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The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

Shaping Accessible Travel: Destination A11y Club Members Drive Innovation

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What began as a space to connect around the TravelAbility Playbook has evolved into something far bigger. The Destination A11y Club (DAC) is no longer just sharing ideas. It’s launching pilots, influencing policy conversations, embedding accessibility into education, and building tools that will shape how destinations prepare for 2030 and beyond.

Here’s a snapshot from February’s DAC meeting.

Jake Steinman, Founder, TravelAbility

The 2030 “Moonshot” + Convention Center Pilot

Following a 47-stop listening tour that included meetings with Destination DC and VISIT FLORIDA, Jake shared two major initiatives:

1. TravelAbility Approved Convention Centers (Pilot Launching)

A new program designed to align accessibility with sustainability-level standards. Five DAC DMOs will pilot the program. Coverage from USAE will provide marketing and gauge interest.

2. America 250: Accessibility Handbook

Along with the DAC, TravelAbility is developing an accessibility framework to support America 250 celebrations — with a legacy impact that extends beyond 2026. The goal is to position DMOs as the accessibility hub connecting transportation, planning, disability services, and city leadership.

3. Plug-and-Play Accessibility Guide

TravelAbility has compiled vetted InnovateAble products, affordable, scalable solutions for convention centers, cities, and hotels, creating an actionable menu of improvements tied directly to the 2030 demographic shift.

Destination Updates from the Field

Tami Reist, CEO, Visit North Alabama

Launched a first-of-its-kind accessible adventure guide and distributed $500 micro-grants across her 16 counties to spark tangible improvements—from sensory rooms and Braille signage to automated doors for independent wheelchair access—now compiling the results into a regional booklet tied to America 250. She’s leveraging the initiative to engage congressional and transportation leaders on the coming 2030 accessibility surge, while also pushing the hotel industry to confront unmet demand for accessible rooms and rethink compliance as both an economic and community imperative.

Molly Barbeiri, Visit Tampa Bay

Announced that early bird registration is now open for the upcoming TravelAbility Summit in Tampa, alongside monthly strategy calls with TravelAbility positioning the city as a model accessible destination of the future. As part of that effort, Tampa is working with a the host hotel to transform two ADA rooms into hands-on accessibility showrooms featuring InnovateAble style “catalog” products, inviting hotels and attractions to tour the spaces daily and accelerate adoption across the destination.

Cassie & Rami, Visit Charlottesville

Hosted their third annual “Tourism for All” conference, drawing 125 tourism professionals and centering accessibility with a dedicated panel. Secured a $10,000 grant from Virginia Tourism Corporation to bring Houston Vandergriff of Downs & Towns to the destination for a three-day, history-focused itinerary aligned with America 250. Houston’s project now appears in 100,000 printed visitor guides, which also feature a new accessibility page directing readers online—work that has already inspired Tennessee State Parks to pursue a similar collaboration, with Charlottesville next presenting on accessibility at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference.

Kate Lieto, Experience Grand Rapids

Launched a new AI Accessibility Agent in partnership with Wheel the World, the result of nearly a year of development. The visitor-facing chatbot includes accessibility details for roughly 500 mapped venues—sourced through the local disability network, Wheel the World data, and hosted influencers—and can answer both broad trip-planning questions and highly specific ones, like exact hotel bed heights, with more enhancements still to come.

Claire Mouledoux, Visit Alexandria

Launching a new destination campaign that, for the first time, features a traveler with a visible disability in the primary cast, signaling a meaningful step forward in representation. With new senior operations leader Mary Ronaldo championing accessibility internally, the team is continuing staff-wide training with Visitable and hosting a “Welcoming Travelers with Disabilities” member program this April at Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus—embedding accessibility across marketing, operations, and membership efforts.

Julie Pingston, Choose Lansing

Launching a walking study with AARP to train stakeholders on infrastructure improvements that benefit both residents and visitors.

Kate Sappell, Travel Oregon

Concentrating on the DOJ’s digital accessibility compliance deadline, supporting partners in meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards through a statewide webinar and a new “Ask an Expert” program that offers up to five hours of one-on-one consulting with accessibility specialist Jen Macias. The team is also working to better connect physical accessibility assessments with the online visitor experience and will spotlight that progress at the Governor’s Conference in panels including disability advocate Sophie Morgan.

Toni Bastian, Visit Richmond

As host of this June’s TBEX, Visit Richmond created 19 pre-conference tours and ensured each one includes detailed, practical accessibility information on the event website—raising the bar beyond the typical “not ADA” label seen at prior conferences. The team used TravelAbility’s AI Companion to refine clear, respectful language for the descriptions, aligning with TBEX’s broader accessibility programming this year, which includes a keynote including Cory Lee, Leslie Walker, and Phoenyx Powell.

Kitty Sharman, TravelAbility

Nearly 3,000 students have completed an accessibility module based on the TravelAbility Playbook embedded within required coursework, helping scale accessibility education across the next generation of industry leaders.

Hot-Off-the-Press Data | Brian Searfoss, VP Client Engagement, Longwoods International

In partnership with TravelAbility, Longwoods analyzed 3,985 overnight trips (Jan–June 2025).

Key Findings:

  • 18% of U.S. travel parties include someone requiring accessibility services
  • 62% mobility-related
  • 20% hearing
  • 20% vision
  • 18% cognitive/neurodiverse

This is not an occasional traveler segment:

  • 36% take four or more trips annually
  • 58% strongly prefer returning to destinations that prove accessible
  • 80% of travelers with disabilities plan their own trips

Accessibility performance nationally is holding steady — but not improving. Some destinations saw satisfaction decline in 2024.

The takeaway: accessibility isn’t niche. It’s loyalty, frequency, and long-lead planning power.

Insights from TravelAbility’s Winter Advisory Board Meeting

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This month we’re thrilled to welcome three new members to our Advisory Board:

Megan Kimble smiles in a professional headshot against a textured gray background. She has long light brown hair worn straight and wears a sleeveless patterned top, looking directly at the camera with a friendly expression.

Megan Kimble| United Airlines

As the manager of customer strategy and innovation, Megan is moving United forward towards welcoming all. She’s currently focused primarily on accessibility and wheelchair travel with mobility devices, though she’s learning about what the travel experience looks like across multiple disabilities, and she’s working for better solutions. She’s excited to make travel better for all.

Austin Whitney smiles outdoors while wearing yellow-framed sunglasses and a leopard-print button-down shirt. He has short light pink hair and a beard, standing in front of a white slatted wall in bright sunlight.

Austin Whitney | Accessibility Live

As the founder of Accessible Festivals, Austin has provided accessibility services for over 150 major events. His focus is on bringing events beyond ADA to become truly welcoming.

Karen Morales smiles confidently in a studio portrait. She wears a navy blue dress with black detailing, standing against a dark neutral background.

Karen Morales | FORA Travel

As a luxury travel specialist at FORA Travel, and the lead of their accessibility division, Karen booked $100 million in accessible travel in 2025 (out of over a billion each year). She’s working to democratize the travel industry.

News from the Team

The new year is full of promise. We’re reminded of this when we look at all that our advisory board members accomplished last year, and at all that’s already been initiated for the new year. Here are some highlights from our winter board meeting.

Ivor Ambrose | European Network of Accessible Tourism

Continuing to lead on a global scale through the European Network of Accessible Tourism, gathering and sharing best practices across destinations worldwide. Actively advancing conversations around ethics and accessibility, hosting a major global summit with more than 400 participants, and partnering with UN Tourism on a new manifesto for accessible tourism that helps define what “destinations for all” truly means.

Curt Cottle smiles in a professional headshot against a light background. He wears a dark blazer over a light-colored shirt and has a full gray beard, looking directly at the camera with a friendly expression.

Curt Cottle | National Travel and Tourism Office

Momentum is building at the National Travel and Tourism Office with the appointment of new director Robert O’Leary, who is highly receptive to accessibility and inclusion and eager to deepen engagement in this work.

Alison Brooks smiles in a professional headshot against a dark background. She has long blonde hair worn down and wears a sleeveless patterned top, looking directly at the camera with a warm expression.

Alison Brooks | Visit Mesa

Love on the Spectrum is coming to Mesa! Alison continues to spotlight inclusive adventure travel and has launched a food inclusivity program designed specifically for travelers with food sensitivities.

Chris Maher smiles in an outdoor photo wearing a navy quilted vest over a collared shirt. He stands in front of a glass surface with trees reflected behind him.

Chris Maher | Samaritan Partners

Accessibility moved up from the sidelines at CES, the most powerful tech event in the world. 180 people came early specifically to participate in a disability round table.

Camilo Navarro sits in a purple chair in an office setting, smiling at the camera. He wears a dark Columbia quarter-zip pullover with a “Wheel the World” logo, with wooden bookshelves and a softly blurred workspace in the background.

Camilo Navarro | Wheel the World

Wheel the World closed 2025 with 130 accessible destinations worldwide. They’re moving into 2026 better funded and ready to scale access globally.

Steve Nelson smiles in a selfie taken near an airplane doorway beside a blue sign that reads “Welcome aboard.” He wears a dark blazer over a black shirt and stands inside the aircraft entrance area.

Steve Nelson | Alaska Airlines

Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have opened their most accessible building to date, while continuing critical work on aircraft lavatory designs aimed at creating fully accessible restrooms, even within narrow-aisle aircraft.

Rob Harris poses in a professional headshot inside a modern office setting with large windows in the background. He wears a dark suit jacket over a white dress shirt, with neatly styled hair and a trimmed beard, looking confidently at the camera.

Rob Harris | Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Group is embedding accessibility into its culture by installing Accessibility Ambassadors across all ships and fleets. Core accessibility training has been redeveloped, with active work underway to scale and deploy it globally.

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Todd Brook smiles while speaking at a podium on stage. He wears a dark blazer over a white dress shirt and stands behind a clear lectern with a microphone, set against a dark background with stage lighting.

Todd Brook | Envisionit and Unchained

Building the Playbook Companion AI into a powerful accessibility assistant designed to function like an employee that can support basic communication, coordination, and administrative tasks for users.

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Mark Jones smiles in a selfie taken outdoors in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World. He wears black-framed glasses and a black collared shirt, with the iconic castle and park walkway visible behind him in bright daylight.

Mark Jones | Disney

Disney continues to elevate storytelling and craftsmanship. Accessibility updates can be found on the Disney website.

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Patty David smiles in a professional studio headshot against a light gray background. She wears a black cardigan over a white top, with short layered blonde hair styled neatly around her face.

Patty David | AARP

AARP is driving future-focused research on accessible travel, including surveys exploring what travel will look like in 2030 when every baby boomer has reached age 65.

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Danica Gonsalves smiles in an outdoor headshot with trees and greenery in the background. She wears a black blazer over a red top, with her long brown hair styled down and parted to the side, standing in bright natural sunlight.

Danica Gonsalves | Paralyzed Veterans of America

Paralyzed Veterans of America is developing a practical resource for hotels focused on achieving best-in-class accessibility, including guidance on how AI tools can support and enhance accessibility efforts.

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Meg Raby Klinghoffer stands in front of a white background with straight dark hair, wearing a black shirt, and smiles slightly at the camera.

Meg Raby Klinghoffer | KultureCity

KultureCity has launched new training for hotels and travel agencies, completed airport training initiatives, and certified nine beaches.

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Carol Giuliani smiles outdoors in front of a historic stone castle wall. She wears a white coat with a teal and green scarf, and the setting appears to be a scenic travel destination.

Carol Giuliana | Senior Travel Companion Services

Celebrating her 150th trip as a senior travel companion, Carol is responding to growing demand by building a “companion army” to support travelers who need one-on-one assistance.

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Kristy Durso is sitting in her wheelchair on the beach, smiling over her shoulder with the beautiful turquoise ocean in the background.

Kristy Durso | TravelAbility Ambassador

Leading a new initiative to create an accessible wedding planner guide for venues and destinations.

asha Blair-Goldensohn faces the camera in a close-up headshot. He wears round brown eyeglasses and a dark top against a plain white background, with a neutral expression.

Sasha Goldenstein | Google

Google now offers verified accessibility information for more than 50 million places worldwide. Later this year, Google will open an Accessibility Discovery Center at its New York City offices.

Laurel Van Horn smiles in an outdoor headshot surrounded by green foliage. She has long brown hair worn down and wears red lipstick, dark earrings, and a patterned scarf draped around her shoulders.

Laurel Van Horn | Open Doors Organization

The Open Doors Organization celebrates its 25th anniversary as a pioneer in accessible travel. Current efforts are focused on aviation, with the 10th annual Access in Aviation Conference approaching and ongoing research into boarding methods, neurodiversity, and wheelchair user experiences.

Houston Vandergriff stands smiling in the middle of a city street, holding a Nikon camera with both hands. He wears glasses and a rust-colored button-down shirt with a camera strap over his shoulder, with storefronts and parked cars softly blurred in the background.

Houston Vandergriff | Downs and Towns

Houston completed ten paid accessible-travel collaborations in 2025 via TravelAbility, appeared on the cover of the Charlottesville Visitor’s Guide, and attended an international travel market in London where accessibility was underrepresented. He was just selected by the National Park Service as an artist-in-residence for Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Chelsea Bear smiles at the camera while standing on a beach promenade at sunset. She wears a bright blue sweater and a black crossbody bag, with the ocean, beachgoers, and a colorful sky behind her.

Chelsea Bear | Influencer

Refining her business structure to take on more travel partnerships consistently. After recently moving back to South Florida, she’s excited to highlight more local destinations while seeking new travel partnerships globally. She was recently quoted in major travel media covering accessible travel from AFAR and Travel Pulse.

TravelAbility Announces First-of-Its-Kind Disability Content Creator Database With A Total of 164M Followers

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This year, the TravelAbility research team has developed a first-of-its-kind content creator database, currently identifying 555 verified disability creators with active social accounts across major platforms. The aim is to establish a network of disability influencers who hold trust and influence within their specific disability communities, creating a reliable media resource for travel marketers and serving as a collective voice for advocacy. 

Over the past year, our team has worked to identify creators, collect contact information, and build relationships. The creators in the database create a wide range of content with some focusing specifically on travel and others sharing accessibility through everyday lived experience. Their voices are trusted within disability communities and offer destinations an authentic way to connect. 

As the initiative moves forward, TravelAbility will continue to expand engagement and refine how the database supports creators, destinations and industry partners. 

Snapshot: Disability Creator Representation

Disability Category Verified Creators Estimated Combined Reach
Mobility29267M
Neurodivergent 9952M
Blind/ Low Vision3213M
Deaf / Hard of Hearing359M
Chronic Disease588M
Dwarfism2617M
Mental Illness7 5M
Senior11650K
Speech Impediment 4180K
Invisible Disability673K
Plus Size227K

Why the Database Matters

Disabled and aging travelers are actively seeking information about destinations investing in accessibility. For many within the disability community, travel bloggers and social media creators who share their lived experience serve as trusted sources of guidance when planning trips. Their perspectives provide practical insight into how accessibility features function in real-world settings.

When destinations collaborate with disabled content creators to highlight their accessibility features, they ensure that the people who rely on those features know they are available.

Until now, few structured resources have helped destinations identify disability creators with relevant access needs and established trust within their communities. This initiative helps close that gap.

Creator Engagement: What We’re Hearing

To better understand creator interest, experience, and readiness for destination collaboration, TravelAbility conducted a brief survey with creators contacted through the database.

Response at a glance:

  • 74 creators have responded so far
  • 18.5 million combined followers across respondents

What we’re learning:

  • 58 creators already produce travel or travel-adjacent content
  • 15 creators are interested in entering the travel space
  • 52 creators have never participated in a FAM or press trip, despite strong interest

These early responses point to strong creator engagement and a clear access gap, highlighting an opportunity for more outreach and education.

Initial Success and What’s Next

In its early stages, the Content Creator Database is already fostering new connections within the TravelAbility community. For the inaugural TravelAbility Film Festival, creators from the database submitted content, including several previously unknown to our community—like 3rd-place winner Vineet Victor—whose work was showcased to a room full of DMOs at the Summit. The database also enabled TravelAbility to welcome more disabled travelers to speak and participate in networking sessions, adding a richer tapestry of lived experiences to the Summit.

As we move into the next stage of this project, we plan to create more opportunities to inspire collaboration and deliver real value for all participants.

Lived Experience: 5 Myths About Accessible Family Travel with Amy Tarpein

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By Amy Tarpein

Amy Tarpein poses in a professional portrait against a light background. She wears a royal blue blazer over a black top, with long straight hair worn down and a warm, approachable expression.

@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: 500,000

Amy Tarpein is a vibrant figure in the world of accessible family travel, renowned for her dedication to providing inclusive travel information for all. As the founder of Elijah’s Baby Bucket List, which received the Evergreen Award for Best Accessible Family Travel Blog in the United States in 2025, she has paved the way for families to explore the world without barriers. Her passion for travel and inclusivity was deeply influenced by her terminally ill son, Elijah, whose lively spirit inspired her to create a platform where every family, regardless of their unique challenges, can experience the joys of travel. She has built an online community of over half a million followers worldwide.

A best-selling author and esteemed travel writer, Amy skillfully weaves stories of adventure, resilience, and heartfelt family moments in her work, captivating the hearts and imaginations of millions worldwide. As a globally recognized public speaker, Amy captivates audiences with her compelling narratives and infectious enthusiasm, motivating others to embrace life’s journey and advocate for a more inclusive society. Her efforts continue to inspire countless families to embark on their own adventures, equipped with the knowledge that the world is accessible to everyone.

Learn how to work with Amy here.

The following is an excerpt from Amy’s latest blog post. Are you a destination contributing to this myth, or debunking it?

5 Myths About Accessible Family Travel

Two children sit on a boat, smiling as they enjoy a scenic lake surrounded by forested mountains. One child uses a wheelchair, and both children appear joyful as the boat moves across the water in bright sunlight.

Myth 2: There are Limited Destinations

Many believe that accessible travel options are limited to just a few places. On the contrary, numerous destinations worldwide emphasize accessibility. A 2019 study by Tripadvisor found that 72% of travelers want to know about accessibility features before booking. This demand has encouraged many family-friendly destinations to prioritize accessibility.

We have done things like swimming with penguins, riding mountain coasters, and watching Old Faithful. Locations like Tanganyika Wildlife Park, beautiful beaches, and expansive national parks are continually improving accessibility. They are now offering wheelchair rentals. Guided tours are tailored to families with varying needs.

More hotels and resorts are adopting universal design principles to accommodate guests of all abilities. This ensures that everyone can experience the joy of travel together. The possibilities for unforgettable family adventures are vast. They range from interactive exhibits at science centers to accessible hiking trails. These experiences facilitate lasting memories.

Read Full Article Here


Rosie Roaming: Learn Through Real Travels of Disabled Content Creators

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By Rosie Dunn

Rosie Dunn smiling and holding up a U.S. passport, wearing a black tank top and gold necklace against a pink background.

Rosie Dunn is a content creator and travel writer who shares online about her travels and experiences as a full-time manual wheelchair user of over 20 years. Rosie has been to 39 states and 20 countries. Her passions include inclusive and stylish design, hotel and resort accessibility, connecting with other disabled women, exploring new places, travel photography, and disability representation. She has earned a B.A. from The University of Notre Dame and a MSc in Disability Studies from University College Dublin. Rosie is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Belmont University in her hometown of Nashville, TN. She will be doing her doctoral capstone in inclusive design. 

@RosieRoaming

Wheelchair Travel Tips

✈️ navigating life & travel on wheels

🗺️ 20 countries, 39 states & counting

My Best & Worst Experiences In Europe So Far

I’ve traveled to 16 countries in Europe in my wheelchair- here are some of my best and worst experiences so far. There are so many great things to see in Europe, so picking “bests” can be subjective. Also, my bad experiences don’t mean the cities aren’t necessarily worth visiting if you’re a wheelchair user!

Worst “Shower Chair”: Hotel Zermama

Reclined lounge-style chair placed inside a hotel shower stall, positioned away from the controls and illustrating an inappropriate and unsafe substitute for a proper shower chair.

My mom and I stayed at Hotel Zermama in Zermatt, Switzerland. We enjoyed our stay, except for their shower accommodations. As a “shower chair”, the hotel provided me with what was clearly a lounge chair. It was in no way appropriate for me to use as a shower chair – it was reclined and the only orientation that it could fit in the shower was facing away from the controls and soaps. When I got to the hotel and saw the monstrosity that they put in my shower, I hopped in to take photos to send to my friends and share with my followers, because it looked absolutely ridiculous. When I was transferring back into my wheelchair, the “shower chair” tipped over and I fell to the ground. Thankfully, I was not injured. I have been using a shower chair for over a decade and this is the first time I’ve ever fallen in the shower. Later that night, I had to take a shower, and had no other choice but to use the shower chair. I did not fall, but I had to have my mom’s assistance with showering because I couldn’t reach anything or transfer safely without her help. This is nowhere near the first time I have encountered an inadequate shower setup when traveling, but it is the most ridiculous.  

Simple shower chairs with a back are easily available for purchase for $60 on Amazon. I do not see an excuse for every hotel to have at least 2 of these for their guests to use. I am a paying customer and should be able to safely take a shower at a hotel! I am tired of poor design and a lack of consideration preventing me from showering independently when I travel. I shouldn’t have to have the help of my mom when a design change (or $60 purchase for a hotel) could completely prevent this outcome and give me some dignity back. Thankfully, I am comfortable with my mom helping me (although it is incredibly frustrating to need her help)- but if I was traveling with anyone else, or alone, I wouldn’t be able to shower safely…

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Learn how to work with Rosie Here

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