April 10, 2026 • 28 mins
Making Air Travel More Accessible for Autistic Travelers: Cheryl Bischoff of Here I Go Travel
Host Tony Mantor introduces the podcast “Why Not Me: Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide” and interviews Cheryl Bischoff, owner of Here I Go Travel Company. Cheryl explains how she became a Certified Autism Travel Professional through training offered by Sandals/Beaches Resorts and how she applies that knowledge by organizing airport practice events that walk participants through the full airport process—terminal check-in, TSA screening, gate procedures, jet bridge, and boarding—so travelers can desensitize and build confidence.
She discusses autistic-inclusive travel needs beyond basic accessibility, including managing sound, lighting, smells, and access to reset spaces like sensory-friendly rooms, as well as tools like TSA Cares (pre-registration for guided assistance and alternative screening options) and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program for voluntary identification. C
heryl shares that the certification landscape has expanded to include certified airports, airlines, destinations, and entire cities, noting Dubai as the first certified airport.
She describes serving all ages, providing preparation materials, recommending nonstop flights for first-time flyers when possible, and offering door-to-door travel planning while balancing the need for extra time with avoiding long gate waits.
Cheryl highlights growth of the events to include other needs (blind/low vision, mobility issues, wheelchairs, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy) and shares an example of a child successfully riding an escalator for the first time during an event.
She promotes her new site and social channels (navigateevents.org; Navigate Events on Facebook and Instagram) for event registration updates, and says expanding to new communities requires sponsorship to keep events free and enough participants to demonstrate demand, citing interest in Kansas City ahead of FIFA 2026.
She closes by emphasizing travel as vital for family connection, jobs, medical care, and life experiences, and invites communities to contact her to bring events locally.
Welcome to ‘Why Not Me’ — Autism & Mental Health Worldwide
Meet Cheryl Bischoff & Here I Go Travel: Making Travel Accessible
Becoming a Certified Autism Travel Professional + The Airport Practice Event
Dubai, Certified Airports & the Rise of Autism-Friendly Travel Systems
What Truly Makes Travel Autism-Inclusive: Sensory Needs & Reset Spaces
Building Trust with Families: TSA Cares and Other Hidden Supports
Beyond Autism: Practice Events for Many Disabilities & Mobility Needs
Supporting Autistic Adults & Hidden Disabilities: The Sunflower Program
From Practice to Real Travel Days: Preparation, Timing, and Nonstop Tips
What the Industry Still Needs: Sensory Rooms, Training, and Keeping Families Together
Wins That Matter: Escalators, Confidence, and First-Time Flyers
How to Find Navigate Events + Expanding Nationwide (Sponsors & Participants Needed)
Final Takeaway & Closing: Travel as Connection, Opportunity, and Inclusion
https://NavigateEvents.org
https://youtu.be/Jcr2avKrep4
https://youtu.be/mfsP40HNNH4
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Mantor Music BMI
The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Heal
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental
health worldwide.
Hosted by Tony Mirator.
Broadcasting from the heart ofMusic City, USA, Nashville,
Tennessee.
Join us as our guests sharetheir wrong, powerful stories.
Some will spark laughter, otherswill move you to tears.
(00:30):
These real life journeysinspire, connect, and remind you
that you're never alone.
We're igniting a global movementto empower everyone to make a
lasting difference by fosteringdeep awareness, unwavering
acceptance, and profoundunderstanding of autism and
(00:52):
mental health.
Tune in, be inspired, and joinus in transforming the world one
story at a time.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
Welcome to Why Not Me?
Embracing Autism and MentalHealth worldwide.
If these conversations resonatewith you, I invite you to tap
(01:12):
follow.
It helps us reach more peoplewho may need to hear them.
Thank you for being here.
Joining us today is CherylBischoff.
She's the owner of Here I GoTravel, a company with a
powerful mission.
Making travel accessible,thoughtful, and empowering for
artistic individuals and theirfamilies.
Instead of travel barriers, shesaw an opportunity to create
(01:35):
structure and personalizedsupport so every traveler can
explore the world withconfidence.
She has a great story, so beforewe dive into our episode, we'll
be back with an uninterruptedshow right after a word from our
sponsors.
Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER_01 (01:53):
Great.
Glad to be here.
SPEAKER_00 (01:54):
For our listeners who may be discovering you for
the first time, could you sharea little more about what you do
and what drives your work?
SPEAKER_01 (02:01):
So I am Cheryl Bischoff and I own Here I Go
Travel Company.
We're a full service customtravel agency, and we assist
many people across the countryin their travels, whether
domestic or international, andall sorts of travel styles, from
cruises to all-inclusive resortsto backpacking.
(02:22):
Whatever their desires are iswhat we assist with.
SPEAKER_00 (02:25):
I understand your travel agency also specializes
in supporting autisticindividuals when it comes to
planning their travels, correct?
SPEAKER_01 (02:32):
Yes.
So a couple of years ago, I wasapproached by one of the travel
vendors, Sandals BeachesResorts, and they asked if I
would be interested in getting acertified autism travel
professional designation.
And I jumped at the chance.
So I pursued that certification,went through the training, and
then I began to wonder what Ican do with this training,
(02:55):
right?
How can I apply it?
How can I really assist peoplewith unique needs in their own
travels?
And so I began to pursue reallyan airport practice event where
we can invite people out of thecommunity into the airport, into
an actual airport for actualexperience.
So we come into the terminal, weget a boarding pass, we proceed
(03:17):
to TSA checkpoint, we go throughthe security checkpoint and we
go to the gate.
We experience listening to theannouncements, being called up
for our turn.
We scan our boarding passes, wego down the jet bridge, we get
onto the plane, we find ourseats and we buckle up.
We get to tour the plane, we getto look at restrooms, we get to,
(03:39):
you know, really talk about theexperience and see what it's
like to sit in those otherwisevery claustrophobic
environments, right?
With a lot of other people.
So this really gives us a chanceto get in there and give it a
try and see if it might be anoption for the participants.
SPEAKER_00 (03:57):
Dubai is often mentioned as having a great
travel system for autisticindividuals.
What's your understanding ofthat?
And how does the work you docompare to what's available
there?
SPEAKER_01 (04:07):
So let me just say that when I started my
certification, it was onlyoffered to people.
And it was only offered to twosegments of people.
It was offered to medicalprofessionals and it was offered
to travel professionals.
SPEAKER_00 (04:21):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (04:22):
Since I got certified, that program has
completely blown up and grown.
And now they certify places, andnow they're certifying entities,
and they're certifying entirecities.
SPEAKER_00 (04:37):
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_01 (04:38):
And so Dubai was the first airport to get certified.
SPEAKER_00 (04:43):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
Meaning that their staff, sufficient number of
staff, had gone through thistraining process and could
assist travelers at variouspoints within the airport.
And now we have an airline thathas gotten certified.
Now we have destinations thatare certified.
So now we know when we travel,if we can hit those airports, if
(05:06):
we can hit those airlines, if wecan hit those destinations, that
we're going to have people thathave been trained and are
prepared to assist.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Can you tell me some of the steps that you had to go
through in order to getcertified for autistic travel?
SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
So it's a series of trainings that we have to go
through and testing.
So we do receive certificatesupon completion that shows we've
been through this process.
And so it's really learning fromothers and what they know and
how we can assist in our roles.
SPEAKER_00 (05:40):
In your experience, what are some of the factors
that make travel autisticinclusive beyond meeting just
accessibility standards?
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
So what we really want to try to do is take, so
everyone's unique in what theywhat they will present with, but
we want to hit the big ones,right?
So we want to hit sound, noisepollution, we want to hit light,
we want to hit places to resetand a little bit of
desensitization to that process.
And so when I do the airportpractice event, I do a full
(06:12):
terminal tour and we look forthose areas where we can get
away and get away from thoseannouncements.
And more and more airports areoffering sensory-friendly rooms
where they can expect lowlighting, less people, and not
hear all the announcements andso on.
We really work on, you know,smells.
(06:33):
Airports and getting on anairplane and the jet fuel and
all of that can be big sensoryoverload.
So we really work with ourparticipants on how to mitigate
those issues and what tools inthe toolbox can they use to
combat those while they'retraveling.
SPEAKER_00 (06:50):
Now that the number of certified organizations has
grown, has that made the processsmoother for you?
Or are there still gaps you'renavigating?
SPEAKER_01 (06:59):
Um, I don't know that it's made it necessarily
easier.
It depends on how open thetraveler is to their destination
and if they would like to pursuemaybe a city, an entire city
that is on board, right?
And just knowing that thecommunity is aware of that.
(07:19):
And so one of the things we lookat is what community do we want
to take this event to next?
So when we started, we startedin Wichita, Kansas, and now
we're looking at where to gonext.
And so we look at Kansas City,who is bringing in FIFA for
2026.
They're going to be hosting over600,000 visitors over a little
(07:43):
over 30-day period.
And so we talked about how wecan bring in community members
to practice in their airport andalso give their airport staff an
opportunity to prepare for theinflux of visitors into their
own community.
SPEAKER_00 (07:58):
Parents are protective by nature, and that
often intensifies when raising aneurodiverse child.
How do you build trust withthose families and reassure them
that with your certification andexperience, their trip will be
handled with care andunderstanding, completely
different from someone that hasno knowledge of autism?
SPEAKER_01 (08:19):
I think that just comes with time and experience
and through testimonials of pasttravelers.
And so being certified andreally having an ear for what
the needs are means that I'm onthe lookout for how I can assist
them with their travels.
So I have tools in my toolboxthat some people may not even
know exist.
(08:39):
And I'll give you an example.
TSA has a program called TSACares.
I go in, I take my client'sflight information and I go in
and I register them so that theTSA knows exactly what day and
time they're coming to theairport.
And I can list any special needsor requirements that they have.
The TSA will meet them on oneside of security and take them
(09:02):
all the way to the other side ofsecurity, like a personal guide.
And the TSA will assist withwhether they need alternative
screening methods.
You know, many of them, manypeople cannot tolerate being
touched.
If they should happen to bepicked to be padded down, this
might be an issue.
So we need to make everybodyaware.
(09:22):
And with the TSA guide, it canreally slow down the process and
really open it up for more QAtime and what can we expect and
how can we handle this?
In general, we cannot impede theTSA and they still must do their
job and make sure that everyonepasses through security and that
they feel you are safe to fly.
(09:43):
There are lots and lots of waysto help you through that.
I'll tell you one example ofmany.
I have many, Tony.
We could sit here all day.
The TSA, when they take a wandto you and they're looking for
metallic objects and it beeps ifit has a hit, that wand can be
set to vibrate only so that itdoesn't have the sound effect
(10:04):
and it still notifies theofficer if they need to look at
something more.
So these are things that peoplejust maybe are not aware of.
I'm trying to get awareness outthere that there are helps and
assistance out for them allalong their trip, all along
their trip.
And honestly, when I started theairport practice event, it was
with an autism focus, but itreally blossomed into blind low
(10:29):
vision community, mobilityissues, anyone in wheelchair.
We've worked with cysticfibrosis, we've worked with
cerebral palsy.
Anyone who has something thatthey're just unsure of.
How am I going to travel withthis um compression vest?
Is it okay if I bring it or not?
So when we have our events, weinvite that community in and we
(10:51):
ask them to bring those thingsthat they question so that they
actually practice with them andsee what's going to be needed to
get that through.
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
Yeah, that makes total sense.
As you know, autism is not aone-size-fits-all experience.
Each person has uniquesensitivity, strengths, and
challenges.
Yep.
Like you mentioned earlier,sometimes there are visible
signs that someone may needadditional support.
SPEAKER_01 (11:15):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:16):
With autistic individuals, unless their
support needs are moresignificant, it's often not
immediately apparent.
Yes.
How does that dynamic changewhen you're supporting an adult?
For example, someone in theirmid-30s.
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:30):
Who may function more like an early teenager in
certain areas?
How do you navigate that?
Especially when others may seean adult and not immediately
understand the level of supportthat person needs.
SPEAKER_01 (11:44):
Yes.
So very good question.
I'm glad that you brought up agebecause as we know, children
with autism become adults withautism.
We don't have an event that'sgeared just towards children.
I will say we've had eventswhere only children have come.
We've had events where onlyadults have come.
We just do an invitation.
We see who's interested injoining us and would like to
(12:05):
learn and practice.
We bring them in.
So we do serve all ages.
And one of the programs that'sin place is the Hidden
Disabilities Program.
And I don't know if you'refamiliar with that.
It's called the SunflowerProgram.
Some of the airportsparticipate, some do not.
Hopefully, over time and withmore awareness, this will come
(12:26):
to every airport.
But our airport here in Wichitahas the sunflower program.
You walk in, you can go to theinformation desk and you can get
a sunflower lanyard.
You can get a bracelet, you canget a pen or a sticker,
something that just identifiesyou as you go through the
airport experience.
(12:46):
And those staff have beentrained for what that means.
It means I have something hiddenthat you cannot see openly or
outwardly that I may need extraassistance.
And so we talk with ourparticipants before we go
through about identifying or notidentifying.
As we all know, identifying isnot required.
(13:08):
You do not have to identify, butI recommend identifying on a
travel day, either through alanyard or something that just
sends a message.
Now to our participants, Iprepare lanyards.
They can choose to identify ornot.
I have little cards made up thatsay something as basic as please
be patient, or I'm sensitive totouch, or I'm sensitive to
(13:30):
noise, or I need extra timeprocessing.
So if you're providing directionto me, I may need a, I may need
a moment, or I may be nonverbal.
If it's at all possible, I dorecommend identifying for a
travel day.
As soon as you get on the plane,you want to take that off, fine.
But when you're in the airportworking with staff, trying to
get through, I do recommend it.
SPEAKER_00 (13:50):
That makes total sense.
Have you seen where it's beenused and worked?
Because let's face it, travelingcan be very stressful.
SPEAKER_01 (13:57):
I will say, I do talk with the participants about
how travel days are a higherstress level for every single
person.
It does not matter if you haveautism or you do not have
autism.
A lot of people are late,hungry, tired.
You name it, it's more stressfulthan sitting on your sofa
(14:21):
watching your favorite movie inyour sweats, right?
You got up at 4 a.m., you didn'tsleep well last night, you're
exhausted, and you're trying tomove 12 people through the
airport.
It's just, it's just a highstress level.
So just sharing that with themand understanding everybody's at
a higher stress level helps themto relax and calm down.
(14:42):
I will tell you that through thecourse of an event, I will watch
the participants relax more andmore as we go through and really
feel empowered by the end thatthis could be something that
they could accomplish.
SPEAKER_00 (14:55):
Do you stay with them through the entire airport
process?
Or is your role more aboutpreparation?
How do you assess when they'reconfident and supported enough
to manage that experiencesuccessfully on their own?
SPEAKER_01 (15:08):
So, first of all, we will never know how their actual
flight day will go.
I won't be there holding theirhand, but what I am doing is
trying to have it be familiar.
I've done this before.
Now we are in an event airport,and I cannot guarantee how you
might react when you get to yourdestination airport or when you
(15:29):
get to a layover airport.
I do recommend for first-timeflyers, if at all possible, to
choose nonstop destinations forthat first attempt.
So I can't guarantee, can'tguarantee, but I am trying to
prepare.
And I do send home with eachguest preparation materials,
tangible ways that they canprepare for their travel days,
(15:52):
tangible destinations they canchoose that are nonstop from
where we're having that eventfrom where they live.
Now, if they are trying to getto say medical care, or if
they're trying to get to afamily reunion where they're
really not able to pick thedestination.
So they may end up with alayover or they may end up with
longer flights than maybe isideal.
(16:15):
But by having gone through itbefore, the hope is you will
desensitize a little bit.
SPEAKER_00 (16:22):
Before they go to the airport and they're talking
to you about the travel, what isthe process that you go through
preparing them and getting themready to travel?
SPEAKER_01 (16:32):
Are you talking about an actual flight date or a
practice event?
SPEAKER_00 (16:36):
Yes, an actual travel date.
They come to you and say, I wantto travel on this day in time.
They get the ticket.
Once they have committed, whatis your next step?
SPEAKER_01 (16:46):
So I do all of their travel arrangements for them for
as much door-to-door service asI can offer.
Now, some don't need everysingle thing that I offer, and
they can certainly refuse thatservice, right?
I don't need picked up.
I have a friend who can drop meoff or whatever that might be.
But in lieu of flying with them,which I will not be able to fly
(17:08):
with every participant, buthaving gone through the practice
with them and them knowingexactly what's going to happen,
really learning that TSA canmeet them at the curb outside of
the airport and take them allthe way to the gate is really
their liaison.
And as we know, there can be alot of really identifying with a
person like as your anchor, likehaving that person as your
(17:31):
anchor as you go through thisprocess.
I can't guarantee that it's notwithout higher stress, because
it still may be.
You know, I can't guaranteethere won't be hiccups to the
day, but we try to coordinatetiming.
And I will say, timing, it'sit's a catch 22, right?
So this is the group that Iwould say come early to the
airport, give yourself extratime so that if you need time to
(17:53):
reset, you can.
This is also the group thatmight get really, really bored
if they have more than an hourto sit in a gate.
So we really have to talkthrough that and what's
available in that airport forthem.
For children, it might be aplayground area, or if it's an
airport that has one, it mightbe a sensory room.
(18:14):
We're seeing those more andmore.
SPEAKER_00 (18:15):
In a field that's constantly evolving, where do
you see the biggestopportunities for improvement to
better serve families andindividuals?
SPEAKER_01 (18:24):
I do believe that more sensory rooms are needed,
that we don't need those in justthe large airports.
And so having even a small areathat's available is great.
Having more and more peopletrained and sensitive to the
travel needs.
And I've heard the stories,Tony, you know, in this
(18:47):
industry, I've heard whatthey've gone through and not
just their own travel days, butalso what's happening in their
homes when they're deciding toleave a loved one behind with a
caregiver while they go on sometrip.
And then the family isseparated.
That family member did not getto experience or have that
memory or be in the photos withthem from their trip.
(19:08):
And so I really want to mitigatethat as much as I can.
Can I reach every single person?
Maybe not.
Can I reach some?
Yeah, I know that I can.
SPEAKER_00 (19:18):
In travel, we often hear about what went wrong,
delays, mix-ups, things thatdidn't work out.
What is a moment you'veexperienced that reminded you
why this work matters so much toyou?
SPEAKER_01 (19:32):
Yeah, really just having those families that stay
together that give it a try forthe first time.
And it can be something smalland unexpected.
So at one of the practice eventswe had in the airport, one of
the families went through and atthe very end, they said that
their child had never ridden anescalator and he was about 10,
(19:54):
can't ride an escalator.
And they stood at the escalatorand tried and tried and tried
until he rode the escalator.
And that wasn't even the goal ofthe day, but yet it's part of
the airport experience, right?
We have moving walkways in thebig airports.
We have escalators and elevatoroptions too.
But it was just watching themtry or feeling empowered to try.
SPEAKER_00 (20:15):
You brought up first-time airport experiences.
What would you say to a familywith an autistic child or an
autistic adult who feels liketravel simply isn't possible for
them?
How do you help them find theconfidence to give it a try?
SPEAKER_01 (20:31):
So, as for as many airports as I can bring this to,
and for as much community as Ican reach, I will do that.
I'm always looking for peoplewithin the community that have
access to these families,whether it be providers,
community resources, that sortof thing, where we can get the
word out that we have an eventcoming up near you and we'd like
(20:51):
you to come try.
Now, there may be some that willlook at that and say, nope,
can't do it.
There will always be some thatsay, yes, we can do that.
I do try to bring in volunteersfrom the provider community for
the event as support staff toassist if anyone should have a
meltdown.
And so far, has not happened.
(21:13):
We haven't had a participantthat didn't complete the day.
But did someone look at it andsay, no, I'm I don't even want
to try?
Possibly, possibly, but I wantto be there for the ones that
say, No, I think I think we'reready.
Let's try this.
SPEAKER_00 (21:26):
Yeah.
So how do people find you?
SPEAKER_01 (21:29):
Good question.
So we just had a volunteerlaunch our website this year.
SPEAKER_00 (21:35):
Awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (21:36):
Very exciting.
Uh, years in the making.
And so we do have ourwww.navigateevents.org.
We did claim navigate events onFacebook and on Instagram.
So we're starting to build thatsocial media presence and we're
(21:57):
starting to build the website togive people a Place where they
can register to attend, wherethey can find out what city
we're going to be at next andwhen it will be.
That's all in the process.
And I will say, when I startedthis event, and as I've gone
through, we've done probablyfour now.
And I say every event we have, Ialways say, this is my first
(22:18):
time to the rodeo.
Because you know that phrase,this ain't my first time to the
rodeo.
Like, no, we are still very muchforging what this looks like,
how to get it accomplished, whoto invite, you know, how to get
them registered, which up tothis point has been contacting
me, reaching out to me, and Iwill get your name and number,
I'll get your email, I'll emailyou the information, what time
(22:40):
to meet, all of that.
But we're trying to automatethat a little bit more as we
move into other communities.
SPEAKER_00 (22:47):
Have you ever worked with someone on the spectrum who
initially said, I can't do this?
But with support andencouragement, they were
eventually able to say, Hey, Idid this.
Can you describe what shiftedfor them in that moment?
And what did you see in themthat showed you they were
capable even before theybelieved it themselves?
(23:08):
And what did this show you forthe potential that you have to
keep doing this and helping morepeople in the future?
SPEAKER_01 (23:17):
So, one of the things we talk about during our
events, now, first of all, ourguest we call a VIP.
And then someone who can comewith the VIP to just assist and
be alongside them would be achaperone.
So we ask the chaperone whatmotivators are for your VIP.
(23:38):
So we ask them to bringmotivators, favorite whatever, a
stuffed animal, favorite book,favorite blanket, something that
comforts and motivates so thatwe can use that, we can leverage
that to maybe get them through arough situation.
So, what are some of the roughsituations, right?
Maybe walking through the metaldetection at the TSA checkpoint.
(23:59):
So if we can get the chaperoneon the other side with a
favorite stuffed animal, herethey come.
They just walk right through.
We just have to workstrategically each of those
scenarios.
I will tell you one of thehurdles that I was maybe not
expecting was the feel of thejet bridge under their feet.
That when you go from theterminal onto the jet bridge,
(24:22):
now you're not on terra firma.
And that jet bridge is a littlebit bouncy.
And so we have to really workthrough that and talk through
that and get them all the waydown to the jet bridge and to
the door.
We really just talk through thatindividually with our
participants and how we can dothat.
SPEAKER_00 (24:40):
Yeah, that's great.
Now, what would you like toleave our listeners with that
you think is very important thatthey hear about what you are
doing and how you're trying tohelp those within the travel
industry understand the needs ofthe autistic community?
SPEAKER_01 (24:57):
So I think the biggest thing that people need
to know is that travel is nolonger a luxury.
It is vitally important inkeeping people connected with
family.
It connects them with jobopportunities, it connects them
with medical care, and itconnects them with world
experiences.
We want to keep familiestogether, we want to keep people
(25:19):
gamefully employed.
You know, when it's time to goto a conference or time to go to
another city for training, wewant them to have that
capability.
SPEAKER_00 (25:27):
Yeah, that's great.
Now, can you tell us what isneeded to help bring this to
other communities around thecountry?
SPEAKER_01 (25:33):
Yeah, and if anyone listening is interested in
bringing this to theircommunity, I'd love to hear from
you.
My contact information is on thewebsite.
And we really need two things tohave a successful event.
We need sponsorship.
We always keep this free to theparticipant, and then we need
participants.
So I have the necessaryconnections with airports and
(25:56):
TSA staff.
I can take this anywhere I wantwithin the US, and we're ready
to take it to new communities.
But we need those two things.
That's what we're lacking.
We need sponsorship andparticipants.
By keeping the participantnumber high, it really sends a
message to the airport that it'sneeded and wanted.
SPEAKER_00 (26:17):
Oh, I believe you are 100% correct.
It is something that isdefinitely needed and wanted for
sure.
SPEAKER_01 (26:24):
Yes, yes.
And I will say, I think peoplethink that maybe travel is the
least of our worries when itcomes to autism.
But in my world, I feel likethis is an area of expertise
where I can touch a life.
I can't fix autism, I can't helpthem with behavioral issues.
That's not where my expertiselies.
(26:45):
I can take one thing, one thing,travel, and I can make it
easier.
And when you're passionate aboutit, you'll be able to talk about
it.
I could talk about it for twohours.
I'm gonna condense it to a halfhour, but hopefully it sparks
enough interest in someone thatthey'll reach out to me.
SPEAKER_00 (27:02):
Yeah, and I certainly hope they do.
I can see where this isdefinitely needed.
Well, this has been great.
Great information, greatconversation.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to join me today.
SPEAKER_01 (27:15):
Well, thank you for inviting me.
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (27:18):
Oh, it's been my pleasure.
Thanks again.
Thanks for taking time out ofyour busy schedule to listen to
our show today.
We hope you enjoyed it as muchas we enjoyed bringing it to
you.
If you know someone who has astory to share, tell them to
(27:41):
contact us at why notme.world.
One last thing.
Spread the word about why notme.
Our conversations, our inspiringguest, the Joe.
You are not alone in this world.
Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental
health worldwide.
Hosted by Tony Mirator.
Broadcasting from the heart ofMusic City, USA, Nashville,
Tennessee.
Join us as our guests sharetheir wrong, powerful stories.
Some will spark laughter, otherswill move you to tears.
(00:30):
These real life journeysinspire, connect, and remind you
that you're never alone.
We're igniting a global movementto empower everyone to make a
lasting difference by fosteringdeep awareness, unwavering
acceptance, and profoundunderstanding of autism and
(00:52):
mental health.
Tune in, be inspired, and joinus in transforming the world one
story at a time.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
Welcome to Why Not Me?
Embracing Autism and MentalHealth worldwide.
If these conversations resonatewith you, I invite you to tap
(01:12):
follow.
It helps us reach more peoplewho may need to hear them.
Thank you for being here.
Joining us today is CherylBischoff.
She's the owner of Here I GoTravel, a company with a
powerful mission.
Making travel accessible,thoughtful, and empowering for
artistic individuals and theirfamilies.
Instead of travel barriers, shesaw an opportunity to create
(01:35):
structure and personalizedsupport so every traveler can
explore the world withconfidence.
She has a great story, so beforewe dive into our episode, we'll
be back with an uninterruptedshow right after a word from our
sponsors.
Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER_01 (01:53):
Great.
Glad to be here.
SPEAKER_00 (01:54):
For our listeners who may be discovering you for
the first time, could you sharea little more about what you do
and what drives your work?
SPEAKER_01 (02:01):
So I am Cheryl Bischoff and I own Here I Go
Travel Company.
We're a full service customtravel agency, and we assist
many people across the countryin their travels, whether
domestic or international, andall sorts of travel styles, from
cruises to all-inclusive resortsto backpacking.
(02:22):
Whatever their desires are iswhat we assist with.
SPEAKER_00 (02:25):
I understand your travel agency also specializes
in supporting autisticindividuals when it comes to
planning their travels, correct?
SPEAKER_01 (02:32):
Yes.
So a couple of years ago, I wasapproached by one of the travel
vendors, Sandals BeachesResorts, and they asked if I
would be interested in getting acertified autism travel
professional designation.
And I jumped at the chance.
So I pursued that certification,went through the training, and
then I began to wonder what Ican do with this training,
(02:55):
right?
How can I apply it?
How can I really assist peoplewith unique needs in their own
travels?
And so I began to pursue reallyan airport practice event where
we can invite people out of thecommunity into the airport, into
an actual airport for actualexperience.
So we come into the terminal, weget a boarding pass, we proceed
(03:17):
to TSA checkpoint, we go throughthe security checkpoint and we
go to the gate.
We experience listening to theannouncements, being called up
for our turn.
We scan our boarding passes, wego down the jet bridge, we get
onto the plane, we find ourseats and we buckle up.
We get to tour the plane, we getto look at restrooms, we get to,
(03:39):
you know, really talk about theexperience and see what it's
like to sit in those otherwisevery claustrophobic
environments, right?
With a lot of other people.
So this really gives us a chanceto get in there and give it a
try and see if it might be anoption for the participants.
SPEAKER_00 (03:57):
Dubai is often mentioned as having a great
travel system for autisticindividuals.
What's your understanding ofthat?
And how does the work you docompare to what's available
there?
SPEAKER_01 (04:07):
So let me just say that when I started my
certification, it was onlyoffered to people.
And it was only offered to twosegments of people.
It was offered to medicalprofessionals and it was offered
to travel professionals.
SPEAKER_00 (04:21):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (04:22):
Since I got certified, that program has
completely blown up and grown.
And now they certify places, andnow they're certifying entities,
and they're certifying entirecities.
SPEAKER_00 (04:37):
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_01 (04:38):
And so Dubai was the first airport to get certified.
SPEAKER_00 (04:43):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (04:43):
Meaning that their staff, sufficient number of
staff, had gone through thistraining process and could
assist travelers at variouspoints within the airport.
And now we have an airline thathas gotten certified.
Now we have destinations thatare certified.
So now we know when we travel,if we can hit those airports, if
(05:06):
we can hit those airlines, if wecan hit those destinations, that
we're going to have people thathave been trained and are
prepared to assist.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Can you tell me some of the steps that you had to go
through in order to getcertified for autistic travel?
SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
So it's a series of trainings that we have to go
through and testing.
So we do receive certificatesupon completion that shows we've
been through this process.
And so it's really learning fromothers and what they know and
how we can assist in our roles.
SPEAKER_00 (05:40):
In your experience, what are some of the factors
that make travel autisticinclusive beyond meeting just
accessibility standards?
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
So what we really want to try to do is take, so
everyone's unique in what theywhat they will present with, but
we want to hit the big ones,right?
So we want to hit sound, noisepollution, we want to hit light,
we want to hit places to resetand a little bit of
desensitization to that process.
And so when I do the airportpractice event, I do a full
(06:12):
terminal tour and we look forthose areas where we can get
away and get away from thoseannouncements.
And more and more airports areoffering sensory-friendly rooms
where they can expect lowlighting, less people, and not
hear all the announcements andso on.
We really work on, you know,smells.
(06:33):
Airports and getting on anairplane and the jet fuel and
all of that can be big sensoryoverload.
So we really work with ourparticipants on how to mitigate
those issues and what tools inthe toolbox can they use to
combat those while they'retraveling.
SPEAKER_00 (06:50):
Now that the number of certified organizations has
grown, has that made the processsmoother for you?
Or are there still gaps you'renavigating?
SPEAKER_01 (06:59):
Um, I don't know that it's made it necessarily
easier.
It depends on how open thetraveler is to their destination
and if they would like to pursuemaybe a city, an entire city
that is on board, right?
And just knowing that thecommunity is aware of that.
(07:19):
And so one of the things we lookat is what community do we want
to take this event to next?
So when we started, we startedin Wichita, Kansas, and now
we're looking at where to gonext.
And so we look at Kansas City,who is bringing in FIFA for
2026.
They're going to be hosting over600,000 visitors over a little
(07:43):
over 30-day period.
And so we talked about how wecan bring in community members
to practice in their airport andalso give their airport staff an
opportunity to prepare for theinflux of visitors into their
own community.
SPEAKER_00 (07:58):
Parents are protective by nature, and that
often intensifies when raising aneurodiverse child.
How do you build trust withthose families and reassure them
that with your certification andexperience, their trip will be
handled with care andunderstanding, completely
different from someone that hasno knowledge of autism?
SPEAKER_01 (08:19):
I think that just comes with time and experience
and through testimonials of pasttravelers.
And so being certified andreally having an ear for what
the needs are means that I'm onthe lookout for how I can assist
them with their travels.
So I have tools in my toolboxthat some people may not even
know exist.
(08:39):
And I'll give you an example.
TSA has a program called TSACares.
I go in, I take my client'sflight information and I go in
and I register them so that theTSA knows exactly what day and
time they're coming to theairport.
And I can list any special needsor requirements that they have.
The TSA will meet them on oneside of security and take them
(09:02):
all the way to the other side ofsecurity, like a personal guide.
And the TSA will assist withwhether they need alternative
screening methods.
You know, many of them, manypeople cannot tolerate being
touched.
If they should happen to bepicked to be padded down, this
might be an issue.
So we need to make everybodyaware.
(09:22):
And with the TSA guide, it canreally slow down the process and
really open it up for more QAtime and what can we expect and
how can we handle this?
In general, we cannot impede theTSA and they still must do their
job and make sure that everyonepasses through security and that
they feel you are safe to fly.
(09:43):
There are lots and lots of waysto help you through that.
I'll tell you one example ofmany.
I have many, Tony.
We could sit here all day.
The TSA, when they take a wandto you and they're looking for
metallic objects and it beeps ifit has a hit, that wand can be
set to vibrate only so that itdoesn't have the sound effect
(10:04):
and it still notifies theofficer if they need to look at
something more.
So these are things that peoplejust maybe are not aware of.
I'm trying to get awareness outthere that there are helps and
assistance out for them allalong their trip, all along
their trip.
And honestly, when I started theairport practice event, it was
with an autism focus, but itreally blossomed into blind low
(10:29):
vision community, mobilityissues, anyone in wheelchair.
We've worked with cysticfibrosis, we've worked with
cerebral palsy.
Anyone who has something thatthey're just unsure of.
How am I going to travel withthis um compression vest?
Is it okay if I bring it or not?
So when we have our events, weinvite that community in and we
(10:51):
ask them to bring those thingsthat they question so that they
actually practice with them andsee what's going to be needed to
get that through.
SPEAKER_00 (10:59):
Yeah, that makes total sense.
As you know, autism is not aone-size-fits-all experience.
Each person has uniquesensitivity, strengths, and
challenges.
Yep.
Like you mentioned earlier,sometimes there are visible
signs that someone may needadditional support.
SPEAKER_01 (11:15):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:16):
With autistic individuals, unless their
support needs are moresignificant, it's often not
immediately apparent.
Yes.
How does that dynamic changewhen you're supporting an adult?
For example, someone in theirmid-30s.
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (11:30):
Who may function more like an early teenager in
certain areas?
How do you navigate that?
Especially when others may seean adult and not immediately
understand the level of supportthat person needs.
SPEAKER_01 (11:44):
Yes.
So very good question.
I'm glad that you brought up agebecause as we know, children
with autism become adults withautism.
We don't have an event that'sgeared just towards children.
I will say we've had eventswhere only children have come.
We've had events where onlyadults have come.
We just do an invitation.
We see who's interested injoining us and would like to
(12:05):
learn and practice.
We bring them in.
So we do serve all ages.
And one of the programs that'sin place is the Hidden
Disabilities Program.
And I don't know if you'refamiliar with that.
It's called the SunflowerProgram.
Some of the airportsparticipate, some do not.
Hopefully, over time and withmore awareness, this will come
(12:26):
to every airport.
But our airport here in Wichitahas the sunflower program.
You walk in, you can go to theinformation desk and you can get
a sunflower lanyard.
You can get a bracelet, you canget a pen or a sticker,
something that just identifiesyou as you go through the
airport experience.
(12:46):
And those staff have beentrained for what that means.
It means I have something hiddenthat you cannot see openly or
outwardly that I may need extraassistance.
And so we talk with ourparticipants before we go
through about identifying or notidentifying.
As we all know, identifying isnot required.
(13:08):
You do not have to identify, butI recommend identifying on a
travel day, either through alanyard or something that just
sends a message.
Now to our participants, Iprepare lanyards.
They can choose to identify ornot.
I have little cards made up thatsay something as basic as please
be patient, or I'm sensitive totouch, or I'm sensitive to
(13:30):
noise, or I need extra timeprocessing.
So if you're providing directionto me, I may need a, I may need
a moment, or I may be nonverbal.
If it's at all possible, I dorecommend identifying for a
travel day.
As soon as you get on the plane,you want to take that off, fine.
But when you're in the airportworking with staff, trying to
get through, I do recommend it.
SPEAKER_00 (13:50):
That makes total sense.
Have you seen where it's beenused and worked?
Because let's face it, travelingcan be very stressful.
SPEAKER_01 (13:57):
I will say, I do talk with the participants about
how travel days are a higherstress level for every single
person.
It does not matter if you haveautism or you do not have
autism.
A lot of people are late,hungry, tired.
You name it, it's more stressfulthan sitting on your sofa
(14:21):
watching your favorite movie inyour sweats, right?
You got up at 4 a.m., you didn'tsleep well last night, you're
exhausted, and you're trying tomove 12 people through the
airport.
It's just, it's just a highstress level.
So just sharing that with themand understanding everybody's at
a higher stress level helps themto relax and calm down.
(14:42):
I will tell you that through thecourse of an event, I will watch
the participants relax more andmore as we go through and really
feel empowered by the end thatthis could be something that
they could accomplish.
SPEAKER_00 (14:55):
Do you stay with them through the entire airport
process?
Or is your role more aboutpreparation?
How do you assess when they'reconfident and supported enough
to manage that experiencesuccessfully on their own?
SPEAKER_01 (15:08):
So, first of all, we will never know how their actual
flight day will go.
I won't be there holding theirhand, but what I am doing is
trying to have it be familiar.
I've done this before.
Now we are in an event airport,and I cannot guarantee how you
might react when you get to yourdestination airport or when you
(15:29):
get to a layover airport.
I do recommend for first-timeflyers, if at all possible, to
choose nonstop destinations forthat first attempt.
So I can't guarantee, can'tguarantee, but I am trying to
prepare.
And I do send home with eachguest preparation materials,
tangible ways that they canprepare for their travel days,
(15:52):
tangible destinations they canchoose that are nonstop from
where we're having that eventfrom where they live.
Now, if they are trying to getto say medical care, or if
they're trying to get to afamily reunion where they're
really not able to pick thedestination.
So they may end up with alayover or they may end up with
longer flights than maybe isideal.
(16:15):
But by having gone through itbefore, the hope is you will
desensitize a little bit.
SPEAKER_00 (16:22):
Before they go to the airport and they're talking
to you about the travel, what isthe process that you go through
preparing them and getting themready to travel?
SPEAKER_01 (16:32):
Are you talking about an actual flight date or a
practice event?
SPEAKER_00 (16:36):
Yes, an actual travel date.
They come to you and say, I wantto travel on this day in time.
They get the ticket.
Once they have committed, whatis your next step?
SPEAKER_01 (16:46):
So I do all of their travel arrangements for them for
as much door-to-door service asI can offer.
Now, some don't need everysingle thing that I offer, and
they can certainly refuse thatservice, right?
I don't need picked up.
I have a friend who can drop meoff or whatever that might be.
But in lieu of flying with them,which I will not be able to fly
(17:08):
with every participant, buthaving gone through the practice
with them and them knowingexactly what's going to happen,
really learning that TSA canmeet them at the curb outside of
the airport and take them allthe way to the gate is really
their liaison.
And as we know, there can be alot of really identifying with a
person like as your anchor, likehaving that person as your
(17:31):
anchor as you go through thisprocess.
I can't guarantee that it's notwithout higher stress, because
it still may be.
You know, I can't guaranteethere won't be hiccups to the
day, but we try to coordinatetiming.
And I will say, timing, it'sit's a catch 22, right?
So this is the group that Iwould say come early to the
airport, give yourself extratime so that if you need time to
(17:53):
reset, you can.
This is also the group thatmight get really, really bored
if they have more than an hourto sit in a gate.
So we really have to talkthrough that and what's
available in that airport forthem.
For children, it might be aplayground area, or if it's an
airport that has one, it mightbe a sensory room.
(18:14):
We're seeing those more andmore.
SPEAKER_00 (18:15):
In a field that's constantly evolving, where do
you see the biggestopportunities for improvement to
better serve families andindividuals?
SPEAKER_01 (18:24):
I do believe that more sensory rooms are needed,
that we don't need those in justthe large airports.
And so having even a small areathat's available is great.
Having more and more peopletrained and sensitive to the
travel needs.
And I've heard the stories,Tony, you know, in this
(18:47):
industry, I've heard whatthey've gone through and not
just their own travel days, butalso what's happening in their
homes when they're deciding toleave a loved one behind with a
caregiver while they go on sometrip.
And then the family isseparated.
That family member did not getto experience or have that
memory or be in the photos withthem from their trip.
(19:08):
And so I really want to mitigatethat as much as I can.
Can I reach every single person?
Maybe not.
Can I reach some?
Yeah, I know that I can.
SPEAKER_00 (19:18):
In travel, we often hear about what went wrong,
delays, mix-ups, things thatdidn't work out.
What is a moment you'veexperienced that reminded you
why this work matters so much toyou?
SPEAKER_01 (19:32):
Yeah, really just having those families that stay
together that give it a try forthe first time.
And it can be something smalland unexpected.
So at one of the practice eventswe had in the airport, one of
the families went through and atthe very end, they said that
their child had never ridden anescalator and he was about 10,
(19:54):
can't ride an escalator.
And they stood at the escalatorand tried and tried and tried
until he rode the escalator.
And that wasn't even the goal ofthe day, but yet it's part of
the airport experience, right?
We have moving walkways in thebig airports.
We have escalators and elevatoroptions too.
But it was just watching themtry or feeling empowered to try.
SPEAKER_00 (20:15):
You brought up first-time airport experiences.
What would you say to a familywith an autistic child or an
autistic adult who feels liketravel simply isn't possible for
them?
How do you help them find theconfidence to give it a try?
SPEAKER_01 (20:31):
So, as for as many airports as I can bring this to,
and for as much community as Ican reach, I will do that.
I'm always looking for peoplewithin the community that have
access to these families,whether it be providers,
community resources, that sortof thing, where we can get the
word out that we have an eventcoming up near you and we'd like
(20:51):
you to come try.
Now, there may be some that willlook at that and say, nope,
can't do it.
There will always be some thatsay, yes, we can do that.
I do try to bring in volunteersfrom the provider community for
the event as support staff toassist if anyone should have a
meltdown.
And so far, has not happened.
(21:13):
We haven't had a participantthat didn't complete the day.
But did someone look at it andsay, no, I'm I don't even want
to try?
Possibly, possibly, but I wantto be there for the ones that
say, No, I think I think we'reready.
Let's try this.
SPEAKER_00 (21:26):
Yeah.
So how do people find you?
SPEAKER_01 (21:29):
Good question.
So we just had a volunteerlaunch our website this year.
SPEAKER_00 (21:35):
Awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (21:36):
Very exciting.
Uh, years in the making.
And so we do have ourwww.navigateevents.org.
We did claim navigate events onFacebook and on Instagram.
So we're starting to build thatsocial media presence and we're
(21:57):
starting to build the website togive people a Place where they
can register to attend, wherethey can find out what city
we're going to be at next andwhen it will be.
That's all in the process.
And I will say, when I startedthis event, and as I've gone
through, we've done probablyfour now.
And I say every event we have, Ialways say, this is my first
(22:18):
time to the rodeo.
Because you know that phrase,this ain't my first time to the
rodeo.
Like, no, we are still very muchforging what this looks like,
how to get it accomplished, whoto invite, you know, how to get
them registered, which up tothis point has been contacting
me, reaching out to me, and Iwill get your name and number,
I'll get your email, I'll emailyou the information, what time
(22:40):
to meet, all of that.
But we're trying to automatethat a little bit more as we
move into other communities.
SPEAKER_00 (22:47):
Have you ever worked with someone on the spectrum who
initially said, I can't do this?
But with support andencouragement, they were
eventually able to say, Hey, Idid this.
Can you describe what shiftedfor them in that moment?
And what did you see in themthat showed you they were
capable even before theybelieved it themselves?
(23:08):
And what did this show you forthe potential that you have to
keep doing this and helping morepeople in the future?
SPEAKER_01 (23:17):
So, one of the things we talk about during our
events, now, first of all, ourguest we call a VIP.
And then someone who can comewith the VIP to just assist and
be alongside them would be achaperone.
So we ask the chaperone whatmotivators are for your VIP.
(23:38):
So we ask them to bringmotivators, favorite whatever, a
stuffed animal, favorite book,favorite blanket, something that
comforts and motivates so thatwe can use that, we can leverage
that to maybe get them through arough situation.
So, what are some of the roughsituations, right?
Maybe walking through the metaldetection at the TSA checkpoint.
(23:59):
So if we can get the chaperoneon the other side with a
favorite stuffed animal, herethey come.
They just walk right through.
We just have to workstrategically each of those
scenarios.
I will tell you one of thehurdles that I was maybe not
expecting was the feel of thejet bridge under their feet.
That when you go from theterminal onto the jet bridge,
(24:22):
now you're not on terra firma.
And that jet bridge is a littlebit bouncy.
And so we have to really workthrough that and talk through
that and get them all the waydown to the jet bridge and to
the door.
We really just talk through thatindividually with our
participants and how we can dothat.
SPEAKER_00 (24:40):
Yeah, that's great.
Now, what would you like toleave our listeners with that
you think is very important thatthey hear about what you are
doing and how you're trying tohelp those within the travel
industry understand the needs ofthe autistic community?
SPEAKER_01 (24:57):
So I think the biggest thing that people need
to know is that travel is nolonger a luxury.
It is vitally important inkeeping people connected with
family.
It connects them with jobopportunities, it connects them
with medical care, and itconnects them with world
experiences.
We want to keep familiestogether, we want to keep people
(25:19):
gamefully employed.
You know, when it's time to goto a conference or time to go to
another city for training, wewant them to have that
capability.
SPEAKER_00 (25:27):
Yeah, that's great.
Now, can you tell us what isneeded to help bring this to
other communities around thecountry?
SPEAKER_01 (25:33):
Yeah, and if anyone listening is interested in
bringing this to theircommunity, I'd love to hear from
you.
My contact information is on thewebsite.
And we really need two things tohave a successful event.
We need sponsorship.
We always keep this free to theparticipant, and then we need
participants.
So I have the necessaryconnections with airports and
(25:56):
TSA staff.
I can take this anywhere I wantwithin the US, and we're ready
to take it to new communities.
But we need those two things.
That's what we're lacking.
We need sponsorship andparticipants.
By keeping the participantnumber high, it really sends a
message to the airport that it'sneeded and wanted.
SPEAKER_00 (26:17):
Oh, I believe you are 100% correct.
It is something that isdefinitely needed and wanted for
sure.
SPEAKER_01 (26:24):
Yes, yes.
And I will say, I think peoplethink that maybe travel is the
least of our worries when itcomes to autism.
But in my world, I feel likethis is an area of expertise
where I can touch a life.
I can't fix autism, I can't helpthem with behavioral issues.
That's not where my expertiselies.
(26:45):
I can take one thing, one thing,travel, and I can make it
easier.
And when you're passionate aboutit, you'll be able to talk about
it.
I could talk about it for twohours.
I'm gonna condense it to a halfhour, but hopefully it sparks
enough interest in someone thatthey'll reach out to me.
SPEAKER_00 (27:02):
Yeah, and I certainly hope they do.
I can see where this isdefinitely needed.
Well, this has been great.
Great information, greatconversation.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to join me today.
SPEAKER_01 (27:15):
Well, thank you for inviting me.
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (27:18):
Oh, it's been my pleasure.
Thanks again.
Thanks for taking time out ofyour busy schedule to listen to
our show today.
We hope you enjoyed it as muchas we enjoyed bringing it to
you.
If you know someone who has astory to share, tell them to
(27:41):
contact us at why notme.world.
One last thing.
Spread the word about why notme.
Our conversations, our inspiringguest, the Joe.
You are not alone in this world.
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