‘Inadequate accommodations and services’ – how inaccessibility in travel is holding back disabled workers

asian indian beautiful woman with disability using wheelchair exploring downtown district in kuala lumpur
Sofia Geraghty
By Sofia Geraghty


Is a lack of accessibility in the travel sector preventing disabled workers from progressing in their career?

A recent study from the American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) has found that 74 per cent of UK disabled workers consider business travel a crucial element of career progress yet despite the importance of travel, 65 per cent feel unable to travel on business because of their disability.

The results showed a significant disjoint between disabled travellers and the industry: 48 per cent said there is a lack of understanding about their travel needs, 31 per cent believe hotel accommodations are inadequate [for disabled guests] and 37 per cent have had disheartening travel encounters with rudeness and prejudice.

The personal career impacts of inaccessibility in travel is huge: 61 per cent have had to cancel a crucial trip because of accessibility issues and 50 per cent have had to decline a job offer because they felt unable to fulfill travel requirements associated with the role.

Some of the ways disabled travellers said the industry could better support them is working with travel companies that have built-in accessibility support (29 per cent), ensuring contingency plans are in place in case of disruption (27 per cent), and providing detailed travel plans with information and pictures of accessible modifications (19 per cent).

Derek Moxam, an accessibility advocate and Agent Coach at Amex GBT, said “There are an array of career barriers facing people with disabilities, particularly as it relates to business travel and meetings attendance. I’ve encountered many of the challenges identified in the survey: a lack of awareness and understanding of my needs, inadequate accommodations and services, and the lack of standardization and experience between airlines, hotels, ground transport and ground services. These obstacles can be incredibly discouraging and limit our professional and personal growth.”

Andrew Crawley, president, Amex GBT, said, “The statistics paint a stark picture. The benefits of business travel for both the employer and employee are clear – deals are completed more efficiently, and collaboration and networking are much more meaningful face-to-face. There are around 9.5 million people of working age with a disability in the UK, but only 5.1 million are employed1. Employers who prioritise the needs of people with disabilities are accessing a significant talent pool that others are missing out on.”

ICC Sydney powers inclusion and belonging through Disability Inclusion Action Plan

In 2023, ICC Sydney was the first Australian convention centre to develop an Accessible and Inclusive Events Guide for event organisers and this next phase of work continues to build on the venue’s resources and plans to ensure it is readily accessible and welcoming to people with a disability.

Back in April it strengthened its commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible venue with the launch of its inaugural Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) on World Autism Awareness Day.

In Australia, the unemployment rate for people with Autism is 31.6 per cent, three times the rate of people with disability, and almost six times the rate of people without disability and of those employed less than full-time, more than half (53.9 per cent) would like to be working more hours than they currently do.

How to make the travel industry accessible to everyone? Three experts weigh in

 

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