TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessible travel

Accessibility Takes Flight: TravelAbility Film Festival Winners Now Streaming on United Airlines

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When TravelAbility announced its inaugural Film Festival in July 2025, the goal was simple: spotlight the stories, people, and places shaping a more accessible future for travel.

One year later, those stories have reached new heights—literally.

A United Airlines seatback screen showing the "United videos" menu, with the "1st Annual TravelAbility Film Festival" tile featured prominently among other categories like June Highlights and Star Alliance Member, set against an airplane cabin lit by an orange sunset through the window.

The top 10 winning films from the festival are now streaming on United Airlines’ inflight entertainment systems. Available on all United aircraft equipped with seatback screens, the films will remain onboard for six months, introducing passengers to real-world stories of accessibility, innovation, and adaptive travel.

For TravelAbility, this milestone is about more than just industry recognition for filmmakers. It reflects a broader cultural shift: accessible travel storytelling is no longer confined to advocacy spaces and specialized events. Instead, it has officially entered the mainstream, reaching passengers directly as an organic part of their travel experience.

A Global Showcase for Inclusive Travel

The inaugural TravelAbility Film Festival received 52 submissions from nine countries, capturing entries from tourism boards, local attractions, and independent content creators. The films highlight a diverse range of perspectives, from destination-led accessibility initiatives to first-hand accounts of navigating on-the-ground travel barriers.

A panel of film, accessibility, and media professionals—including representatives from the Sundance and Cannes film festivals—reviewed the submissions to select 14 finalists and 10 ultimate winners.

This initiative directly aligns with TravelAbility’s Vision 2030 initiative, which recognizes that accessibility is rapidly becoming a core expectation in global travel rather than a niche consideration. By 2030, all 73 million Baby Boomers in the United States will be 65 or older. This demographic shift means accessibility will increasingly dictate how a massive segment of the population chooses destinations, transportation, and hospitality experiences.

As demand grows, travelers need clear, credible visibility into what accessible travel looks like in practice. Without it, anxiety and invisible barriers persist, even where proper infrastructure already exists. The TravelAbility Film Festival was built to close that exact gap.

Moving From Vision to Flight Entertainment

The films now streaming on United Airlines include work from destinations and creators around the world. Among them is the festival’s Grand Prize winner, produced by GLP Films and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, which highlights accessible and inclusive travel along the Oregon Coast.

Taken together, these films reflect a simple reality: accessibility is not a separate category of the travel experience. It is fundamental to how travel should be designed, executed, and narrated.

A United Airlines seatback screen showing the "United videos" menu, with the "1st Annual TravelAbility Film Festival" tile featured prominently among other categories like June Highlights and Star Alliance Member, set against an airplane cabin lit by an orange sunset through the window.

“When I opened the entertainment system on a flight from Newark to San Francisco last week, I was thrilled,” said Jake Steinman, Founder of TravelAbility. “Were it not for the seatbelt sign being illuminated, I would have been jumping out of my seat for joy when I found our film festival on the screen.”

Steinman notes that the collaboration came together through a shared commitment to industry progress.

“Like everything else in the travel industry, this initiative began with a relationship,” Steinman shared. “First with David Kinzelman, Chief Customer Officer at United Airlines, who was recognized in 2025 as one of TravelAbility’s ‘Champions of Change,’ and then with the Customer Strategy & Innovation and Inflight Entertainment teams at United Airlines who helped make this opportunity possible. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to providing a platform that showcases these important stories.”

By bringing accessibility-focused storytelling into a space shared by millions of passengers, United Airlines and TravelAbility are helping ensure the future of travel is not only visible, but welcoming to everyone. For a full list of winning films, visit: https://travelability.net/travelability-film-festival/

From TravelAbility 7.0: Accessibility Playbook and the AI Companion

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Each month we share a recap from one of the sessions at the 2025 TravelAbility Summit. This session on the new AI Companion to TravelAbility’s Accessibility Playbook was packed with actionable insights.

Want to be part of these conversations in real time?

TravelAbility Tampa 2026 Summit graphic featuring friends, one a wheelchair user, gathered around a waterfront table, with event dates November 9 to 11 in Tampa, Florida.

Join us November 9–11, 2026, in Tampa, Florida, for the 2026 TravelAbility Summit. It’s where destinations, venues, and travel brands come together to advance accessibility in a practical, business-smart way. Over two days of case studies, workshops, and peer learning, industry leaders share proven strategies that improve the travel experience for people with disabilities—and, by extension, for families, multigenerational groups, and travelers with temporary or situational limitations. Meet the advisors, suppliers, and destination teams leading the way, and leave with a roadmap you can put to work immediately.

Register Today

Session Overview 

This session introduced the Accessibility Playbook and its companion AI tool as practical, step-by-step resources for destinations to move accessibility from a compliance checkbox to a core strategy for inclusion, destination stewardship, competitiveness, and community impact. Case studies from Visit Concord and Choose Lansing showed how education, partnerships, and measurable pilots can unlock funding, align stakeholders, and scale progress. 

Key Takeaways

Accessibility is rapidly becoming a competitive advantage for destinations, but many organizations still struggle with limited funding, competing priorities, inconsistent standards, and the challenge of providing credible information that serves travelers with a wide range of disabilities. This session explored how the TravelAbility Playbook helps destinations overcome those barriers by providing a practical framework, business case, and implementation tools for building more inclusive visitor experiences.

Visit Concord shared how it used ARPA funding to launch Sensory Practice Day, providing 150 complimentary hotel stays for autistic and neurodivergent travelers to practice traveling in a supportive environment. The program expanded to include sensory kits, hotel staff training, visitor center enhancements, and a partnership with JSX that brought sensory-friendly resources to air travel. By measuring outcomes and demonstrating community impact, Concord has been able to build support for future accessibility initiatives.

Accessibility succeeds when it is treated as a shared community effort.

Choose Lansing described its accessibility journey, which began with a sensory-inclusive performance of The Lion King and grew into a destination-wide effort. Through partnerships with Michigan State University and Wheel the World, Lansing assessed more than 200 locations and integrated accessibility information throughout its marketing channels rather than limiting it to a single webpage. The TravelAbility Playbook also helped provide structure for outreach to meetings and conventions planners.

The session also highlighted the TravelAbility Playbook’s growing library of standards, checklists, templates, case studies, and traveler journey guidance, along with a new AI companion that can help destinations develop funding proposals, stakeholder reports, communications materials, and other accessibility-related resources using verified content.

Actionable Takeaways

Accessibility succeeds when it is treated as a shared community effort. Destinations should provide detailed and reliable accessibility information, invest in ongoing staff training, pilot new programs and measure results, and build partnerships that expand their reach and impact. Panelists also emphasized that accessibility should be visible throughout all marketing and visitor communications, not confined to a dedicated accessibility page.

Notable Quote

“How do you stop when families tell you they’ve never been able to do this together?” — Julie Pingston

Outcomes & Momentum

Lansing’s work has helped spark broader community engagement, including City Hall planning efforts and an AARP walkability study, while Concord has used the success of its sensory travel initiatives to secure support for future programs. Both destinations demonstrated how small, intentional steps can create lasting momentum for accessibility across an entire community.

Speakers 

Ava Wells — Social Impact Director, Destinations International 

Amy Jukes — COO & Principal Consultant, AmVarra; Strategic Advisor, TravelAbility

Beth Javens — President & CEO, Visit Concord (CA) 

Julie Pingston — President & CEO, Choose Lansing (MI) 

Joy Burns — Communication and Partnership Manager, Wheel the World 

TBEX 2026 Shifts the Foundation for both Destinations and Travel Creators

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Disabled travel creators share the TBEX opening keynote stage, with a guide dog resting nearby and live transcription running on the big screen.

TBEX is the world’s largest gathering and networking event for travel content creators, including bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, influencers, and tourism industry professionals. This is where new ideas are born and what determines the direction of social media marketing and blogging for both content creators and destinations.

So, what direction is marketing taking in the travel industry this year? TBEX made it clear that it’s a seismic shift toward accessibility and inclusion.

Under Toni Bastian’s leadership, accessibility and inclusion began transforming the event long before opening night. The FAM tours were created with accessibility in mind, including detailed information on terrain, energy expenditure, and any potential barriers. For the first time in TBEX history, not only were there a plethora of tour options for disabled creators, but they were able to plan around their needs and travel without anxiety.

Upon arrival at the Richmond Convention Center, accessible routes were clearly marked.  Before the opening keynote began, Koda was running for live transcription on the big screen and a QR code was provided for following along on your phone. A Zen Zone sensory room was created with soft chairs, a swing, fidgets, and low lighting. It was made clear through both the welcome speech and accommodations being made that all were welcome.

Leslie Walker of Leslie Walker Consulting, the strategist behind Tami Reist’s award winning accessible travel videos with North Alabama, introduced the opening keynote: a panel of disabled travelers. 

The panel was made up of Cory Lee, a full time wheelchair user; Penny Zibula, a legally blind aging traveler with a guide dog; and Phoenyx Powell, an amputee with a dynamic disability and sensory sensitivities. They boldly answered real questions on the state of accessibility in travel.

“Disability content creators are not just influencers, they’re translators helping us to understand a different experience in our destination.”

Why did the premier training and connection conference for creators and DMOs lead off with accessible travel? According to Leslie, it’s because accessibility isn’t niche. Accessible travel content is an opportunity for authentic storytelling, and connection–meeting basic marketing needs in the travel industry. She reminded listeners that disability content creators are not just influencers, they’re translators helping us to understand a different experience in our destination.

Why the Shift?

Penny pointed out that she was old enough to be the grandmother of most people attending the conference. So why was everything she shared so relevant? 

Leslie shared that the Baby Boomer population is quickly aging into disability, compounding the need for accessible destinations. While only 19% of these older adults identify as having a disability, when asked specific questions to identify disabilities, that number jumped to over 50%.

Penny highlighted that seniors are looking for the same information as the disability community, whether they identify as disabled or not.  “As people age they will acquire some sort of physical challenge. Then they try to compensate and go to Egypt because they’re king and queen of denial, and they get frustrated when they can’t access something because it’s too steep.”  

Cory Lee reminded us that the disability community is the largest minority group, and the fastest growing. They’re already spending 50 billion a year on travel in the U.S. alone. That’s not a bandwagon you can afford to miss.

“As people age they will acquire some sort of physical challenge. Then they try to compensate and go to Egypt because they’re king and queen of denial, and they get frustrated when they can’t access something because it’s too steep.” 

Penny Zibula

Takeaways for the Industry

TBEX is not just taking the lead in steering marketing toward accessibility, the conference is indicative of a greater shift in the conversation. Accessibility and inclusion have become central to the progress of every destination.

When asked about the difference between a destination that cares about accessibility, all three creators agreed that the human element goes further than infrastructure. Phoenyx stayed at a retreat center that bought a shower chair for her room, Cory Lee had a group build him a ramp out of the shoes on their feet, Penny had a cruise team experiment with multiple spaces before finding a relief area that worked for her guide dog. These things made more of an impact on their travel experiences than any standard ADA effort.

The essential basics of welcome highlighted accessibility landing pages that include transportation, hotels, and energy expenditure details like distances and inclines. It was also pointed out that there’s no excuse for not having a cheap portable ramp to cover a step or two at the entrance. They’re not cost prohibitive.

An "Accessible Route Available" floor decal with an arrow and wheelchair symbol marks the way through the Richmond Convention Center at TBEX.

Phoenyx nicely summed up the hope that’s building in the disability community as this shift in the travel industry is becoming evident, “People are starting to see that accessibility and inclusion really do matter.” 

Cory Lee encouraged destinations not to be afraid to work with disabled creators. “We have a very loyal following who depend on us for planning their travels.” He explained that there are about five destinations that are well vetted for accessibility. That’s what people think their only vacation options are. “Let’s change that,” he challenged. 

Champions Leading the Way

If you’re interested in working with one of the TBEX panelist, all three speakers are a part of the TravelAbility Content Creator Database.

Toni Bastian of Visit Richmond is a TravelAbility Accessibility Champion of Change who has moved beyond reshaping Richmond Tourism to impacting the industry as a whole. Learn more from her ongoing efforts at the 2026 TravelAbility Summit.

Click Bait: Is Accessibility Being Used to Combat Negativity in Mainstream Media?

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Newspaper headlines about accessibility law impacts and challenges

There’s a noticeable shift happening in mainstream coverage right now.

In between headlines about conflict, politics, inflation, and global instability–the negativity that drives clicks–a different kind of story keeps showing up with surprising frequency. Accessibility wins are stealing the spotlight. Sensory rooms in airports, inclusive city programs, adaptive sports celebrations, and disability inclusion in fashion, travel, and entertainment are making normal appearances in the daily news.

It raises a quiet question worth asking: Is accessibility becoming a kind of “good news counterbalance” in mainstream media? Fear and anger steal attention and drive shareability, but inspiration is equally viral, and it feels better.

The pattern is enough to make one wonder as stories like these keep breaking through:

ABC News Feature: KultureCity’s mission to change how people see those with invisible disabilities 

The story of the parents behind KultureCity. In addition to celebrating their achievements, there are plenty of feel-good moments as we learn how they’re helping other children like theirs to be seen.

NBC News Feature: Carnival’s Celebration Key earns first-of-its-kind sensory inclusion certification 

Training is making travel easier and more enjoyable for people with autism, anxiety, PTSD, and other invisible disabilities. Built-in inclusion looks and feels good.

Fox News Feature: Salt Lake City Airport opens its first-ever sensory room

Real impact on real people–we’re learning what a difference it makes when people are truly seen.

Urban Milwaukee Feature: Milwaukee Will Become ‘Sensory-Inclusive City,’ Mayor Declares

This is one of the clearest “good news” formats in journalism right now: government initiative, children and families benefiting, immediate, visible improvement in daily life–It reads as public-sector optimism.

BBC Feature: Accessibility Trails Changed My Life

The people behind the stories are changing the way we feel about the world and about what it takes to change it.

The Guardian Feature: An accessible space’: the Chelsea garden visitors can see, hear, feel, taste and touch their way round

Sightsavers sensory exhibit at London flower show offers something for everyone

And the examples keep coming:

If accessibility is being used to balance the news cycle, what does your destination have that’s worth covering?

This is only a small tip of the iceberg. Mainstream features are repeatedly highlighting how stadiums, airports, museums, and major public venues are now being trained and certified to better support autistic and sensory-sensitive guests. Families who previously avoided loud public spaces are now showing up, staying longer, and participating more fully in events that once felt impossible.

Cities are starting to tell “inclusion wins” stories. It’s not framed as policy. It’s framed as relief. The tone in coverage is consistent: this is not controversy. This is improvement.

In a typical news cycle filled with strain and division, these stories carry differently. They feel like resolution instead of tension. Across travel, sports, entertainment, and public policy, accessibility-adjacent stories are increasingly functioning as what media researchers sometimes call restorative narratives: stories that temporarily reset emotional tone.

If accessibility is being used to balance the news cycle, what does your destination have that’s worth covering? Let’s create stories that are hopeful, welcoming all to participate in a life lived to its fullest. These are the emotionally powerful stories that are being used to keep the world afloat in an era otherwise dominated by division, disaster and unending bad news.

Accessibility Champions of Change: Disabled Travelers Shaping the Travel Industry

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By Jennifer Allen

TravelAbility’s Accessibility Champions are trailblazers, waymakers, and bold leaders who have transformed destination and brand cultures through inclusion. Honorees have included people like Alison Brooks, who helped create the nation’s first autism-certified city; Tami Reist, who repositioned North Alabama as a destination for all; and Kevin Wright, who led the effort to make his state the first accessibility-certified state. 

This Disability Pride Month, we’re celebrating a different kind of change maker. These are the people who are boldly going, regardless of barriers, and creating a way for others to follow. These disabled travelers are not only showing the disability community what’s possible, but they’re showing destinations where the gaps in accessibility are holding them back, and inspiring them and working with them to pave the way for future visitors.

As a disability mom, I’ve benefited first hand from the change that has taken place in their wake. When I research a destination, it’s their blogs that I turn to. When we experience a barrier-free vacation, I know it’s because one of them has gone before me, raising the awareness to create change. It’s only because disabled people travel that destinations are working to become more accessible. ROI’s become more poignant as trail blazers find a way to go before the going is smooth. In this era in between awareness and change, that travel requires a certain level of bravery and resilience. 

These travelers may not be intentional advocates, but in showing up they’re raising awareness of the needs for all who may follow. Travel may be their only intention, but as they continue to go and explore the world is taking shape around them to better welcome all.

Cory Lee – Wheelchair Travel

Cory Lee, a wheelchair traveler, smiles while sitting in a beach wheelchair on a white sand beach with the ocean and beachgoers in the background.

It was only weeks after receiving the diagnosis that stated our 15 month old son would never walk again. We were trying to find our way out of a slump by finding our way back into the world. My husband was scouring the internet from the sofa, looking for possibilities for a kid in a wheelchair when he perked up and summoned me to take a look. “Have you seen this Cory Lee guy? He’s been to all seven continents in a wheelchair!” Here we were, wondering if we’d ever be able to hike again, while this guy had already conquered the world in his chair. That was a turning point for us. We went from wondering how we would ever do anything, to figuring out how we could do everything.

Cory Lee is a full time wheelchair user, travel writer, and content creator. After being told he couldn’t have a job because he was in a wheelchair and the job would require travel, he ironically decided to make travel his job. He shares accessibility highlights from his journeys, and he meets with destinations to go over any barriers he experienced and ways to improve.

After working with NYC, Cory Lee pointed out the inconvenience that his only accessible room options required him to share a bed with his caregiver. They listened to his concerns, and when I visited with my children a few years later we were able to find accessible rooms with two beds. This is what progress looks like.

↪Learn more about working with Cory Lee.

Sassy Wyatt – Travel for Blind and Low Vision

Sassy Wyatt sits on a park path, smiling as she holds the paw of her black guide dog wearing a harness and bright yellow collar.

Even as a fierce advocate for accessibility and inclusion, I’m aware that I live with the ableist tendencies that come from not knowing any better. 

I didn’t understand why travel was so valuable to a person who can’t see the experience until Sassy Wyatt stood on the TravelAbility Summit stage and graciously explained it to me. I learned how her accessibility barriers are different from mine and that she’s fully aware when people like me are standing around silently, not sure how to interact. When she came off the stage and was finding her way back to her room, I asked if she needed any help, just like she’d taught me from the stage. She took my arm and I followed her pace to lead her to the elevator. When she complimented my guide skills and asked if I had experience, I didn’t know how to tell her that I had never spoken to a person who was blind in real life before that moment. 

Sassy Wyatt’s encouragement goes far beyond giving me the confidence to interact with people who are different from me. She shares her travel experiences on social media, opening eyes to a travel experience that is boldly different from a sighted person’s experience. Reaching travelers with needs like hers, she shows them all that is possible, while working with destinations to raise awareness and improve upon what’s available. As an accessibility consultant, she helps bridge the gap in both the physical and digital worlds.

↪Learn more about working with Sassy Wyatt.

Alex Stratikis – Adventures with Autism

Alex Stratikis smiles while overlooking a desert oasis landscape, wearing a red shirt, sunglasses, and a backpack.

Do people with Autism even want to travel? Alex’s lifestyle screams YES! 

While parents like me are wondering how to navigate changes in schedule and sensory challenges, and destinations are fumbling over how to create spaces that welcome the rapidly growing population of both children and adults with autism, Alex is showing them how it’s done. His writings show why people with autism should travel, and how to do it well. His advocacy takes accessibility beyond a moral obligation that businesses and organizations should be aligning themselves with, to showcase it as the undisputable business opportunity that should not go unnoticed. 

With 66 countries under his belt, Alex is a pioneer in travel with autism as he works to support the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors to improve accessibility and attract neurodivergent travelers.

↪Learn more about working with Alex Stratikis.

The blue stripe in the disability pride flag, representing mental health disabilities, tends to be the most overlooked.

Angie Reagan – Pushing through with Mental Health Disabilities

Mental health travel advocate Angie Reagan takes a group selfie with her service dog and community members, including a man using an adaptive handcycle, at a Tahoe-area park.

The blue stripe in the disability pride flag, representing mental health disabilities, tends to be the most overlooked. 

While the travel industry is only beginning to recognize the impact mental health can have on travel, Angie is helping bring those conversations into the spotlight. Traveling with her service dog, Simba, Angie openly shares her experiences navigating a world that is not always understanding or accommodating of invisible disabilities. Too often, people with mental health disabilities face skepticism, barriers, or closed doors. Yet Angie continues to show up, travel, and advocate for others who face the same challenges.

Through Access Tahoe, she brings people together for roundtables, outreach events, and community discussions designed to gather input, share progress, and create practical solutions. Her work empowers individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations to build more inclusive environments in public spaces, workplaces, and everyday interactions.

By sharing both her travels and her personal journey, Angie is helping destinations better understand an often-overlooked segment of the disability community. Her willingness to keep moving forward, even while battling her own depression, is raising awareness, challenging misconceptions, and helping create a more welcoming world for future travelers.

↪Learn how to work with Angie.

Joel Barish – Travel for Deaf and Low Hearing

Deaf travel advocate Joel Barish jumps playfully above an abandoned, graffiti-painted airplane at an urban site during his travels.

When destinations talk about accessibility, Deaf travelers are often left out of the conversation. Joel Barish is helping to change that, one adventure at a time.

Having visited more than 108 countries, Joel has made it his mission to experience and share Deaf culture around the world. Through sign language videos and social media, he has introduced thousands of viewers to Deaf communities in every corner of the globe, proving that travel is richer when it includes everyone.

As co-founder of DeafNation, Joel hosts No Barriers with Joel Barish, a travel series that takes viewers along as he explores destinations, samples local cuisine, meets Deaf business owners, and uncovers the stories behind the places he visits. Along the way, Joel works with tourism offices to increase awareness and accessibility for Deaf travelers while highlighting Deaf-owned businesses and accessible experiences.

↪ Learn more about working with Joel Barish.

Growing older doesn’t have to mean staying home.

Jack and Elaine – The Aging Traveler

Senior travel advocates Jack and Elaine take a selfie in front of a historic European castle on a bright, sunny day.

The travel industry spends a lot of time talking about the future traveler. Jack and Elaine are already showing us who that traveler will be.

As millions of Baby Boomers age into disability, destinations are facing a new reality: travelers who still want adventure but may need more information, more flexibility, and more thoughtful accommodations along the way. Through their platform, Seniors with Latitude, Jack and Elaine are helping both travelers and destinations navigate that transition.

Growing older doesn’t have to mean staying home. Along the way, they share practical guidance on everything from packing and trip preparation to staying safe on the road, giving older adults the confidence to keep exploring. Their partnerships with destinations help highlight what works, identify opportunities for improvement, and demonstrate the growing value of welcoming aging travelers well.

↪Learn more about working with Jack and Elaine.

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