TravelAbility for Hospitality

The Future of Inclusive Travel

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Hello World! Why We Created this Newsletter: Aging is Disability on the Installment Plan.

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By being inclusive for people with disabilities today, we’re laying the foundation for the 77 million baby boomers, 40% of whom, according to the CDC, self-identify as having a disability after they turn 65. Additionally, they have an average net worth of $1 million, stand to inherit $13 trillion from their parents and not only do they have the time to travel, but consider it a priority.

While ADA law provides some baseline regulations for infrastructure for people with disabilities, it does not take into account that every disability has a spectrum. It took over 18 months to write the law, and it was written for the median. This means that even fully ADA compliant hotels only work for 50% of the people. The other 50% have to be detectives to find out if the accommodations meet their particular requirements because detailed information is not online.

Each issue will be carefully curated to include articles that take a useful and practical approach to innovations and guidance that will make hospitality more inclusive for ALL guests.

Jake Steinman, Founder, TravelAbility.

P.S. This newsletter is edited by Jennifer Allen – founder and editor of Wonders Within Reach, a disability travel blog for families. She is the mother of three, including a six year old son who uses a wheelchair.

Seven Unintended Consequences of Being an Accessible Hotel

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Woman holding a sign that says 15% of the population has a diasability #wethe15

Don’t worry – they’re all good things! There are many unforeseen benefits galore that hoteliers derive from simply being more inclusive for people with disabilities, foremost of which is that they will be prepared for the tsunami of baby boomer travelers that will evolve into a disability in the very near future. From saving time to mitigating lawsuits, improving accessibility creates many positive side effects. Read more here.

Our Takeaway: Hoteliers are finding benefits that not only keep them out of the courts, but also in the know about the way accessibility benefits the local community as well as visiting guests.

New Indiana-Based Program Trains People with Disabilities for Hospitality Work

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photos of the exterior of a Hampton Inns & Suites at night with the sign. illuminated

Hamilton County Tourism, Invest Hamilton County, and JANUS Developmental Services established a new partnership program with the support of the local hospitality industry and American Rescue Plan Act recovery funds provided by the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners and Council.

“Disadvantaged workers and the hospitality industry were both communities hit hard by the pandemic,” said Invest Hamilton County President & CEO Mike Thibideau. “This is a high-impact collaboration. Programs like this build community, provide economic opportunity and help fill important roles in our ecosystem.” 

In December 2022, the first cohort began training people with disabilities at the Hampton Inn Fishers with great success. The individuals enlisted in the program provided pre-cleaning services to over 30 rooms in one day. Guests, employees, and hotel management provided positive feedback and multiple individuals are on the path to permanent part-time positions.

 “This program is a win-win for these individuals who could thrive in a lodging community atmosphere, as well as the hotel managers in need of talent to provide the best in hospitality service,” said Hamilton County Tourism President/CEO Brenda Myers. “We appreciate our partners for their innovative thinking.”

Our Takeaway:  Of the 10 individuals with Down syndrome that were trained, three are currently employed at the Hampton Inn Fishers. These employees have been placed in rotation to work the front desk, the kitchen and housekeeping.  Additionally,  Shepards Hotel in Clemson, South Carolina, which has 40 individuals with Down syndrome, representing nearly 40 percent of their total staff, and the Martigny Boutique Hotel in the Valais region of Switzerland, with 55% of their team members working with disabilities, have built a foundation on supporting people with intellectual disabilities.  Given the incessant workforce shortage in hospitality, this may be a powerful new source of talent.

The List: 650 Famous (or Almost Famous) People with Disabilities

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Thank you to OnGig, a blog that normally covers disabilities in the workplace for venturing into People magazine territory by researching an exhaustive range of celebrities, business leaders, politicians, athletes as well paralympians who have a disability. See the full list here. 

Our Takeaway: The disability community extends further than we realize. Are we creating spaces that welcome the guests we want to attract?

13 Amenities for Under $1300 Total that can Make Any Sleeping Room or Bathroom Accessible

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picture of a hotel room with bed desk flat screen tv beige curtains and a red chair

Accessibility doesn’t always mean complicated, time consuming, or expensive. Hotel rooms can be made more comfortable for guests with disabilities using simple, off-the-shelf (meaning mostly Amazon) pieces of equipment. For a surprisingly small investment any hotel can make a huge difference in comfort and satisfaction for their guests. Here are 13 basic items that an accessible tour operator keeps in his trailer to make any hotel sleeping room or bathroom accessible for his clients.

Our Takeaway: Starting at under $50, the whole kit and caboodle can be purchased for less than $1300 on Amazon.