Developing an Accessible Tourism Strategy by Bill Forrester of Push Living and Travability. Available online at: http://travability.travel/blogs/developing-an-accessible-tourism-destination-strategy.html

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The Disabled Travelers Guide to the Galaxy
Frogs, Bicycles, Imo, UD = MC2 and the
Restaurant at the end of the Universe
Prepared by Travability Pty. Ltd. Phone 0417 690 533 Email bill@travability.travel
Working towards making the world accessible to all
Advocates for Inclusive Tourism
TravAbility
T R AVA B I L I T Y. T R AV E L

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The Disabled Travelers Guide to the Galaxy
Frogs, Bicycles, Imo, UD = MC2 and the
Restaurant at the end of the Universe
Well not really but at least I have your attention!
It would be nice to think that travelers with a disability were free to travel the
Universe with nothing more than their trusty towel. In reality, travel even to a
local attraction, is far more difficult than it needs to be. Travel, recreation and
leisure are all about about the “experience” which ideally should be seamless from
planning, to arrival back home. Enjoyment comes from those experiences and the
way they are shared with others. The experience lingers in the memories of those
who participated. A truly remarkable travel experience leaves the visitor changed in
some way.
The reason it is so difficult for people with a disability to travel freely is that industry as a whole has not yet
recognized that fundamentally a traveler with a disability is no different from any other traveler in their aspirations
for a remarkable experience.
To the travel industry Accessible Travel is still about access and not the experience. There is a fundamental
difference and it stems from a misunderstanding that Universal Design means design for the disabled and not human
centered design.
Chapter One - The Universe in Chaos
Lets look at the Universe
To understand the slow evolution of the adoption of Accessible Tourism, we must first look at the evolution and
structure of the tourism universe.
In a Previous article, Accessibility does not equal Inclusive Tourism, we examined the structure of the industry from
an operator point of view and explored the disconnect that existed between venue owners/operators, wholesalers and
the retail network (both online and offline).
In defining a tourism experience, however, the universe gets more complex. The private sector industry players
do not act alone, but are part of a greater destination management plan that stems from a national brand value
proposition. The brand proposition and national branding is a strategic decision that comes from a National
Tourism Authority. It is filtered down to State/Provincial Authorities. Underlaying those bodies there is normally
a layer of Regional and then Local Tourism Authorities that develop their own identities, branding and destination
management plans. The nexus with the national branding is broken at this point unless the particular region is a
national icon and part of the international marketing plan, e.g. America’s Grand Canyon or Australia’s Great Barrier
Reef. At a regional and local level the emphasis is on developing the key attributes of the destination for a more
local market. The influence of the National and State Tourism Authorities becomes more advisory and a source of
information on global tourism trends.
The various elements of the Universe can be depicted in the following diagram.
Universal Design is NOT Design for the Disabled

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The pyramid of influence is important as it represents by color the ease with which cultural change can be affected
depending on the level a strategy change is implemented. Tourism is structured in multiple layers and unless all
embrace Accessible Tourism as a core pillar of their respective tourism strategies an “Inclusive Experience” will
never result.
Who is Imo and what has he got to do with the Universe?
National Tourism Authority
International Marketing | National Strategy | Industry Briengs on Emerging Erends
National Awards | Research
State/Provincial Tourism Authority
Interstate Marketing | State Strategy | Industry Toolkits | Industry Training
Industry Networking | Development of Regional and Local Tourism Authorities
Research
Regional Tourist Boards
Intrastate marketing | Regional Destination Development/Management
Branding | Industry Training | Capacity Building | Advocacy
Local Tourism Associations
Visitor Services | Advocacy | Industry Development
Marketing | Product Development | Stakeholder
Management | Booking Services | Events
Tourism Businesses
Product development
Destination Promotion
Customer Experience
Packaging
Service
Advocacy
Strategic Direction
Leadership
Trend analysis
Policies
Legislative Framework
Brand Management
Market Development
Destination Development
Destination Management
Marketing
Research
Industry Education
Training
Reward and Recognition
Product Development
Customer Experience
Destination Enhancement
Capacity Building
Advocacy
Product packaging
Framework Required for a Successful Accessible Tourism Strategy Implementation
Embedded commitment at all levels is essential
Pyramid of Inuence
TravAbility
T R AVA BILIT Y.TRAV E L
“Imo the monkey has become famous over the years, originally as a result of Robert Ardrey’s wonderful
work of science popularisation, The Social Contract, first published in 1970. Ardrey had learned of the
trail-blazing work of Japanese scientists in studying the behaviour in the wild of large, self-contained and
highly structured monkey
societies. The scientists had established the practice of ‘provisioning’- providing some of the monkey
population’s food needs but without distorting the natural pattern of foraging in their island habitat. This
allowed the observers to study at first hand, and continuously, the patterns of social interaction amongst
the monkeys and, above all, their learning-the way that intelligence diffused in the social systems. Imo
excited their attention from the start. When sweet potatoes,which monkeys love, were placed on the
beach of the tiny islet of Koshima, all the monkeys laboriously picked the grains of sand from the food in
order to eat it. It was Imo, just 18 months old, who made the mental connection with the little stream that
crossed the beach not far way. Imo carried the sweet potatoes to the stream and allowed its fresh waters
quickly to wash away the sand. After a while another youngster copied this method of food preparation
and then, after a further period, Imo’s mother did so. Very slowly the innovation diffused amongst the

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band, mainly amongst the young, and within families. The normal pattern was for the young to make the
breakthrough, followed by their mothers, and then for new infants to copy their own mothers.
The point of the story, for observers of human behaviour in organisations, is that the clever new ideas
never penetrated to the powerful males at the top of the social hierarchy. They never came into contact
with the young. When caramels were introduced to another band, the pattern was repeated-it took a
year and a half for the innovation to spread from the juniors to half the entire troop. But, in a parallel
experiment, the ‘alpha’ (boss) monkey was induced to try another new and delicious food-wheat. The
alpha female promptly copied him and the entire band of 700 monkeys took to the new food in just
four hours. Why? Because everybody watches the leader. Nobody much attends to an Imo. By now a
mature four-year old, Imo devised a method for ‘placer-mining’ the wheat too. Interestingly, the youngest
monkeys had figured out that it made sense to get downstream of Imo, so as to catch any floating
grains that escaped the panning process. Something similar occurs near the smartest operators in big
corporations.”
Intelligent Leadership - Alistair Mant - Allen Unwin, 1999
The story of Imo is used a lot in corporate management and leadership training to keep organizations continually
fresh and new by encouraging a “think tank” process to capture the new and innovative ideas coming out of the
youngest minds. The best organizations do that successfully and keep innovating and changing. The key to that
change is to recognize, however, that to get organization wide adoption rapidly to take advantage of the associated
competitive advantage, the idea has to be owned from the top down. Without that ownership most ideas will be slow
to evolve or die all together.
The Social Model of Disability and its effect on the Universe
The Social model of Disability recognized that society had a responsibility to not exclude people with a disability.
Around the world the Social Model spawned anti-discrimination acts which were ultimately codified into access
requirements. The compliance approach to accessible tourism is aimed at the individual tourism businesses and
specifically at physical infrastructure. It is the least influential part of the pyramid and an infrastructure approach is
associated with cost with no relation to business, destinational, or product development. Some businesses may see
the potential of the market or the social implications but often it is limited to those with a personal experience or
association. It is a model of accommodation - not customer. Codification provides a safe haven and a minimum no
risk solution to accessibility.
The Business Case - A Really Big and Expanding Universe, but too big to comprehend at a
local level.
In recent years the economics of the Accessible Tourism sector have started to come to the fore. The ground
breaking research of Dr. Simon Darcy in 2008 put a value on the market of 11% of the total tourism spend. Further
work by McKinsey on the impact of the Baby Boomers put their proportion of the tourism market at 50% by 2020.
When the extrapolation of the number of people in the Baby Boomer group who will have an age related disability
is applied to their purchasing power then the percentage of the total tourism, market that will relate to people with a
disability climbs to a staggering 25% by 2020. Our article, Inclusive Tourism - An Economic Imperative driven by
the Baby Boomer Generation, explored in detail the purchasing power of this generation.
While the business case is strong, it is not tangible to individual business owners and operators. Too often
presentations concentrate on big numbers, percentages and 20 page checklists and access statements. What

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a business owner needs to know is what to do about it, not how big the Universe is. The size of the Universe
arguments need to be directed at the strategic influencers who’s job it is to translate those trends into tangible action
plans.
Without the national structure embracing Accessible Tourism the emerging trends and business case is never
translated into regional, local and individual plans that can be effectively implemented. It becomes a Black Hole
with some isolated and disconnected bright stars. Like Imo, they will each be getting their own satisfaction both
financially and socially, but the impact on the overall destination will be small and slow.
National Tourism Authority
International Marketing | National Strategy | Industry Briengs on Emerging Erends
National Awards | Research
State/Provincial Tourism Authority
Interstate Marketing | State Strategy | Industry Toolkits | Industry Training
Industry Networking | Development of Regional and Local Tourism Authorities
Research
Regional Tourist Boards
Intrastate marketing | Regional Destination Development/Management
Branding | Industry Training | Capacity Building | Advocacy
Local Tourism Associations
Visitor Services | Advocacy | Industry Development
Marketing | Product Development | Stakeholder
Management | Booking Services | Events
Tourism Businesses
Product development
Destination Promotion
Customer Experience
Packaging
Service
Advocacy
Policies
Legislative Framework
Building Codes
Business Case Anti-discrimination
Global Trends
Ageing Population
The Black Hole of Accessible Tourism
Ostritch Leadership
Pyramid of NO Inuence
TravAbility
T R AVA B IL I TY.TRAVEL

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You can’t shoot for the stars without a systems approach
Conversely, when there is a well established and sophisticated system, simply bolting on new pieces doesn’t change
the fundamentals. Those additional pieces are never nourished and never form part of the overall system. They
simply exist on the edge until, through lack of maintenance, they fade away into oblivion.
Tourism is an example of a well established and very intricate system
aimed at delivering a multitude of different experiences to the traveler.
Those experiences blend together to retain a feel for the destination and
brand management. The complexity exists both within the destination
management structure and within the industry that brings together an
array of components to deliver its overall service. A successful tourism
product incorporates, transport, accommodation, attractions, sightseeing,
booking systems, information systems and customer service. Those
products are bundled and further require the integration of service
providers, consolidators, tour operators and an extensive retail network
whether online or offline.
Over time the system evolves as products change and the tastes of the
market changes. New products and experiences become available and
get incorporated into the local and then destination wide management. In some cases the destination plan and value
proposition evolve over time as a destination sees a competitive advantage in a line travel type. Adventure and
sustainable tourism are two recent examples.
Bicycle thinking, where a new product is bolted onto the system invariable fails if it doesn’t fit into the destination
management plan or isn’t powerful enough to change the plan.
The approach to Accessible Tourism, has to date, largely been Bicycle thinking. Adding accessibility requirements
doesn’t fundamentally change a product offering or affect cultural change within a destination. The concept of
systems thinking in relation to the tourism industry was explored in our paper Accessible Tourism is the Tourism
Industry’s Bicycle.
“The essential difference between the frog and the bicycle, viewed as systems, lies in the relationship of
the parts to the whole. You can take a bicycle completely to pieces on your garage floor, clean and oil
every single part, and reassemble the lot, confident the the whole thing will work perfectly, as a bike, as
before. The frog is different. Once you remove a single part, the entire system is affected instantaneously
and unpredictably for the worse. What’s more, if you go on removing bits the frog will make a series of
subtle, but still unpredictable, adjustments in order to survive. This sort of system, at the level beneath
consciousness, wants to survive and will continue for an astonishing length of time to achieve a rough
equilibrium as bits are excised - until it can do so no longer. At that point, again quite unpredictably, the
whole system will tip over into collapse. The frog is dead and it won’t help to sew the parts back on.”
Intelligent Leadership - Alistair Mant - Allen Unwin, 1999

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Defining the Disabled Traveler.
The Encyclopedia Galactica defines disability as:
While that definition may be tongue in cheek, it goes a long to explain why Accessible Tourism has not become
a mainstream part of the tourism product. As we have said earlier tourism is all about creating an experience
and a memory of a place. It is about engaging people and taking them into a new realm. The ability to transport
someone to a new sensory level requires an understanding of the person for whom that experience is designed and a
knowledge of their capabilities to enjoy and appreciate what is going on around them.
People with a disability are present in all sectors in roughly the same proportion as the general population. They are
not like the backpackers, adventure tourists, or luxury travelers that can be conveniently put into unique product
boxes with targeted marketing campaigns. The common misconception is that the needs of all people with a
disability are the same. In one sense that misconception has been reinforced by the social model of disability which,
in defining the social barriers, has concentrated on a narrow sub set of physical access requirements largely limited
to car parks, toilets, building access and hotel rooms. By concentrating on the narrow access requirements the
industry has effectively created an artificial sector of people with a disability that ignored their actual aspirations.
A disability, in reality is just a different level of ability. We are not all equal in a number of ways. Physical ability is
just one element in the total capability set of the human being.
If we do take physical ability as the cornerstone of the push for greater accessibility then we need to put it into
context. Looking at the travel industry as a case in point. Travelers vary enormously in their physical capabilities
and their holiday patterns reflect that diversity. Whether that holiday is climbing a Himalayan peak, walking New
Zealand’s, Milford Track, visiting the wine region of the Napa Valley or relaxing on a Caribbean Island that is a
personal choice. The tourism industry is adept at discerning and catering for those wide ranges of choices, however,
we have categorized a disability, through the medical and now social models as something different and around that
built a set of preconceptions that shields it from a market view.
Disability is often regarded as a homogeneous concept. The opposite is true. As with the general population ability is
on a continuum.
An arbitrary line drawn to differentiate a segment of the population whose ability
the majority don’t understand.
Disability is the only minority group anyone can join in an instant

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Continuum of Ability
Activity Level
Level of Support
High High
Passive Extreme
Low
Traditionally
Dened
Disability
Public
Perceived
Subset
Adaptive Equipment is
opening up a whole range of
adventure activities to people
of all abilities
TravAbility
TR AVA B ILIT Y.TR AVE L
Mobility
Impairment
Vision
Impairment
Hearing
Impairment
Speech
Impairment
Mental
Impairment
Hidden
Impairment
Ageing
Population
The arbitrary line defining disability is exactly that, an arbitrary line. The advent of modern alloys and design has
opened up a vast range of activities including some at the extreme adventure end of the spectrum. People with a
disability can be found across the full range of sporting and leisure activities. Their tastes and budgets, likewise,
spread from economy to five star and include the conference and meetings market. The key to developing tourism
product is to look at the aspirations of potential visitors, the opportunities that exist within a destination and the
technology available to allow participation by people of all abilities. Customer expectations should drive the product
development.
From a tourism industry point of view, higher levels of assistance and support are common in the higher adventure
type tourism activities and in the group tour segments. The industry has a proven capacity to support people to
achieve stretch goals and aspirations. Accessible Tourism needs to capatalise on that pre-existing skill set by clearly
defining the customer needs.
New technology is opening adventure to all - Images available from Photoability.net

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Chapter Two - Bringing Order to the Universe with the Force of
Universal Design
UD = MC2
The Encyclopedia Galactica defines Universal Design as:
Universal Design is at the very core of an inclusive society. In the context of tourism UD must be able to produce
an experience that meets and exceeds the expectations of all people. Further, as we have said, tourism experiences
are SHARED experiences hence the design of tourism products is about bringing together people of all abilities, not
designing specific activities for people with a disability.
Universal Design is the design of products, services and environments to be
USABLE by ALL people
What if the first question we asked was, “What is so unique about this situation that it justifies
exclusion?” instead of, “How much does it cost to make it accessible?”
Dr. Scott Rains
Accessible Product Development
Universal Design must be Integrated at Every Stage
TravAbility
TRAVA BILITY. TRAVEL
The Customer is the Centre of the Universe
Customer
Desires
Capacity
Review
Product
Design
Built
Infrastruc-
Soft ture
Infrastruc-ture
Sta
Training
Product
Implementation
Packaging
Release
Marketing
Universal Design is the Governing Force

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The key element in developing tourism product is the incorporation of Universal Design from the first inception of
the product concept.
Knowing what the customer, not only wants, but is capable of doing is the foundation for the capacity review. The
capacity review must look at all of the existing infrastructure and what needs to be altered to accommodate the
proposed new product. Too often the path of travel is ignored or the simple and inexpensive alterations overlooked
because a helicopter view is not taken out the outset.
Product design must be all-encompassing and actively seek out new product innovations. Today venues have a
great range of new equipment at their disposal from the freewheel wheelchair extension, off road handcycles, road
handcycles, all abilities sailboats, adaptive fishing equipment, paddle boards designed for wheelchairs, adaptive
canoes and canoe launchers, in addition to the tradition hearing loops, tactile markers etc.
In creating built infrastructure it is important to look to the future and the impact the aging population will have on
anything built today. The Baby Boomer generation will dominate the travel market over the next 20 years. That is
a big enough tome horizon to justify any capital expenditure. The vision and application should be broad. Why fit
a toilet seat with a 30% luminosity contrast to just the accessible toilet. The contrast is needed by anyone with low
vision whether or not they have any mobility issues requiring and accessible toilet. The small things like maximizing
the accessible paths of travel through garden and bar areas should be part of any infrastructure upgrade.
In creating a tourism offering the Soft Infrastructure is just as important as the built environment. Accessibility
information should be plentiful, easily found within the main context of the attraction description and written in the
same style as any other information. It is, after all, a sales document, not an audit report. Booking systems should
reflect the experience a visitor wants or expects to have. If there is space for only one companion, then the booking
information and system needs to talk about where the rest of the party is located, or better still reserve the row in
front of the accessible seating to accommodate family and friends. Create interactive maps and signage to allow
easy wayfinding through a venue without the need to search for a step route. Create large print registration forms or
mobile apps to simplify the process for people of all abilities. In other words every action should be enhancing the
customer experience and it should blend in with existing forms and presentations and systems. Customers want an
inviting experience, not one that makes them feel different or puts under pressure.
In implementing any Accessible Tourism product, it has to be made seamless to the overall visitor experience.
Transport, arrivals, check-in, dining, drinking, city transfers, sightseeing tours, local accessibility maps all should
reflect the same level of inclusiveness as the particular product being developed. Rarely does a tourism offering
exist in isolation to the destination. Partnerships and packaging are critical is staff training, not just in the particular
product, but all other things a traveler with a disability may want to do.
Finally there is the marketing. Imagery plays a critical role in saying to a customer from the outset that we want
your business. It is about positioning potential clients as valued and welcome guests and nothing says that more
strongly than people with a disability enjoying a venue or activity on offer. That imagery should not just encompass
the particular product but more generally reflect the destination as whole.
Universal design is not design for the disabled. It is an all encompassing philosophy to create a culture of inclusion.
Get the vision right and all else follows with creative and innovative solutions that will attract one of the fastest
growing markets of any industry.
Everyone Belongs Outside - Vision Statement of Parks Alberta

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The Galactic Road Map to the Accessible Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Tourism is complex from its management structure, industry structure and destination and product development. It is
a system designed and intertwined to create an “experience” for the traveler.
The industry, and disability advocates have been slow to adopt Accessible Tourism as a valid tourism market mainly
because the industry as a whole does not understand people with a disability as travelers.
The Social Model of disability created a community recognition that society as a whole has a collective
responsibility for people with a disability. The UN CRPD, and in relation to tourism Article 30, goes further with a
doctrine of equality. The emphasis for the past 25 years has been on physical access and while a great many of those
barriers have been removed the cultural divide and misunderstandings still prevail.
The Final Frontier is all about cultural change that will be largely driven by an aging population and increasing
economics around Accessible Tourism.
The Business Case alone will not change those attitudes without a rethink by Accessible Tourism advocates on how
that message is translated to every level of the Tourism Industry. The focus has to now shift to one of education
about a “new” customer and redefining the misconceptions held by the industry about people with a disability. The
arbitrary line has to be removed from the continuum to allow for the development of truly inclusive experiences to
be enjoyed and shared by everyone.
Someday soon the restaurant at the end of the universe will be accessible to all

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About TravAbility.
TravAbility was founded in 2007 by Bill Forrester and
Deborah Davis.
Our mission is to be agents of change; to inspire people
who have never traveled before to do so, and to inspire
others to do more. To encourage all cultures of the world to
see disability as an integral part of life, and to provide the
motivation and tools to the tourism industry to allow them
to create accessible environments that enable inclusion in an
economically sustainable way.
We offer a range of services to tourism operators and Destination Marketing Boards to enable them to
take advantage of the growing Accessible Tourism market:
• Staff and Management Training
• Marketing Services and Toolkits
• Industry Presentations and Conference Sessions
• Property Audits and Universal Design planning
• Self Audit Tools
• National/State/Regional Park Guides and Trail Maps
• Diversity and Inclusion Strategy development
• Disability Action Plans and Access Statements
• New Project planning and Development
• Stock Imagery through PhotoAbility
• Accommodation listings through TravAbility Properties
For more information on how you can make your business more attractive to the traveler with a disability
contact Bill at bill@travability.travel or Deborah at deborah.davis@pushliving.com.
Further references
Accessible Tourism has to be Customer, not Compliance Focused
Inclusive Tourism - An Economic Imperative driven by the Baby Boomer Generation
Accessible Tourism is the Tourism Industry’s Bicycle
The Economic Model of Inclusive Travel - Changing the demand drivers for the provision of products and services
in Inclusive Tourism. The Why and How.
Travel Industry Structure is a barrier to Inclusive Tourism

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Inclusive Imagery by PhotoAbility
TRAVELLERS with disabilities and their families represent a strong and growing trend that can be captured by travel
properties and service providers.
PhotoAbility, a new niche stock image site, can help companies demonstrate a commitment to their customers with a
disability through disability-inclusive imagery incorporated into their websites, advertising and marketing materials.
Our library specialises in travel and lifestyle related images featuring people with disabilities enjoying travel all
around the world with their families and friends. Incorporating these types of positive inclusive images within the
travel sector will give those with disabilities the inspiration and confidence that they too can enjoy the opportunity to
experience new destinations that can accommodate their accessibility needs.
The stock image gallery features rights-managed and royalty-free photos and can be searched by destination by
travel operators, companies, advertisers, marketers, publishers, creatives, and designers whose role is to cater to the
travel consumer.
“Customers who have specific access needs are part of every tourism ‘segment’. Their interests are as wide
as any other group of people. They may be looking for mountain adventures, concert performances or a
honeymoon hotel. In business terms, they are simply ‘customers’ but they need good access – otherwise,
they will choose to go elsewhere. They also travel with family and friends so you could not just be losing
one customer but potentially many more. It is about gaining market share.” Bill Forrester, Co-Founder,
PhotoAbility.
“Inclusive tourism should be treated the same as any other destination marketing. Accessible facilities are
one thing, but the right imagery sends a powerful message that ‘we want your business’.” Deborah Davis,
Co-Founder, PhotoAbility.
It is no longer about ‘accommodating’ travellers with a disability, but actually about competing to attract this very
valuable market.
Increasing the inclusion of people with disabilities in the marketing and advertising medium

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The Spirit of Inclusive Travel
I travel because I want my mind and my heart and my
soul to overcome the boundaries that my body now feels.
I travel in spite of the fact that it is “inconvenient” in that
I am unable to walk onto the plane or to simply stand up
and use the bathroom when needed, or that I have to spend
innumerable hours planning and seeking out where I may
be able to go in a wheelchair; what I will be able to see
and where will accommodate me once I reach my chosen
destination. I travel because to do so puts me in the realm
of saying “HA! Look at me now!” I can do and be and see
and experience this wonderful world. I CAN taste, smell,
delight in the people and remarkable sights and win in the
battle of my body over my spirit.
I was a dancer and I was 18 when I crashed my car in front of the
Mormon Chapel on the Maryland beltway. I broke my neck and was told
I will never move from the neck down again. Yet, I heard a voice as I lay
alone in the night..-
”you will not be able to move your legs..but it will not be permanent and
there is a purpose”
I accepted this, moved on and regained the use of my arms and hands…
just like the voice said.
So I go--and I relish in the next trip--the next challenge that I WILL
over come. I am not a wheelchair sports jock-never raced in my chair
or played tennis or rugby or wheelchair basketball. Travel and love is
how I survive. I take my love and my will with me and I look strangers
in strange lands in the eye as I roll by and I am saying to myself and
to everyone who sees me that WE are not pathetic, sad, miserable
cripples…
WE are here and we want to share the world with you….it is up to me to
show you I will come--it is up to you to show me I am welcome.
Deborah Davis
As published in the New York Times.
Having fun in the Everglades
Deborah in Stockholm

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Our Team
Since 2007, Travability has been developing accessible information on tourist destinations. We have
continually refined our presentation style and level of detail as a result of continual feedback. We are
members of SATH (Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality), ENAT (European Network for
Accessible Tourism) and Tour Watch the world incubator for Accessible Tourism. We are acknowledged
as global thought leaders on inclusive tourism and the economic impact the sector will have on the travel
industry over the next ten years.
We have presented at international forums including:
• SATH World Congresses in 2009 and 2011
• Inaugural Access Tourism New Zealand Conference in October 2010
• We were a part of the agenda planning committee for Interdependence 2012 in Vancouver, Canada
• Member of the Scientific Committee for Destinations for all, a Global Summit in Montreal in October
2014
We have developed the Accessible Information Evaluation Model for Parks Victoria and conducted the
reviews for 26 major parks.
Bill Forrester
Bill was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. As a child he was fortunate
to travel to many parts of the world and to learn and appreciate cultures other
than his own. That passion for learning and understanding has never left him.
Bill has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and
spent most of his working life in the corporate field in both senior financial
and operation roles. He specialised in corporate and cultural change, and
has extensive experience in facility management, major project delivery,
stakeholder relations and corporate training programs. He has worked in the
private, mutual, and government sectors, including Brambles, News Limited,
RACV and Melbourne Water.
Recognising that there was a lack of information of accessible tourism
facilities, in 2007, Bill formed Travability with a mission to change the way
the tourist industry viewed travellers with disabilities and the way accessible
information was made available.
Deborah Davis
Deborah was born and raised in Maryland and moved to Miami in 1984.
She was involved in a car accident at the age of 18 sustaining a C6/7 spinal
cord injury resulting in incomplete quadriplegia. Deborah has a Bachelor
of Business Administration from the University of Miami and has had a
successful career in the medical sales field and was the Director of Abilities
Florida. She has extensive experience in developing and conducting training
programs on disability awareness and the seamless inclusion of accessible
facilities. She has a wealth of experience in marketing. She is well travelled
and enjoys the thrill of discovering new places. As an active and accomplished
individual she is passionate about our dream of making the world accessible
to all.
Deborah is the founding inspiration and co-owner of Travability.