Strides in accessibility but some challenges persist

With accessible tourism continuing to gain momentum, promising greater inclusivity and equal travel opportunities for all, there have been fantastic initiatives, yet more setbacks. However, as we strive to create a more representative and inclusive travel experience, it's essential for the tourism industry to be accountable for the wins as well as the losses.

In September, a fabulous initiative led by Dylan Alcott, (probably the most well-known person with a disability in Australia), launched the Shift20 initiative. The initiative unites some of Australia's most renowned brands, including Tourism Australia to actively promote greater inclusion, representation, and accessibility within marketing and brand communications. With nearly 20 percent of Australians having a disability yet just one percent of advertising including them, this is a great stride towards inclusion nationally.

And Tourism Australia recognised this early by supporting Shift20 at the outset.

The City of Gold Coast released a comprehensive guide to everything that is accessible, encompassing transport, experiences as well as accommodation, following on from Tourism Queensland declaring 2023 the year of accessible tourism. Evidence that government intervention can facilitate change remarkably.

While there have been significant improvements in some areas, numerous challenges remain unaddressed. One pressing issue is the accessibility of air travel for individuals using wheelchairs. The Change.org petition, led by Accessible Accommodation, advocating for wheelchairs on planes sheds light on this problem. Many people with disabilities have faced difficulties when travelling by air, ranging from damage to their wheelchairs during flights to the inability to access restrooms on planes.

In September, Qantas was in the hot seat with two wheelchair user passengers and the mistreatment of their bodies as well as their wheelchairs. Mildura woman Nikita Bennett, who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair said she was hurt and humiliated and had to crawl to her seat when she fell from a wheelchair while boarding a flight from Qantas Melbourne.

James Woody Wood, who lives with a spinal cord Injury and travels frequently for work, watched his wheelchair being unceremoniously dumped from the cargo hold damaging his $10,000 custom built wheelchair.

Airports, despite being essential hubs of travel, still have a long way to go in making accessibility better for passengers with disabilities. Often, there is a lack of understanding regarding the unique needs and challenges faced by these individuals. This not only hampers their overall travel experience but also perpetuates the feeling of exclusion and neglect.

Furthermore, until a person with a physical disability can go to the bathroom on their flight and mitigate the risk of damage to wheelchairs, Australian Tourism is missing out on billions of travellers visiting Australia. Airlines need to be held to account as well. In the USA, regulations have been introduced requiring more aircraft to have accessible bathrooms, a move widely welcomed by the disability community travelling within the States. One crucial aspect of this change is education. Alcott and the communications industry’s Shift20 initiative seeks to normalise disability as simply part of the greater community.

Accessible Accommodation’s partnership with Quest Apartments Hotels sets out to ensure that all 1900 Franchisees and employees receive tourism inclusion training, achievable both online and in person. I wrote a playbook for the Quest brand, essentially a ‘bible’ on all things accessibility and how to exceed the standard accessible traveller experience. This education can help professionals in the industry better understand the challenges faced by people with disabilities and equip them with the tools to create a more inclusive and welcoming guest experience.

Overall, accessible tourism has indeed made significant gains in terms of awareness and action. However, challenges persist, especially in the realm of air travel accessibility.

To continue progressing towards a more inclusive and representative future, the aviation industry needs to lift its game, and commit to employee education, protecting equipment, and the provision of accessible amenities during flights.

After all, it isn’t just the 20 percent of Australians with a disability who are customers; it’s also the ageing population who will need accessibility at some point in their lives.