TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

Travel Agent Survey: 61% Already Working with People with Disabilities

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B&W photo closely cropped of a wheelchair and steps

The world is not built for people with disabilities. As a full-time wheelchair user, Kristy Durso knows this well. What some simply see as an inconvenience — a heavy door, a tight airplane lavatory, or even the awkward placement of shower controls in a hotel bathroom — could pose a safety risk for her and other individuals with limited mobility. 

In fact, when Durso, the owner of Incredible Memories Travel, is on the road, she’s always scanning her surroundings, taking note of any obstacles that may ruin a future trip for a client with accessibility needs.

“Imagine if you got to a hotel room, and you are not able to get into the bed because it’s at chin height,” she said. “High beds are very fashionable, but a super-high bed means we can’t get in it. Or imagine that your shower had a lock on it, and the only way to get into that shower is if you call down to the staff and ask them to bring you the key. That’s the kind of thing that happens to us.”

Our Takeaway: That 61% of travel agents surveyed are already selling to clients and up to 80% want to learn more about accessibility is indicative of their client base aging into the next chapter of their lives in which disability, or caring for a spouse with a disability, is becoming a reality. Read More.

Oregon Coast Tourism Receives $200k to Conduct Accessibility Assessments

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Eight Oregon Coast destination management organizations (DMOs) were granted a total of $201,240 to partner with Wheel the World, a global accessible travel company, in their effort to make the Oregon Coast more accessible to travelers with disabilities

The funds awarded are the result of a coordinated approach among partners to apply for Travel Oregon’s 2022 Capacity and Small Project Grants. These communities and organizations are working to provide disabled travelers with comprehensive, accurate information to make their stay on the Oregon Coast more accessible. Read More.

Our Takeaway: Accessibility is contagious. Oregon Coast region DMO used grant funding from the state to send ten of their industry partners to EMS 2022, which included a mix of DMO’s. Several of the DMO’s brought attractions, city managers and elected officials which resulted in an accessibility strategy that is spreading to other regions.

Ciao! Blogger Cory Lee Spends Five Wheelchair-Friendly Days in Rome

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Photo of Blogger Cory Lee dressed in blue jeans and a blue shirt sitting in his wheelchair in front of theColiseum

Since he ate his first slice of pizza, Cory Lee Woodard dreamed of visiting Italy. In September 2021 during the Omicron era of COVID-19, Cory, and some friends, made their dream trip reality, beginning in the Eternal City of Rome, then continuing on to Venice for a few days.  Over the course of five days in Rome, they toured historical sights, saw more beauty than they could imagine, and ate a lot of great Italian food. Despite Rome being an older city, they found it surprisingly accessible as well. To discover all the accessible Rome attractions that Cory experienced view his day-by-day itinerary here.

TravelAbility Insider Insight: What we love about Cory Lee’s blog posts is the indomitably positive approach he uses to cover travel. Here he uses an in-country accessible travel specialist, Rome and Italy Travel, one of many such services around the world that have made wheelchair travel to ancient cities possible.

Department of Commerce Appoints 3 TravelAbility presenters to U.S. Tour and Travel Advisory Board

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White House icon on blue background.with texgt saying White House, Washington
White House, Washjngton DC logo

Congratulations to Advisory Board members Eric Lipp, founder of Open Doors Organization and emeritus member, John Sage, founder of Accessible Travel Solutions, both wheelchair users and legends in the accessible travel industry, who along with Andrew Leary, Director of Sustainable Travel and Partnerships for Leave No Trace were appointed by Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo to the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. They join other industry leaders such as the CEO’s of Airbnb, Booking.com, TripAdvisor and Expedia. See the full list of members here.

TravelAbility Insider Insight: Having two legends who’ve been deeply involved in accessible travel for over twenty years with a seat at the table contributing to future travel policy is a big win for the future of accessible travel and an acknowledgement that travelers with disabilities are an important segment for the future of the industry. 

Global Survey Uncovers Shortcomings in Social Media

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Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, released findings from a new global survey on consumer sentiment on social media content of travel brands and traditional travel influencers. Kimpton polled more than 4,000 people from Australia, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. and found an overwhelming need for more authentic and varied travel content as well as a high demand for travel brands to do more to feature inclusive and diverse content creators and experiences. Read more.