Travelers With Disabilities May Find Advantages in Using Travel Advisor Specialists
Skift Take
The number of people with disabilities is increasing and travel advisors need to understand this demographic. If they don’t, not only will they lose business to specialist agencies, they may also risk prosecution.
With one in four American adults classified as having a disability, travel advisors need to better understand these travelers. Being able to complete their bookings is not just a business necessity, it’s a legal requirement under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which demands equal treatment for travelers with disabilities.
According to consultant and trainer Craig Kennedy of Disability Life Coaching, most travel advisors “have no idea what issues are faced or what the special needs of any disabled traveler are unless they have actually worked with a customer with a disability.”
While travel advisors are learning more about this, Kennedy recommends using a specialist agent in many cases.
“It is so important to have accurate information when traveling with a disability and the needs of each traveler with a disability are going to be very different, even within the same disability category,” he said.
The challenge for travel advisors is two-fold: understanding t
