TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

John Morris Creates Wheelchair Travel Group Tour Programs for 2022 and 2023 Departures

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John Morris sitting in his wheelchair in front of a bay and city skyline.

John Morris, founder of the accessible travel website WheelchairTravel.org, will welcome his readers to Portugal later this year, with a disability-friendly group trip. Disabled people from around the world will join Morris, exploring Lisbon, Batalha and other cities in Portugal for an accessible journey to remember.

“When selecting destinations for an accessible group tour, I look for places that have the infrastructure to support accessible travel, and that have demonstrated a commitment to greater inclusivity,” said Morris. “My local partners and the Portuguese tourism authority (Visit Portugal) have worked with me to ensure that my readers will receive a warm welcome to one of Europe’s premier travel destinations,” he said.

Accessible travel demand is increasing as we emerge from coronavirus lockdown, and Morris sees a strong future for his group tour business. Later this year, he’ll be announcing additional tours that will take place in 2022 and 2023. “My promise to the disability community is to ‘Open Your World,’ and through these group tours, I’m able to play a more direct role in connecting disabled people to the world, and the world to disabled people.”

To learn more about the accessible group tours led by John Morris, see his website, Wheelchair Travel.

Exploring Wheelchair Accessible Sarasota, FL

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Man sitting in wheelchair in front of garden.

Cory Lee of Curb Free with Cory Lee recently visited Sarasota, Florida, and gave the destination high praise.

He writes, “To be honest, I didn’t really know what Sarasota had to offer or what accessible sights there were to enjoy, but I’ve heard from multiple people that Sarasota is a fun destination, so I was excited to finally check it out. In short, Sarasota did not disappoint.”

He continued, “Whether you’re looking for an accessible beach destination or a plethora of indoor and outdoor attractions, there are plenty of wheelchair accessible Sarasota attractions and things to do for any visitor. I had a wonderful few days in Sarasota and quickly discovered that it should be a must-visit destination for any accessible Florida trip.”

To read more about Cory’s visit to Sarasota, check out his blog post.

Wheel the World Launches 9 New Disability-Friendly Tours

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Wheelchair user in front of Machu Picchu ruins.

Wheel the World, the leading online travel booking platform for people with disabilities, has launched nine new accessible multi-day group tours for 2022, helping travelers with disabilities come together to discover some of the world’s greatest wonders.

The tours offer accessible accommodations, activities, ground transportation, in-destination guides and more, all with a thoughtful focus on the needs of disabled travelers. Group tours offer spaces for eight to ten travelers using manual or power wheelchairs depending on the destination. Destinations range from New York City to Israel, Greece, Costa Rica, Morocco and Switzerland.

To learn more about Wheel the World’s expanded offerings, see the full article in Travel Pulse.

TravelAbility Launches Accessible Destinations Portal

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Screenshot of TravelAbility Destinations page.

We are delighted to announce the first Accessible Destinations portal, a free service developed by TravelAbility to make travel easier for people with disabilities. Currently, the resource, which lives on the TravelAbility.net website, links travelers with a disability directly to 125 destination pages in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico containing content about the accessibility features of the destination.

While the ADA provides for the physical infrastructure to accommodate people with disabilities, there is no ADA for information, which is what’s needed to give this underserved segment of travelers the confidence to travel again.

The portal’s launch was recently covered in the Travel Industry Times.

Help is On The Way: American Rescue Plan Tourism Grant Allocations by State

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Map of the United States.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $510 million in American Rescue Plan State Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation grants to all 50 states and territories.

These funds will serve as a boost to tourism development and offer destinations an opportunity to place greater focus on an accessible travel future.

To learn more, read the full story at The Travel Vertical.