Accessible Travel and the Travel Goods Retailer

Tourism economist Simon Darcy estimates that about 7% of international travelers have some form of disability, based on
his research and other studies by groups like the U.S. Open
Doors Organization. Disabled international travelers have
to overcome challenges like finding a local sign-language
interpreter, being a slow walker, or traveling with supplemental
oxygen. These tourists could have been born disabled, they
might be baby boomers to whom life has happened (the rest of
us are called temporarily-able bodied for good reason) or they
may be some of the 720,000 millennials who returned from Iraq
and Afghanistan with a service-related disability. For a retailer,
specializing in niche markets is not just the right thing to do, it’s a
great way to build a loyal customer following.
In order to serve your customers with disabilities, start by
educating yourself and your staff about what is possible for
disabled travelers. (Answer: nearly everything!) Some great
online tools:
• Easy Access Europe by Rick Steves is available as a free
download on www.ricksteves.com.
• The resource page of www.gimponthego.com, created by
travel advocate Adam Lloyd, has an exciting list of accessible
international destinations.
• Mobility International U.S.A. (MIUSA) helps arrange
international study, work, volunteer, teaching or cultural
programs around an individual’s disability.
Especially for travelers with mobility issues, choosing the right
luggage can make or break a trip.
Make sure you’re stocked with large and small backpacks and
soft-sided cylindrical duffels, the type of luggage most often
favored by wheelchair users. Help your customers find a packing
combination that results in a balanced load. Keep in mind that
motorized chair users can hang a heavier backpack on the back
of their chair, but the same bag on the back of a manual chair
would require too much core strength for maneuvering. Two
great packing essays for reference:
• “Luggage Tips for Wheelchair Travel” by Erik Kondo at
www.wheelchairtraveling.com has a packing plan for self sufficient manual chair users.
• “Travelers with Disabilities” by Susan Sygall, on www.ricksteves.com, provides luggage suggestions appropriate
for those with a motorized chair.
Add a few mobility enhancing products like the Drive Medical
folding lightweight cane seat and wheelchair and walker mounted
Quick Cage water-bottle cage by uAdapt, and you will be able to tell your customers “yes, we speak ADA!”

This article originally appeared in the Winter issue of Travel Goods Showcase.