Better leave some extra time before you board that flight. NPR’s Marketplace explores what systems may be in place to protect you and your fellow passengers when flying takes off again. Read more.
Radical New Ideas for Flying Post Covid-19
Transportation
Major Tour Operator Using “Well Being Directors” to Oversee Safety on Trips
The Travel Corporation, which owns 30 travel brands, announced new wellbeing policies for its guided vacations. The Well-being Directors will be trained in supplier engagement and compliance, daily monitoring of distancing, and hygiene standards. They will offer personal support to guests who have any questions or concerns relating to wellbeing measures while traveling. See more.
FAQ: The Top Questions Asked About Hotel Accessibility – Part 1
Where to start—it’s the question we get when asked about making hotels more accessible. Our suggestion: Start with the very first questions a traveler may have, even before they park their car. Think parking and elevators, signage and ramps.
The 20 questions, below, are adapted from a list on the ADA’s Checklist for Existing Facilities which was created by the New England ADA Center, a project of the Institute for Human-Centered Design.
Don’t stop reading here. Why? Because the intersection of design and hospitality is not nearly as eye-glazing as you might imagine. It gets pretty interesting, especially when you begin to get everyone on the same page when thinking about bigger concepts, such as universal design. Many DMO’s we’ve spoken to said they have created an Accessibility Committee, filling it with representatives from all departments to work across silos.
Accessing the Hotel & The Room
- How many accessible parking spaces are available?
- How Many Van Accessible Parking Spaces are Available
- Are there any steps to the entrance of the Hotel?
- Is there an alternative accessible entrance?
- Is there a manual door at the entrance?
- How wide is the entry door?
- Is there a low counter at reception?
- Is there a wheelchair accessible bathroom in the lobby?
- What is the door measurement in the accessible lobby bathroom?
- Is there an elevator? If so….
- What is the width of the elevator door?
- Is there a voice announcement in the elevator?
- Are there raised letters/numbers or braille on elevator buttons?
- How high is the highest floor button in the elevator?
- Are there signs directing people to the accessible entrance?
- What is the floor surface in the lobby? If it is carpet how thick is it?
- Does the accessible entrance provide direct access to the main floor and lobby
- Are guide dogs and support animals welcome?
- IS there level or ramped access to the hotel bar?
- IS there level or ramped access to hotel dining areas?
Two Companies Disrupting the Wheelchair Rental Market for Good
People 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
Let A Travel Pro Design Accessible Itineraries For Your Destination
If you are looking for an accessible itinerary to post on your site or offer as a service to the burgeoning group of travelers who need some accessibility built into their stay, where do you start?
You could go with what comes up on Google (meh) or you could trust five of the most curious, experienced and trustworthy pros in disability tourism (yes!) Imagine: Signed, sealed, delivered, it’s yours to publicize on your website and share through your social media channels.
Niche travel is sold through itineraries that include attractions, tours, and sites that cater to a specific audience,” stated Jake Steinman, founder of TravelAbility Summit. “We brought them together to help destinations add authenticity to their accessible itineraries by having them created by actual travelers with different disabilities who are prominent professionals in the industry.
“Once these itineraries are designed, DMO’s can promote the fact that they were designed by disability travel thought-leaders, all of whom have their own extensive following and can offer cross-promotion opportunities as well as consultation advice.”
Here is some background information on each itinerary design team member.
Cory Lee Woodard writes a travel blog Curb Free with Cory Lee and recently started his own travel agency. On his blog, full of detailed itineraries from around the globe, his mission is to show readers how, where and why to travel as a person with a disability. If you’ve got questions—what city is the most wheelchair-friendly? to what’s the best way to determine if a hotel has a roll-in shower? Cory Lee has answers.
Sid Marcos is a business developer from San Diego, California. She is the former director of development for Outlandish Travel, where she produced accessible destination guides around fun themes such as pub tours. She is a founding member of the National Startup League and director of an incubator for social entrepreneurs. Learn more on her blog.
Sue Slater, the founder of Presto Magic Travel, is a cruise and groups specialist who will soon be celebrating her 20th year in the travel industry creating accessible itineraries. She’s sent thousands of people on cruises all over the world, including cruise destination weddings. Accessibility is a personal passion and a necessity. Sue is blind and her husband has a chronic disability that requires him to use a wheelchair. Both travel extensively, hence she can find a work-around for pretty much any travel need you might have. Learn more, here.
John Morris approaches travel from a critical angle—in a good way. His fact-checking and reporting on the latest news in accessible travel is unrivaled. That’s probably because he’s traveling the world an average of 310 days a year as a triple amputee with one hand, a passport and a power wheelchair, writing about his travels and adventures—and asking crucial accessibility questions along the way. Read his blog, wheelchairtravel.org.
All five experts will be on-site at TravelAbility Summit, November 12-13 in San Francisco. The team will be given designated “office hours” at the end of each day to talk with you about creating authentic accessible itineraries
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