Skift Take
When it comes to serving travelers with disabilities, hospitality is taking small steps in the right direction, but disruption is scarce. Hotels could even take a cue from airports on this — and leverage a huge market that's there for the taking.
Many hotels follow local legislation and meet minimum standards, but where is the innovation that will more meaningfully enhance the traveler experience?
“Things are very stagnant,” said Stephen Cluskey, CEO of Mobility Mojo, which provides software solutions to hotels to evaluate and promote their accessibility features. “There’s been no real innovation in hospitality and accessibility for the last while.” He sees some companies taking small steps, like TripAdvisor and Airbnb adding information to their platforms. But more can be done to capture this business, which Mobility Mojo predicts will comprise 25 percent of the entire tourism market by 2020, including age-related impairments.
Companies have a responsibility here, but governments play a role too. “I think the Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA] is very progressive. The ADA sets a higher standard than some of the best laws in Europe,” said Cluskey, who uses a wheelchair. Enforcement of these laws, however, is another story.
Hotels can also take a cue from airports in terms of serving a very broad audience. Airports are certainly flawed, but they’re all about traffic flow and must be prepared with various mobility solutions. As emphasized in
