TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Trends

TravelAbility Update: What We’ve Learned So Far

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special update

by Tom Berrigan, Managing Editor, InBound Report

Jake Steinman, editor-in-chief of INBOUND, as well as the founder of a portfolio of the popular tour and travel industry events and conferences acquired earlier this year by Connect Travel, has been concentrating on a new project—the first TravelAbility Summit, a highly focused conference dealing with the issue of accessible travel. He launched the effort a year ago, and the first Summit will be staged Nov. 12-13 in San Francisco. Steinman recently participated in a panel discussion on the subject of accessible travel at the U.S. Travel Association’s recent annual ESTO conference in Austin, which brings together DMO leaders from all kinds of destination organizations. INBOUND talked with Steinman about his ESTO experience and how the TravelAbility Summit is shaping up. Here are excerpts of our recent conversation. 

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Top 10 Signs That Accessibility Is Going Mainstream

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Fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, shown above, are expanding their accessible clothing lines. [photo of a young boy and girl in sportswear holding hands and running courtesy Tommy Hilfiger.]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of U.S. residents with a disability is estimated at close to a quarter of the nation’s population, with that figure doubling among those aged 65 and older. “Travelers with a disability represent an underserved but growing segment of the population that has been neglected by the mainstream tour and travel industry,” says Steinman. “The travel industry has a huge opportunity and responsibility to help make travel more accessible—and the time to act is now. In fact, a recent study by the Harris Organization in partnership with Open Doors Organization estimates the size of the disability travel market at $17 billion dollars a year. We invite travel professionals to register now for TravelAbility Summit, here. To help define the market opportunity, this is our first of a series of TravelAbility Summit Insights. Here’s why we see accessibility as an ascending trend:

  1. Requests for wheelchairs at airports grew 30% from 2016 to 2017 and have averaged 17% each year since 2015, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 
  2. According to AARP research, over the next 20 years, 75 million Baby Boomers will be aging into disability. This demographic has amassed the largest accumulation of wealth in history—and have the time and desire to travel.
  3. Mattel will debut a doll with a prosthetic leg and another with a wheelchair for Christmas. 
  4. A Travel Weekly survey found that travel agents in one European country alone experienced a 50% increase in inquiries about accessible travel experiences.
  5. The Brussels Airport has hired six people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to work as X-ray screeners. The Brussels program, part of a pilot project, is reporting positive results.
  6. Over 20,000 travel agents in the U.S .have undergone a one-hour basic autism awareness/response training sessions through IBCCES. Another 5,000 travel agents have been trained by Special Needs Group on accessible wheelchair travel.
  7. The TravelAbility research team has identified over 50 technologies, apps, and products that make everything from traversing mountains to navigating museums more accessible.
  8. Since launching its adaptive clothing line in 2018, the Tommy Hilfiger brand has expanded the collection from children’s clothing to a full adult line.
  9. The Skift Global Forum, the leading trend-forecasting conference in the travel industry, included its first accessible travel presentation, “Accessibility: What’s It Worth,” making the business case for accessible travel.
  10.  Trick or Treat! Target is introducing a line of adaptive costumes for Halloween this year. 

Virgin Hotel in Chicago First U.S. Hotel to Use New Accessibility Rating System

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Ad for a virgin hotel in Chicago that says step in! Outdoor shot of people entering hotel with souvenirsOne of his biggest challenges faced by anyone with accessibility needs is finding information on the accessibility of hotels that they can truly trust, writes Richard Branson, founder, and CEO of Virgin Hotels. Branson, almost always ahead of the curve, found the solution in Mobility Mojo, which specializes in detailed hotel accessibility assessments. According to the story, there are more than a billion people globally with a disability—and more than 50% of these people choose not to travel because of a lack of information on accessibility.  By using the website tool on Virgin Hotel sites, travelers can easily see the available accessibility features upfront. See an example of the travel service rating of a Chicago Virgin Hotel, here.  

Our take: Digital solutions such as Mobility Mojo are on the rise, as are people with disabilities looking for answers. This particular solution is clear and easy to understand and offers and an overall rating for people who don’t need to know every detail. Congrats to Virgin Hotels for being a trailblazer! 

 

 

SFO Uses Therapy Pig (and Other Cute Furry Friends) to Reduce Airport Stress

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two women travelers bend down to pet a pig named LiLou while an airline pilot watches and smilesPure joy is not something you come across often in an airport. Flights are delayed, security lines are long, and more often than not travelers are grumpy and stressed, writer Madeline Wells in SFGate. So why all the smiles at San Francisco International Airport? It’s the Wag Brigade, SFO’s very own fleet of volunteer therapy dogs—and one particularly adorable pig. Find a gallery of aww-worthy photos, here.

Our take: Fortunately, the recently issued new regulations clarifying which therapy animals are allowed on flights don’t apply to airports where the stress of delays and cancellations can be overwhelming.

photo courtesy SFGate.com

 

 

 

Denver Brew Pub Taps Into Opportunity by Hiring People with Disabilities

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bar chalkboard with different craft beer taps Not sure that hiring people with disabilities will be a good fit? That’s quickly changing in restaurants and pubs across the country. Take Brewability Lab, the first brewery in the U.S. staffed by adults with developmental disabilities. The Denver, Colorado operation will be called Brewability on Broadway, according to a recent announcement. Founder Tiffany Fixter describes the new Denver location as “far more accessible and conducive to business” than its original space. Vinepair recently wrote about the new place. See a video of the staff on-site, here.

Our Take: More restaurants and bars are finding that hiring disabled workers makes good business sense and positions their brand as forward-thinking trailblazers in their communities. 

 

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