TravelAbility 2021

Between the in-person and virtual sign-ups there were 101 total attendees at the second annual TravelAbility Summit in Tampa last month.  I believe we were the only tour and travel industry event that attempted a fully hybrid event—including in-person/virtual attendees and presenters. This issue of TravelAbility Insider explores the highlights of this year’s event, and we begin with the top 10 take-aways from TravelAbilty Summit 2021.

1. 55 million accessible places. Google Maps has over 100 million “local guides” that have been activated to verify accessibility features for over 55 million places in 24,000 cities. Currently this information is available only on smartphones, however, due to connections made at TravelAbility Tampa, efforts are now in motion to make the accessibility features available on desktops and laptops so that the information can be used during the planning phase of travel.
2. Lack of Information: According to the 13 presenters with disabilities who have the lived experiences of traveling in a world not made for them, the number one barrier they face is the difficulty in finding information about accessibility on most tour and travel websites.  
3. Listen. The phrase, “nothing about us without us” often used by the disability community is apt guidance for any entity seeking to improve accessibility. Patrick Harrison, CMO for Visit Tampa Bay, which has developed one of the most robust accessibility programs, said it best: “I’m an able bodied straight white male; what do I know about disability, diversity or LGTBQ+? I listen to people who live it every day to guide me.”
4. Heavy doors. According to the 2020 Open Doors/Harris Poll study, the number one pain point wheelchair travelers face is encountering heavy doors in accessible bathrooms or hotel rooms—which can be remedied with a screwdriver or Allen wrench.
5. Upscale accessible travelers. Contrary to the perception that people with disabilities are all on Social Security Disability, according to a report by Destination Analysts, disabled travelers’ incomes are about the same as nondisabled travelers, however, they are 7% more likely to spring for 5-star hotels than the general traveling public.
6. Communication: When communicating about someone with a disability, it’s best to use the “person-first” approach (i.e. ‘Jim is a person with a visual disability’), while many disabled people prefer “identity-first” language in direct communication (i.e. ‘George is disabled’). Terms such as “special needs” are often debated by members of the disability community, while “handicapped” is universally and unequivocally rejected.
7. Autism: One primary concern for families with children on the autism spectrum when they travel is elopement—where young children run away while their parents are asleep and are often drawn to water which has sometimes ended tragically. Hotels can prevent this with a door alarm available on Amazon for $39.99.
8. Opportunity around sports. Disabled sporting events, according to Adam Thomas CEO of Florida Sports Coast, which hosted the USA disability hockey event three years ago, counted 2300 hotel room nights sold booked at the destination hotels and locals turned out in droves to volunteer.
9. Accessibility is not controversial. Unlike other components of DE+I, accessibility—which is usually an afterthought if considered at all, is non-controversial and draws bi-partisan support. 
10. Training: Often, the most seemingly inconsequential act of kindness can have an immense impact on the experience of a guest with a disability. For example, providing a blind guest with a bowl so their service dog can drink water, or coming out from behind the reception desk to serve someone in a wheelchair who can’t reach the counter, or even printing out a menu in large type at a restaurant, becomes an almost reverential level of service as it is so rare.

Visit Florida, the official destination marketing agency for the State of Florida, will become the “Education Partner” for the TravelAbility Summit in Tampa, August 30-31^st, with the goal of expanding their accessibility initiatives by proactively uncovering more unique experiences for people with physical, intellectual and cognitive disabilities. The partnership includes a Florida partner’s panel at TravelAbilty Tampa, assistance in organizing the first Accessibility “Hackathon,” plus content for their annual Governor’s conference, and Florida Huddle, a trade event for international tour operators.

“We’re thrilled to have Visit Florida as our education partner,” commented Jake Steinman, founder of TravelAbility. “They’ve been one of the first states, if not the first, to include people with disabilities in their marketing and advertising messaging and the goal of this partnership is to be the most inclusive destination in America.”

“VISIT FLORIDA is committed to ensuring that travelers of all abilities can experience the benefits of a Florida vacation,” said Staci Mellman, Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Florida. “We are working to highlight the many accessible experiences available around Florida and would love for Florida to be seen as a top destination for accessible travel.”

Recently, the state’s inclusive creative work and industry-leading accessible travel hub were highlighted in AdWeek, and there are several more projects in the works. 

Visit Florida partners will have access to an exclusive rate available exclusively for their members. For more information contact Jake Steinman at jake@travelabilitysummit.com.