TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Tourism

Around the Web November 2025

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AI leading the charge for inclusion and other surprising news and inspiration. Dive in Below!

Coopetition: TravelAbility’s New Word for Driving Change

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By Jennifer Allen

“Competing is not hating, it’s actually putting appreciation into action.” ~50 Cent

This is what we learned through the friendly coopetition – cooperation and competition – at the TravelAbility Summit. Pure Michigan’s announcement that they have more track chairs than any other state may be pushing Travel Oregon to top that number, but no one’s complaining. Coopetition is a force for positive change.

On that token, I dare you to outdo these initiatives.

  • Visit Mesa sends weekly emails with simple, practical things partners can do to be more inclusive.
  • Oregon is the first Accessibility Verified state – involving all seven tourism regions, covering accommodations, attractions, hotels, and restaurants, with information for visitors with both visible and non-visible disabilities.
  • Southern Oregon, North Alabama, and Discover Lancaster have offered independent Accessibility in Tourism workshops.
  • North Alabama published a print guide on accessible adventures, covering multiple disabilities and including sample itineraries.
  • Visit California launched a centralized accessibility resource site, paired with a video road-trip series by disability advocate Sophie Morgan to showcase inclusive travel experiences.
  • Kansas City’s MCI Airport added Aira — offering real-time visual navigation assistance via the Aira app for blind and low-vision travelers.
  • Tennessee State Parks recently installed eight additional adult-sized changing tables, now available in 18 parks across the state.

Don’t be intimidated – be inspired! How will you add to the Coopetition?

Can I Get Your Autograph? A Look at the Influencers Coming to the 2025 TravelAbility Summit

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Taylor Leigh Aguilar

@BlindEagleProductions

Filmmaker

Colorado-based production company founded by Taylor Leigh Aguilar. Film with a new kind of vision.

Total followers across platforms: 2,054

Jennifer Allen

@WondersWithinReach 

Writer and Content Creator

Disability mom ✈️ Wheelchair travel

Sharing our journey to help others in theirs

💜 Jesus, adoption, and inclusion

Total followers across platforms: 25,000

Chelsea Bear

@RealChelseaBear

Digital creator

✨ sharing Cerebral Palsy through my lens

Total followers across platforms: 700,000

Rosie Dunn

@RosieRoaming

Wheelchair Travel Tips

✈️ navigating life & travel on wheels

🗺️ 20 countries, 39 states & counting

Total followers across platforms: 3,900

Kristy Durso

@KristyGoes

Entrepreneur

Keynote speaker, mom to 3 kids, military wife, wheelchair user, travel lover, disability advocate/consultant, owner Incredible Memories Travel

Total followers across platforms: 2,000

Anthony Ferraro

@asfvision

Blind Filmmaker and Paralympian

🎥 A Shot in the Dark

🥋 Para Judo 🛹Skateboard

🎙 Pod @fourbadeyes

🎶 Musician 🎤 Speaker

Total followers across platforms: 3,200,000

Suellen Henneberry

 @SueEllenHenneberry

Athlete

Spartan Race, Adaptive Amputee

Total followers across platforms: 400

John Morris

@WheelchairTravel

Blogger

Follow along as I travel the world with one hand, a passport and my power wheelchair. World’s largest accessible travel website. ♿️ ✈️ 🌎

Total followers across platforms: 50,000

Candy Harrington

EmergingHorizons.com

Travel Publication for Wheelchair-Users and Slow Walkers

Total followers across platforms: 20,000

Jessica Ping

@TheRollingExplorer

Public Figure

👑 Loud Disabled Feminist

📍Chicago

🎶 @jessicajordanping

🎙️ @accessdeniedpod

☕️ #AccessibiliTEA

Total followers across platforms: 209,000

Mandy Salas

@ImMandySalas

Motivational Speaker

Resilience Advocate, Quadriplegic Mom, Upcoming Author

Sharing my story of determination, grit, and mental strength to inspire others 🌟 🌱 💪

Total followers across platforms: 5,000

Amy Tarpein

@ElijahsBabyBucketList

Writer and Content Creator

✈️Travel Writer 🎗Lissencephaly Family

Sharing our journey to encourage others

and share Elijah’s joy with the world!

Total followers across platforms: 400,000

Ian Ruder

@NewMobilityMagazine 

Editor-In-Chief

I work to ensure the the voice of people with mobility-related disabilities is authentically represented in all of our content

Total followers across platforms: 305,000

Houston Vandergriff

A smiling man with glasses wearing an orange jacket holds a black camera while standing on a city street. Behind him is a blurred urban scene with historic brick buildings, parked cars, and a typical downtown streetscape.

@DownsAndTowns

Travel Photographer

ART. ADVENTURE. ADVOCACY.

Photographer with Down syndrome traveling the world | Nikon Creator | GAMUT Talent

Total followers across platforms: 700,000

Katie Vandergriff

Katie Vandergriff in a close-up portrait with short, layered dark brown hair with highlights, wearing silver hoop earrings and smiling warmly at the camera.

@DownsAndTowns

Disability Mom, Public Speaker, and Advocate

Alice Diehl

Alice Diehl wearing a silver crown and a purple sash reading 'Wheelchair Queen,' seated in an ornate chair against a purple backdrop, wearing a white sequined top.

Artist

Advocate

Actor @kelloinclusive @allhearttalent

Ms. Wheelchair Oregon 2025 2nd runner up 🏆@ms_wheelchair_america comp

Total followers across platforms: 2,900

Julie Jones

Julie Jones standing behind a man in a wheelchair who is wearing a red and blue baseball-style shirt; Julie wears a purple top with a red scarf and has her hand on his shoulder, both smiling at the camera

@TWLMag and @HaveWheelchairWillTravel

Writer and Content Creator

✈️ Travelling with a wheelchair. 📸. Sharing accessible tips and 🏖. Family travel ideas

Total followers across platforms: 19,500

Phoenyx Powell

Phoenyx Powell seated on an airplane seat, wearing a black leather jacket with blonde highlights in dark hair, looking off to the side.

@PhoenyxTravels

Blogger

Travel doesn’t have to be perfect — just possible.

Solo + accessible travel tips from lived experience

Total followers across platforms: 900

Tiffany Rose

Tiffany Rose is seated in a manual wheelchair at an outdoor event under tents, wearing a gray jacket and baseball cap with floral-patterned pants, as volunteers work around her in rainy conditions.

@TiffsChariot

Travel Service

Help create positive disability awareness and showing off travel accessibility for ALL

Blogger | Friedreich’s Ataxia Fighter | Wheelchair Adventurer♿️

Total followers across platforms: 7,600

📈Combined Total Reach of all Creators: 5,653,200

October News from the TravelAbility Community

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Myrtle Beach | AFAR highlights 5-Day Myrtle Beach Itinerary for All Abilities

A wooden beach access ramp leads through palm trees and coastal vegetation toward a sandy beach with turquoise ocean waters under a clear blue sky. Beachgoers can be seen in the distance along the shoreline, with the accessible boardwalk providing barrier-free passage from landscaped grounds to the beach.

Unlike many coastal locales, accessibility isn’t an afterthought in Myrtle Beach). The vacation destination is deeply committed to ensuring travelers of all abilities—those on the autism spectrum…

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Lotus | The Best Accessible Design of 2025

A black and white photo collage with pink geometric accents combines images of legs in white sneakers, a person sitting in a chair, someone holding a phone, and a mountain landscape, overlaid with a text box titled Alt Text that reads "The dust of the leaves turn orange below, The warmth of the light, The cool of the shadow, Cotton candy clouds look down where the Smoky Mountains grow, Postcard or painting, It's almost hard to know."

See all the honorees of Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards in the accessible design category…

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RightHear | accessiBe Partners with RightHear to Bring Accessibility Beyond the Screen

A partnership logo graphic features the "accessiBe" and "RightHear" brand names connected by a bright yellow circle with an "X" symbol, set against a blue and purple gradient background with subtle glowing effects.

Digital accessibility is just one part of creating an inclusive experience. For people with disabilities, accessibility doesn’t stop…

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Visit Florida and Wonders Within Reach | Wheelchair Accessible Restaurants in Sarasota, Florida

Jennifer Allen and her 3 children on a beach at sunset with arms raised joyfully, including a child using a blue wheelchair with beach-capable wheels. The group poses on white sand with lifeguard towers visible in the background during golden hour.

I don’t remember ever eating so well as we did in Sarasota. From Cuban sandwiches that melt in your mouth to donuts so fresh you’ll smell them before you see them, this city knows how to keep your tummy happy…

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Wheel the World | Colorado Tourism Office and Wheel the World Co-Host Nation’s First Travel Week Spotlighting Accessibility

The Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade logo combines the state's iconic "C" flag design with a circular certification emblem, followed by the agency's full name in black text.

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), in partnership with Wheel the World, hosted a curated…

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Visit California | Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport Expands Accessibility with ASL Interpretation App

Two men collaborate at a touchscreen service counter in a modern, bright airport, with one person using a smartphone app to translate sign language.

Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) today announced the launch of a new accessibility initiative in partnership with Aira, offering free, on-demand American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for deaf and hard of hearing travelers…

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Visit Grand Rapids | ‘Priceless’: Grand Rapids Public Museum Unveils Sneak Peak of Accessibility Upgrades to Carousel

An empty carousel is brightly lit up.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is inching closer to the completion of their multimillion-dollar renovation project to its carousel and riverfront access…

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Wheel the World, North Alabama, Cory Lee, and Wonders Within Reach | Accessible Guide to Alabama: Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants

Cory Lee, in a power wheelchair, travels along a brick sidewalk past the historic Miss Mylen Miller House, a white colonial-style building with black shutters surrounded by mature trees and maintained grounds behind a decorative iron fence.

North Alabama is one of those places that catches you off guard. You don’t expect mountains and canyons, but they’re here. You don’t expect world-famous music studios tucked into quiet towns, but…

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October 2025 Around the Web

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Travel and Tour World | Accessible Tourism Grows Exponentially Across The Globe, According To TUR4all’s Comprehensive Report On The Latest Travel Industry Trends

Two people, one using a wheelchair, explore a historic colonial plaza with cobblestone paving and archaded buildings under a bright blue sky.

Accessible tourism has witnessed remarkable growth worldwide, driven by an increasing demand for inclusive travel experiences that cater to individuals with…

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TUBU Festival Focuses on Travel and Tourism

An illustration depicts inclusive workplace accessibility, showing a person using a wheelchair at a computer workstation alongside a colleague using crutches.

The TUBU Fest, hosted in Austin, Texas, is an exceptional celebration of diverse voices and stories from playwrights with disabilities. This one-of-a-kind festival, now in its second year, presents 15 carefully curated plays by playwrights from all over the globe… 

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DOT Regressing in Protections for Disabled Travelers

A woman in a wheelchair wearing jeans and a yellow shirt sits in an airport terminal, gazing through floor-to-ceiling windows at an aircraft on the tarmac.

Airlines are watching as the US Department of Transportation (DOT) revisits a set of regulations intended to safeguard travellers with disabilities who rely on 
 wheelchairs. Originally unveiled by the Biden administration to strengthen existing safeguards, the rules were… 

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Taking Down Barriers to Take Off: How Airports Are Redefining Accessibility

Silhouetted against bright terminal windows, a caregiver pushes someone in a wheelchair through a modern airport concourse with reflective floors.

Airports are often seen as gateways to the world. For travellers with disabilities however, they can just as easily become barriers. In recognition of this, a recent Airports Council International (ACI) webinar on ‘Empowering Accessibility: Building Disability Advocacy… 

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Carnival Cruise Line is Cracking Down on Mobility Scooters

The Carnival Radiance cruise ship, featuring the distinctive red and blue funnel, is docked at a port under clear blue skies. Palm trees line the waterfront near the massive white vessel with its multiple decks and rows of balconies visible along the hull.

Modern, accessible cruise ships that simplify the logistics of traveling to different destinations make vacationing easier for those with mobility limitations. The appeal of cruising to travelers who use mobility aids is easy to see on Carnival Cruise Line… 

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Albertsons® Companies Launches “for U™ Travel,” a New Travel Booking Experience Rewarding Customers with Cashback on Flights, Hotels and More

The Albertsons Companies logo displays a stylized blue house or mountain shape containing a plant motif above the company name. The design uses shades of blue with "Albertsons" in a lighter blue and "Companies" in a darker blue rectangular banner below.

In partnership with Expedia Group, for U Travel brings value and ease beyond grocery rewards to every destination…. 

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Austin Volunteers Crack Down on Illegal Use of Accessible Parking

A news screenshot from KVUE ABC shows two people in bright yellow-green safety vests having a conversation next to a vehicle.

 Drivers in Austin are being reminded to respect accessible parking spaces, as a growing number of trained volunteers are now authorized to issue citations to those who park illegally… 

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Robots Are Measuring ADA Compliance in Irvine, California

A small white autonomous delivery robot with tank-style treads navigates a concrete sidewalk past landscaping with bird of paradise flowers. The compact robot has a storage compartment, QR code, camera, and blue informational flag attached to its side.

Officials have deployed urban service robots to inspect sidewalk accessibility, in order to take an informed approach to improvements; the project is part of the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act… 

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3 Ways to Engage Neurodiverse Audiences Now

An illustration shows five overlapping head silhouettes in different colors, each containing distinct symbols representing different types of cognitive thinking: puzzle pieces, numbers and equations, gears, musical notes and flowers, and connected nodes.

15-20% of the UK population is neurodivergent – and that figure’s growing. Hassell Inclusion CEO Jonathan Hassell unpacks how marketers can build deeper connections with this audience… 

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How to Design Accessible Spaces

The official Washington State government logo features two stylized evergreen trees in blue and green outline with a crescent moon, alongside "WA.gov" text and "THE EVERGREEN STATE" tagline on a dark blue background.

Get information and resources on how to design inclusive and accessible environments and products both in the real world and online… 

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Quick Wins to Get Started on Your Accessibility Journey

A young person with Down syndrome wearing a white shirt sits in front of a professional studio microphone, recording audio in a community setting.

When we talk about accessibility in tourism, sometimes the task ahead can feel overwhelming. In this blog we’ve tried to pull together some ‘quick wins’ to get you started… 

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Tourism Prince George Launches Virtual Tour Touting Accessible Spots

A virtual accessibility tour interface for Prince George, BC hotels displays a modern hotel lobby with a lowered check-in counter marked by a wheelchair accessibility icon, with a navigation menu listing various accommodations and their accessible features.

Tourism Prince George has launched a new way to help those with mobility challenges plan a getaway to the Northern Capital…. 

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