TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

A Fresh Voice Joins TravelAbility Summit Advisory Board

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Sid Marcos woking at camera wearing sweater and black hat (profile photo)TravelAbility Summit is pleased to welcome Sid Marcos, a business developer from San Diego, California, to the TravelAbility Summit Advisory Board. She is a founding member of the National Startup League and director of Commonwealth, an incubator for social entrepreneurs. She is the former director of development for Outlandish Travel and produced accessible destination guides around fun themes such as pub tours. Currently, she is writing about urbanism, design, and innovation on her personal blog. Here’s a video of Marcos, filmed a while back to explain the concept behind Outlandish Travel.  CLICK HERE

OUR TAKE: Marcos isn’t your average travel writer or vlogger. She tells it like it is. And what is it exactly? Very helpful, 100% wheelchair accessible guides to cities across the country. We were taken with her straightforward approach and the excellent points she made showing how there was a huge gap in the travel market for city guides and more. What makes her even more interesting? She travels with her Great Dane in a Smart Car. 

 

Travel Agent Survey Shows 50% Increase in Requests for Accessible Travel Products

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8 travel experts four in mobility scooters and four not in a group photo outside After a VisitScotland travel trade survey revealed that just over half of travel agents in Scotland reported an increase in requests for accessible travel products, they organized a FAM trip. It was the first-ever inclusive FAM tour to be organized there, according to Travel Trade Daily. European delegates spent three days visiting attractions such as the newly opened Clydeside Distillery, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Loch Katrine Experience, Stirling Castle, Royal Yacht Britannia and Beach Wheelchairs North Berwick. The story also explains that all of the attractions visited provide detailed information around their accessibility and make a conscious effort to ensure visitors with access requirements are able to have a good experience. READ MORE

OUR TAKE: Accessibility and inclusivity are clearly gaining a wider understanding, particularly among travel providers. Special Needs Group has trained over 5000 travel agents, mostly about mobile traveler needs. IBCCES has over 20,000 travel agents that have taken their program online. For reference, we’ve pulled together a (growing) list of Specialized Travel Providers on TravelAbilitySummit.com.   

photo courtesy VisitScotland 

 

6 Awesome Apps for Travelers with a Disability

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woman showing a teenager a cell phone that she is holding in her hand. He has his arms above his head and is looking closely at the screen,Thanks to the experts at Disability Horizons for finding and testing apps that make enjoying traveling easier for people with disabilities. One app focuses almost exclusively on finding parking and accessible bathrooms for wheelchair users. Another app pairs a blind person with someone who is sighted who can describe photos, graphics or words as art. (They have nearly 2,000 subscribers, so it’s very likely that you’ll get help consistently and quickly.) Another app reminds travelers when to take their medicine. Parents and caregivers will love this one. READ MORE

OUR TAKE: In a world where 1 in 5 people have a disability, there can’t be enough innovation. But if you read the Disability Horizons story, you’ll notice that many of the problems that apps solve aren’t rocket science—they cover the basics, give people with disabilities options and help people feel at home wherever they are. Who wouldn’t want those things? In fact, they are often helpful for people who do not have disabilities. At TravelAbility Summit this fall, we will be gathered in San Francisco with one goal—to make getting around the world easier for everyone. And yes, there will be apps there, too. The Summit Agenda includes entrepreneurs as well as pre-summit meetings with funders interested in founders of disability tech products.   

Universal Orlando’s Autism Superhero Saves a Family’s Vacation

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A scene with many people along a street that is packed with shops and a fire breathing dragon at Universal Orlando studios

Vacationer Lenore Koppelman and her son were extremely excited to take a spin on the Spiderman ride at Universal Orlando. But when it temporarily broke down during their visit—Ralph did too. An Orlando resort staffer (who saw Ralph was upset) also had a not-so-typical response: She lay down on the ground next to him and began to try to comfort him, according to USA TODAY.
If you’re wondering: What are the chances that a resort staffer would feel comfortable doing this?  You will be pleasantly surprised. Part of a growing trend, Universal Orlando’s staff is Autism Certified by IBCCES. In short, that means they have been trained to solve problems and make accommodations for families traveling with a child with autism or other special needs. This type of training is a game changer for the travel industry and neuro-diverse families who want the best experience for their family on vacation. A fellow mom who saw Koppelman’s Facebook post about the day said it best when she wrote in the page comments

“Thank you for sharing. This means so much to me, a mom of an awesome autist. #UniversalStudios, Can you teach me how to train the world to accept our children like your staff does? I, too, thank you for making this child’s day special.”

OUR TAKE: There will several renowned panelists devoted to talking about the topic of making travel easier for families with children that have special needs at the upcoming TravelAbility Summit.

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Amen: Holy Land Goes Accessible!

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Photo of Jerusalem at Sun SetNow travelers to Jerusalem will be able to download an app, Accessible JLM, that outlines the most accessible routes around the city to plan their travel in real time, according to CNN. Maps posted around the city also help travelers with accessibility. As Dana Gazit, Israel’s accessible tourism brand manager told CNN: “Accessibility is about a lot more than wheelchair ramps: “If you’re just a person who has a hard time walking, you also need benches and a handrail.”

OUR TAKE: If the old city of Jerusalem, with over 478 years of protected historical infrastructure, found a way to become accessible, destinations everywhere should take note. Aside from becoming a symbolic example of accessibility, the destination is visited by a growing number of tourists with reduced mobility.

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