Ann Arbor reaches accessibility milestone

Destination Ann Arbor is celebrating becoming the first city in Michigan to achieve “Destination Verified” status through Wheel the World. The organization recently held a press conference and panel discussion to commemorate this milestone, recognizing the Ann Arbor region’s commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible destination for travelers of all abilities.

Wheel the World is an accessible travel company that provides detailed accessibility information about destinations around the world to help guide people with disabilities deciding where to travel. Its Destination Verified program recognizes communities that undergo rigorous third-party accessibility assessments.

Al Snow, director of sales and service for Ann Arbor destinations, said receiving a Pure Michigan Accessible Traveler Grant helped fund the effort. As Snow explained, Wheel the World works with Disability Network Washtenaw Monroe Livingston to recruit evaluators to conduct on-site evaluations at hotels, venues, attractions and other participating entities.

“They measure everything from the height of the bed to the width of the doorway to the space under the bathroom sink or countertop,” Snow explains. “Even the flooring – if it’s carpeted, what’s the lint on the carpet? Or if it’s wood or laminate, do you need to check the door frames? They measured over 200 different data points… all of that data is now available Available via the Wheel the World website.”

Disability Network executive director Alex Gossage said the organization’s team has been diligently collecting data since June. As more organizations and companies around Ann Arbor become aware of the effort, Gorsuch hopes they will sign on to participate.

“Ann Arbor Destination really tries to focus on working with those organizations that are interested in doing that and understanding what’s accessible to them,” he said. “It’s not meant to be some kind of ‘gotcha.’ It’s intended to be a Tool to highlight those who are doing a good job, maybe those who are doing some things well but have some things that need improvement. “

Gossage expects meeting planners considering Ann Arbor to leverage Wheel the World’s local data as a tool for location and site selection.

“This will hopefully make it easier for planners to understand, if they’re going to have a convention or a conference or a large gathering in our community, what’s around and what barriers might be there for some attendees,” Gorsuch said. “I definitely think it’s a great informational tool and hopefully it will (effectively) help bring more of these gatherings to Ann Arbor.”

Arturo Gaona, chief partnerships officer and co-founder of Wheel the World, believes destinations that support accessibility “will be one step ahead of the rest.”

“Disabled people are traveling more and more,” he explains. “The senior population is growing very rapidly, and the hospitality industry is not ready for it. We are working hard with cities to provide real and reliable information to address this issue. So at the end of the day, by doing this, you are basically opening up a new of emerging markets.”

Gaona said other Michigan cities participating in World on Wheels accessibility data collection include Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Lansing. Ann Arbor is the first city to receive official Destination Verified status as it was the first city to join the program and launch a landing page on the Wheel the World platform. Kalamazoo’s landing page is now live.

Meanwhile, Ann Arbor’s accessibility data collection and commitment are underway. “This is not the end,” Snow said. “We will continue to reach out to hotels, venues and partners to continue to evaluate this. This is the first step in a long-term process as we work with the community to make it a more accessible place for travelers of all types.”

anabnet
Wheeltheworld.com