October 5, 2023 • 45 mins
Navigating the world with a disability can often feel like an uphill battle, especially when it comes to travel. We've experienced it firsthand as we journey with our son Lliam. Our struggles sparked a conversation and led us on a journey to understand more about accessibility. We found ourselves crossing paths with the passionate advocates behind AccessibleGo – a leading accessible travel website in the US that's revolutionizing the game for travelers with disabilities. Today, we're thrilled to bring you a deep dive into this fantastic platform and the people at its helm.
In our chat with AccessibleGo's Program Manager, Patch Epstein she gives us an inside look into how they're breaking down barriers in travel, confirming accessibility for each booking, and generating revenue while doing so. Patch shares the experiences of several clients and the transformative impact AccessibleGo has had on their travels. Plus, we pick her brain on ways we can make our own spaces more welcoming and accessible.
We round off our discussion by delving into the wide array of services AccessibleGo offers to improve travel accessibility, and Patch shares their vision for the future. From booking accommodations to providing a treasure trove of resources for travelers with disabilities - they're truly making a difference. Patch also talks about their inspiring Travel Inspiration blog, a brilliant resource for activity ideas. So, let's explore together and learn about the incredible work AccessibleGo is doing to pave the way for truly accessible travel for all.
Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support!
We're taking a break to recharge and plan some exciting new things for the show. We'll be back with a fresh season featuring more in-depth explorations of disability issues, along with new segments and interviews.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Kerry, do you recall some of the travel challenges
we've had with Liam when itcomes to accessible rooms and
that, oh, absolutely, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
There was one time when we were traveling through
Ohio and we planned on stayingovernight and so it was turnpike
traveling which is gruelingBack to the hotel that you had
booked was accessible, but whenwe arrived at the hotel after 8
(00:35):
pm they were doing massivereconstruction.
I remember that and we had topark and wheel his wheelchair
around the building to get tothe room or to get to breakfast.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I'm having a hard time finding where the door was.
They said it's just down thisway, like what.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, and we went round and round it.
It was not, not, it was not agood experience.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I remember more than one where we checked in and said
, oh, it's accessible bathroom.
And you look at it and you, youcouldn't curse a cat in there.
It was so small there's no wayyou could turn a wheelchair
around, right?
I'm wondering in what world isthat accessible they had to grab
bar in the bathtub.
That's not what it takes tomake a wheelchair.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
You make a bathroom accessible.
When you have someone in awheelchair.
I need the toilet to be tallerthan usual 88.
The sink to be shorter thanusual so he can wash his hands
after using the toilet.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
And being able to get into a shower is always a
fabulous thing, and I'm alwayssurprised to find out that they
actually make 24 inch doors.
You know, it's kind of likewhoa already.
Let's just kind of squeeze thewheels a little bit so we can
get it in there, Right?
Anyway, our talk today is withPatch Epstein from Accessible Go
(02:04):
, and this is a greatorganization to do some
fantastic work making traveleasier for people with
disabilities.
As a matter of fact, one of thequotes in there that you had
Liam from Asking for a Favor.
Right.
Everybody calls up asapologetic about it because
(02:24):
we're so used to not wanting tointerfere with somebody else's
life, and but we need extraaccommodations.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Let me give you a little story.
Steve, you know, liam is almost35 years old.
I have 10 brothers and sisters.
I have many nieces and nephewsthat are married and having
children and we're invited totheir places and I have to ask
(02:51):
are there stairs?
Is there a way for Liam to getin the house?
Speaker 1 (02:55):
And they never thought about that.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
They don't think about it.
This is our family, I know he'spart of it and they don't think
about that because it's notsomething they see every day.
But I walk into places and I'mconstantly looking is this
accessible for Liam?
Can I get in the bathroom withhim in the wheelchair if I had
to?
My brain is always checkingthese things on automatic.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
My brain is checking out when he's not with us.
You know, you look at ramps,you look at cutouts and curbs.
Most US cities have that today,but not many cities worldwide.
Or doors when you walk in andyou see the aisles, like in a
restaurant, are impossible toget a wheelchair through between
two different tables.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Going around the tables and the chairs and the
excuse me, pardon me, pardon me,excuse me.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I remember telling somebody at church once that the
seats weren't far enough apart.
I said, okay, just imagineyou're carrying a refrigerator
on a two wheel dolly.
If you can get there with therefrigerator on the two wheel
dolly, it'll be okay for awheelchair.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Exactly Because you know why should I have to try
and figure out how the heck I'mgoing to get the kid back down
from communion Right?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So, anyway, this is Navigating Life as we Know it.
My name is Steve, and I'm herewith my lovely co-host Kerry.
Hi and let's get on to thisinterview with Patch and see
what she has to say aboutAccessible Go.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Let's do.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Today we're speaking with Patch Epstein.
She is the production managerof Accessible Go, a leading
accessible travel website in theUnited States for people with
disabilities to book theirtravel needs and be part of a
dynamic community of like-mindedtravelers.
Patch, could you give us anidea of what Accessible Go is
(04:54):
and what you do?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Sure.
So first of all, thank you somuch for having me.
It's a pleasure to be able toshare with people a little bit
more about what Accessible Godoes and also what goes on
behind the scenes that you mightnot necessarily be so privy to
just by looking at our site.
So Accessible Go is a travelplatform for people with
disabilities.
Our main focus right now is onaccessible hotel accommodations.
(05:22):
We do have plans to expand toall aspects of the travel
journey, but for now we'refocused exclusively on hotel
rooms and the various ins andouts to ensure that people have
the features that they need,both those covered by the ADA as
well as those that aren'tcovered by the ADA that people
(05:42):
still need, such as confirmingbed heights or making sure that
under the bed there is an openbed frame so that they can use a
Hoyer lift to transfer fromtheir wheelchair onto the bed.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, it would be kind of a rude awakening check
into a hotel room expecting tobe able to use a Hoyer, then
find out that the way it'ssituated is incompatible with
that and you need the HoyerPatch.
Behind every new innovationlike Accessible Go, there's a
story.
How did Accessible Go come tobe?
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Sure.
So Accessible Go was started byMiriam Alges, who is the
co-founder.
She grew up with a parent whowas a wheelchair user, and that
really shaped how she viewed theworld.
They had so many instances oftrying to do things together
that were simply not accessible.
They didn't have the rightinformation readily available in
(06:37):
advance, and she started toreally notice this and came to
realize that there was a needthat was unfulfilled, for a
travel site that would handlebookings in the same way that
people come to expect fromtraditional booking sites.
So, in this case, ouraccessibility confirmations that
we do for every single booking.
(06:59):
There's no fee for that, andthat's what Miriam wanted to
create.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So how does Accessible Go get paid?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Well, now I can't give away all my secrets.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
We have a 34-year-old son who is a wheelchair user
due to cerebral palsy and autism, so he's quadriplegic.
He has some use of his left arm, but limited.
When we travel, which isn't toooften with him, I'll check a
hotel and if it says, you know,handicapped Accessible Room, do
not believe it.
Sometimes what they believe isa Handicapped Accessible Room is
(07:35):
not.
It doesn't accommodate awheelchair.
You might talk about a rollingshower, but you find out there's
a lip on the bottom of it.
It is not a rolling shower,exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Thanks a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
There's been so many times I've been disappointed and
now to have something likeaccessible go where you make
sure the accommodations arecorrect.
I think it's a huge benefit tothe disability community.
Could you explain how you dothat?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
So, as a team, whenever a booking comes in, we
end up contacting the hotel,first of all reviewing what are
the special requests that theindividual guest submitted,
whether it was a roll-in showerand ADA tub, enough space around
the bed in order to ensure thatthey have space for their
(08:22):
wheelchair, making sure that thecontrols in the shower are in
the right place so that they canreach them when they're using
the bench all of these differenttypes of requirements that they
have.
And then we contact the hoteland speak to somebody at the
front desk to ask about thosespecific features.
(08:42):
If there is any doubt aboutwhether or not the individual
that we're speaking to is givingus accurate information, we
will ask to speak to a manageror call back during a different
shift, because sometimes whatwe've found is that hotels are
individuals at hotels aren'talways aware of all the
(09:03):
different features within eachand every mobility accessible
room in the property.
There are multiple, and havingthe different combination of a
single king or double queen andthe bathroom type that's there
and all the other features canbe a challenge for an individual
(09:23):
at the hotel.
We will also ask them to gointo the room and actually get
measurements or get pictureswhich we then share with the
guests.
That information can also begathered in advance if somebody
is concerned about whether ornot they can find a hotel that
has the features that they need,so that is a large part of the
(09:45):
process.
We communicate that with theguest as soon as possible so
that then they can decide ifthis is a good fit for them or
just rest assured that they havewhat they need.
And then one thing that happenson the back end that we do is
about three to four days beforethe booking is set to start, we
contact the hotel and reconfirm,and the reason why we do this
(10:09):
is we've found that sometimeshotels will decide to revamp
their mobility accessible roomsand then the availability
changes, and what we want to dois make sure, three to four days
before, that you still havewhat it is that you booked, so
that you don't show up and havesurprises.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Everybody likes good surprises, but not those when
you've been traveling all dayand you just want to rest and
you find out you can't.
I'm sure that it's prettydiscouraging.
So, given that you probablydon't make a call the first time
and all the qualifications aremet, you might have to try
several hotels in the area tofind something that works, and
(10:54):
that can take some time.
So how far in advance thatsomebody be contacting you
before they plan a trip?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
That's a really good question, steve.
I'll tell you what.
Sometimes people contact uswith a couple days and we
scramble and we make it work.
Ideally, having at least a weekand a half, I would say, is
probably the minimum whenpossible.
However, it really depends onwhat you're looking for.
(11:24):
If you're looking for a roomthat has either a standard
mobility accessible room thathas either an ADA tub or a
roll-in shower and the bedheight and the space under the
bed are not of concern to you,then you're most likely going to
be just fine.
(11:44):
No need to worry about how muchin advance.
When it's a situation where youneed images as confirmation or
measurements, that's really whenthe additional time would be
very helpful, because the hotelstaff members, even if they are
very motivated to go in the roomand get us the information, a
(12:05):
lot of times the problem isthere are people currently in
the room so they can't go inthere in order to get those
pictures or measurements.
So then we have to wait untilthey check out in order to get
that.
I will say there was one timethat I was on the phone with a
hotel front desk manager and Iwas explaining to him the
(12:25):
situation that this was the onlyhotel in that town that there
was a possibility that there wasan open bed frame.
But I really I needed to confirmand it was for a next-day
check-in and as I was on thephone with him, I said he said
that somebody's in the room sowe can't go in there.
And I said you know what, ifthe individual in there has a
(12:48):
disability, if there's a verygood likelihood that they would
be okay with you just pokingyour head in to see if it looks
like it's about five or sixinches of space under the bed.
And he said you know what, I'llgive it a shot, wish me luck.
And he had me on his earpieceright, so I heard him not go in
there and they're like oh yeah,sure, come on in.
You know, take a look.
And he was even able to get themeasurement and the picture
(13:09):
because it was just really thatspace under the bed to get that.
So it's really amazing whatpeople are willing to do at
these hotels when you explain tothem why it's needed.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So probably at least a week to 10 days, and if it's
two weeks to three weeks, that'seven better, right?
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yes, but if it's standard features that the ADA
covers, then 48 hours is plentyas well.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
How many people do what you do?
Speaker 4 (13:42):
We've got a team of several people.
We've got people located allover, so I'd say, about a
handful of people are, you know,triaging and taking care of
these bookings?
Speaker 1 (13:54):
What do you enjoy most about the work you do with
accessible go?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
What I love is being able to help people that are so
used to not receiving this kindof help.
They're used to doing it ontheir own and being exhausted
from the process, and what I dois I focus on making it so that
(14:23):
the individual can focus ontheir vacation, their family
events, their business trip,whatever it might be, instead of
whether or not they can take ashower or go to sleep in the
room right.
So, as an example, I had anindividual that I worked with
who hadn't traveled for fiveyears because what he needed was
(14:47):
a bed or, sorry, a.
He wasn't able to sleep in abed.
He needed either a recliner,which is very difficult to find
in hotels, or an armchair withan ottoman.
Now, oftentimes in mobilityaccessible rooms, the additional
furniture that's in the room ispretty limited because of
(15:07):
ensuring that there's enoughspace to navigate within the
room in your wheelchair.
At the specific hotel that Ifound, there wasn't an armchair
in an ottoman, there wasn't arecliner, and I spoke to the
manager and explained to herwhat the situation was, and she
made a special approval to havean armchair and ottoman put in
(15:28):
so that he could stay at thehotel, and it was the first time
he had traveled in five years.
So being able to do things likethat, or for another individual
who's traveling with her30-something year old son, who's
quadriplegic she is just usedto asking people at the hotel if
they can help transfer her sononto the bed, because it's so
(15:52):
difficult for her to find ahotel that has an open bed frame
and in towns that are verysmall.
Working together, I was able tofind hotels for her that have
that open bed frame, and thesense of relief in her voice
when I let her know that shefound that we found those hotels
(16:12):
, that makes it all worth it.
It doesn't matter how manyhotels we have to call, but
finding that one hotel that haswhat they need and knowing that
the guest is going to be able toenjoy their trip really makes
it worthwhile.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
That's probably your best ticket to repeat business
is very happy customers whoshare that information with
other folks about how it workedout.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah, I also want to mention that a lot of people who
reach out to us, let's say,before they book, there's a
tendency for them to beapologetic.
Right, I'm so sorry to ask.
And also, could I ask aboutthis, and do you think we could
maybe find an airport shuttle?
The first thing I always dowhen I speak to these
(16:59):
individuals is tell them therequest that you're making.
I promise Nothing I haven'theard before, first of all, but
also there's nothing toapologize over.
So, with a recent individualthat I'm working with, I asked
her, you know, she gave me thebasics and then I said now, what
are some wish list items?
You know if we're alreadycontacting the hotels and making
(17:20):
sure that they have, you know,x and Y features, what are some
wish list?
Right?
And then she was like, well,it'd be really great if I was
like awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Right.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
So let's shoot for the moon.
If you miss, at least you'reamong stars, right?
But I think it's reallyimportant that there is some
recognition of the fact thatpeople With disabilities and
those that travel with them andI think that's a really
important thing, and I thinkthat's a really important thing,
(17:53):
and I think that's a reallyimportant thing and I think that
a lot of times have to ask forfavors or they feel, from what
my experience is, that they have.
These individuals haveexpressed to me that they feel
like they're putting people outby asking for the basics of what
they need, such as a picture toconfirm that they can navigate
within the room that they'vereserved, or ensuring that the
(18:14):
controls and the role in showerare in the room.
So that's really important.
I think that's really importantand I think that's one of the
key parts of being in theposition that I'm in is that I
get to serve as an intermediaryso that when the guest arrives,
the notes are on theirreservation for what they need.
(18:34):
The room has been confirmed sothat they don't feel like
they're asking for another favorJust to give them that freedom
from that need to do so.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Well, thank you for doing that, because I I think
that's really important and Ithink that we can do that.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I think that's really important and I think that the
thing that we have to do is getto know you know what.
The best way to do that is tobe able to see the guests that
they have, and then you can getto know how they have to change
their day.
Make some feel good about theirtrip.
Yeah, they get excited.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
One of the fun parts is getting pictures from our
guests who have traveled aroundand been able to See the sites,
or the sites that they've beenable to see, and then being able
to focus on what their theintention of their trip was
rather than the accommodations,and you just mentioned that when
you worked with hadn't traveledfor five years and I imagine
(19:26):
there's some some littlepandemic that might have
involved part of that, plus thedifficulty of getting around.
It seems like now we're it'snot over, we're in the endemic
period of it where we just dealwith it, but we're more, we're
more, more, more involved.
We're more, more involved in itand that's why we're getting
more and more people withdisabilities are expecting more
(19:47):
and hopefully they're getting it, and they're getting it through
services that you guys areproviding.
It sounds like you're really ina growth market.
What do you envision happeningin the?
Speaker 4 (19:56):
future as the market chain is, and accessible goal
rose, wheelchairs, power chairrentals, anything that you need
when you travel in order toensure that your trip goes
smoothly.
That would be.
(20:17):
That's where we're going, butultimately, in a way, there's
this notion of universalaccessibility, where everything
is built with people withdisabilities in mind, so there
won't need, there won't be aneed for accessible hotel rooms,
because all hotel rooms will beaccessible.
So that is the hope to get todown the line.
(20:40):
But for now, until we get therebeing in a situation where we
truly are able to facilitate allaspects that an individual
needs when they travel, we dohave a lot of individuals that
ask for recliners, being in asituation where we can also
offer medical equipment rentals,such as hospital beds,
(21:04):
recliners and the wheelchairs,etc.
We have also had a lot ofemployer lifts as well, so that
these items are delivered to thehotel when they arrive and then
picked up when they leave.
So now individuals are usingoutside parties in order to do
those, to get those devices, toget that equipment, and so we're
(21:26):
in a situation down the linewhere we're able to coordinate
all of those efforts so thatit's not that a person can't
find a hotel with a recliner.
Of course we'd look for onefirst, but if not great, here's
another option, right where thatopens up possibilities for
where an individual can stay andwhat they can do.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
It's clear you're not doing that yet, but in the
future do you have plans to workwith Verbo and Airbnb and those
kind of concerns?
Speaker 4 (21:57):
In the future we have plans to have mobility
accessible and otherwiseaccessible home rentals on our
site.
Whether or not that's workingdirectly with Airbnb and Verbo
or people placing those optionson our site, that you know,
those that manage thoseproperties.
(22:18):
We'll just have to wait and seehow that pans out.
But right now, one of thethings that I really appreciate
about the leadership withinaccessible go is that, even
though we don't list thoseproperties right now, people do
reach out to us about them andwhat we do is we direct them to
post about the their property onour community forum to ensure
(22:42):
that people are aware, becausefinding a home rental that is
accessible is very difficult.
So we encourage thoseindividuals to post them to make
sure that the community isaware.
So knowledge and access toknowledge Trump's making a sale,
which I think is reallyimportant.
Our community forum was meantto be a space where travelers
(23:04):
with disabilities can cometogether literally from all over
the world, and so we can askquestions, get answers, share
travel tips and ultimately alsomake friends with people who
understand their journey,understand what they're trying
to do, understand their hopesand dreams and struggles or,
let's say, the barriers they mayencounter.
(23:26):
So a lot of people ask questionsrelated to flying, ensuring
their wheelchair, how to managebathroom use during a long
flight.
That tends to be a lot of.
Airline travel is a heavyportion of the questions that
get asked, as well asrecommended airlines.
(23:48):
So, as you've seen, people areasking all sorts of questions,
even as it relates to hotelsthat are recommended, as well as
activities that they'reinterested in doing in different
parts of the world, and peopleare jumping in and sharing what
(24:08):
their experiences or theirrecommendations are for said
location or said activity, andit's wonderful to see that it's
a judgment free space.
People aren't asked to explainwhat their disabilities are, but
focus more on what it is thatthey're trying to do and if they
have any concerns, for when theperson who's responding, you
(24:32):
know, shares their insights,just to keep in mind, right?
So it's rather than oh, what isyour disability?
It's what are your concerns orwhat would you like to be able
to do.
I have some places in the worldthat you recommend, right?
So it's focusing on that, withan eye towards the accessibility
(24:52):
features of whatever type ofsuggestion it might be.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
It's just cool that you have that place for them to
go.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I had asked you a question in a previous
conversation about differentexperiences.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
There are people that have reached out about
different excursions and wereally send them to the forum
because that's where we haveindividuals in our community
that are active, that shareabout the different experiences
that they've had, the differentthings that they've done.
And we see in the communication,in the forum, where there's
(25:27):
individuals who say, well, youknow, I want to do this, but I
don't think I'll ever be able to, and you should see how many
people jump into theconversation posting pictures
and things that they've done.
You know, to really communicatethat message, like you said, of
that there's no limits, there'sno barriers, but our bread and
butter for the most part, ispeople who are going on family
(25:51):
trips, business travel.
There's more or less aboutindividuals that are looking to
do that adventure, traveling sofar.
I think that when you know weexpand more, we may hear more
about those individuals as well.
But I think also, you know,there's a lot of people with
disabilities that travelthroughout the world and they're
(26:14):
doing all sorts of fun thingsand it's been pretty cool to
hear again in the forum whatpeople have been able to do.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
What else is it that you want people to know about?
Accessible go.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Yeah, so when you book on accessible go, it's the
same process that you would gothrough with booking on any
other travel site.
However, you fill out a specialrequest form that indicates
what are the accessibility needsthat you have that you'd like
us to verify or convey to yourhotel.
(26:47):
One thing I also wanted tomention is that we do have a
discount program for people withdisabilities, and that is for
individuals that have thedisability, as well as their
caregivers or family orotherwise.
For that discount program, allyou have to do is make note of
the disability organization thatyou're part of and then you are
(27:11):
welcomed into that program.
There are no dues, there are nofees, there's no subscription.
It's a one time sign up andyou're in.
You'll see those discountswhere they're available whenever
you search.
But to your specific question,people who book with us aren't
viewed as dollar signs.
We've reached out and speak tothe hotels for every single
(27:33):
person who books with us, aswell as people who reach out to
us in advance, and so the otherweek we contacted over 30 hotels
in Sorento, italy, to try andfind the mobility, accessible
room that fit the needs of anindividual who reached out to us
.
Our main focus is on domestictravel within the United States.
(27:56):
However, we do internationalbookings as well, so there's no
need that a person asks for istoo much or out of the ordinary
or an imposition.
If it's what you need in orderto ensure that your travel is
successful, enjoyable, care free, then and it's within the realm
(28:21):
of what the hotel can provide,then we're more than happy to
check that with the hotel andget back to you and let you know
so that if this hotel for somereason doesn't fit what you're
looking for, we can help youfind a replacement.
It's really this white gloveservice that we strive to
provide for each and everyperson.
(28:43):
And one other thing that Icompletely forgot to share.
So we also have travel ideas,articles on our site, as well as
city guides, and the cityguides that we have are for the
top 30 US cities that peoplehave traveled to.
That include the top 10accessible hotels, top 10
(29:03):
accessible attractions and a 48hour itinerary for those
locations, as well as directoryresources for things such as
medical equipment rentalcompanies as well as caregivers
or whatnot that you might needwhile you travel.
We don't have affiliation withthose companies, but we provide
(29:24):
them for those major cities suchas Las Vegas, atlanta, austin,
etc.
That people may need thoseresources for, and our travel
ideas articles are more sofocused on travel inspiration
that may give you an idea ofdifferent things that you can do
through a lens of accessibility, and we are constantly updating
(29:49):
the filters on our site and howthe search works, and right now
, when you search for a city,you will see the options of
rolling shower, ada tub, hearingaccessible and refrigerator for
medication as the top filters,and that's what you'll see now
when you search.
(30:09):
But, again, we're constantlyimproving the way that our
system crunches the data toensure that you have the
information you need when youtravel.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Because our son's a wheelchair user.
When we're traveling with him,we normally request a first
floor room.
Is that sometimes difficult tofulfill?
Speaker 4 (30:31):
So there's a lot of hotels that will tell us that
for a first floor roomassignment, they can't guarantee
it.
They'll make a note of it, orthat it's too early to confirm
that, or that they only do that.
They only assigned rooms on theday of check-in.
So then our team makes a noteon our end and calls the day of
or a week before whenever theytell us that that is when they
(30:53):
make the room assignments inorder to ensure that the person,
to the best of our ability, isassigned to a room on the first
floor.
So it's really just workingwithin the parameters that the
hotel set.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
For people to discover what your website has
to offer, including the forum,which is very interesting.
They can just look it upAccessibleGoOneWordcom, and I
think it's really great to visitthat website, even if you're
not planning a trip right now,just to know what's available
when you do.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Yes.
So what I recommend is thatanybody who's interested goes
ahead and signs up for our site.
Be sure to sign up for thediscount program as well, so
that anytime you're interestedin traveling, you're able to see
what those deals are.
By signing up for the site,you're also gonna end up signing
up for our forum, and that's areally great place to, as I said
(31:46):
before, keep track of thedifferent questions people have
and also post any questions thatyou may have At any point when
you're interested in looking forsomething specific.
If you don't see what you'relooking for, feel free to send
us an email at contactc-o-n-t-a-c-t.
At accessiblegocom.
(32:07):
You'll hear back from one ofour team members within about 48
hours at most regarding yourquestion.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Patch, typically I'm the one in the family that books
reservations for hotels andI've discovered too often what
they claim to have availableonline isn't always accurate.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
A lot of times hotels will have inaccurate
information online, so theinformation that they post they
may say, for instance, that it'sa mobility.
This happened to me earliertoday.
The room type said it was amobility and hearing accessible
room with two queen beds and aroll-in shower.
(32:50):
When I called the hotel, theysaid that all of their
mobility-accessible rooms noneof them are hearing accessible
and all theirmobility-accessible rooms only
have a single queen bed.
Some have roll-in showers, somehave ADA tubs with grab bars.
So that is very different fromwhat is posted online.
Making sure that thatinformation is confirmed for
(33:13):
every single booking is critical, because what we wanna avoid
having happen is that a personshows up at the hotel and the
information wasn't accurate, orthey gave away the room to
somebody else because theydidn't think that the individual
actually had a disability.
One thing that I did hear froma lot of hotels is that the
(33:36):
bookings that come fromthird-party sites a lot of times
default to themobility-accessible rooms, so
then they switch them out ofthose rooms because they assume
that it must be a glitch or anerror.
So when we call the hotel toconfirm the specific
mobility-accessiblemobility-accessible,
hearing-accessible,vision-accessible needs an
(33:58):
individual may have or any othertypes of accessibility needs
that they have, then we also askthem to put a do not move and
block off the room to ensurethat the individual won't be
moved because somebody elseneeds an accessible room and a
different staff member switchesthem.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Primarily the US right now, but a little bit
outside, and I think the plan isto go, follow where your market
leads you and make itinternational.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
Yes, definitely.
Right now, the focus is ondomestic travel within the US.
I would say that for thoseinternational trips, that's
really where having a little bitmore time is critical, because
other countries don't have theADA.
So I'll tell you a funny story.
(34:51):
I was confirming hotels in Romejust recently and I asked the
front desk staff member if theshower had grab bars and they
said oh, yeah, yeah, there's amini bar.
And I said no, oh, grab bars,right, what they can hold on to.
(35:14):
And I really had to finddifferent ways to describe the
features.
Another situation with the hotelin Petra.
The hotel was incredible aboutsending me a ton of pictures of
the room.
Even they had a little tiny lipto get into the room, so they
had built a ramp.
It was amazing.
Roll in shower, everything youcould imagine.
(35:36):
But they didn't have a steppre-entrance, and not only that,
they had four steps that wereon a slant to get into the hotel
, and the hotel staff memberswere saying that they have no
problem helping the individualby lifting their wheelchair, but
the individual had over a 300pound wheelchair and is somebody
(35:59):
at the front always going to beavailable in order to do that
right?
So when it comes tointernational hotel rooms, we
like to have additional time toverify all the aspects that we
can, with pictures, if the hotelwill share them, to make sure
that there's a step pre-entrance, to make sure that the
(36:20):
individual can get to theirhotel room and get in, as well
as the width of the doors, thewidth to the entry door, the
bathroom door, all the differentaspects because, again, they
have different standards anddifferent regulations in those
in different countries.
So, yeah, so that is definitelywhere a little bit more time is
(36:41):
beneficial, but definitelypossible.
When we've done, we've takencare of bookings, international
bookings for individuals, I cantell you, one of the best hotels
that I've ever encountered wasabroad and they give a they have
for their mobility accessibleroom that had not only a rolling
(37:03):
shower but tub with grab bars.
There was a connecting roomthat, if the individual needed
it for their caregiver, the roomwas free.
Yeah, so there are somecountries out there which I can
remember which country it was,but there are some countries out
there that are really on thecutting edge of understanding
(37:25):
what individuals withdisabilities need when they
travel.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Some day we'll get the world educated, but it's not
gonna happen in my lifetime.
I don't think.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Girl can dream.
A girl can dream.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Well, and you have to , and that's all.
Things actually change overtime, but it comes from customer
demand and people willing to beservice focused like you guys
are.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
I hope that we have an opportunity to travel
sometime in the near future andtake our son along with.
Like in user services, we'reworking around anybody who's
just become familiar with it.
You don't know when you mightbe called upon to travel and
then you'll be able to do so andhave a much better what's the
experience and you might haveexpected.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
Definitely, definitely, and again, if
anybody wants to reach out,contact at accessiblegocom and
we'd be more than happy to helpyou with any needs you may have.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
One more question.
I know that you're primarilyworking in United States and
currently, right now, you livein Israel.
Do you have one of those clocksthat tells you what the time is
all over the world?
Because if you're making phonecalls, we got a huge time
difference between like rightnow it's 3 36 PM.
What time is it by you?
Speaker 4 (38:37):
10, 56 PM 10 56 PM.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
Well, thank you for staying awake.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
I'll tell you I've gotten really good with the time
zones.
You have to right Because, asan example, I can't call people
before they're up.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Right, nobody wants to get a phone call at three
o'clock because you know what,it is never good news.
You never get the news of it.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Or at 6 30 in the morning, because they happen to
be in, you know, pacific timezone instead of, let's say, the
Eastern time zone.
So time zones are very critical, so you learn pretty quickly it
makes for interesting workhours for you, I'm sure.
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Quads, it's been a delight.
Thank you very much for yourtime.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Hi, this is Carrie and this is the chat cafe
portion of our podcast, and I'mhere today with my co-host,
steve.
We're just going to unpack someof this wonderful information
that we just received regardingaccessible go.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
I think that whole concept for a business is
brilliant.
Her story about how it gotstarted was a person was
traveling with her mother andcould not have access, and
there's more about that on theirwebsite.
You should read about it.
Sometimes inspiration comesfrom hitting a brick wall and
saying let's remove all thebrick walls for everybody.
Right, I think it's really coolbecause we've had a couple of
(40:12):
unique instances when travelingwas a major nightmare.
I mean, it's stressful totravel anyway a long drive, a
long flight but when you have awheelchair and you have the
unknowns ahead of you, it getsreally dicey, Right.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And then just throwing there oh, a kid with
autism that could all of asudden have a meltdown for what
appears to be absolutely noapparent reason.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
My greatest fear has been 32,000 feet and he has a
meltdown and they have toreroute the whole darn aircraft
and land because a terrorist isobviously trying to take over
the plane right.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
That has never, never happened.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Usually by the time he's on the plane.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
He's chillax.
It's just the getting up too.
And I know that's because we'vetalked about this we're stressed
, yes, and he picks up on and hefeels that stress Our stress,
and then there's all thispeople-y stuff in the airport
and there's people, there's alot of people, and then they
want to take them away from meto do the checking of him Right
(41:27):
and yeah, it's a lot of Becausehe meets your profile for a
terrorist right, Right.
Well, you know, we want to besafe, we want everybody to be
safe, but I just, I really lovesome of her comments.
I mean too, One of the thingsthat she enjoys most is helping
people who are not used to help.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Or afraid or a bashful to ask for help.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Well, apologize for asking for it.
I mean good grief.
Why do we have to apologize toask for a bathroom so my son can
take a shower?
Speaker 1 (42:01):
It's crazy, it is absolutely crazy.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
But you feel like you do.
I mean it's really weird thatyou feel like that.
But anyway, the freedom fromasking for a favor, what a
wonderful thing.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
It's great job satisfaction for her.
I can tell it that she likes tobe able to do that.
We can make a miracle for you.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Right, well, we can take care of these details and
then you can enjoy the reasonfor your trip, right A family
reunion or to go visit familyand friends, oh my gosh, yes,
please.
Or have a safe, quiet placewhere you can have some downtime
(42:40):
if you are on a business tripand are speaking and you want to
have that quiet to come back toand not have to worry.
Will I get in the doors?
Will I be able to get in ashower?
Yeah, wonderful.
So excited that this ishappening and, as a matter of
fact, we will be utilizing theseservices in the future.
We have an idea of a trip to.
(43:05):
Canada in April of 24.
And so I think we're just goingto contact them and them deal
Absolutely.
Because I was already freakingout about how I was going to do
all of that, and I don't have to.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
I mean, you have to go to Canada and worry about the
language differences.
I know no money Was it stress,the stress.
No, it's a great idea.
We will get some first handknowledge of it.
So I would suggest anybody isgoing to be traveling, go to
contact ataccessiblegoallonewordcom.
(43:42):
Contact at accessiblegocom.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
But before that, go to the website, oh yeah, check
out the travel guides.
They have listings of the top10 hotels and the top 10 cities
and all the different thingsthat are available through there
and the discount program theyhave, which will give you a sign
up for the discount programs,better rates on rooms, and you
(44:07):
know what?
The travel inspiration mightjust give you an idea of
different things that you can dothrough a lens, the blog that
they have.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
They talk about people that have gone places and
done things that were quiteamazing, that you might not even
think it's within a range ofpossibility, and there it is.
Going for what's easy iseasiest for someone.
Traveling with a disability isdifficult for most other people,
but easier.
But what about some of theamazing things that can be done?
(44:37):
People are doing skydiving,they're skiing, they're paddle
boarding, they're doing allkinds of stuff Scuba.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Wheelchairs Scuba diving with wheelchairs.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Stop thinking about what you can't do and start
ruminating about what you canpossibly do.
And it's really cool.
Wow, yeah, they allow you todream.
They allow you to dream.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
That is so cool, how cool.
Well, thank you for your whiteglove service.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
And I can't wait for us to experience some of that,
absolutely.
Thanks for joining us heretoday.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
And we will talk to you in a couple of weeks.
Take care, bye-bye, bye.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Stephen Carey have been your hosts.
My name is Alex and I'm theproducer of Enlaki.
Daniela handles all of oursocial media and general
communications, and Ahali is ourwebsite guru and mistress of
the blog.
Thanks for tuning into ourpodcast and please like, follow,
subscribe and share our podcastto help us grow.
(45:45):
You're the best.
This has been a production ofEnvision Media Alhazel.
Kerry, do you recall some of the travel challenges
we've had with Liam when itcomes to accessible rooms and
that, oh, absolutely, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
There was one time when we were traveling through
Ohio and we planned on stayingovernight and so it was turnpike
traveling which is gruelingBack to the hotel that you had
booked was accessible, but whenwe arrived at the hotel after 8
(00:35):
pm they were doing massivereconstruction.
I remember that and we had topark and wheel his wheelchair
around the building to get tothe room or to get to breakfast.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I'm having a hard time finding where the door was.
They said it's just down thisway, like what.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, and we went round and round it.
It was not, not, it was not agood experience.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I remember more than one where we checked in and said
, oh, it's accessible bathroom.
And you look at it and you, youcouldn't curse a cat in there.
It was so small there's no wayyou could turn a wheelchair
around, right?
I'm wondering in what world isthat accessible they had to grab
bar in the bathtub.
That's not what it takes tomake a wheelchair.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
You make a bathroom accessible.
When you have someone in awheelchair.
I need the toilet to be tallerthan usual 88.
The sink to be shorter thanusual so he can wash his hands
after using the toilet.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
And being able to get into a shower is always a
fabulous thing, and I'm alwayssurprised to find out that they
actually make 24 inch doors.
You know, it's kind of likewhoa already.
Let's just kind of squeeze thewheels a little bit so we can
get it in there, Right?
Anyway, our talk today is withPatch Epstein from Accessible Go
(02:04):
, and this is a greatorganization to do some
fantastic work making traveleasier for people with
disabilities.
As a matter of fact, one of thequotes in there that you had
Liam from Asking for a Favor.
Right.
Everybody calls up asapologetic about it because
(02:24):
we're so used to not wanting tointerfere with somebody else's
life, and but we need extraaccommodations.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Let me give you a little story.
Steve, you know, liam is almost35 years old.
I have 10 brothers and sisters.
I have many nieces and nephewsthat are married and having
children and we're invited totheir places and I have to ask
(02:51):
are there stairs?
Is there a way for Liam to getin the house?
Speaker 1 (02:55):
And they never thought about that.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
They don't think about it.
This is our family, I know he'spart of it and they don't think
about that because it's notsomething they see every day.
But I walk into places and I'mconstantly looking is this
accessible for Liam?
Can I get in the bathroom withhim in the wheelchair if I had
to?
My brain is always checkingthese things on automatic.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
My brain is checking out when he's not with us.
You know, you look at ramps,you look at cutouts and curbs.
Most US cities have that today,but not many cities worldwide.
Or doors when you walk in andyou see the aisles, like in a
restaurant, are impossible toget a wheelchair through between
two different tables.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Going around the tables and the chairs and the
excuse me, pardon me, pardon me,excuse me.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I remember telling somebody at church once that the
seats weren't far enough apart.
I said, okay, just imagineyou're carrying a refrigerator
on a two wheel dolly.
If you can get there with therefrigerator on the two wheel
dolly, it'll be okay for awheelchair.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Exactly Because you know why should I have to try
and figure out how the heck I'mgoing to get the kid back down
from communion Right?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So, anyway, this is Navigating Life as we Know it.
My name is Steve, and I'm herewith my lovely co-host Kerry.
Hi and let's get on to thisinterview with Patch and see
what she has to say aboutAccessible Go.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Let's do.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Today we're speaking with Patch Epstein.
She is the production managerof Accessible Go, a leading
accessible travel website in theUnited States for people with
disabilities to book theirtravel needs and be part of a
dynamic community of like-mindedtravelers.
Patch, could you give us anidea of what Accessible Go is
(04:54):
and what you do?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Sure.
So first of all, thank you somuch for having me.
It's a pleasure to be able toshare with people a little bit
more about what Accessible Godoes and also what goes on
behind the scenes that you mightnot necessarily be so privy to
just by looking at our site.
So Accessible Go is a travelplatform for people with
disabilities.
Our main focus right now is onaccessible hotel accommodations.
(05:22):
We do have plans to expand toall aspects of the travel
journey, but for now we'refocused exclusively on hotel
rooms and the various ins andouts to ensure that people have
the features that they need,both those covered by the ADA as
well as those that aren'tcovered by the ADA that people
(05:42):
still need, such as confirmingbed heights or making sure that
under the bed there is an openbed frame so that they can use a
Hoyer lift to transfer fromtheir wheelchair onto the bed.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, it would be kind of a rude awakening check
into a hotel room expecting tobe able to use a Hoyer, then
find out that the way it'ssituated is incompatible with
that and you need the HoyerPatch.
Behind every new innovationlike Accessible Go, there's a
story.
How did Accessible Go come tobe?
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Sure.
So Accessible Go was started byMiriam Alges, who is the
co-founder.
She grew up with a parent whowas a wheelchair user, and that
really shaped how she viewed theworld.
They had so many instances oftrying to do things together
that were simply not accessible.
They didn't have the rightinformation readily available in
(06:37):
advance, and she started toreally notice this and came to
realize that there was a needthat was unfulfilled, for a
travel site that would handlebookings in the same way that
people come to expect fromtraditional booking sites.
So, in this case, ouraccessibility confirmations that
we do for every single booking.
(06:59):
There's no fee for that, andthat's what Miriam wanted to
create.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So how does Accessible Go get paid?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Well, now I can't give away all my secrets.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
We have a 34-year-old son who is a wheelchair user
due to cerebral palsy and autism, so he's quadriplegic.
He has some use of his left arm, but limited.
When we travel, which isn't toooften with him, I'll check a
hotel and if it says, you know,handicapped Accessible Room, do
not believe it.
Sometimes what they believe isa Handicapped Accessible Room is
(07:35):
not.
It doesn't accommodate awheelchair.
You might talk about a rollingshower, but you find out there's
a lip on the bottom of it.
It is not a rolling shower,exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Thanks a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
There's been so many times I've been disappointed and
now to have something likeaccessible go where you make
sure the accommodations arecorrect.
I think it's a huge benefit tothe disability community.
Could you explain how you dothat?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
So, as a team, whenever a booking comes in, we
end up contacting the hotel,first of all reviewing what are
the special requests that theindividual guest submitted,
whether it was a roll-in showerand ADA tub, enough space around
the bed in order to ensure thatthey have space for their
(08:22):
wheelchair, making sure that thecontrols in the shower are in
the right place so that they canreach them when they're using
the bench all of these differenttypes of requirements that they
have.
And then we contact the hoteland speak to somebody at the
front desk to ask about thosespecific features.
(08:42):
If there is any doubt aboutwhether or not the individual
that we're speaking to is givingus accurate information, we
will ask to speak to a manageror call back during a different
shift, because sometimes whatwe've found is that hotels are
individuals at hotels aren'talways aware of all the
(09:03):
different features within eachand every mobility accessible
room in the property.
There are multiple, and havingthe different combination of a
single king or double queen andthe bathroom type that's there
and all the other features canbe a challenge for an individual
(09:23):
at the hotel.
We will also ask them to gointo the room and actually get
measurements or get pictureswhich we then share with the
guests.
That information can also begathered in advance if somebody
is concerned about whether ornot they can find a hotel that
has the features that they need,so that is a large part of the
(09:45):
process.
We communicate that with theguest as soon as possible so
that then they can decide ifthis is a good fit for them or
just rest assured that they havewhat they need.
And then one thing that happenson the back end that we do is
about three to four days beforethe booking is set to start, we
contact the hotel and reconfirm,and the reason why we do this
(10:09):
is we've found that sometimeshotels will decide to revamp
their mobility accessible roomsand then the availability
changes, and what we want to dois make sure, three to four days
before, that you still havewhat it is that you booked, so
that you don't show up and havesurprises.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Everybody likes good surprises, but not those when
you've been traveling all dayand you just want to rest and
you find out you can't.
I'm sure that it's prettydiscouraging.
So, given that you probablydon't make a call the first time
and all the qualifications aremet, you might have to try
several hotels in the area tofind something that works, and
(10:54):
that can take some time.
So how far in advance thatsomebody be contacting you
before they plan a trip?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
That's a really good question, steve.
I'll tell you what.
Sometimes people contact uswith a couple days and we
scramble and we make it work.
Ideally, having at least a weekand a half, I would say, is
probably the minimum whenpossible.
However, it really depends onwhat you're looking for.
(11:24):
If you're looking for a roomthat has either a standard
mobility accessible room thathas either an ADA tub or a
roll-in shower and the bedheight and the space under the
bed are not of concern to you,then you're most likely going to
be just fine.
(11:44):
No need to worry about how muchin advance.
When it's a situation where youneed images as confirmation or
measurements, that's really whenthe additional time would be
very helpful, because the hotelstaff members, even if they are
very motivated to go in the roomand get us the information, a
(12:05):
lot of times the problem isthere are people currently in
the room so they can't go inthere in order to get those
pictures or measurements.
So then we have to wait untilthey check out in order to get
that.
I will say there was one timethat I was on the phone with a
hotel front desk manager and Iwas explaining to him the
(12:25):
situation that this was the onlyhotel in that town that there
was a possibility that there wasan open bed frame.
But I really I needed to confirmand it was for a next-day
check-in and as I was on thephone with him, I said he said
that somebody's in the room sowe can't go in there.
And I said you know what, ifthe individual in there has a
(12:48):
disability, if there's a verygood likelihood that they would
be okay with you just pokingyour head in to see if it looks
like it's about five or sixinches of space under the bed.
And he said you know what, I'llgive it a shot, wish me luck.
And he had me on his earpieceright, so I heard him not go in
there and they're like oh yeah,sure, come on in.
You know, take a look.
And he was even able to get themeasurement and the picture
(13:09):
because it was just really thatspace under the bed to get that.
So it's really amazing whatpeople are willing to do at
these hotels when you explain tothem why it's needed.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So probably at least a week to 10 days, and if it's
two weeks to three weeks, that'seven better, right?
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yes, but if it's standard features that the ADA
covers, then 48 hours is plentyas well.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
How many people do what you do?
Speaker 4 (13:42):
We've got a team of several people.
We've got people located allover, so I'd say, about a
handful of people are, you know,triaging and taking care of
these bookings?
Speaker 1 (13:54):
What do you enjoy most about the work you do with
accessible go?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
What I love is being able to help people that are so
used to not receiving this kindof help.
They're used to doing it ontheir own and being exhausted
from the process, and what I dois I focus on making it so that
(14:23):
the individual can focus ontheir vacation, their family
events, their business trip,whatever it might be, instead of
whether or not they can take ashower or go to sleep in the
room right.
So, as an example, I had anindividual that I worked with
who hadn't traveled for fiveyears because what he needed was
(14:47):
a bed or, sorry, a.
He wasn't able to sleep in abed.
He needed either a recliner,which is very difficult to find
in hotels, or an armchair withan ottoman.
Now, oftentimes in mobilityaccessible rooms, the additional
furniture that's in the room ispretty limited because of
(15:07):
ensuring that there's enoughspace to navigate within the
room in your wheelchair.
At the specific hotel that Ifound, there wasn't an armchair
in an ottoman, there wasn't arecliner, and I spoke to the
manager and explained to herwhat the situation was, and she
made a special approval to havean armchair and ottoman put in
(15:28):
so that he could stay at thehotel, and it was the first time
he had traveled in five years.
So being able to do things likethat, or for another individual
who's traveling with her30-something year old son, who's
quadriplegic she is just usedto asking people at the hotel if
they can help transfer her sononto the bed, because it's so
(15:52):
difficult for her to find ahotel that has an open bed frame
and in towns that are verysmall.
Working together, I was able tofind hotels for her that have
that open bed frame, and thesense of relief in her voice
when I let her know that shefound that we found those hotels
(16:12):
, that makes it all worth it.
It doesn't matter how manyhotels we have to call, but
finding that one hotel that haswhat they need and knowing that
the guest is going to be able toenjoy their trip really makes
it worthwhile.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
That's probably your best ticket to repeat business
is very happy customers whoshare that information with
other folks about how it workedout.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah, I also want to mention that a lot of people who
reach out to us, let's say,before they book, there's a
tendency for them to beapologetic.
Right, I'm so sorry to ask.
And also, could I ask aboutthis, and do you think we could
maybe find an airport shuttle?
The first thing I always dowhen I speak to these
(16:59):
individuals is tell them therequest that you're making.
I promise Nothing I haven'theard before, first of all, but
also there's nothing toapologize over.
So, with a recent individualthat I'm working with, I asked
her, you know, she gave me thebasics and then I said now, what
are some wish list items?
You know if we're alreadycontacting the hotels and making
(17:20):
sure that they have, you know,x and Y features, what are some
wish list?
Right?
And then she was like, well,it'd be really great if I was
like awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Right.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
So let's shoot for the moon.
If you miss, at least you'reamong stars, right?
But I think it's reallyimportant that there is some
recognition of the fact thatpeople With disabilities and
those that travel with them andI think that's a really
important thing, and I thinkthat's a really important thing,
(17:53):
and I think that's a reallyimportant thing and I think that
a lot of times have to ask forfavors or they feel, from what
my experience is, that they have.
These individuals haveexpressed to me that they feel
like they're putting people outby asking for the basics of what
they need, such as a picture toconfirm that they can navigate
within the room that they'vereserved, or ensuring that the
(18:14):
controls and the role in showerare in the room.
So that's really important.
I think that's really importantand I think that's one of the
key parts of being in theposition that I'm in is that I
get to serve as an intermediaryso that when the guest arrives,
the notes are on theirreservation for what they need.
(18:34):
The room has been confirmed sothat they don't feel like
they're asking for another favorJust to give them that freedom
from that need to do so.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Well, thank you for doing that, because I I think
that's really important and Ithink that we can do that.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I think that's really important and I think that the
thing that we have to do is getto know you know what.
The best way to do that is tobe able to see the guests that
they have, and then you can getto know how they have to change
their day.
Make some feel good about theirtrip.
Yeah, they get excited.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
One of the fun parts is getting pictures from our
guests who have traveled aroundand been able to See the sites,
or the sites that they've beenable to see, and then being able
to focus on what their theintention of their trip was
rather than the accommodations,and you just mentioned that when
you worked with hadn't traveledfor five years and I imagine
(19:26):
there's some some littlepandemic that might have
involved part of that, plus thedifficulty of getting around.
It seems like now we're it'snot over, we're in the endemic
period of it where we just dealwith it, but we're more, we're
more, more, more involved.
We're more, more involved in itand that's why we're getting
more and more people withdisabilities are expecting more
(19:47):
and hopefully they're getting it, and they're getting it through
services that you guys areproviding.
It sounds like you're really ina growth market.
What do you envision happeningin the?
Speaker 4 (19:56):
future as the market chain is, and accessible goal
rose, wheelchairs, power chairrentals, anything that you need
when you travel in order toensure that your trip goes
smoothly.
That would be.
(20:17):
That's where we're going, butultimately, in a way, there's
this notion of universalaccessibility, where everything
is built with people withdisabilities in mind, so there
won't need, there won't be aneed for accessible hotel rooms,
because all hotel rooms will beaccessible.
So that is the hope to get todown the line.
(20:40):
But for now, until we get therebeing in a situation where we
truly are able to facilitate allaspects that an individual
needs when they travel, we dohave a lot of individuals that
ask for recliners, being in asituation where we can also
offer medical equipment rentals,such as hospital beds,
(21:04):
recliners and the wheelchairs,etc.
We have also had a lot ofemployer lifts as well, so that
these items are delivered to thehotel when they arrive and then
picked up when they leave.
So now individuals are usingoutside parties in order to do
those, to get those devices, toget that equipment, and so we're
(21:26):
in a situation down the linewhere we're able to coordinate
all of those efforts so thatit's not that a person can't
find a hotel with a recliner.
Of course we'd look for onefirst, but if not great, here's
another option, right where thatopens up possibilities for
where an individual can stay andwhat they can do.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
It's clear you're not doing that yet, but in the
future do you have plans to workwith Verbo and Airbnb and those
kind of concerns?
Speaker 4 (21:57):
In the future we have plans to have mobility
accessible and otherwiseaccessible home rentals on our
site.
Whether or not that's workingdirectly with Airbnb and Verbo
or people placing those optionson our site, that you know,
those that manage thoseproperties.
(22:18):
We'll just have to wait and seehow that pans out.
But right now, one of thethings that I really appreciate
about the leadership withinaccessible go is that, even
though we don't list thoseproperties right now, people do
reach out to us about them andwhat we do is we direct them to
post about the their property onour community forum to ensure
(22:42):
that people are aware, becausefinding a home rental that is
accessible is very difficult.
So we encourage thoseindividuals to post them to make
sure that the community isaware.
So knowledge and access toknowledge Trump's making a sale,
which I think is reallyimportant.
Our community forum was meantto be a space where travelers
(23:04):
with disabilities can cometogether literally from all over
the world, and so we can askquestions, get answers, share
travel tips and ultimately alsomake friends with people who
understand their journey,understand what they're trying
to do, understand their hopesand dreams and struggles or,
let's say, the barriers they mayencounter.
(23:26):
So a lot of people ask questionsrelated to flying, ensuring
their wheelchair, how to managebathroom use during a long
flight.
That tends to be a lot of.
Airline travel is a heavyportion of the questions that
get asked, as well asrecommended airlines.
(23:48):
So, as you've seen, people areasking all sorts of questions,
even as it relates to hotelsthat are recommended, as well as
activities that they'reinterested in doing in different
parts of the world, and peopleare jumping in and sharing what
(24:08):
their experiences or theirrecommendations are for said
location or said activity, andit's wonderful to see that it's
a judgment free space.
People aren't asked to explainwhat their disabilities are, but
focus more on what it is thatthey're trying to do and if they
have any concerns, for when theperson who's responding, you
(24:32):
know, shares their insights,just to keep in mind, right?
So it's rather than oh, what isyour disability?
It's what are your concerns orwhat would you like to be able
to do.
I have some places in the worldthat you recommend, right?
So it's focusing on that, withan eye towards the accessibility
(24:52):
features of whatever type ofsuggestion it might be.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
It's just cool that you have that place for them to
go.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I had asked you a question in a previous
conversation about differentexperiences.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
There are people that have reached out about
different excursions and wereally send them to the forum
because that's where we haveindividuals in our community
that are active, that shareabout the different experiences
that they've had, the differentthings that they've done.
And we see in the communication,in the forum, where there's
(25:27):
individuals who say, well, youknow, I want to do this, but I
don't think I'll ever be able to, and you should see how many
people jump into theconversation posting pictures
and things that they've done.
You know, to really communicatethat message, like you said, of
that there's no limits, there'sno barriers, but our bread and
butter for the most part, ispeople who are going on family
(25:51):
trips, business travel.
There's more or less aboutindividuals that are looking to
do that adventure, traveling sofar.
I think that when you know weexpand more, we may hear more
about those individuals as well.
But I think also, you know,there's a lot of people with
disabilities that travelthroughout the world and they're
(26:14):
doing all sorts of fun thingsand it's been pretty cool to
hear again in the forum whatpeople have been able to do.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
What else is it that you want people to know about?
Accessible go.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Yeah, so when you book on accessible go, it's the
same process that you would gothrough with booking on any
other travel site.
However, you fill out a specialrequest form that indicates
what are the accessibility needsthat you have that you'd like
us to verify or convey to yourhotel.
(26:47):
One thing I also wanted tomention is that we do have a
discount program for people withdisabilities, and that is for
individuals that have thedisability, as well as their
caregivers or family orotherwise.
For that discount program, allyou have to do is make note of
the disability organization thatyou're part of and then you are
(27:11):
welcomed into that program.
There are no dues, there are nofees, there's no subscription.
It's a one time sign up andyou're in.
You'll see those discountswhere they're available whenever
you search.
But to your specific question,people who book with us aren't
viewed as dollar signs.
We've reached out and speak tothe hotels for every single
(27:33):
person who books with us, aswell as people who reach out to
us in advance, and so the otherweek we contacted over 30 hotels
in Sorento, italy, to try andfind the mobility, accessible
room that fit the needs of anindividual who reached out to us
.
Our main focus is on domestictravel within the United States.
(27:56):
However, we do internationalbookings as well, so there's no
need that a person asks for istoo much or out of the ordinary
or an imposition.
If it's what you need in orderto ensure that your travel is
successful, enjoyable, care free, then and it's within the realm
(28:21):
of what the hotel can provide,then we're more than happy to
check that with the hotel andget back to you and let you know
so that if this hotel for somereason doesn't fit what you're
looking for, we can help youfind a replacement.
It's really this white gloveservice that we strive to
provide for each and everyperson.
(28:43):
And one other thing that Icompletely forgot to share.
So we also have travel ideas,articles on our site, as well as
city guides, and the cityguides that we have are for the
top 30 US cities that peoplehave traveled to.
That include the top 10accessible hotels, top 10
(29:03):
accessible attractions and a 48hour itinerary for those
locations, as well as directoryresources for things such as
medical equipment rentalcompanies as well as caregivers
or whatnot that you might needwhile you travel.
We don't have affiliation withthose companies, but we provide
(29:24):
them for those major cities suchas Las Vegas, atlanta, austin,
etc.
That people may need thoseresources for, and our travel
ideas articles are more sofocused on travel inspiration
that may give you an idea ofdifferent things that you can do
through a lens of accessibility, and we are constantly updating
(29:49):
the filters on our site and howthe search works, and right now
, when you search for a city,you will see the options of
rolling shower, ada tub, hearingaccessible and refrigerator for
medication as the top filters,and that's what you'll see now
when you search.
(30:09):
But, again, we're constantlyimproving the way that our
system crunches the data toensure that you have the
information you need when youtravel.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Because our son's a wheelchair user.
When we're traveling with him,we normally request a first
floor room.
Is that sometimes difficult tofulfill?
Speaker 4 (30:31):
So there's a lot of hotels that will tell us that
for a first floor roomassignment, they can't guarantee
it.
They'll make a note of it, orthat it's too early to confirm
that, or that they only do that.
They only assigned rooms on theday of check-in.
So then our team makes a noteon our end and calls the day of
or a week before whenever theytell us that that is when they
(30:53):
make the room assignments inorder to ensure that the person,
to the best of our ability, isassigned to a room on the first
floor.
So it's really just workingwithin the parameters that the
hotel set.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
For people to discover what your website has
to offer, including the forum,which is very interesting.
They can just look it upAccessibleGoOneWordcom, and I
think it's really great to visitthat website, even if you're
not planning a trip right now,just to know what's available
when you do.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Yes.
So what I recommend is thatanybody who's interested goes
ahead and signs up for our site.
Be sure to sign up for thediscount program as well, so
that anytime you're interestedin traveling, you're able to see
what those deals are.
By signing up for the site,you're also gonna end up signing
up for our forum, and that's areally great place to, as I said
(31:46):
before, keep track of thedifferent questions people have
and also post any questions thatyou may have At any point when
you're interested in looking forsomething specific.
If you don't see what you'relooking for, feel free to send
us an email at contactc-o-n-t-a-c-t.
At accessiblegocom.
(32:07):
You'll hear back from one ofour team members within about 48
hours at most regarding yourquestion.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Patch, typically I'm the one in the family that books
reservations for hotels andI've discovered too often what
they claim to have availableonline isn't always accurate.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
A lot of times hotels will have inaccurate
information online, so theinformation that they post they
may say, for instance, that it'sa mobility.
This happened to me earliertoday.
The room type said it was amobility and hearing accessible
room with two queen beds and aroll-in shower.
(32:50):
When I called the hotel, theysaid that all of their
mobility-accessible rooms noneof them are hearing accessible
and all theirmobility-accessible rooms only
have a single queen bed.
Some have roll-in showers, somehave ADA tubs with grab bars.
So that is very different fromwhat is posted online.
Making sure that thatinformation is confirmed for
(33:13):
every single booking is critical, because what we wanna avoid
having happen is that a personshows up at the hotel and the
information wasn't accurate, orthey gave away the room to
somebody else because theydidn't think that the individual
actually had a disability.
One thing that I did hear froma lot of hotels is that the
(33:36):
bookings that come fromthird-party sites a lot of times
default to themobility-accessible rooms, so
then they switch them out ofthose rooms because they assume
that it must be a glitch or anerror.
So when we call the hotel toconfirm the specific
mobility-accessiblemobility-accessible,
hearing-accessible,vision-accessible needs an
(33:58):
individual may have or any othertypes of accessibility needs
that they have, then we also askthem to put a do not move and
block off the room to ensurethat the individual won't be
moved because somebody elseneeds an accessible room and a
different staff member switchesthem.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Primarily the US right now, but a little bit
outside, and I think the plan isto go, follow where your market
leads you and make itinternational.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
Yes, definitely.
Right now, the focus is ondomestic travel within the US.
I would say that for thoseinternational trips, that's
really where having a little bitmore time is critical, because
other countries don't have theADA.
So I'll tell you a funny story.
(34:51):
I was confirming hotels in Romejust recently and I asked the
front desk staff member if theshower had grab bars and they
said oh, yeah, yeah, there's amini bar.
And I said no, oh, grab bars,right, what they can hold on to.
(35:14):
And I really had to finddifferent ways to describe the
features.
Another situation with the hotelin Petra.
The hotel was incredible aboutsending me a ton of pictures of
the room.
Even they had a little tiny lipto get into the room, so they
had built a ramp.
It was amazing.
Roll in shower, everything youcould imagine.
(35:36):
But they didn't have a steppre-entrance, and not only that,
they had four steps that wereon a slant to get into the hotel
, and the hotel staff memberswere saying that they have no
problem helping the individualby lifting their wheelchair, but
the individual had over a 300pound wheelchair and is somebody
(35:59):
at the front always going to beavailable in order to do that
right?
So when it comes tointernational hotel rooms, we
like to have additional time toverify all the aspects that we
can, with pictures, if the hotelwill share them, to make sure
that there's a step pre-entrance, to make sure that the
(36:20):
individual can get to theirhotel room and get in, as well
as the width of the doors, thewidth to the entry door, the
bathroom door, all the differentaspects because, again, they
have different standards anddifferent regulations in those
in different countries.
So, yeah, so that is definitelywhere a little bit more time is
(36:41):
beneficial, but definitelypossible.
When we've done, we've takencare of bookings, international
bookings for individuals, I cantell you, one of the best hotels
that I've ever encountered wasabroad and they give a they have
for their mobility accessibleroom that had not only a rolling
(37:03):
shower but tub with grab bars.
There was a connecting roomthat, if the individual needed
it for their caregiver, the roomwas free.
Yeah, so there are somecountries out there which I can
remember which country it was,but there are some countries out
there that are really on thecutting edge of understanding
(37:25):
what individuals withdisabilities need when they
travel.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Some day we'll get the world educated, but it's not
gonna happen in my lifetime.
I don't think.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Girl can dream.
A girl can dream.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Well, and you have to , and that's all.
Things actually change overtime, but it comes from customer
demand and people willing to beservice focused like you guys
are.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
I hope that we have an opportunity to travel
sometime in the near future andtake our son along with.
Like in user services, we'reworking around anybody who's
just become familiar with it.
You don't know when you mightbe called upon to travel and
then you'll be able to do so andhave a much better what's the
experience and you might haveexpected.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
Definitely, definitely, and again, if
anybody wants to reach out,contact at accessiblegocom and
we'd be more than happy to helpyou with any needs you may have.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
One more question.
I know that you're primarilyworking in United States and
currently, right now, you livein Israel.
Do you have one of those clocksthat tells you what the time is
all over the world?
Because if you're making phonecalls, we got a huge time
difference between like rightnow it's 3 36 PM.
What time is it by you?
Speaker 4 (38:37):
10, 56 PM 10 56 PM.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
Well, thank you for staying awake.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
I'll tell you I've gotten really good with the time
zones.
You have to right Because, asan example, I can't call people
before they're up.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Right, nobody wants to get a phone call at three
o'clock because you know what,it is never good news.
You never get the news of it.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Or at 6 30 in the morning, because they happen to
be in, you know, pacific timezone instead of, let's say, the
Eastern time zone.
So time zones are very critical, so you learn pretty quickly it
makes for interesting workhours for you, I'm sure.
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Quads, it's been a delight.
Thank you very much for yourtime.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Hi, this is Carrie and this is the chat cafe
portion of our podcast, and I'mhere today with my co-host,
steve.
We're just going to unpack someof this wonderful information
that we just received regardingaccessible go.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
I think that whole concept for a business is
brilliant.
Her story about how it gotstarted was a person was
traveling with her mother andcould not have access, and
there's more about that on theirwebsite.
You should read about it.
Sometimes inspiration comesfrom hitting a brick wall and
saying let's remove all thebrick walls for everybody.
Right, I think it's really coolbecause we've had a couple of
(40:12):
unique instances when travelingwas a major nightmare.
I mean, it's stressful totravel anyway a long drive, a
long flight but when you have awheelchair and you have the
unknowns ahead of you, it getsreally dicey, Right.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And then just throwing there oh, a kid with
autism that could all of asudden have a meltdown for what
appears to be absolutely noapparent reason.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
My greatest fear has been 32,000 feet and he has a
meltdown and they have toreroute the whole darn aircraft
and land because a terrorist isobviously trying to take over
the plane right.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
That has never, never happened.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Usually by the time he's on the plane.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
He's chillax.
It's just the getting up too.
And I know that's because we'vetalked about this we're stressed
, yes, and he picks up on and hefeels that stress Our stress,
and then there's all thispeople-y stuff in the airport
and there's people, there's alot of people, and then they
want to take them away from meto do the checking of him Right
(41:27):
and yeah, it's a lot of Becausehe meets your profile for a
terrorist right, Right.
Well, you know, we want to besafe, we want everybody to be
safe, but I just, I really lovesome of her comments.
I mean too, One of the thingsthat she enjoys most is helping
people who are not used to help.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Or afraid or a bashful to ask for help.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Well, apologize for asking for it.
I mean good grief.
Why do we have to apologize toask for a bathroom so my son can
take a shower?
Speaker 1 (42:01):
It's crazy, it is absolutely crazy.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
But you feel like you do.
I mean it's really weird thatyou feel like that.
But anyway, the freedom fromasking for a favor, what a
wonderful thing.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
It's great job satisfaction for her.
I can tell it that she likes tobe able to do that.
We can make a miracle for you.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Right, well, we can take care of these details and
then you can enjoy the reasonfor your trip, right A family
reunion or to go visit familyand friends, oh my gosh, yes,
please.
Or have a safe, quiet placewhere you can have some downtime
(42:40):
if you are on a business tripand are speaking and you want to
have that quiet to come back toand not have to worry.
Will I get in the doors?
Will I be able to get in ashower?
Yeah, wonderful.
So excited that this ishappening and, as a matter of
fact, we will be utilizing theseservices in the future.
We have an idea of a trip to.
(43:05):
Canada in April of 24.
And so I think we're just goingto contact them and them deal
Absolutely.
Because I was already freakingout about how I was going to do
all of that, and I don't have to.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
I mean, you have to go to Canada and worry about the
language differences.
I know no money Was it stress,the stress.
No, it's a great idea.
We will get some first handknowledge of it.
So I would suggest anybody isgoing to be traveling, go to
contact ataccessiblegoallonewordcom.
(43:42):
Contact at accessiblegocom.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
But before that, go to the website, oh yeah, check
out the travel guides.
They have listings of the top10 hotels and the top 10 cities
and all the different thingsthat are available through there
and the discount program theyhave, which will give you a sign
up for the discount programs,better rates on rooms, and you
(44:07):
know what?
The travel inspiration mightjust give you an idea of
different things that you can dothrough a lens, the blog that
they have.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
They talk about people that have gone places and
done things that were quiteamazing, that you might not even
think it's within a range ofpossibility, and there it is.
Going for what's easy iseasiest for someone.
Traveling with a disability isdifficult for most other people,
but easier.
But what about some of theamazing things that can be done?
(44:37):
People are doing skydiving,they're skiing, they're paddle
boarding, they're doing allkinds of stuff Scuba.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Wheelchairs Scuba diving with wheelchairs.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Stop thinking about what you can't do and start
ruminating about what you canpossibly do.
And it's really cool.
Wow, yeah, they allow you todream.
They allow you to dream.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
That is so cool, how cool.
Well, thank you for your whiteglove service.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
And I can't wait for us to experience some of that,
absolutely.
Thanks for joining us heretoday.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
And we will talk to you in a couple of weeks.
Take care, bye-bye, bye.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Stephen Carey have been your hosts.
My name is Alex and I'm theproducer of Enlaki.
Daniela handles all of oursocial media and general
communications, and Ahali is ourwebsite guru and mistress of
the blog.
Thanks for tuning into ourpodcast and please like, follow,
subscribe and share our podcastto help us grow.
(45:45):
You're the best.
This has been a production ofEnvision Media Alhazel.
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