Accessible Travel

Entrepreneurs Bring Deaf-Centered Tourism to Safaris

In Uganda, where tourism is one of the country’s most celebrated industries, Deaf travelers have long been left out of the experience. National parks, safaris, and cultural excursions are rarely designed with Deaf accessibility in mind. But two innovators, Denis Ssebayiga and Simone Pabsch, are changing that. Together, they founded SS Sign Language Tourism, a … Read more

Sri Lanka Without Barriers: A 10-Day Accessible Journey with Debbie North

Rolling into the Unknown: A Wheelchair Journey Through Sri Lanka My journey started with a drive from the north of England to Heathrow. A night at the Premier Inn at Terminal 3 offered convenience but reminded me how outdated accessible bathrooms with showers over baths can be. Still, helpful staff and kind strangers lifting my … Read more

Accessible Travel in Arizona

The Arizona desert is a beautiful part of our country. Its unique characteristics make it a great place to explore, and there is no shortage of natural wonders to enjoy. It’s beautiful, yet not entirely accessible. All too often even able-bodied travelers find the harsh environment strenuous and even hazardous. Prior to my spinal injury, … Read more

Breaking Down Barriers – iBOT Stories Across the World

Independence with iBOT® Ronda Jones wears many important hats: she is a mother, a grandmother, an Army veteran, a para-athlete, and an advocate and mentor for people with limb loss. She is also a motivational speaker, an author, and now, an inspiring iBOT user. Ronda, who lives in Virginia, discovered the iBOT at the Abilities … Read more

Visalia, California — Autism Certified Destination

In downtown Visalia, California, next to the local post office, stands a lone sequoia tree, named The Legacy Tree. It is a very tall baby tree, if you will, planted nearly 100 years ago. Surrounding the tree, is a wide, extended, circular mulch and rock area, which indicates the projected growth of the circumference … Read more

All Wheels Up — Wheelchair Travel Safety

Michele Erwin is a mother on a mission. After experiencing the struggles of traveling by air with her son, who has spinal muscular atrophy, she had a “call to action” moment–something had to be done to make air travel accessible to the disabled community. Michele soon learned that there was not a single organization out … Read more

Wheel Pad — Accessible Tiny Homes

This is a story with the potential to bring hope and real connection to those who have lost theirs. It’s a story about giving people with mobility issues a chance to regain their independence while growing accustomed to their new life. And all thanks to Julie Lineberger and architect Joseph Cincotta, a husband-wife team who … Read more

Dubai — Access in Progress

As Dubai builds a global community surrounding tourism and innovation, it strives to focus on accessibility to welcome all global travelers. Access Dubai invited ABILITY Magazine to check it out. Knowing the UAE’s high degree of safety protocols in place made it easy to accept an invitation during the 2020 COVID-19. Before visitors can fly … Read more

Metrolink introduces new ticket machines with accessibility features

Metrolink announces the installation of 133 new ticket machines at its stations across Southern California. The new machines improve the customer experience through improved reliability, a focus on accessibility, and smarter, more customer-friendly features, such as touchscreens. The machines comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), featuring voice enabled technology, a headphone jack … Read more

Winnebago’s Accessible Road Trip

Watching travel shows, or reading articles on vacation destinations can’t take the place of being out in the real world. For many the open road has been an accessible challenge. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 report, there are around 3.6 million people over the age of 15 who use a wheelchair, with an … Read more

Karah Behrend and the Rebelle Rally

Karah Behrend is all about breaking down barriers. She’s an adaptive athlete who not only completed the grueling eight-day, off-road Rebelle Rally—her first time ever—but the medically retired Air Force veteran placed second. With Behrend behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, made accessible with hand controls to accommodate her, and her teammate Rachael … Read more

Global Disability Strategies and Action Plans

Disability Strategies and Action Plans by Country/Area Country/Area Strategies and Action Plans — PDF links Language Afghanistan Strategy for Disability and Rehabilitation 2013-2016 English Afghanistan National Disability Action Plan 2008-2011 English Albania National Strategy on People with Disabilities English Angola Strategy for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities Portuguese National Plan of Integrated Actions on … Read more

Native Hotels — Accessible Tourism

Meet NATIVE, an organization that specializes in helping hotels create accessible environments for people with disabilities. NATIVE—which stands for the Network of Accessible Tourism for an Inclusion Valued Economy — consults with hotels and monitors their progress toward accessibility in every stage of a traveler’s experience, from check-in to check-out. This includes applying embossed … Read more

Protected: Get Native!

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Special Olympics World Games 2019; 200 Countries, 7.5K Athletes, Millions of Viewers

THE EVENING CEREMONY SIGNALS START OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES ABU DHABI Parade of Athletes from record number of nations, accompanied by Special Olympics Chairman Dr Timothy Shriver, Heads of State, VIPs, celebrities and representatives of the Special Olympics movement, met with huge applause as they entered arena His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al … Read more

Visions for the Future of Mobility at CES

Five finalists in the three-year Mobility Unlimited Challenge have been unveiled at CES in Las Vegas. The Toyota Mobility Foundation launched the $4 million global challenge in 2017 in partnership with Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre, with the aim of improving the lives of millions of people with lower-limb paralysis. The Challenge invited engineers, innovators, and … Read more

Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018, Designed to Protect Passengers with Disabilities

 U.S. Senate vote of 93 to 6 to passes the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302). The legislation includes a ‘bill of rights’ and an advisory panel for passengers with disabilities, as well as revised training and procedures for TSA screenings of people with disabilities. “Passengers with disabilities deserve equal access to … Read more

Florence Haseltine, MD, PhD, Health Researcher and Wheelchair Protection Inventor

Florence Haseltine, MD and PhD, has more accomplishments than most of us could hope for in several lifetimes. She’s an inventor who designed the Haseltine Flyer, a protective container for wheelchairs that is used on airplanes to help people with disabilities travel more easily. She’s also a biophysicist, a reproductive endocrinologist, and a women’s … Read more

U.S. Access Board to Hold Forum on Assembly Area Accessibility – Be There!

On September 6th 2018, the U.S. Access Board will hold a public forum on accessibility and assembly areas. The daylong event will focus on accessibility issues related to the design of movie theaters, dinner theaters, performing arts centers, lecture halls, stadiums, arenas, grandstands, and other assembly venues. It will be structured as a town hall meeting where … Read more

Accessible Taxis – Several Cities Get New Wheels

Transportation in New York City is due to be overhauled with the introduction of MV-1 accessible cabs in the coming months.Made by the South Florida-based Vehicle Production Group (VPG) and assembled in Indiana, the taxis will be rolled out in such metro areas as Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, DC, Atlanta and Toronto after making their debut … Read more