This week we’re focusing on accessible travel. In a recent two-part cover story series, our staff looked at ways that travel companies and categories like hotel, cruise and tour have made strides to accommodate disabled travelers. And we’re continuing the coverage this week with a report by Robert Silk about how often flyers who need wheelchair assistance receive “prompt and timely assistance” at the gate. 

In the meantime, in this episode we’re having a robust discussion about what accessible travel means, what needs to be done for disabled travelers in tours and hotels, and where more progress needs to occur to make disabled travelers feel welcome and able to participate in group travel.

Host Rebecca Tobin and Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill leads the discussion with John Sage, the founder of accessible-travel tour operator and agency Sage Traveling; Genny Freiman, the project manager for the Disability Opportunity Fund, which designed a hotel from top to bottom with disabled travelers in mind; and Matt Berna, president, North America, for Intrepid Travel.

This episode was recorded Oct. 6 and has been edited for length and clarity

Related reports:

The state of accessible travel: The market overall, air and hotel: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-part-1

The state of accessible travel: Destinations, tours, cruise lines and what advisors need to know: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-Part-2

Wheelchair assistance falls short of flyers’ expectations: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Wheelchair-assistance-falls-short-flyers-expectations

Pete Buttigieg: Airlines should create wheelchair space on planes: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Buttigieg-says-airlines-should-create-wheelchair-space-on-planes

Accessible-travel specialist Wheel the World starts travel agent affiliate program: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Accessible-travel-specialist-starts-travel-agent-affiliate-program

Is Africa a good choice for clients with disabilities? https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Insights/Accesible-travel-in-Africa-is-improving

Our guests:

Sage Traveling: https://www.sagetraveling.com/ Intrepid Travel: www.intrepidtravel.com

The Schoolhouse Hotel: https://theschoolhousehotelwv.com/accessibility/

The Disability Opportunity Fund https://www.thedof.org/

Intrepid Travel: https://www.intrepidtravel.com

 

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