November 25, 2019

Look Who’s Talking:
Seven Attendees Comment on TravelAbility Summit – San Francisco

Here are comments from those who attended the inaugural TravelAbility Summit in San Francisco on November 12-14, 2020. 

“As I leave San Francisco I am reminded of the amazing week I’ve had here at the first ever TravelAbility Summit. So many awesome speakers companies and presentations! Congratulations to to the TravelAbility team for a great conference.” Ron Petit, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

“I left the summit with a pocketful of contacts and a headful of ideas, and while I returned to an inbox full of other work to do I am committed to sharing what I learned and putting it to use to improve ability inclusion at Expedia Group and (I hope) in the industry at large… Because disability is a status that is so diverse and because of the stigma that’s often attached, people with disabilities are often overlooked in design conversations and/or experience unintended consequences of design decisions…”  Natalya Pemberton, Expedia Group

“What a fantastic, first ever, TravelAbility Summit! This was truly a don’t-miss conference — my colleague and I met innovative business owners, bloggers, disability experts, fellow DMO’s championing accessibility issues, and so many incredible professionals. Thank you for making this worthwhile summit happen. Can’t wait to work with everyone in the coming months and attending TravelAbility Summit 2020!  —Judy Durant, Ft. Myers CVB

“Such a great first-time conference! I learned so much and made so many great connections. There are a lot of great resources and people who can help guide us to help make our destinations, websites, social media, hotels, restaurants, etc. be accessible to all travelers.” Carol Astley, Travel Oregon.

“We are early in the journey of providing equal access to the joy and benefits of travel for people with “disabilities” (mobility, vision, hearing, autism etc.) – this journey starts with awareness, empathy and understanding of the nuances and issues that need to be solved. This group of attendees are true pioneers and leaders who have the vision and passion to make a true difference. We need to move from discussion to action, even if small and Aira is here to help.” Troy Otillio, Aira

“I found the summit to be a fascinating and educational three days. In targeting the intersection of disability and travel I think you’ve locked on to a critical conversation. Coming from the disability side, I knew there was work to be done, but if I’m being honest, I had no idea how much there is and how large the disconnect is between the two communities. In conversation after conversation I was both shocked at how little many of the travel industry representatives knew or understood about accessibility and disability while also being impressed by their genuine desire to learn and their openness to new ideas. That combination makes me think that the Travelability summit could grow into something much, much bigger and even more impactful.”  Ian Ruder, New Mobility Magazine

“I want to express my gratitude for being included in the summit and all of the work we did together ahead of the conference. This conference and the people that were included resulted in an event that inspiring, timely, poignant, and truly educational through listening and empathy. I made some strong connections both personally and professionally with some real opportunity to make a difference through coordination with the efforts and objectives of other companies. Let me know how I and Pegasus as a company can further support you with future TravelAbility events or any other work that you do.  Nate Lane, Pegasus

“First let me just congratulate you on, really, an impressive event. And second, let me thank you for including Open Doors in it. Your dedication to the cause is obvious not just in pulling off a major – not to mention brand new – event, but also in how to present yourself and your passion for accessible tourism. I’ve always said it takes just one champion to make a huge difference and you’ve proven that point once again. TravelAbility was a huge stepping stone for the disability community but the real impact I saw was in the industry – and that’s exactly where it needs to be. You brought together strangers who all have a common goal of universal access in an industry that all people, regardless of limitations, want to be a part of.  Eric Lipp, Open Doors Organization

Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about us, I invite you to check out our bi-weekly newsletter, TravelAbility Insider  as well as our Advisory Board, “Fabulous 50” products and technology that we’ve unearthed that make travel easier.  Here’s a link to the provisional agenda.

Contact: Tricia Roth, VP Marketing and Engagement,  tricia@travelabilitsummit.com