TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

Disability Role Model Cory Lee finds Oklahoma City is on a “Roll”

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Photo Courtesy: Cory Lee

Fans of Oklahoma, either the classic movie or the Broadway revival, are sure to love Cory Lee’s latest adventure: Oklahoma City.

With no real knowledge of the city itself, its offerings, or even its attractions – other than that learned while watching the Broadway musical – travel enthusiast Cory Lee recently headed out to Oklahoma City for a long weekend visit. All of his experiences, from a beautiful morning at Myriad Gardens to an emotional visit at the First Americans Museum, surpassed his expectations. He stated, “I left thinking that this is undoubtedly one of the most underrated cities in the U.S..”

If you’re looking for a wheelchair-accessible Oklahoma City experience, Cory Lee’s article has you covered. As he says, “Here are some of the greatest accessible things to do for a phenomenal trip…” How can we argue with that?

Check out Cory’s things to do and places to stay in Oklahoma City.

Movers and Shakers Turn out for the Grand Opening of The Schoolhouse Hotel

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Charlie Hammerman, founder of The Schoolhouse Hotel (TSH), and Bruce Bowling, Mayor of White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia

The Schoolhouse Hotel is the perfect accommodation for those looking for an accessible stay while vacationing in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. As the newest hotel in that city, it brings with it the accolade of being the world’s first fully ADA-compliant hotel, ensuring comfortable stays for neurodivergent individuals including those with mobility issues, blindness, and deafness.

West Virginia State Senator Shelly Caputo welcomes the first all-inclusive hotel to White Sulfur Springs
Hammerman showing State Senator Shelly Caputo collapsing chairs
Unobstructed view from the rooftop of the Schoolhouse Hotel
Chelsea Ruby, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism, plans to include TSH in its promotional efforts
Greenbrier County Senator Stephen Baldwin
Moore Capito – Schoolhouse attorney and West Virginia State Senator Shelly Caputo’s son
Official Unveiling: From R to L, Moore Capito, Charlie Hammerman, West Virginia State Senator Shelly Caputo, Senator Stephen Baldwin, Mayor Bruce Bowling, Senator Joe Manchin’s Aid, Mike Graney (Executive Director of WV Department of Economic Development)

Just Released: “Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities” Report by MMGY Global

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According to the newly published “Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities” Mobility and Accessibility survey from MMGY Global, every industry should act now to better understand and meet the needs of individuals who use mobility aids and their traveling companions. This survey discovered that accessibility for lodging and transportation is the greatest barrier to travel for those with mobility issues. Nearly all respondents (96%) experienced a lodging problem on their most recent trip. 86% reported flight problems and 79% experienced transportation issues in their local market. In addition to these difficulties, 79% of respondents had in-market transportation problems and 86% had flight issues.

Across the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries, travelers with mobility issues should be granted the same experiences as those without. $58.2 billion is spent annually on travel by those with mobility disabilities. They take an average of 3.4 leisure trips in the past 12 months and spend an average of $3,546 on leisure travel.

Our take: While the results that over 80% of accessible hotel bathrooms are unusable for wheelchair users is hardly surprising (see our original article about hotel showers here), the fact that such a highly respected organization such as MMGY Global Intelligence, has added accessibility to their research portfolio, will add further validation and generate new attention from DMO’s and hotel companies. For more about this survey, read the MMGY Global article.

Nature Beckons! Wheelchair Accessible Camping Trips This Summer

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Camping tent against a beautiful blue starlit sky.

Kristin, who was born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, shares the details of some of her adventures on her blog, World on Wheels. Recently, she wrote about the opportunity camping offers to disabled travelers, and how she’s managed to figure it out.

She writes, “I love to travel internationally, but I also enjoy exploring my own country. I mean, there are so many beautiful places in the U.S., who wouldn’t want to see them?”

Hear, hear!

To see the Great Outdoors, Kristin says that “the main way to travel domestically is by camping. It allows you to not only see specific destinations, but also some amazing sights along the way.”

To read Kristin’s guide to camping for the disabled, check out the World on Wheels blog.

Featured Accessible Destinations for March

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Aerial view of Cabo San Lucas, the city and beaches.

Accessible travel is available worldwide, and TravelAbility’s Destinations with Accessibility project is expanding! Our database now includes accessible content for over 125 destinations in the USA, Canada and Mexico. This month, check out the information we’ve collected for destinations across a sample of regions:

The next world region we’ll focus on is the Caribbean Islands, with destinations set to appear in the database soon.

Has your destination created an accessible landing page to welcome disabled travelers? It’s never too late to start!