TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Technology

Best Practices Travel Accessibility Page of the Month: Discover Lancaster

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Here’s what sets Discover Lancaster apart when it comes to accessible landing pages…

TravelAbility’s Accessibility Playbook provides a basic guide for building an accessibility landing page that welcomes all to discover your destination. Discover Lancaster’s website is entering the advanced level because of its extensive listing of all types of attractions and resources. They’ve done a great job of working with their partners to build a platform of information on anything a disabled traveler could be looking for. Here’s how they measure up:

Creating an Accessible Landing Page: A Three-Level Guide

LevelKey ElementsDetails
LEVEL ONE: BASICStatement
✔️		“We are pleased to welcome visitors of all abilities. This page features a variety of accessible attractions, museums, recreational activities, and hotels to help visitors and local residents with disabilities discover what they can do in [Destination].”
Things to Do✔️Identify accessible attractions and experiences, and provide direct links to their accessibility pages.
Hotels & Lodging✔️List accessible hotels, highlight hotels with pool lifts exceeding ADA requirements, and survey hotels for detailed accessibility info. If partnering with Wheel the World, link directly to their booking page.
Additional Resources✔️Build an accessible itinerary with state/provincial/national stakeholders, and include links to relevant articles and media coverage.
Transportation✔️Link to accessibility pages for airports, public transportation, taxis & van services, and car rentals.
Medical Supplies & ServicesProvide links for wheelchair/scooter rentals and medical equipment rentals (Hoyer lifts, shower chairs, etc.).
LEVEL TWO: INTERMEDIATERecreation✔️Provide accessibility links for nearby parks, hiking trails, points of interest, botanical gardens, and zoos.
Sports Venues✔️Link to accessibility pages for college/professional stadiums, arenas, and racetracks.
Performance Venues✔️Accessibility links for symphonies, ballets, operas, theatres, and prominent nightclubs.
Dining & Food✔️List ADA-compliant restaurant chains and coffee shops (e.g., Starbucks).
LEVEL THREE: ADVANCEDEnhanced Engagement✔️Incorporate video testimonials from visitors with different disabilities.
Industry Collaboration & Drop-Down MenusSurvey industry partners to uncover accessibility features, and build a user-friendly drop-down menu for mobility, blindness/low vision, deafness/hard of hearing, and autism/neurodiversity.
Tagging & Search OptimizationTag accessibility links by disability type, allowing users to filter and search. Locations with multiple features should appear under each relevant category.

How does your accessibility landing page measure up? How can you bring it up to the next level?

Innovation of the Month: Be My Eyes – Changing the Game for Visual Assistance

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Be My Eyes - See the world together

Most great ideas start with a problem. Be My Eyes was no different. Founded by a Danish furniture craftsman who was losing his vision, the app was born out of a simple yet powerful idea: create a seamless way for blind and low-vision individuals to get visual assistance in real time. What started as a volunteer-driven network has now evolved into a game-changing accessibility tool that serves both consumers and businesses alike.

A Solution for Everyday Challenges

For consumers, Be My Eyes is a lifeline for just about any visual challenge. Need to find the right can of soup in the pantry? Check. Navigating an airport to catch a flight? Done. Searching for a lost parakeet in the house? Believe it or not, that’s happened too. With live volunteers and AI-powered assistance, the app provides immediate, reliable support for a wide range of visual needs.

Beyond the everyday, Be My Eyes also offers a company directory, connecting users directly to accessible customer support lines. That means blind and low-vision consumers can get real help—whether it’s booking a hotel, managing an airline ticket, or troubleshooting a product—without the usual back-and-forth frustration.

A Game-Changer for Businesses

Be My Eyes isn’t just making life easier for consumers—it’s also rewriting the script for corporate customer service. For businesses, the impact is undeniable: call handle times reduced by up to 68%, customer satisfaction scores skyrocketing, and AI-powered automation resolving issues with an impressive level of accuracy. In a world where accessibility is often an afterthought, this platform gives companies a competitive edge by providing real, meaningful support to an underserved market.

The Future of Accessibility in Business

The potential for brands to integrate accessible, seamless support is enormous. And the best part? It’s scalable.

For enterprise customers, pricing starts at $12,000 per year and goes up to over $100,000 for global brands looking to lead the way in accessibility. As more businesses wake up to the value of serving blind and low-vision consumers—not just as a compliance checkbox, but as a key demographic—Be My Eyes is proving that innovation in accessibility isn’t just good ethics; it’s good business.

Watch the InnovateAble pitch here.

Accessibility Champions of Change: Alvaro Silberstein of Wheel the World

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By Jennifer Allen

Alvaro in his wheelchair with a big grin on his face. He's on what appears to be a gravel trail - a meadow full of yellowish grass expands behind him with a gray/blue mountain range in the background.

Wheel the World has quickly become the resource in disability travel – both for travelers looking for the guarantee of an accessible destination, and for destinations looking to become the accessible destination. This article from Co-Founder Alvaro Silberstein shares an incredible journey from paralysis – both physically and metaphorically – to conquering mountains.

The Backstory

My journey into accessibility began with my personal experience. After a car accident left me paralyzed as a teenager, I never lost my passion for travel and adventure. However, I quickly realized how challenging it was for people with disabilities to find reliable accessibility information and plan trips with confidence. In 2016, I set out on a life-changing journey to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, where I became the first wheelchair user to complete the trek with the support of friends. That experience sparked the idea that accessibility should never be a barrier to exploring the world.

I co-founded Wheel the World in 2018 to empower travelers with disabilities by providing them with verified accessibility information and the ability to book accessible travel experiences seamlessly. Since then, we’ve helped 20+ thousands of travelers explore destinations they once thought were out of reach.

The Vision

At Wheel the World, our mission is simple: to make the world accessible. We believe that every person, regardless of ability, should have the opportunity to explore the world with confidence.

To achieve this, we focus on two key areas:

1. WheeltheWorld.com – A travel booking platform that provides travelers with disabilities detailed and verified accessibility information to book accommodations, tours, and transportation suited to their needs.

2. Destination Verified – An Accessibility Management System designed to help destinations and hospitality businesses improve, verify, and promote their accessibility, ensuring they can welcome all travelers.

We are not just building a company; we are leading a movement to make travel more inclusive worldwide.

The Hurdles

The greatest barriers in this journey aren’t physical. The main struggles we face have been:

  • Lack of Reliable Accessibility Data: The travel industry historically lacked structured and verified accessibility information, making it difficult to build a comprehensive, trustworthy database.
  • Skepticism from Industry Partners: Many hotels and destinations underestimated the market opportunity for travelers with disabilities. We had to educate and convince them of the demand and value in being more inclusive.
  • Scaling Accessibility Verification: Accessibility is not one-size-fits-all, so we developed a structured approach to collect and verify accessibility data at scale. Our trained mappers and tech-driven solutions allow us to capture detailed information that travelers can trust.
  • Despite these challenges, we’ve built a platform used by many thousands of travelers and secured partnerships with major destinations to drive accessibility forward.

The Future

 2025 will be a pivotal year for scaling our impact. Our focus will be on:

1. Expanding Destination Verified – We aim to work with over 200 destinations globally to verify and enhance their accessibility.

2. Growing our Travel Platform – We plan to double the number of accessible experiences and accommodations available for booking through WheeltheWorld.com.

3. Enhancing Technology & Personalization – Our goal is to improve our AI-powered accessibility matching to provide even more personalized travel recommendations for users.

Advice and Inspiration for Other Would-Be Change Makers

Here are important things to remember:

1. Accessibility is an opportunity, not a compliance checkbox.

Businesses that embrace accessibility win loyal customers and open new markets. The disability travel market alone is worth $120 billion annually.

2. Make accessibility information structured and transparent.

Many businesses offer accessibility features but fail to communicate them properly. Travelers with disabilities want detailed, reliable information, not vague claims.

3. Train staff to provide better service.

Frontline hospitality staff often lack the knowledge to assist travelers with disabilities. Simple training programs can make a huge difference.

4. Engage the disability community.

Organizations should work alongside people with disabilities, not just design accessibility solutions for them. User feedback is key.

5. Make accessibility a business priority.

The travel industry needs C-level executives and decision-makers to actively invest in accessibility as a core strategy, not an afterthought.

6. Follow other organizations and individuals that are driving innovation in accessibility and/or travel. 

Some that inspire me include:

  • Hipcamp.com – I love this company’s brand, purpose, and communication.
  • Diego Mariscal – Founder of Together International, a nonprofit that supports disabled entrepreneurs. I believe his mission and impact are powerful.

Investing in Accessibility: Chris Maher’s Podcast Unveils Venture Capital’s Accessibility Blind Spot

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By Jennifer Allen

What do a deaf-blind potter and an accessible travel booking platform have in common? 

High return investment potential.

In the world of venture capital, accessibility has often been overlooked. But Chris Maher, founder and general partner of Samaritan Partners, is working to change that. His new podcast, Investing in Accessibility, delves into the intersection of accessibility, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and impact investing, highlighting the ways in which innovation can drive both social change and financial returns.

The Mission Behind the Podcast

Like many in the disability inclusion space, Chris Maher became an advocate through personal connection. As dad to two girls with disabilities, his perspective expanded to take in the gap in opportunities for people with disabilities. 

Samaritan Partners, is a social impact venture fund that exclusively supports early-stage, for-profit companies serving the disability community. These companies range from accessible travel businesses like Wheel the World to AI-driven ASL interpretation platforms.  Recognizing the vast potential of the disability market—comprising over 1.5 billion people globally—Maher launched Investing in Accessibility alongside co-host Kelvin Crosby to amplify conversations around accessible entrepreneurship and investing.

A key theme across the podcast is the vast economic potential of accessibility. Each episode features thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors who are making a difference in the disability space. 

 “The disposable income around that population is in the low trillions of dollars. And when you include family, friends, and caregivers, the market is significant, to say the least,” Chris shares.

Companies that prioritize inclusive design often find that their innovations benefit a much wider audience. Consider the curb-cut effect – “originally designed for wheelchair users, curb cuts are now essential for parents with strollers, delivery workers, and more.” We see this pattern continuously with inclusive design.

Moreover, businesses that embrace accessibility see significant financial benefits. In fact, Chris shares that “Companies that take an inclusive approach—whether for their employees or customers—see the benefits. Revenue and profitability go up. Customer retention improves. Employee engagement and productivity increase.” The financial sector, for example, is recognizing that as their customer base ages, accessibility will be critical for serving them effectively. 

The Journey So Far

Since launching the podcast, Maher and Crosby have covered a variety of topics, introducing listeners to inspiring stories and groundbreaking innovations. From the deaf-blind potter to the accessible travel booking platform, each episode explores how accessibility can drive business growth. There are consistent themes of market opportunity.

Future episodes will continue to feature leaders in inclusive design, financial services, and disability-focused entrepreneurship.

Expanding the Investment Landscape

One of Maher’s primary goals with both Samaritan Partners and Investing in Accessibility is to attract more investors to the disability sector. While there are a handful of disability-focused funds, funding for disabled entrepreneurs from general venture funds is nearly nonexistent. Historically, support for the disability community has come from nonprofits and government initiatives. Private investors have the opportunity to benefit financially while driving real change.

Chris believes this gap is due in part to the lack of disability representation in the VC space. Investors need to see the revenue – and that’s what this podcast aims to show them

By spotlighting successful entrepreneurs and investment opportunities, Investing in Accessibility aims to shift perceptions and encourage mainstream investors to recognize the value in this growing sector. 

Looking Ahead and DEI

As Maher and Crosby continue their journey with Investing in Accessibility, they hope to reach not just entrepreneurs and disability advocates but also institutional investors, venture capitalists, and corporate leaders. In a season when DEI is being pushed back, this podcast is reminding listeners that DEI was never about tokenism. The disability community doesn’t want to be handed opportunities just because they’re disabled, they want to be considered for opportunities based on their qualifications. This is where the overlooked money is –  investing in good, scalable business opportunities that are coming from a forgotten population.

The podcast is only five episodes in, but each episode is reinforcing the powerful message for investors that an investment in accessibility and inclusion is an investment for all.

Check out the podcast, here.

News from the TravelAbility Community

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Sunflower program expanding its reach, PVA exposing the numbers behind inaccessibility, Myrtle Beach awarded for inclusion, and more in this month’s community news.

Fort Wayne Using New Cheap, Fast Tech to Make Pedestrian Signals Accessible

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Online Reviews Show Which National Parks are Attracting Disabled Guests

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TravelAbility Trusted Apps and Programs Making Travel Equitable

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Myrtle Beach Awarded 2024 Travel Vanguard Award for its Autism-Friendly Travel Efforts

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Inclusion Made this D.C. Circus a Whole Lot More Entertaining

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PVA Survey Reveals Alarming Accessibility Barriers

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The Best and Worst U.S. States for People With Disabilities

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Cincinnati Makes New Motion to Welcome All

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Sunflower Program Soars with Air Canada

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Medina Becomes the First Autism Certified City™ in Middle East, Setting a Global Benchmark for Inclusivity

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Prince Harry Endorses Destination BC

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Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Becomes First National Park to Earn Certified Autism Center™ Designation

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Emirates sets to become the world’s first Autism Certified Airline™

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