By Jake Steinman
Stepping into the African savannah for a recent safari to celebrate my birthday, I expected breathtaking landscapes and incredible wildlife. What I didn’t anticipate was returning with profound clarity regarding our mission and the future of accessible travel.
Observing the natural world offers powerful lessons in survival, growth, and connection. Here are the core insights from the wild that are directly shaping our path forward.
The Power of the Pack
During the trip, I observed over 20 different species in their natural habitats. Despite their vast differences, one common thread was this: they all operated within clustered, tight-knit groups. Whether it was a herd banding together to protect their vulnerable young from predators, or a Pride operating as a synchronized team in pursuit of prey, community was their ultimate mechanism for success.
In the wild, isolation is a vulnerability. Progress relies entirely on the strength, coordination and collaboration of the collective.
Cultivating an Accessibility Ecosystem
This natural dynamic perfectly reflects the fundamental purpose of TravelAbility. We are actively building and expanding a robust accessibility ecosystem around destination organizations.
The epiphany that I had was that our purpose is to build a community of DMO “A11Ys”—accessibility advocates and leaders who are committed to scaling accessible travel.
Just as a herd works together to navigate survival, our network functions to overcome industry barriers and advance accessibility with a ripple effect of A11Ys that begins with the destination and scales through hotels, attractions, restaurants and tour companies.
My definition of an “A11Y” has broadened. It now includes anyone who attends an accessibility breakout session at a conference, responds to a survey, signs up for a webinar, or—most effectively—adds an accessibility page to their website. In other words, an A11Y is anyone who has shown an interest in learning more.
TravelAbility Tampa: Our Watering Hole
Every functioning ecosystem requires a central gathering place—a “watering hole” where different groups converge to share resources, expand networks and learn from not only experts but also from each other.
For our community, the upcoming TravelAbility Summit Tampa is that essential watering hole—a place where like-minded A11Ys gather to connect, learn, and plan. There, we can provide the tools, education, and network they need to expand accessibility across their industry partners’ networks.
Reducing Friction: Integrating Accessibility into Existing Workflow
In the wild, survival strategies aren’t optional—they are seamlessly woven into the pack’s daily rhythm. Animals don’t overthink collaboration; it’s instinctive.
Similarly, to truly advance accessibility, Travelability must eliminate friction by integrating accessible practices into existing departmental workflows. We’ve been exploring how accessibility fits not only into marketing and PR, but also as a competitive edge for convention sales and destination development. By simply highlighting accessible features in existing attractions and museums, destinations can tap into new markets without needing new construction. When an ally integrates accessibility into someone’s current workflow, securing leadership buy-in becomes much easier.
Overcoming FOMU
While our Summit brings us together like a watering hole, the real work happens when the herd disperses and continues the journey. That’s where Travelability Tampa attendees come in.
One of the biggest barriers to progress is what accessibility advocate Brittany DeJean calls FOMU: Fear of Messing Up. People often hesitate to act out of fear of making a mistake or offending someone, making inaction feel like the safer choice. However, doing nothing doesn’t just stall progress—it steals the opportunity to learn.
The Travelability Summit creates an ongoing, reverberating community. Attendees become allies who, in turn, recruit others across hotels, attractions, and suppliers. Because every destination operates on different budgets and capacities, this network helps members scale their efforts in practical, sustainable ways.
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