TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

TravelAbility Report: March 2019

Novartis and Getty Images Launch Competitions to Meet Needs of People with Disabilities

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two women signing in a cafe
Three women sign and sip coffee in a photographer from the Getty Disability Collection launched in 2018. photo courtesy: GETTY IMAGES

Fostering awareness of the unmet needs of the 1 billion people with
disabilities has become a standard practice and a way to recognize novel
outside approaches. Two companies whose effort represent the trend:

Getty Images Creative Bursary: Getty Images recognizes that the world needs more images of people with disabilities. Yet they recognize that
breaking into the commercial industry can be difficult, which is why they have created the $40K worth of grants photographers who are selected. The Getty/VerizonMedia accessible photo grants center around life with disabilities and aim to elevate photographers as they work to capture and share the visual stories of people with disabilities, according to Business Insider.  In 2018, Getty and Verizon launched The Disability Collection, a joint effort in conjunction with the National Disability Leadership Alliance to more authentically represent people with disabilities in the media.

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The Novartis Assistive Technology innovation Prize: The $250k prize
(which includes stage time at SXSW) launched recently identifies and
embraces technology that aims to improve mobility and daily life for people
living with MS. Applications are open worldwide to the tech community,
innovators, design experts, patient advocates, according to Novartis.  Needs
link to the competition.

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The Most ‘Intrepid’ Disability Project Yet In NYC

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Nose of a plane atop the intrepid on a grey day in New York City.
photo courtesy: Andre Ravazzi

Senses—such as sound, touch and feel—may be the key to unlocking a better experience for people with disabilities visiting historic sites. Thanks to a $500K grant, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will partner with New York University’s Ability Project to develop sensory-based interpretive experiences for historic sites. The research from the NYU Ability Project, dedicated to the intersection of disability and tech, will be replicable by historic sites of all sizes, according to an NYU news release.  

READ MORE ABOUT THE NYU ABILITY PROJECT

How Simulating Real-time Flying with a Guide Dog Helps Passengers

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DOg at her feet, a passenger tests putting on an oxygen mask in a simulation. Everyone smiling and of course the dog is very cute.
Photo Courtesy Guide Dogs for the Blind/Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines has taken the lead in helping disabled passengers who use guide dogs to navigate air travel. For the sixth year, the airline partnered with Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) for an event in which guide dogs-in-training, their handlers and people with a range of disabilities explore and get comfortable traveling in mock airplanes, according to the Seattle PI.com READ MORE

6 Ways Forward-thinking Airports Use Tech to Accommodate Travelers with Disabilities

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Room is set up with soft padding low light screens and cubes for sitting on and napping. It is blue and red.
A sensory room at Gatwick Airport. Photo courtesy Gatwick Airport

While we’ve heard repeatedly that airlines are still struggling to develop systems for aiding travelers with disabilities, the good news is that airports have found greater success, according to Airport Technology. Using new technology, including virtual reality and automation as well as an understanding of sensory issues that affect many people on the autism spectrum, they’ve devised futuristic-looking solutions that honestly, many weary airport travelers would love to be happy to experience.  READ MORE

Reverse Mentoring: When Hotel Professionals Learn From Hospitality Students

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young woman speaks to the camera about hospitatity services
photo courtesy UT Knoxville News

This is a brilliant idea we need to see replicated: Students in a hospitality and tourism class at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville spent spring semester blending classroom learning with real-world experience to improve accessibility in Knoxville’s hospitality industry. But the learning didn’t stop there, according to a piece in the UT Knoxville News. They then presented to staff and management at the Crowne Plaza, Downtown Hilton Knoxville, and Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association in March and April, offering tips and strategies for better-accommodating people with disabilities. READ MORE