TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Trends

The Special Passenger Code Travel Agents and Others Should Be Using More Often

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father and son wearing baseball cap smiling at each other in profile A simple code helps airlines anticipate the needs of travelers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But it is rarely used. One campaign hopes to change that before the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2019. READ MORE

Top Technology Trends to Transform Mobility in 2019

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Good news for the travel community: Inclusive and accessible mobility will continue to be a focus in 2019. In addition, trip planning that uses technology will also grow considerably this year. Other trends include (everyone’s favorite) data sharing and curbside management. While there has been much discussion over the past few years about how significant an impact curb usage has on mobility, 2019 will bring actual pilot projects that show how to effectively manage the curb, explains Carol Schweiger in this recent Intelligent Transport report. READ MORE

New Emojis Can Help People With Disabilities Feel More A Part of the Smartphone World

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Unicode emoticons include a wheelchair and a guide dogThis month the Unicode Consortium released a 2019 update to their collection of emojis with some people, but not all, praising designers’ efforts to be more inclusive and diverse. The symbols, now ubiquitous in electronic messages, will be available on most platforms in the fall. Of the 230 just-released emojis, Unicode includes more options for people (of varying gender, skin and hair color) who use hearing devices, prosthetics, a white cane, guide dogs, service dogs, and wheelchairs, according to Forbes.com  READ MORE

The Real Scoop on Delta’s New Rules About Flying with Emotional Support Dogs

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photo of a dogs head on his paws looking sad
credit: Itay Kabalo

Dogs classified as giving emotional support to their owners are flying in record numbers—and not just on Delta. In fact, across all carriers, demand for pets to accompany people jumped 75% in one year. This apparently includes dogs, cats, rodents, you name it, some more well-behaved than others. The uptick in bad behavior and the increase in requests is what prompted Delta to revise rules around emotional support animals traveling on long flights (more than 8 hours) and to clarify the advance booking notice rules for 2019. If you travel with an emotional support animal, don’t panic, but do plan ahead. Read more.

Disabled People Must Be Able to Talk More Openly About Sex—It’s Important for Their Health.

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A columnist who rites a column on disability and is an actress.
Sex shouldn’t be a taboo topic, says Renke.

Here’s a fact you probably didn’t know: Only 5% of people who aren’t disabled have ever been asked out or been on a date with a disabled person, according to one study. Actress and disability campaigner Samantha Renke hopes to change that statistic. She writes candidly in MetroNews UK that, to make matters worse, she has to endure either intrusive questions from those around her or total silence around the topic in general. Renke writes that she thinks that silence has probably led her to lose out on the chance to have some valuable relationships.  Read more.