Today is a big day for us at Ocean Holidays. As a Florida specialist, the types of holidays we sell are typically bigger groups and often multi-generational. When we realised that the combination of our guests and the fact that up to 1 in 5 travellers are disabled, we knew had to act. So, we did.
For over a year, teams across our company have been working hard on launching our own dedicated Accessibility Programme.
I’ve been very fortunate in the last few years to have been on holiday to Mallorca fairly regularly. It’s our family’s happy place and the destination does a good all-round job for people like my disabled son Rudy, aged 2, and families like ours. However, sadly the fact remains that going on holiday isn’t an easy process for those who have additional needs and care, like us.
And I know I’m not alone in facing extra challenges when travelling with my family. Disabled travellers and their families will have endless stories to tell that many of us would never even consider.
One example of this being that when we fly, Rudy needs a special chair that offers postural support. What gets overlooked is around seating guidance which is varied and confusing across different airlines. Not only can this cause unnecessary stress, but it can also add an extra layer of cost to a holiday. We own 2 specialist seats approved on some airlines, however on our most recent trip we had to rent a different and more expensive (equivalent to the cost of weekly car hire) specialist chair, since the one we had wasn’t allowed on the airline we were flying. Additionally, on every flight we have been on, the wonderful cabin crew who are keen to help have struggled with where we should sit for safety reasons, upsetting other passengers who have pre booked their seats and how to set our various chairs. This is generally due to a lack of training and access to accurate information. Finding answers and solutions to problems like these is unfortunately all part of going away for us and so many.
Our own research shows that over half (51%) of people with disabilities associate booking holidays with stress and a further 35% relate it with frustration. This research underlines how as an industry we have to make travel a better experience for those with disabilities and their families.
These challenges start from the offset. 90% of consumers experience problems before they even depart with a range of issues from finding affordable and suitable accommodation, to staff’s lack of knowledge, through to extra fees.
These negative experiences have impacted 65% of disabled people’s attitudes towards travelling, with one in 10 going as far as avoiding leisure travel altogether, due to not being confident that their additional needs could be met. These statistics make for depressing reading, but I believe as an industry, we can do better. My own experience, combined with a persistent drive to do the right thing by our customers, has encouraged us to play our part in tackling this issue.
I’m really proud to today announce the launch of our
accessibility programme to provide customers with an unrivalled knowledge of accessible options in the Sunshine State, all at no extra cost.
It’s part of our commitment to making the travel experience seamless and enjoyable for everyone across their whole journey, from the booking process to when they land.
As a business, we pride ourselves on putting people in touch with real people, in doing the right thing and our accessibility programme is no different. As part of launching the programme we have invested in staff training so customers can now book holidays knowing that every additional need is taken care of, doing everything we can to avoid extra cost. Whether at the airport or in resort, our staff now have an unrivalled knowledge of accessible options in the Sunshine State and the rest of the USA.
It was critical for us that the programme takes a holistic approach, covering everything from mobility, visual and hearing impairment through to those who are neurodivergent. But it doesn’t stop there. We’ve also committed to continuing to do more to support those with hidden disabilities by partnering with The Sunflower Network, to drive awareness of the issue and push the industry to do more.
By doing this I hope to shed light on the lack of inclusivity in the travel sector and show that we are determined to make it accessible for all, no matter the disability. As an industry, we have so much to do to vastly improve the holiday experience for people with disabilities. At Ocean Holidays, we are at the start of this journey, and we’ve taken small steps to improve the experience across the board. We promise to do our best to provide people with disabilities the support they need to enjoy their dream holidays and our new accessibility programme is just the start.
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