TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Uncategorized

Why Sundance 2020 Deserves A Standing Ovation for Accessibility

by

sign that says Sundance Film Festival in white neon lights
Sundance upgrades their accessibility this year.

The Sundance Film Festival is making changes to improve accessibility for attendees with disabilities. The Ruderman Family Foundation on Wednesday announced a partnership with the Sundance Institute to provide more resources for attendees with disabilities and to include a greater amount of programming featuring people with disabilities, including an opening-weekend film, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Our take: Extending accessibility using assisted listening devices, among other resources, is becoming a selling point for attractions hoping to win over the one in five people in this country who have a disability. Successful initiatives happen when CVBs, attractions and local disability organizations work cooperatively to go beyond compliance. If you accessible-ize it, they will come. At Sundance, theaters have CC, AD and ALD devices that can be requested from theater staff at the start of an event and retrieved by them afterward. All theaters are additionally wheelchair-accessible and offer seating for attendees with disabilities and companions

 

Hats Off to Heathrow Airport for New $40M in Accessibility Investment

by

an airport looking at arrival departure screens in waiting areas
Heathrow airport is leading the pack in accessibility.

Heathrow was rated “good” in the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)’s airport accessibility report last year, and hopes to achieve “very good” by 2022, according to businesstraveller.com They are also working with tech companies to aid blind travelers and have appointed a disability campaigner, among other executives, to ensure accessibility is at the forefront of their agenda.

Our take:  Change starts at the top. The fact that Heathrow has now embedded more than a few disability champions in their workforce says to us that they’re in this for the long haul. Between new technology and greater awareness of the issues, hopefully, these efforts will also translate into changes on the tarmac as well. You can read more here.

Have You Signed & Shared? 50K Say We Must Standardize Hotel Bed Heights

by

Why can’t all hotel bed heights be the same? [photo of bed with pillows including an emoticon poop pillow]

The most frequent question about hotel room accessibility asked by blog readers concerns bed height — why are hotel beds so tall? Tall beds may be ‘in’ right now, but they are a major accessibility barrier to wheelchair users, who face difficulty in transferring between uneven surfaces, explains blogger and Advisory Board Member John Morris. 

 Our take: First, the reason why beds are not a uniform height: the ADA does not set a maximum bed height requirement as well as the fact that a large number of semi-ambulatory disabled people need a taller bed. Turn concern into action by signing the Change.org petition Morris found after doing some digging and join 50K other folks who have done the same. To sign the petition on Change.org, click here. 

Is easyTravelseat the Breakthrough Wheelchair Travelers Have Been Waiting For?

by

A woman in her wheelchair on the tarmac happy to be traveling with her EasySeat.

Sure, it’s a seat you can use on the airplane, but it’s so much more. Designed by disabled entrepreneur Josh Wintersgill, who was recently named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the UK,  easyTravelseat, can go with you on outings to the beach, help you to get into a pool with or without the use of a hoist and experience a day touring by car. Boats, hot-air ballooning, and helicoptering aren’t out of the question either.   

Our take: This British entrepreneur is on the cutting edge of a massive movement to make multi-use accessible designs at affordable prices. Of course, safety comes first. This one has gotten the thumbs up from several UK experts and is being praised for how easy it is to use.  

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Lawsuit in 2020

by

[Guy wearing dark suit buttoning it up on stairs.]

ADA Title III lawsuits flooded federal courts in 2019 and will likely continue to do so in 2020 with new theories for the courts to consider, according to the Seyfarth report. Get the details on lawsuits filed (10,206) in 2019. And watch these trends, including Braille Gift Card Lawsuits and multiple lawsuits regarding hotel reservations and accommodations. The easiest way to boost your knowledge of ADA standards, accessible design and technical assistance in 2020? Read about the law on this website.

OUR TAKE: Someone recently joked—we should start saying there are three things nobody can avoid—death, taxes and accessibility lawsuits. But seriously, as the 30th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act comes up in July, it is fact that you will hear about accessibility as a big issue. TravelAbility’s Advisory Board and newsletters will continue to offer the latest advice. 

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to third parties.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to 3rd parties.