Our Story

We are TravelAbility, and our mission is to make travel more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Our story began in 2018 with an unexpected email: we’d been named “Travel Agent of the Year” by the city of Sausalito, California—where our office is located. The only catch? We weren’t a travel agency.

Still, the award sparked curiosity. Soon, people began knocking on our door, asking for help planning their trips. Many had a family member with a disability. That moment revealed a gap in the market—and an opportunity to make travel more inclusive.

We launched a two-month listening tour to better understand the experiences of travelers with disabilities. What we discovered was eye-opening: while the ADA sets minimum standards for physical accessibility, the travel industry’s approach was largely about compliance—often just enough to avoid lawsuits. The ADA was built for the “median” which means it works for half the people and doesn’t work for the other half. l;

Even more troubling, there was no ADA equivalent for information. Travelers often didn’t know which half they’re in until they arrived at a hotel, attraction, or restaurant. That uncertainty was a barrier we felt compelled to address.

So we got to work.

We created a network of resources and events to encourage travel businesses to build accessibility pages on their websites—making information transparent and travel more welcoming. We launched an annual conference and a monthly newsletter, TravelAbility Insider, offering practical guidance for businesses seeking to improve accessibility.

We built a website to serve as a central hub of tools, insights, and inspiration. Then we spent seven months developing The Accessibility PLAYBOOK—a comprehensive guide featuring over 100 presentations, videos, and links to help any travel business enhance its accessibility.

To spotlight innovation, we introduced InnovateAble, a pitch event showcasing cutting-edge assistive technology and amenities that elevate the travel experience for people with disabilities.

Earlier this year, a friend suggested I meet with the Sausalito City Manager and share how that mysterious award had sparked it all. I did. She listened intently, then asked, “Did you get the award by email?” I nodded. She paused. “Oh,” she said. “That was a credit card scam.”

And yet, somehow, that scam set everything in motion.

Sometimes the universe works to nudge us toward purpose in the most unexpected ways

– Jake Stienman, Founder and CEO

The Status Quo

We discovered that the accessibility-in-travel world has largely been driven by top down legislation. While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Airline Carrier Accessibility Act (ACAA) set standards that make transportation, hotels, restaurants, and airlines accessible to disabled people, implementation was at a bare minimum and, in many cases often not enforced or thoroughly thought out.

In effect, rather than seeking to serve disabled travelers in a way that enables and even enhances the travel experience, the mindset has become litigation avoidance.

Need is the Mother of Invention

In response, we have found a quiet groundswell of innovators dedicated and determined to offer a more robust travel experience to disabled travelers. These trailblazers have developed products, services, and other initiatives that reduce the barriers to travel for those with physical, behavioral and cognitive disabilities and offer enhanced experiences of the places they visit.

With over 20 years of experience in producing boutique events for the tour and travel industry, and with a vast network of destination marketing organizations, tour operators and other industry players, we invite you to join us for the second annual TravelAbilitySummit and become a part of a powerful gathering of travel industry leaders and innovators making destinations accessible to everyone.