This week we’re focusing on accessible travel. In a recent two-part cover story series, our staff looked at ways that travel companies and categories like hotel, cruise and tour have made strides to accommodate disabled travelers. And we’re continuing the coverage this week with a report by Robert Silk about how often flyers who need wheelchair assistance receive “prompt and timely assistance” at the gate. 

In the meantime, in this episode we’re having a robust discussion about what accessible travel means, what needs to be done for disabled travelers in tours and hotels, and where more progress needs to occur to make disabled travelers feel welcome and able to participate in group travel.

Host Rebecca Tobin and Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill leads the discussion with John Sage, the founder of accessible-travel tour operator and agency Sage Traveling; Genny Freiman, the project manager for the Disability Opportunity Fund, which designed a hotel from top to bottom with disabled travelers in mind; and Matt Berna, president, North America, for Intrepid Travel.

This episode was recorded Oct. 6 and has been edited for length and clarity

Related reports: 

The state of accessible travel: The market overall, air and hotel: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-part-1 

The state of accessible travel: Destinations, tours, cruise lines and what advisors need to know: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-Part-2 

Wheelchair assistance falls short of flyers’ expectations: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Wheelchair-assistance-falls-short-flyers-expectations 

Pete Buttigieg: Airlines should create wheelchair space on planes: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Buttigieg-says-airlines-should-create-wheelchair-space-on-planes 

Accessible-travel specialist Wheel the World starts travel agent affiliate program: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Accessible-travel-specialist-starts-travel-agent-affiliate-program 

Is Africa a good choice for clients with disabilities? https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Insights/Accesible-travel-in-Africa-is-improving 

Our guests: 

Sage Traveling: https://www.sagetraveling.com/ Intrepid Travel: www.intrepidtravel.com 

The Schoolhouse Hotel: https://theschoolhousehotelwv.com/accessibility/ 

The Disability Opportunity Fund https://www.thedof.org/

Intrepid Travel: https://www.intrepidtravel.com

This week we’re focusing on accessible travel. In a recent two-part cover story series, our staff looked at ways that travel companies and categories like hotel, cruise and tour have made strides to accommodate disabled travelers. And we’re continuing the coverage this week with a report by Robert Silk about how often flyers who need wheelchair assistance receive “prompt and timely assistance” at the gate. 
In the meantime, in this episode we’re having a robust discussion about what accessible travel means, what needs to be done for disabled travelers in tours and hotels, and where more progress needs to occur to make disabled travelers feel welcome and able to participate in group travel.
Host Rebecca Tobin and Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill leads the discussion with John Sage, the founder of accessible-travel tour operator and agency Sage Traveling; Genny Freiman, the project manager for the Disability Opportunity Fund, which designed a hotel from top to bottom with disabled travelers in mind; and Matt Berna, president, North America, for Intrepid Travel.
This episode was recorded Oct. 6 and has been edited for length and clarity
Related reports: 
The state of accessible travel: The market overall, air and hotel: <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-part-1">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-part-1 </a>
The state of accessible travel: Destinations, tours, cruise lines and what advisors need to know: <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-Part-2">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-Part-2 </a>
Wheelchair assistance falls short of flyers’ expectations: <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Wheelchair-assistance-falls-short-flyers-expectations">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Wheelchair-assistance-falls-short-flyers-expectations </a>
Pete Buttigieg: Airlines should create wheelchair space on planes: <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Buttigieg-says-airlines-should-create-wheelchair-space-on-planes">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Buttigieg-says-airlines-should-create-wheelchair-space-on-planes </a>
Accessible-travel specialist Wheel the World starts travel agent affiliate program: <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Accessible-travel-specialist-starts-travel-agent-affiliate-program">https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Accessible-travel-specialist-starts-travel-agent-affiliate-program </a>
Is Africa a good choice for clients with disabilities? <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Insights/Accesible-travel-in-Africa-is-improving">https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Insights/Accesible-travel-in-Africa-is-improving </a>
Our guests: 
Sage Traveling: https://www.sagetraveling.com/ Intrepid Travel: <a href="http://www.intrepidtravel.com">www.intrepidtravel.com </a>
The Schoolhouse Hotel: <a href="https://theschoolhousehotelwv.com/accessibility/">https://theschoolhousehotelwv.com/accessibility/ </a>
The Disability Opportunity Fund <a href="https://www.thedof.org/">https://www.thedof.org/</a>
Intrepid Travel: <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com">https://www.intrepidtravel.com</a>

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors explore ideas, share experiences and provide insight into what they’ve uncovered while reporting on some of the biggest trends in travel.

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors explore ideas, share experiences and provide insight into what they&rsquo;ve uncovered while reporting on some of the biggest trends in travel.

Hosted by Rebecca Tobin, managing editor of Travel Weekly

The Folo by Travel Weekly

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors take a deep dive into the biggest travel story of the week. 

In each episode, we invite invite our team of journalists and their trusted sources to delve into major travel trends that industry insiders, or just travelers, want to know about.  

You may be wondering: Why the Folo? Well, a folo -- f o l o -- is a journalism term, a kind of shorthand that basically means to follow a breaking news story with more in depth reporting and analysis. And at the Folo podcast, that's what we do. 

Hosted by Travel Weekly managing editor Rebecca Tobin.

Travel Weekly's team of reporters, editors and contributors take a deep dive into the biggest travel story of the week.&nbsp;
In each episode, we invite invite our team of journalists and their trusted sources to delve into major travel trends that industry insiders, or just travelers, want to know about. &nbsp;
You may be wondering: Why the Folo? Well, a folo -- f o l o -- is a journalism term, a kind of shorthand that basically means to follow a breaking news story with more in depth reporting and analysis. And at the Folo podcast, that's what we do.&nbsp;
Hosted by Travel Weekly managing editor Rebecca Tobin.

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