Down Syndrome

Houston and Katie of Downs & Towns have been a part of the TravelAbility community from the start. Houston, an award-winning photographer with Down Syndrome, was shot into social media fame when his sisters created an ironic TikTok video in response to the idea that people with Down Syndrome can’t achieve much. Now, as an influencer with over 7 million likes on TikTok alone, Houston and his mom, Katie travel the world capturing destinations, creating art, and raising disability awareness.

“If you want to work with us, we want to work with you,” is their campaign motto because if you’re looking to encourage travelers with disabilities they want to help you in your mission.

Houston and Katie have made connection after connection through TravelAbility, helping destinations with authentic storytelling. Over the past year, they’ve gone from one trip to the next. Katie didn’t want to be so bold as to say destinations need them, but she admitted that, “we can truly, authentically showcase what it is that’s working in a way that no one else can.”

“Several places have really enjoyed being able to showcase work that is from somebody else who sees the world differently. Also, the fact that we’re there, interacting with the destinations, gives us the ability to answer questions. We can provide input. We can share our experiences with them to help them grow in access and inclusion as a destination.”

Check out this recent example from their work with Tennessee State Parks. 

Houston was the first ever disabled artist-in-residence for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and was recently featured in Artists in Parks, with his photo on the magazine cover.

With content from all 50 states and 32 countries, the accolades for Downs and Towns are never ending. Their passion remains to help any destination with a heart for accessibility and inclusion.

A Note for Creators:

Katie and Houston shared that a lot of their opportunities have come through working with TravelAbility.

“TravelAbility is just kind of everywhere, and the relationships are everywhere,” Katie highlighted.” In all of their experiences, they’ve never found a community like TravelAbility for finding like-minded destinations and building authentic community. This is a great place to start for anyone looking to make a difference.

If you’re a creator making accessible travel content and would like to join our community of disabled content creators, fill out the form below.