TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

TravelAbility Report: March 2019

6 Awesome Apps for Travelers with a Disability

by

woman showing a teenager a cell phone that she is holding in her hand. He has his arms above his head and is looking closely at the screen,Thanks to the experts at Disability Horizons for finding and testing apps that make enjoying traveling easier for people with disabilities. One app focuses almost exclusively on finding parking and accessible bathrooms for wheelchair users. Another app pairs a blind person with someone who is sighted who can describe photos, graphics or words as art. (They have nearly 2,000 subscribers, so it’s very likely that you’ll get help consistently and quickly.) Another app reminds travelers when to take their medicine. Parents and caregivers will love this one. READ MORE

OUR TAKE: In a world where 1 in 5 people have a disability, there can’t be enough innovation. But if you read the Disability Horizons story, you’ll notice that many of the problems that apps solve aren’t rocket science—they cover the basics, give people with disabilities options and help people feel at home wherever they are. Who wouldn’t want those things? In fact, they are often helpful for people who do not have disabilities. At TravelAbility Summit this fall, we will be gathered in San Francisco with one goal—to make getting around the world easier for everyone. And yes, there will be apps there, too. The Summit Agenda includes entrepreneurs as well as pre-summit meetings with funders interested in founders of disability tech products.   

5 Accessibility Ideas Totally Worth Stealing

by

a blind sea otter lifts his head while swimming in water at an aquariumTravelAbility Insider recently interviewed Lynn Walsh, accessibility and inclusion manager at John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  Her tips for staff training, best practices, and cross-pollinating ideas can be used for nearly any attraction or destination. Here they are:

  1. Be honest with visitors. If you’re “working on it”—whether it’s a ramp or a website change—let people know. Otherwise, the disability community is likely to assume that accessibility is not on your radar or that you are not interested in hearing their ideas. And don’t forget to let people know the resources and accommodations you do have—that accessible restroom may not be a big deal to you, but it’s huge to those who need it!
  2. Train your staff—all of your staff. From those who interact with guests on a daily basis, to those who are writing the grants or cleaning the facility—accessibility and inclusion are a part of everyone’s job. Training will provide the knowledge and confidence needed for all staff to work within their sphere of influence to create an accessible and inclusive environment for all.
  3. See your destination or attraction through someone else’s eyes. Find local User/Experts who are willing to share their feedback and ideas. Lynn has engaged numerous people from the disability community on various projects at the aquarium to learn from their expertise. Work with those who you’re creating the experience for – don’t assume to know what people with disabilities want or need.
  4. No need to reinvent the wheel. Engage with peers – share ideas and resources. Is there an Access Network in your location? Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower Chicago’s cultural spaces to become more accessible to visitors with disabilities. CCAC provides free professional development opportunities and other resources to cultural administrators in the Chicagoland area. Look for an Access Network in your area.
  5. Look for opportunities everywhere. Recently one of Shedd’s marine mammal trainers was inspired by Cruz, a totally blind sea lion that calls Shedd home. Cruz responds to audible and tactile cues, which made the trainer wonder if Cruz would respond to voices heard through an iPad. To our delight, Cruz does respond to the iPad cues – which means we can now take the sea lion experience on the road to those who can’t physically come to the aquarium due to illness or disability. And yes, that’s a photo of Cruz in the water at Shedd Aquarium.

 

OUR TAKE: Major museums and cultural institutions are substantially ahead of many other non-theme park attractions on accessibility as they have been conditioned to be responsive to the needs of their local disability communities and by doing so they are already prepared for tourists who are disabled.   Many, such as Shedd Aquarium, have “accessibility” or”diversity” directors, staff positions destined for future growth. Even tourism suppliers without a staff person dedicated to accessibility can deploy any or all of these practical and low-cost ideas on an ad hoc basis to level up their appeal to the disability their own disability community and tourists as well. 

Universal Orlando’s Autism Superhero Saves a Family’s Vacation

by

A scene with many people along a street that is packed with shops and a fire breathing dragon at Universal Orlando studios

Vacationer Lenore Koppelman and her son were extremely excited to take a spin on the Spiderman ride at Universal Orlando. But when it temporarily broke down during their visit—Ralph did too. An Orlando resort staffer (who saw Ralph was upset) also had a not-so-typical response: She lay down on the ground next to him and began to try to comfort him, according to USA TODAY.
If you’re wondering: What are the chances that a resort staffer would feel comfortable doing this?  You will be pleasantly surprised. Part of a growing trend, Universal Orlando’s staff is Autism Certified by IBCCES. In short, that means they have been trained to solve problems and make accommodations for families traveling with a child with autism or other special needs. This type of training is a game changer for the travel industry and neuro-diverse families who want the best experience for their family on vacation. A fellow mom who saw Koppelman’s Facebook post about the day said it best when she wrote in the page comments

“Thank you for sharing. This means so much to me, a mom of an awesome autist. #UniversalStudios, Can you teach me how to train the world to accept our children like your staff does? I, too, thank you for making this child’s day special.”

OUR TAKE: There will several renowned panelists devoted to talking about the topic of making travel easier for families with children that have special needs at the upcoming TravelAbility Summit.

READ MORE

Two Disability Advocates Reveal (Almost) All on Hilarious Vlog

by

 

Hannah holds out her ring with a big smile Shane is next to her

Shane Burkaw and his now fiancé Hannah are no ordinary couple, which is why the story of their life, travels and recent engagement has captured the attention of 407,000 subscribers on YouTube. The non-profit Burkaw founded with his cousin, Sarah is called Laughing at My Nightmare and its mission is to spread a message of positivity while providing equipment grants to those living with muscular dystrophy. You can see more about their recent 5K race on their Instagram.

 

The couple, who vlog under the title Squirmy & Grubs, will be speaking at the TravelAbility Summit in San Francisco and Burcaw will be part of an Accessible Itinerary Design Team being formed through the Summit.

OUR TAKE: Talking about being an inter-abled couple isn’t easy, but these two make it look like it is, informing a new generation of people with disabilities who are doing things their own way—and often with a sense of humor. Save some time to watch their engagement video…and more, because once you start watching you won’t be able to stop. (We also recommend the one where they take viewers questions about having kids.)

 

Race day photo credit: Jeremy Cohen

 

 

TravelAbility Summit Welcomes Head of NYC Tourism Bureau to Advisory Board

by

Headshot of Fred Dixon wearing a white shirt and grey suit jacket standing outside

Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company has been named to TravelAbility Summit’s Advisory Board. Dixon has taken on the daunting task of making New York City, and it’s five boroughs, as accessible as possible; hiring consultants and taking steps that go far beyond the basics. To learn more about Dixon and his accomplishments, including transportation apps that help make NYC more accessible to visitors.

OUR TAKE: We are pleased that our Summit Advisory Board members now fully reflect a cross-section of the travel industry and disability community thought leaders who will help us develop content most helpful to both groups.