TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

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The Most ‘Intrepid’ Disability Project Yet In NYC

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Nose of a plane atop the intrepid on a grey day in New York City.
photo courtesy: Andre Ravazzi

Senses—such as sound, touch and feel—may be the key to unlocking a better experience for people with disabilities visiting historic sites. Thanks to a $500K grant, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will partner with New York University’s Ability Project to develop sensory-based interpretive experiences for historic sites. The research from the NYU Ability Project, dedicated to the intersection of disability and tech, will be replicable by historic sites of all sizes, according to an NYU news release.  

READ MORE ABOUT THE NYU ABILITY PROJECT

6 Ways Forward-thinking Airports Use Tech to Accommodate Travelers with Disabilities

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Room is set up with soft padding low light screens and cubes for sitting on and napping. It is blue and red.
A sensory room at Gatwick Airport. Photo courtesy Gatwick Airport

While we’ve heard repeatedly that airlines are still struggling to develop systems for aiding travelers with disabilities, the good news is that airports have found greater success, according to Airport Technology. Using new technology, including virtual reality and automation as well as an understanding of sensory issues that affect many people on the autism spectrum, they’ve devised futuristic-looking solutions that honestly, many weary airport travelers would love to be happy to experience.  READ MORE

Reverse Mentoring: When Hotel Professionals Learn From Hospitality Students

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young woman speaks to the camera about hospitatity services
photo courtesy UT Knoxville News

This is a brilliant idea we need to see replicated: Students in a hospitality and tourism class at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville spent spring semester blending classroom learning with real-world experience to improve accessibility in Knoxville’s hospitality industry. But the learning didn’t stop there, according to a piece in the UT Knoxville News. They then presented to staff and management at the Crowne Plaza, Downtown Hilton Knoxville, and Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association in March and April, offering tips and strategies for better-accommodating people with disabilities. READ MORE

The 2019 TravelAbility Summit Slideshow: A Fabulous Audience, Expert Speakers and a Lot of Learning!

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  • Susan Sygall, Mobility International meets Carole Astley & Sachie York from Travel Oregon
  • Lara Sandora, Adrian Smith, Madeline Chase share their travel stories as moms of children on the autism spectrum with Marc Garcia, Visit Mesa
  • An engrossed audience at LaunchPad
  • Kerry Mauger, Wings for Autism Program Manager, The Arc
  • Conference Guests enjoying themselves at the LaunchPad reception.
  • Laszlo Horvath, LaunchPad Emcee with Jason McKee from Accessibility Shield
  • Conference Session
  • Theresa Stern from Guide Dogs for the Blind
  • Brandon Hochman from My Shower Buddy, co-winner of LaunchPad 2019
  • two women smiling at reception
    Carole Astley & Sachie York from Travel Oregon
  • Jeff Yoshioko, WHill & Lesli Wang, Free2Go Mobility Solutions- LaunchPad 2019 Winners
  • Mike May from Access Explorer
  • Nate Lane, Pegasus, Harris, Visit Valley Forge & Art Jimenez,Reno-Tahoe USA
  • Jay Cardinali with Kirsten Baker, Jeenie
  • Meegan Winters from Able Eyes presents at LaunchPad
  • John Morris from wheelchairtravel.org
  • The Judges at LaunchPad
  • Chris Lona, CL Designs presenting at LaunchPad
  • Troy Otillio, Aira and Christopher Shilder, Marriott International
  • Srin Madipalli and the audience members listening to conference presentation
    AirBnB Accessibility Expert Srin Madipalli
  • Sid Marcos, Outlandish Travel
  • Patty David from AARP shares data on the Boomer Travel Market
  • Michael Sobell, Autism on the Seas, Ron Pettit, Royal Caribbean and Julie Jones from Australia
  • Mary Kay Vrba tells the story of the Think Differently initiative in Dutchess County
  • Makiko Matsuda Healy from NYC & Co
  • We Love NY Makiko Healy,Sara Emmert, Susanne O’Neil & Mary Kay Vrba
  • Karlene Holloman, Point Hospitality
  • Judi Durant & Josh Lambert from the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel share the secrets of their customer service training
  • Advisory Board Members Dave Lorenz, Visit Michigan & Josh Loebner, Designsensory
  • Janis Ross of Eugene & The Cascades shares the accessibility initiatives from Eugene
  • TravelAbility Founder Jake Steinman fields a question
  • Accessible Travel Pioneer Eric Lipp of Open Doors organization
  • Dave Lorenz from Visit Michigan explains how they raised the bar on accessibility
  • Lunch time
  • Accessible Travel Experts Sue Slater, Presto Magic Travel, Myron Pincomb IBCCES & JohnSage, Accessible Travel Solutions
  • Camilo Navarro shares the mission of Wheel the World
  • Overcoming the Fears of Accessibility Mike May, Access Explorer, Isabell Ducharme Keroul & Srin Madipalli AirBnB

Thank you to all who attended. We can’t wait to see you in 2020.

Congratulations to the Winners of the TravelAbility LaunchPad Pitchfest

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TravelAbility’s pre-conference LaunchPad, a pitchfest featuring 15 companies (a mix of start-ups and established businesses), showcased emerging assistive technology and products to the travel and disability community. The voting outcome revealed that the judges favored practical products engineered for everyday use. Each winner provides a practical solution to make an aspect of travel accessible for people with a disability. Note: In the first-place category for Established Business, winners were tied.

Jeff Yoshioko headshot wearing tie and black jacket smiling dark hair and eyes

1st place winner,
Established Business:
 Jeff Yoshioko, Sr. Marketing Manager, WHILL

WHILL provides a worldwide Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) model to improve the current travel landscape for mobility device users by improving their freedom and independence. Currently in beta testing at Winnepeg and Minneapolis airports, WHILL offers cutting-edge Model Ci and Model A Intelligent Personal Electric Vehicles (EVs). “WHILL has won several design and innovation awards including a TIMES Best Invention of 2018,” said Jeff Yoshioka, national sales manager. “It’s great to be further recognized as a product that can create a unique and more positive experience for people with a disability as they travel.”  See the brief explainer video here. Note: WHILL recently merged with Scootaround, a leading wheelchair and scooter rentals solutions company.

1st place winner,
Established Business:
Israel Gamburd, Founder, My Shower Buddy

Many of us take the experience of showering for granted—there’s not much for us to worry about. But for people with disabilities, it’s a lot different. Shower Buddy offers independence and freedom from anxiety or worry about slips and falls or needing someone to help you bathe. The six different models range from pediatric to adult. Having one in a hotel would easily convert a regular bathtub or step over shower into an Accessible shower. “I had no idea there would be so much interest in Shower Buddy from the hotel industry until we were invited present at TravelAbility’s LaunchPad Pitchfest,” commented Israel Gamburd, president of  Shower Buddy. “ We’re now looking into the possibility of exhibiting at hotel procurement shows. TravelAbility has opened the possibility of an entirely new channel of distribution for us.”   See a video here. 

headshot of Lesli Wang wearing white collared shirt and black sweater smiling, short hair

1st place winner,
Emerging Business:
Lesli Wang, Founder, and CEO, Free2GoMobility

By combining the benefits of toilet safety products used in the home (a raised toilet seat on toilet safe frame) along with a compact rolling walker ‘rollator’ the award-winning Free2GoRollator allows anyone to safely use a toilet in a restroom while traveling—whether you are off with family and friends, in a public restroom or at an airport, hotel or cruise line bathroom.)  “I am thrilled to have won TravelAbility’s award for Best start-up among the 15 finalists that presented during the LaunchPad pitchfest,” said Lesli Wang, founder and CEO of Free2Go Rollator. “ I invented this product because my mom needed assistance in using the restroom and we thought a rolling walker that could be adapted to any toilet was the right solution. This award validates all the hard work in developing and marketing this product.”See the video here. 

About the Judging and Criteria

Eight judges, divided into two-hour shifts, were asked to evaluate each of the finalists on a 1-5 scale using the following criteria:

  • What is the problem and solution that you provide?  
  • Does the product make travel easier for people with a disability? 
  • Does the company have a viable business model?
  • Is the value proposition convincing? 

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