TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Technology

New on TravelAbility.net

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InnovateABLE:  We carefully curated selection of technology, innovations and services that can reduce barriers for people with disabilities, several of which will be part of our annual pitchfest on July 26th. https://travelability.net/summit/innovateable/

Airport Accessibility page with links in all 50 states.

New Members of Our Advisory Board:

David O’Hara, Director of Accessibility, American Express Global Business Travel 

Houston Vandergrift, Founder, Downs and Towns.

Alan Fyall, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Lorraine Woodward, Founder, Becoming Rentable

Six of the most prominent Disability Holidays in 2023.

We welcome Lansing Michigan as the newest member of our “Destination A11Y Club.”

Kudos to Visit Tampa Bay for creating the Accessible Riverwalk Pass, the first discount pass designed specifically for visitors and local residents with a disability.

14 Winners of Accessible Innovation Awards at CEO 2023 in Las Vegas.

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photo of #CES 2024 sculpture

A helpful toilet lifter, stabilizing smart makeup applicator, wearable navigation system for visually impaired individuals, and self-driving powerchair service have all been recognized at the prestigious CES 2023 Innovation Awards.

Taking place annually, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the largest global stages for companies to showcase their latest and greatest technology innovations. The show covers a wide variety of sectors including automotive, robotics, gaming, wearables, sports technology, and accessibility. CES is organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

AT Today has rounded up all 14 Honorees and Best of Innovation award winners in the accessibility category at the CES 2023 Innovation Awards. See the list here.

StreetFighter Six virtual games feature new accessibility features.

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Accessible gamers, this one’s for you. Street Fighter 6’s recent closed beta test has revealed a swathe of awesome accessibility features bound to greatly help those who need them.

The Street Fighter 6 closed beta, which ran from October 7 – 10 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, let players try the upcoming fighter online with the currently announced roster of world warriors. Content publisher at Riot Games, Kurominah, shared a screenshot of the game’s audio accessibility settings. And their findings showed an impressively robust suite of options. Read more.

Apple Announces Major Accessibility Upgrades to their Phones and Tech Products

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Video call on Apple iPhone with live audio transcription.

Apple has released a bevy of new accessibility features for iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac, including a universal live captioning tool, improved visual and auditory detection modes, and iOS access to WatchOS apps. The new capabilities will arrive “later this year” as updates roll out to various platforms.

The most widely applicable tool is probably live captioning, already very popular with tools like Ava, which recently raised $10 million (and was first introduced at TravelAbility’s Launchpad pitch fest in 2019) to expand its repertoire.

Apple’s renewed commitment to accessibility will allow a greater number of disabled people to access the digital environment more easily (and the physical one as well).

To learn more about Apple’s planned accessibility upgrades, read the article in TechCrunch.

New App Helps Drivers with Disabilities Alert Gas Stations They Are Coming

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Person pumping fuel into vehicle gas tank.

“Even though gas is very expensive right now, most people take for granted the simple act of going to the gas station and quickly filling up, but for those in the disabled community, getting gas is more than just a quick trip,” according to reporting from NBC Washington.

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act requires gas stations to assist disabled drivers fuel their cars upon request, drivers say that the assistance is rarely offered. “Right now, there’s no uniform way of, you know, getting that person to come out,” said Lee Page with Paralyzed Veterans of America.

A new app, fuelService, is hoping to change that. The app allows disabled drivers to notify station employees that they require assistance with the tap of a button. More than 1,000 gas stations along the east coast of the United States have signed up and drivers say it’s working.

To learn more about the fuelService app, read the story from NBC Washington.

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