of autism-affected families don’t travel at all. 
  3. Accessibility is Hospitality. The Americans with Disabilities Act will turn 30 in 2020. Three decades after the passage of ADA, compliance makes travel possible—but far from pleasant. “Accessible” isn’t a decent definition. Many establishments still don’t do enough and empathy cannot be regulated. Wheelchair travelers need hotel and bathroom interior photos; blind travelers need housekeepers who don’t move items. 
  4. Lowering the Fear Factor For Travelers Must Be a Focus. Fear of the unknown plays a big factor when people with disabilities are considering destinations and especially hotels, while fear of imperfection makes many hotels and attractions ambivalent and/or uncomfortable about welcoming disabled guests.
  5. Fear Motivates. Some fears can be productive and result in compliance action: FOGS (Fear of Getting Sued) and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) are primary motivators of compliance.
  6. There Are Easy Fixes. While almost all hotels post images of their rooms, public space, and exterior on their websites for everyone to see, few include photos of their ADA accessible rooms, which is critical for those with disabilities to determine if the hotel is right for them. 
  7. Empathy Creates Change. Language, empathy, and understanding matter. Because people don’t know what to say or how to say it, they should simply ask, “How can I assist you?” In fact, many travelers with special needs indicate that potentially litigious situations could be nipped in the bud through better frontline staff training.   
  8. Count Me In: Volunteers Are Abundant and Available. for initiatives and events where they can help people with disabilities.  For example, Be My Eyes, a free app that connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers from all over the world through a live video call now has 3 million volunteers and 150,000 users. 
  9. All Disabilities Have a Spectrum. Autism isn’t the only disability with a spectrum. Every disability has a spectrum which makes it impossible to be accessible for everyone. However, as Aaron Clefton, an ADA plaintiff attorney panelist told the audience, “If my clients had been treated with respect and had their problems addressed with courtesy, none of them would have sued.” 
  10. ROI for Accessibility is Real. It’s really quite simple:  If you’re accessible for those who are disabled today, you’ll be accessible for the 77 million Baby Boomers who have the wealth, time and interest to travel as they age into a disability tomorrow.
  11. Universal Design Benefits Everyone.  Curb cuts were originally for wheelchair users but they are also used for baby carriages, scooters, skateboarders. AVA, one of the products featured in Launchpad, is a voice-to-text service where deaf attendees can easily follow what presenters are saying through their app.  At the same time, everyone can click “save” and they will have a PDF of the speech.  Prominent hotel chains such as Marriott are working on the accessible rooms of the future. 
  12. Destinations Are the Evangelists of Accessibility As a collection of suppliers and a conduit of information, DMOs are in a good advocacy position to share information, spearhead movements, promote certification, host workshops, raise awareness, train and amplify the message. 
  13. Compliance Goes Beyond Having An Accessible Website. Having accurate up-to-date information about accessibility on a travel supplier or destination’s website is the most effective form of customer service, but efforts shouldn’t end there.
  14. Nature Belongs to Everyone. National and local parks and beaches are developing innovative approaches to help people with a variety of disabilities enjoy nature and the salutary effects that outdoor activities bring to everyone.  
  15. Family and Caregivers Need Vacations Age-related diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers are stressful for caretakers. Leaving a cognitively challenged elder at home is not an option. Vacation options that provide solutions are in demand
  16.  There Are P.R. benefits to Becoming Accessible. Destinations and suppliers who have promoted their accessibility initiatives have received favorable coverage from local news outlets as it is viewed as cutting edge and positive service for the community.   
  17. Practical Products Solve Accessibility Problems. TravelAbility’s pre-conference LaunchPad, a pitchfest featuring 15 companies (a mix of start-ups and established businesses), showcased emerging assistive technology and products to the travel and disability community. The voting outcome revealed that the judges favored practical products engineered for everyday use over emerging technology. 
  18. Inspo-Porn Is a Thing. “Inspiration porn”, which people with a disability find offensive, is the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability.  Someone needs to tell the news media and their viewers. Learn more.
  19. Simulating the Travel Experience Creates Real Benefits. It has been proven, from airports to air carriers to hotels, simulation reduces anxiety among those on the autism spectrum. It opens great possibilities for virtual reality technology.
  20. Awareness Creates Community. Connecting with people with disabilities, exposure to ideas and innovation plus resources creates a new travel community committed to accessibility.

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