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New ‘Accessibility Playbook’ Is Designed to Enhance Travel for People with Disabilities

Jul 17, 2024
Accessible Travel  Travel News  
New ‘Accessibility Playbook’ Is Designed to Enhance Travel for People with Disabilities
The guide provides destinations and travel businesses with resources to enhance their accessibility and inclusion initiatives.
Credit: 2024 LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/stock.adobe.com

Destinations International (DI) and TravelAbility have jointly released the "Accessibility Playbook," a comprehensive guide aimed at improving travel experiences for people with disabilities. The new toolkit provides destinations and travel businesses with resources to enhance their accessibility and inclusion initiatives.

The World Health Organization reports that 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, live with disabilities. Despite this significant market, many travelers with disabilities continue to face barriers throughout their journeys, from initial research to actual visitation.

RELATED: Community Voices: A Quarter of Americans Have a Disability. Is the Travel Industry Doing Enough? 

"Accessibility is a critical and growing focus for our members,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “It's important to visitors, as well as residents, and a key component of a welcoming and thriving community."

The Accessibility Playbook, now available for purchase by DI members, includes over 90 tips vetted by leading disability advocacy organizations. It also features technology recommendations, use-case scenarios and data to inform accessibility strategies. Additionally, the guide offers a directory of third-party providers to help organizations assess and scale their accessibility efforts.

RELATED: Community Voices: Traveling With a Disability? The Complete Guide to a Seamless Air Travel Experience 

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"This is a win-win for travel organizations and the millions of travelers who can benefit from more accessible and inclusive travel experiences,” said Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of TravelAbility. “What excites me the most is that this partnership opens the door to reaching more than 750 destinations worldwide to help them become more inclusive."

Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Destinations International. It has been fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.

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