As a traveler with a disability, here's how to discuss accessible travel.

Arriving at the train station, I’m enveloped by the familiar buzz of activity. People hurry by, rolling suitcases and sipping coffee, while the sunlight bathes the tracks in a warm glow. Today, I'm off to a conference focused on accessible air travel.

As I board the train, a friendly staff member welcomes me with a smile and assistance. This small act sets a hopeful tone for my journey. The train car is designed to easily accommodate my wheelchair. The aisles are spacious, allowing me to navigate smoothly, and the seating is arranged thoughtfully. I settle into my seat, feeling a wave of relief. This is the essence of travel—intuitive and accessible.

The vision for the future of travel includes accessibility as a fundamental element of every experience. As the founder and CEO of AccessNow, I’ve committed my career to realizing this goal. AccessNow serves as a platform that offers detailed accessibility information about locations worldwide, empowering travelers to make informed choices. Discover more about our mission and become part of our community at AccessNow.com. Through my personal and professional travels, I’ve seen the urgent need for increased awareness and education.

Grasping the concepts of disability and accessibility

A crucial lesson worth sharing is the difference between disability and accessibility. Disability is an integral aspect of our identity language, reflecting the vast diversity and intersectionality of our experiences. It can be permanent, temporary, or situational; some may be diagnosed at birth, while others may acquire it throughout life. Disability is dynamic and highly personal. Meeting one individual with a disability means just that—meeting one individual. We are not a uniform group.

Accessibility, in contrast, relates to the external environment: the spaces we create and the experiences we offer. When effectively implemented, accessibility is collaboratively developed and shaped by the needs and experiences of disabled individuals. However, its advantages reach far beyond just this group. Accessibility represents a design philosophy, a collection of principles, and a way of thinking.

While disability may be included within a DEI framework, accessibility warrants its own dedicated “A”: a function that is embedded throughout an organization, influencing hiring practices, physical layouts, procurement, technology, customer service, marketing, and more. Despite these distinctions, I’ve noticed that misunderstandings can lead to ineffective solutions and confusion surrounding how to achieve genuine access and inclusion.

The contrast between descriptive and prescriptive accessibility

For instance, I often observe a tendency to categorize disabled individuals based on their disability identities, like “wheelchair accessible” or “autism-friendly.” But what do these labels truly signify? Although well-meaning, a broad statement such as “wheelchair accessible” only touches the surface and frequently raises more questions than it answers.

Take me as an example: my requirements as a power wheelchair user can differ significantly from someone else’s. While I might not need bed clearance for a hoist, I often require more than one sleeping arrangement in my hotel room. I definitely prefer to stay in my wheelchair during travel or while attending a theater performance, but someone else may opt to transfer to a different seat. Our identities are unique and overlapping, just as our access needs are.

How can the travel industry enhance its support for this vast, diverse, and often overlooked audience? I would love to see a stronger emphasis on bridging the accessibility-information gap by offering detailed descriptions of accessibility features, such as the height of hotel beds or the levels of noise and lighting in various spaces. Which hotel rooms come with which accessibility features? Which theaters offer audio guides, and where are the accessible seating areas located? What adaptive options are available on a cruise?

By providing thorough information, we honor and affirm the autonomy of disabled individuals and our right to explore the world on our own terms, regardless of our identities. Offering detailed and reliable descriptions of all accessibility features—both available and absent—empowers disabled people and many others to select locations and activities that cater to diverse needs without relying on labels. This sense of agency is vital.

A recent case involving the Department of Justice and Marriott International Inc. underscores the changing market expectations. Following complaints from customers about the reservation process at Marriott-branded hotels, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation and found that Marriott’s reservation system failed to provide accessible room information, complicating the decision-making for travelers with disabilities.

Marriott denied the claims but still reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to implement improvements. New measures include ensuring accessible rooms are bookable through OTAs; enhancing staff training on accessible room reservations; expanding the inventory of accessible rooms on Marriott’s Bonvoy rewards system; and providing better booking options, among others.

In a statement sent to Dinogo, a Marriott representative said, “We have worked with the Department of Justice to finalize a settlement agreement and are dedicated to enhancing reservation accessibility throughout the Marriott system through improved training, new procedures, increased monitoring, and collaboration with our distribution partners.”

This settlement highlights the legal imperative for transparency and accountability in delivering comprehensive accessibility services. Accessibility isn’t merely about fulfilling special requests as if someone were asking for extra towels. True accessibility is realized when thoughtful design and intuitive solutions are integrated into the core of an experience.

The ADA generation and market expectations

The pursuit of accessibility has been an ongoing journey of understanding, characterized by significant changes in expectations. The ADA generation—those who grew up benefiting from the protections and rights established by the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990—holds a strong expectation for inclusion. With the ADA, the significance of disabled rights was recognized, laying the groundwork for future generations. Thirty years later, this generation demands more from businesses and government entities.

On social media, a new generation of writers, bloggers, and travel enthusiasts—like Curb Free with Cory Lee, Kelcie Miller-Anderson (@thechronic_explorer), and John Morris of Wheelchair Travel—are sharing their accessible travel experiences. They spotlight both the triumphs and challenges of accessibility, crafting a compelling narrative. Savvy companies like Google, Microsoft, and Disney are paying attention, understanding that the blend of the young ADA generation and the aging baby boomer population creates a significant demand for integrated, meaningful accessibility (e.g., Disney provides rides that allow wheelchair users to remain in their mobility devices; Google Maps offers accessible route options). This demographic shift is a major market force that businesses and destinations can’t afford to overlook if they want to stay competitive.

In the travel sector, this means acknowledging that accessibility is fundamental to outstanding customer service. It offers a notable competitive edge. Organizations and destinations that invest in accessibility broaden their potential customer base, tapping into the $58 billion market of travelers with disabilities, as identified in a 2020 study by the Open Doors Organization.

A Vision for Inclusive Travel

At AccessNow, we advocate for this understanding. We collaborate with tourism destinations, governments, retailers, parks, and trail operators to ensure trustworthy accessibility insights are woven into the travel experience. Our platform provides detailed, descriptive accessibility information through our Verified Program, complemented by reviews from disabled travelers, empowering our community to make informed choices based on genuine, transparent information. We recognize that disabled individuals are not just service consumers; our insights and experiences can inspire more inclusive and innovative travel solutions.

The future of accessible travel hinges on moving beyond categorizing disabled individuals into rigid groups or segregated experiences. Emphasizing descriptive details and enhancing disability representation fosters a travel language that informs everyone before they embark, regardless of their identity. By adopting this approach, we can cultivate a travel industry that genuinely welcomes all.