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When Mosha, an elephant, was two years old, she lost her right front leg after encountering a landmine along the border of Thailand and Burma.

An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Therdchai Jivacate, stepped-in to create a prosthetic leg for the young elephant – a first for a creature of this size. As Mosha has grown into an adult, Dr. Jivacate has remained by her side, fashioning new prostheses to withstand her increasing weight and larger size. The two have a unique bond, and Mosha has gone about living her life in the elephant sanctuary, where staff members can care for her and the prosthesis.

Dr. Jivacate’s work has inspired other sanctuaries around the world to offer the same life-saving interventions for other injured elephants.

In 2016, I met Chhouk the elephant in Cambodia. Like Mosha, he lost one of his front legs at a young age. The animal sanctuary Wildlife Alliance took him in, and developed a prosthetic device to improve his quality of life. You can read more about that in my WheelchairTravel.org article on Chhouk the Amputee Elephant.

Mobility is a key component of quality of life – not just for human beings, but also for elephants. Whether one is independently mobile or with the assistance of mobility equipment, these elephants have shown us that life can be rich and vibrant, with or without a disability.

Will Butler, Vice President of Community at Be My Eyes and a 2019 TravelAbility Summit speaker, was recently profiled in an article on Inclusion Hub. Be My Eyes is a mobile application that connects blind and low-vision users with sighted people who can offer support, whether it’s describing an event, reading a document or helping navigate an unfamiliar space.

Butler, who was declared legally blind at 19 and who previously worked for Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, is passionate about his work at Be My Eyes.

In speaking with Inclusion Hub, Butler commented on his own experience accepting his blindness and the journey toward becoming an active member in the community. To read more about Will’s interesting journey, click here.

Royal Caribbean has introduced a $40 million program that is designed to put money in the pockets of its travel agent partners. The “Pay It Forward” program is intended to support travel advisors who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, during which time cruise operations have been suspended.

Through the program, qualifying travel advisors can apply for three-year, interest-free loans of up to $250,000, which could make the difference in keeping travel seller businesses afloat.

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean’s CEO, said that “Our travel partners have stood strong beside us for more than 50 years, and we are determined to be there for them now. We’re going to get to the other side of this challenging time together.”

To read more about Royal Caribbean’s travel agent relief fund, click here.