TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

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TravelAbility Summit UPDATE: The Ultimate Perk for 2019 Speakers

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TravelAbility Summit has hired a noted presentation coach, Scott Stiefvater, to help presenters at TravelAbility Summit craft their presentations into 15-minute TED-style talks. “Because the Summit will consist of 35 to 40 expert panels, we are investing in a presentation coach who will not only make the conference more interesting but also will contribute to the professional development of our presenters,” said Jake Steinman, TravelAbility’s founder.

Scott (actually known as the anti-presentation coach) will be offering presenters 90 minutes of coaching on both content and delivery. “I am on a mission to free others from the constraints of the old paradigm. My purpose is serving my clients so that they can grow to be the leaders and influencers they want to be,” explains Scott. Learn more about his approach, here.

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Our promise to all who attend? You may arrive well rested, but your head will be exploding with great ideas when you depart!  Get all the details, here.

5 Spots Where Spring Break Really Feels Like a Break

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See that happy traveler—the one waving on a beautiful day out on the Banshee? (below) That photo was taken on an adaptive sailing regatta run out of the San Francisco Bay area. It’s one of the many vacation suggestions from the Abilities Expo experts, who have vetted each one to be sure it offers adventures that are wheelchair friendly or accessible in other ways.

To browse the 5 Spots Where Spring Break Really. Feels LIke Spring break, click here. You can also find many more Abilities Expo Vacation picks—from trails to family centers with medical resources on hand—on the site.

For details on the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS), click here.

mom waving from a. sailboat on the water named the banshee

What the Bleeptastic Were You Thinking? Disabled Travelers Force Sacramento to Revise Evacuation Plans

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It took six years to get Sacramento International Airport to agree to what one disabled airport user and many other disability advocates wanted—an emergency plan that included how to evacuate and assist people with disabilities in case of a disaster. A new protocol is finally in place (but don’t count on finding out what the bleeptastic transportation officials were thinking when they approved the original one). The case was settled.

Sacramento airport also wisely decided to give employees training on how to identify and assist disabled people. Finally, Sacramento’s Terminal B has a ‘Plan B’ that is a model of compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

Need a refresher on what the ADA is?  Read the details, here. Read more from the Sacramento Bee, here.

 

These Multi-City Film Festivals Are Different by Design

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logo of a city with words reel abilities

When film critic Kristen Lopez set out to learn more about how accessible films are to people with disabilities she got a welcome surprise—an inside view of how a festival focused on disabilities has grown exponentially.

Founded in 2007, the ReelAbilities Film Festival has been taking up the cause of showcasing films made by and about people with disabilities. The goal isn’t merely to show films but to shift the way people see disability on-screen, according to film critic Kristen Lopez, who wrote about ReelAbilities recently for Forbes. Find the full story here.

This year the film festival was held at SXSW in April. Details on locations/cities hosting a film or festival, here.

 

The Inside Scoop for Travel Agents on Super-serving Disabled Travelers 

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a book that says good adviceTravel Pulse recently spoke with Craig Kennedy, who works as a disability consultant and trainer with the Open Doors Organization, The organization conducts studies on travelers with disabilities. Their Q&A offers valuable advice on how to be the best resource for all clients. Read the full story here.