FAA members and industry guests gathered at SeaWorld Orlando on October 1st for Expedition FAA – Orlando: Welcoming Without Limits: Turning Accessibility into Opportunity, a day focused on practical ways attractions can create more inclusive and welcoming experiences for every guest.
The program explored accessibility from multiple perspectives, including accessible travel planning, sensory inclusion, training and certification, workforce development, hospitality education, airport accessibility and real-world examples from Florida attractions. Attendees also had the opportunity to exchange ideas through interactive roundtable discussions and informal networking throughout the day.
TravelAbility’s Kitty Sharman was one of the speakers, along with Amanda Powers of Wheel the World, Joy Palmer of KultureCity, Brianna Angulo of CAS and IBCCES, Gisele Canova and Dr. Susan Zhong of UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Dr. Jaime Best and Jonathan Beaty of Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute, and Tawana Allen of Greater Orlando Aviation Authority/Orlando International Airport.
Tawana Allen shared about the HD Sunflower Program and the opening of Annie’s Space Sensory Room at the airport. She is also expanding her accessibility team.
Kitty shared that she was “really encouraged that FAA chose accessibility as the topic for their seasonal gathering. It was great to see the interest around accessibility, especially from the smaller attractions. LEGOLAND got a lot of shout-outs throughout the day for their accessibility, including from me about their landing page. Disney was also there, and they have been leading the industry regarding accessibility for a while.”
At the event, Gisele Canova shared information about the Accessibility Module that every student is required to take. She shared quotes from the students about what they learned and how it informs how they will approach accessibility moving forward in their careers.
Kitty’s favorite takeaway was learning about UCF’s IES program. This is an education and job training program for those with intellectual disabilities that prioritizes long-term paid employment after graduation. Expedition FAA moved beyond simply discussing accessibility and toward practical ideas that attractions can put into action.
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