TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

TravelAbility Report: March 2019

The Latest in Mobility For Zoomers (you know, Boomers who will. not. stop.)

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The iLivingV8 is a blue scooter that has pedals and looks like a scooter
Looks like a kids scooter, rides like a Zoomer’s dream. photo: iliving

I’ve been going to CES for many years and based on my experience, here is the evolution of the accessibility section. About 10 years ago the health arena began to appear featuring exercise machines that became smarter with technology.  The next phase was focused on the concept of healing and how technology was being useful in measuring the process of pain elimination and healing.  The next development was IoT, the Internet of Things, where everything in daily life became connected through an ever-faster 4G and now 5G network.  A couple of years ago AI was introduced, basically, the age of machine learning and 2020 CES was the year that AI became mainstream. This means there are now customized solutions because machines are smarter and can be personalized to the needs of the user. —Laszlo Horvath CEO, Active Media.

Here, the three products you’ll see soon on the streets—and why:

  1. Zooming into the future…that’s how you feel when you test the new Segway S-Pod, a self-balancing wheelchair (also referred to by the company as a scooter or “an egg-shaped wheelchair”). Ok, so the design is a little wonky but it’s a hell of a ride, say people who tried it at 2020 CES.
  2. It’s a GPS. It’s a guide. It’s an alert system. It’s the… SEED Cane, a smart cane designed for blind people that gives the user and a guardian the location and any obstacles in their way as they walk. The cane, which was an honoree at the 2020 CES Innovation Awards, is independently powered, uses infrared signals and vibrations and syncs with smartphones.  
  3. We predict the iLiving V8 will soon achieve icon status among the senior set. The foldable mobility scooter was an honoree at 2020 CES in the accessibility category. The scooter’s sticker price is $4K and its target market is on-the-go seniors who can stash the compact design in the car. It’s lightweight and there are no tools needed so you won’t be needing to send mom and pops links to YouTube for instructions.

What Exactly is Audio Description—and Does It Really Make a Difference?

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girl with headphones on smiling
Audio description is narration that benefits blind and visually impaired audiences.

Audio description is a form of narration used to provide information about key visual elements in media work for the benefit of blind and visually impaired consumers.  While expensive, audio description is becoming more mainstream as it is now becoming common to find many Broadway theatre productions as well as Hollywood feature films offering it.  Museums are also beginning to use AD as they install and promote new artist exhibitions. To see the difference for yourself, here is the regular 45-second TravelAbility Summit video and (close your eyes) here it is with audio description.  

Our take: One museum complained that they installed audio description for three exhibits and no one used the service in the first three months.  Any newly accessible feature will require promotion to the audience that will benefit. In this case, they should consider promoting it through local blind advocacy groups as word will spread from there virally through the “blind vine.” The cost? We used Video Caption Corporation, which exhibited at one of the Abilities Expo events and fee was $225, which was their minimum.

WTF? ‘Influencer’ Fakes Injury for Airline Upgrade

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young man waves and takes. selfie from biz class seat
Outrageous! What a bottom-feeding…..!

Social media “influencer” Jamie Zhu recently faked an injury to score a business class upgrade on a long-haul flight with Cathay Pacific. To add insult to injury, he documented the whole scheme on YouTube, according to wheelchairtravel.org.
OUR TAKE: Are we surprised? NO. It’s been an astonishing year already for fake news hatchers. The problem is that antics and influencers looking for likes only undermine the drive for airlines to look seriously at how many true influencers are out there reporting about how to make travel accessible. As the article says, the doubt these imposters create for those with legitimate medical and accessibility issues is criminal.

 FYI: You can now follow us on Twitter @TravelAbilityS—sharing legit news and views!

“What Happened When I Crashed the ADA Coordinator Summit”

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Founder Jake Steinman with blue glasses and blue striped shirt

I attended the Great Plains ADA Coordinator’s conference in Phoenix last month and it was a real eye-opener.  My purpose was to identify prospective trainers that could be part of a nationwide network of accessibility user experience trainers that we would refer and feature as a resource on our website.

The Crowd

The event attendees included ADA coordinators who are mandated by law to ensure their city’s public space and buildings are accessible; professional consultants who conduct ADA audits and provide training; professionally certified trainers who work with city departments (police, fire, etc.) about accessibility and a smattering of advocacy groups. 

Sometimes I Just Can’t Help Myself

I was excoriated during one session. As I listened to several advocates espouse the maxim that everything should be completely accessible to everyone, I commented that, in my limited experience, advocacy is very important to changing laws and I appreciated the passion they exhibited. But, I said, it frightens businesses to the point of paralysis as they realize they can’t possibly be accessible to everyone so it’s just easier to do nothing and roll the dice that they won’t get sued.  

The Blowback

This provoked a lively 20-minute discussion after several people derided me for being critical of advocacy groups. I responded that I was simply relaying an insight based on my personal experience. Finally, someone in the back of the room came to my defense saying she has had a similar experience with what she said was the condescension of ‘insular advocacy groups’. She too was hesitant to work with them.  

The Take-Home Lessons

I’m happy to report I found several excellent accessibility trainers and learned how important the right words are when responding to ADA complaints and applying for budgets. Convincing city managers to include accessibility improvements even when there’s no budget priority for it is tough. Here, you’ll find my Top 13 Takeaways.

–Jake Steinman, Founder, TravelAbility Summit

News from the Founder of TravelAbility Summit

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photo of Jake Steinman

“13 Things I Learned at the Winter 2020 ADA Coordinator Conference”

I had the opportunity to attend the Winter ADA Conference in Phoenix. This event featured speakers across a broad spectrum of topics including ADA Basics, The ADA & Customer Service, Accessible Events and Meeting Spaces and Accessible Design.

Attendees included state and local ADA Coordinators, city managers, disability consultants, architects, policy experts and representatives from the business community. Most are charged with creating change in large bureaucratic environments.


Here are my take-homes:

  1. Despite being controversial for singling out individuals with a disability, compassionate lanyards identifying those with invisible disabilities who need additional assistance are becoming more prevalent at airports and other venues. 
    2. Toastmaster’s Club opened a special division for the hard of hearing in Tempe, Arizona that uses hearing loops to allow deaf and hard of hearing people to sharpen their speaking skills.
    3. Braille literacy is declining. 90% of blind consumers do not read braille, but 90% of the blind people that are employed read braille.
    4. If someone complains about a compliance issue, instead of responding “we don’t have the $ to make that modification ” or “no one has ever asked for a ramp,” the best response to avoiding an issue is “ Let me look into this and get right back to you.” and actually doing that.
    5. What is a “reasonable” exception to becoming compliant? A. If it alters the fundamental nature of the business. B. The modification would pose a direct threat to health and safety C. It causes an undue financial or administrative burden. 
    6. When an ADA complaint is lodged, companies must develop a 3-10 year Transition plan that lists what changes they plan to implement each year, based on annual budgets.
    7. Federal regulations require that any company receiving government contracts must have 7% of their employees identify as disabled. Companies are having trouble reaching this benchmark and are now urging employees with hidden disabilities to identify themselves with confidentiality.
    8.  When beginning a compliance assessment begin from the outside and work inwards. i.e. First provide access from the outside-parking or access to public transportation; Second, entry ramp; Third, widening entrances; Fourth, Bathrooms
    9. Words matter, they call it “easy English.” The attendees were professional ADA coordinators with little influence on management or budget decisions. Discussions during the sessions included an exchange of phrases and approaches that worked to persuade superiors to initiate steps to accessibility. 
    10. There are many low or no-cost steps that increase accessibility. i.e., the pressure required to open a door can be reduced to make it easier for wheelchair users to enter a room.
    11. Obtaining approval to become compliant requires an understanding of budget cycles and timing. For example, the best time to suggest and implement accessibility changes for hotels is by understanding that renovations have cycles and accessible improvements have the best chance of becoming funded before the architectural plans are drawn up. 
    12. The DMO or city officials can mediate problems.  Tempe: One ADA coordinator received a complaint about an accessible hotel bathroom door that was not wide enough for a wheelchair. She met with the hotelier who stated that it was too expensive to widen doors for all of their accessible bathrooms so she suggested that he modify just one room until they could afford to do the rest. After the modification was made the hotel found the cost was less than expected and widened all the restroom doors.
    13. Website compliance is extremely complex. The acceptable standard WAC 2.1 for businesses is not really compliant enough as consideration must be given to not only blind and deaf people but those with the most extreme disabilities.

    I look forward to learning and sharing more in 2020.