Articles tagged “disabled”

On today’s episode we explain what happened to Expedia’s marketing team, what co-founder mode is like at Airbnb, and Disney’s rising weather challenges.

Tune in to hear from an accessible travel advocate about why the industry shouldn't overlook customers with disabilities. But looks like it’s a long road ahead for players to become truly inclusive.

In Skift top stories this week, we pick what we think are the biggest innovators in hospitality in 2022, offer disability rights advocate Tanzila Khan a column to express disappointment with Air France, and to put forward our boldest predictions for travel in 2023.

Passengers traveling with wheelchairs are a billion-dollar industry often ignored by the airlines. Most passengers with disabilities plan trips with friends or family, with the determining factor being the ease of accessibility for wheelchairs. Trains and buses can accommodate. Airlines are long overdue.

People who want to select a non-smoking room are shown options at most booking sites. The industry needs to be just as helpful for travelers with specific needs for mobility, hearing, or visual challenges. Thankfully several online booking sites are trying to help.

Ever-changing equipment poses constant challenges for both travelers and an often undertrained staff at both airports and onboard planes.

Allowing airlines to wait a decade to give blind people limited access to airline kiosks seems profoundly unreasonable.

Online booking, automated kiosks, and mobile check-ins have made life easier for many travelers, but until yesterday's ruling, they did little to help flyers with certain disabilities. These rules will need to be continually updated as new technology emerges.

Disabled travelers spend an estimated $13 billion in North America and £2 billion in England every year, making them an important target for destinations looking to increase their share of the global travel market.

Companies that sell mobility scooters make big pushes to the disadvantaged but not quite disabled via daytime TV and direct mailings. They are an aid at best, but very rarely a necessity.