TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

TravelAbility Summit

Was 2023 The Year That Accessibility Entered the Mainstream Zeitgeist?

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Collage of logos of Conde Nast, the American Pavilion,, BBC, and USA Today accompanied by a pull quote from Jake Steinman: "It feels like the message of accessible travel is a growing part of the general zeitgeist."

This past year felt different. TravelAbility’s growth rate has accelerated in each of our five years, but we seemed to break through some sort of barrier in 2023. Inquiries and invitations have been coming from all directions—from regions and destinations from throughout the US, from large travel and hospitality companies, from new global partners like the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and Destinations International.

“It does feel like the message of accessible travel is penetrating all parts of the industry and is a growing part of the general zeitgeist,” says Jake Steinman, TravelAbility founder and CEO. “Companies are seeing it as a lucrative market and they are bringing in trainers to improve their service. And, as evidenced by the unprecedented growth of the number of adaptive/assistive technologies as well as ‘Age-Tech’ at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, the level of innovations is staggering.”

Steinman adds that TravelAbility is riding a wave that begins with travelers with disability and advocates. “It’s about quality of life and predictability.  Individuals have configured their homes and studied their neighborhood so that they can live independently. But when they go to travel, it’s Russian Roulette because there’s so little information.”

The mainstream media is also paying more attention to the issue, according to Tricia Roth, head of marketing and engagement. “One of the main reasons we’re trying out more of a roundup approach in this issue of Insider is because of the number of articles we’re seeing in major publications, from USA Today to NPR, The New York Times, Condé Nast to the BBC has mushroomed.”

Here is a rundown of some of the markers and highlights that stood out for us in 2023:

A pull quote from Tricia Roth: "The number of articles we're seeing about accessibility in major publications has mushroomed."
  • Partnering with Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for destination organizations, to reach over 700 destinations worldwide and help them improve their accessibility.
  • Hosting the sold-out EMS Summit, the premier event for travel professionals and experts to learn, network, and showcase the latest innovations in accessibility. (Our 2024 EMS Summit will be held November 13-15, in San Francisco.)
  • Growing the Destination A11Y Club, a membership program that provides destinations with access to exclusive content, tools, and support to enhance their accessibility to 18 destinations last year from nine in 2022,
  • Nearly doubling the content of the Accessibility Playbook, a comprehensive guide that contains over 100 links to videos, presentations, and examples of accessibility best practices from various sectors of the travel industry.
  • Publishing a special edition of USAE News, a leading publication for association executives, that featured a wrap-up of the EMS Summit and offered exposure to the sponsors and speakers.
  • Launching Accessible Journeys, a quarterly online magazine in collaboration with Mélange Publishing, that showcases inspiring stories, tips, and destinations for travelers with disabilities. The magazine reached over 1.7 million readers in the summer edition.
  • Rebranding the Launchpad pitch fest as the InnovateAble Showcase, an annual event that celebrates the most creative and impactful accessibility solutions in the travel industry. The event coincides with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th.
  • Invite to advise the American Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival about how they can become for accessible in 2024.

In addition to these achievements, TravelAbility also introduced several pilot programs in 2023, such as:

  • Academic Accessibility Learning module, an online course that uses the Accessibility Playbook to teach hospitality students about accessibility. The course was offered by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and received such positive feedback from the 800 enrolled students that it will become a graduation requirement for all 3000 students in the future. This program aims to change the way hotels treat and welcome guests with disabilities.
  • Rethinking Accessibility, a turnkey program that helps destinations discover and highlight their existing accessibility features. The program involved five destinations and revealed 210 new accessibility features that can attract and accommodate travelers with disabilities.
  • Visit Tampa Accessible Riverwalk Pass, a discount attraction pass that offers access to the most popular and accessible attractions along the Tampa Riverwalk. The pass sold over 1900 tickets and generated $109k in sales in two months.
  • Introduced the Visit Florida/Wheel the World (WTW) coop program, in which WTW accessibility features in 30 locations in three Florida destinations where the state covered 50% of the costs.  The program was offered to all DMO’s in Florida at their annual industry conference and has been expanded to 14 destinations in the state.

TravelAbility is excited to continue its mission of growing accessibility in 2024 and beyond. For more information, visit www.travelability.net.

More Celebrities Are Coming Out about Their Hidden Disabilities

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Elon Musk turning to look at something off camera

Several celebrities are shining a light on hidden disabilities by sharing news of their diagnoses and experiences, particularly with autism. In a TED Talk, Tesla founder Elon Musk talked about being bullied as a child on the spectrum, but also about how the condition has helped him in his career.

“I found it rewarding to spend all night programming computers, just by myself,” he said. “Most people don’t enjoy typing strange symbols into a computer by themselves all night. They think that’s not fun. But I really liked it.”

Actor Wentworth Miller, star of the TV series Prison Break was diagnosed with autism during the pandemic. He has talked about the difficulties of getting diagnosed as an adult: “This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis,” he said. “It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old.” Read more.

Our TakeAway: When celebrities share their hidden disabilities, it can shine a spotlight on issues faced by millions of people. You may not like or admire Elon Musk but there’s no question he’s an influencer and sometimes a positive one.

DOT Launches Campaign to Raise Awareness of Rights of Airline Passengers Who Use Wheelchairs

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A man in a wheelchair navigating a crowded airline terminal

The US Department of Transportation is marking the 37th anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) by initiating the #AccessibleAirTravel campaign to underscore the right of air travelers with disabilities to safe, dignified, and accessible air travel.

“Airline passengers with disabilities deserve to travel safely and with dignity,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “DOT is proud to partner with the aviation industry and members of the disability community to ensure that all travelers with disabilities know their rights.”

As part of the launch, the DOT emphasized some of the actions the Biden administration has taken or is taking to improve the air travel experience of individuals using wheelchairs, including:

  • To address many of the significant barriers facing passengers who use wheelchairs, the Department has initiated a rule proposing to make it an automatic violation of ACAA regulations for airlines to mishandle a passenger’s wheelchair.
  • In July 2023, DOT finalized a rule which requires airlines to make lavatories on new, single-aisle aircraft more accessible.Under this final rule, airlines are required to take various steps to improve the accessibility of these lavatories short of increasing their size in the short term.
  • DOT has begun laying the groundwork for a potential rule that would allow passengers to stay in their own wheelchairs when they fly. Read more.

Our TakeAway: We applaud the DOT’s new campaign and the actions it is taking to improve the air travel experience for passengers who use wheelchairs. But we have to wonder how much can be done to improve the accessibility of lavatories without increasing their size?

Wheel the World Partners with Visit Florida to Scale Accessibility Audits

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Woman using a wheelchair beside a pool and a fountain along with logos of Visit Florida and Wheel the World

Visit Florida announced at the Florida Governors meeting in October that it is launching an ad co-op program to finance Wheel the World site assessments at 30 hotels, attractions, POI’s or dining locations in each region. Watch a video of the announcement.  

Wheel the World’s deliverables include not only assessments, but also training through their online academy and online marketing through their highly targeted database as well as their social media channels.

Our TakeAway: This initiative was originally one of the four pilot programs that were featured at this year’s Summit in which three Florida DMO’s (Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and The Palm Beaches) participated.  Following the expansion announcement, seven other destinations signed up.  This is another unique example of Visit Florida’s role as an industry thought leader—along with WtW’s growing reputation for excellence in accessibility site assessments. We hope to see other states follow Florida’s lead. Hey, New York and California, are you listening?

DMO DIY Dept: Travel Oregon Shows How You Can Create Your Own TravelAbility Summit

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A group of 30+ Oregon DMO employees wearing their summit badges beneath a "Welcome to Oregon" headline set against an image of an evergreen tree on a hilltop

If you attended the TravelAbility Summit in Savannah in August, you were probably just as likely to meet someone from the Northwest as the Deep South. Oregonians seemed to be everywhere. And they were. Travel Oregon brought a posse of 34 people to Georgia, seizing the opportunity to create a kind of Summit-within-the-Summit.

“It worked out well for the state,” said Kevin Wright, VP of Marketing for Travel Oregon. “We brought the attendees, and they did the work and now we’ll be one of the most accessible states in the country.” Read more.

Our TakeAway: It sounds like Oregon is laying down a challenge. Next year’s summit in San Francisco provides a great opportunity for other states to follow Oregon’s lead and bring an even larger delegation. Competition aside, it’s a smart idea to leverage the national event to foster state-level collaboration.

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