TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

New Travel Guide Shows Wheelchair Users How to Explore Salt Lake City

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Salt Lake City skyline.

TravelAbility Advisory Board member John Morris recently traveled to Utah and published a free wheelchair accessible travel guide to Salt Lake City on his website, Wheelchair Travel.

The travel guide contains detailed information on accessible attractions, hotels and transportation services in Salt Lake City – resources disabled travelers need to confidently explore new destinations. In rating the key areas of access for disabled tourists, Morris gave Salt Lake City high marks for the accessibility of its tourist attractions and public transportation system.

The Salt Lake City wheelchair travel guide is one of more than 50 accessible travel guides on the Wheelchair Travel website and can be accessed by clicking here.

Vaccine Rollout Gives Travel Industry a Shot in the Arm (of Hope)

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Nurse administering vaccine shot into man's arm.

When Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca announced in November that their vaccines had been found to be at least 90% effective, there was a sharp increase in travel planning and booking.

Travel Weekly reported that Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean both saw an increase in cruise bookings following the news of effective Covid-19 vaccines. SkyScanner, a website for comparing and purchasing airfare, said that searches for travel to Mexico were up 10% over the prior year in the days following Pfizer’s release.

That enthusiasm has carried over into 2021. In a story that appeared on Afar, one travel agent said that she received more inquiries on the first Monday of the New Year than she had in the entire month that the pandemic took hold last year. Travel booking site Hopper reported that the largest increase in searches for 2021 travel have been for the months of July and August – the months that, according to the president, the majority of Americans should have access to the vaccine.

As more people are vaccinated and confidence grows, we inch ever closer to the recovery that the travel industry is so eagerly awaiting. It could begin as soon as this summer.

The “Right Stuff?” Europe to Recruit Disabled Astronaut for Space Travel

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Astronaut floating in space.

The European Space Agency is accepting applications to fill up to 6 spots in its astronaut program, and it is seeking to promote diversity in its selection process. The agency will at the same time pursue a separate goal of recruiting a disabled person to join its astronaut corps, and has asked the International Paralympic Committee for assistance in finding the right person.

Dr. David Parker, director of the European Space Agency’s robotics and human spaceflight program, has said the recruitment of a disabled person “is not about tokenism.” He told BBC News that the agency is “not looking to hire a space tourist that happens also to have a disability,” but is looking for a person “to do the science; they would need to participate in all the normal operations of the International Space Station (ISS).”

To qualify, candidates are expected to have a master’s degree in a relevant field. Conditions which would have previously disqualified a candidate, such as lower limb deficiency or restricted growth, will be considered in pursuit of a disabled astronaut. Applications will be accepted beginning March 31st.

OUR TAKE: Diversity and inclusion initiatives often overlook disabled people, but the European Space Agency is taking a bold step in welcoming disabled people into its astronaut program. For many disabled people, the thought of a zero-gravity world is a dream – space is a place where every person has equal freedom to float. Could space be the great equalizer?

To read more about the space agency’s search for a disabled astronaut, click here.

This story sponsored by Google: See Google “Assist” accessibility features in action here.

Disabled People Speak Out About Accessible Travel — Here’s What They Said (and what they’re looking for)

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Wheelchair user at the beach.

John Morris, founder of Wheelchair Travel and a member of the TravelAbility Advisory Board, recently published the results of a wide-ranging survey he conducted on accessible travel. Referenced by Expedia’s “Breaking Down Barriers to Travel Report,” Wheelchair Travel’s 2020 Accessible Travel Study included more than 700 participants, 90% of whom have a disability of their own.

The survey sought to better understand the travel patterns of disabled people, and to identify ways that travel providers could better serve those who have accessibility needs.

An important finding that destinations should pay particular attention to found that 81% of disabled travelers said that accessibility was an important factor in selecting a vacation destination. 50% said it was the “most important” consideration.

The report referenced TravelAbility’s campaign to promote the development of Accessible Travel Landing Pages on CVB and DMO websites. When asked to identify which types of information should appear on those pages, 84% said accessible lodging, 74% said accessible restaurants and 73% said accessible museums and attractions.

OUR TAKE: As the study reveals, there is tremendous opportunity for destinations to attract disabled visitors – 87% of whom travel with at least one other person. With the pent-up demand for travel, extending a welcome mat to disabled people can be an important revenue-driver in the post-pandemic recovery.

To read the full study, click here.

How a Blind Travel Agent (and 2019 TravelAbility Summit Speaker) Adapts to a Sighted World

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Photo of Sue Slater.
Sue Slater, Owner, Presto Magic Travel

Sue Slater, owner of Presto Magic Travel and a speaker at the 2019 TravelAbility Summit, was recently profiled by TravelPulse.

The article describes her path to becoming a travel agent and how she has been able to build a successful travel business as a blind person. She’s incorporated technology like Aira and the JAWS screen reader software to ensure that she is always able to deliver for her customers. “If you’re going to be blind, the 21st century is the time because there is so much technology that makes it almost like you can see again,” she said.

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone in the travel industry, but it has been more challenging for Sue than most. In February, she was faced with the unexpected loss of her husband and business partner, Larry.

Despite the pandemic and the loss of her husband, Sue has adapted, remaining focused on the future. She has approached the uncertainty of 2020 with her ever-positive spirit, and told TravelPulse readers to “have a smile on your face, give yourself a virtual hug and go out in the world looking for a new adventure.” That’s great advice for us all as we approach what will hopefully be a much brighter 2021.

To read the complete profile on Sue Slater in TravelPulse, click here.