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Travel by Adults with Disabilities Jumps Despite
Barriers
Aug. 1, 2005 - The average number of leisure trips
and hotel stays by adults with disabilities - many of them senior
citizens - has increased by 50% from 2002, despite significant travel
barriers, according to a 2005 survey released by the Open Doors
Organization and the Travel Industry Association of America.
"This new data," says ODO Director Eric Lipp,
"confirms what we already knew, that there is a strong disability travel
market. In the past two years alone, more than 21 million adults with
disabilities traveled for pleasure and/or business." The 2005 study
reveals which destinations, domestic and international, are most popular
among travelers with disabilities and provides new data on Internet use.
Surprisingly, the study showed marked increases in certain sectors
despite ongoing barriers to access.
The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive(R), is a
follow-up to ODO's study of 2002 on the spending trends and market scope
of U.S. adults with disabilities.
The 2002 ODO study quantified how much adults with
disabilities were spending on travel -- approximately $13.6 billion
annually -- and suggested that revenues from this market could easily
double if certain needs were met and obstacles removed. The 2005 ODO
study, which employed an identical methodology, shows businesses in the
travel industry the extent and types of barriers the majority of
travelers with disabilities still experience. Among those adults with
disabilities who have traveled by air, 84% said they encountered
obstacles when interfacing with airlines and 82% said they encountered
obstacles at airports.
And, 60% of travelers with disabilities who have
stayed overnight in paid accommodations said they had problems at these
properties, either physical barriers (48%), problems with customer
service (45%) or communication barriers (15%). On the positive side, as
Eric Lipp notes, "Many of the most common complaints identified by the
study, such as heavy doors and lack of knowledge among staff, could be
easy and inexpensive to resolve."
In terms of restaurants, the study indicates 71% of
adults with disabilities dine out at least once a week and also shows a
6% increase in casual dining from 2002. To attract this clientele,
Fuddruckers restaurants are offering such things as Braille/large print
menus, customer service training and larger pathways between tables. In
the new poll, 40% of adults with disabilities complained of the lack of
room between tables.
The 2005 ODO study covered a new area of travel car
rental. It found that 20% of adults with disabilities rented a car for
travel in the past two years. But a staggering 50% said they would be
more inclined to rent a car if it were delivered to and picked up from
them, while 36% would be willing to pay more for this service. In Eric
Lipp's view, "More rental car agencies should follow the example set by
Avis, which now offers Avis Access(R), a comprehensive program of
individualized products to serve customers with disabilities."
The survey was conducted both online and by
telephone between February 8- 25, 2005 among a national sample of 1,373
adults aged 18 or over. The sampling error for the total sample is plus
or minus 3 percentage points.
For further description of the study methodology,
see the ODO website (
http://www.opendoorsnfp.org/ ). Harris Interactive Inc. (
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/ ), the 15th largest market
research firm in the world, is known for The Harris Poll(R) and for
pioneering Internet-based research. Also contributing to the design of
the ODO 2005 study was the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA),
a leader in market research on the U.S. travel industry.
Copies of the 2005 market study are available for
sale to businesses, non- profits and individuals through the Open Doors
Organization by calling 773-388-8839 or e-mailing
info@opendoorsnfp.org. The Open Doors Organization is a non-profit
organization founded for the purpose of teaching businesses how to
succeed in the disability market and for making businesses' goods and
services accessible to people with disabilities.
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