To

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS

• Welcome
• To
• Disability Travel
• The huge and ever increasing segment of travel
• Worldwide!
• Presented by
• Jani Nayar
• Executive coordinator
• SATH

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
SATHS mission is to raise awareness of the
needs of all travelers with disabilities,
remove physical and attitudinal barriers to
free access and expand travel opportunities in
the United States and abroad.
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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS

• 2002 Open Doors Survey conducted by Harris
  Interactive in conjunction with SATH and
  TIA13.7 BILLION spent in a year on travel!
• 71 of adults with disabilities (or more than 22
  million people)
• have traveled at least once in the past 2 years.
  This includes
• - 5.6 million business travelers
• - 21 million pleasure/leisure travelers
• - 5 million travelers who combine business
  and pleasure
• 20 of all adults with disabilities travel at
  least 6 times every 2 years.

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
85 of respondents to the2002 Harris survey
indicated theyshare travel experiences with
other travelers with disabilities And Only
14 seek a travel agent for their travel..
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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS

• Twenty-four Million People With Disabilities
  Would Travel One to Two More Times Per Year If
  Their Needs Were Better Met.
  - Fortune Magazine,
  1998

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
WHO ARE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

• 859 million worldwide
• 49.7 million in United States
• Not counting Mature
• 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 50 daily
• 70 million over 50 by 2015
• Over 1 trillion aggregate income
• Almost 220 billion in discretionary income

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
WHAT IS A DISABILITY?

• Disability refers to a persons
  limitation or ability to perform everyday life
  activities.
• Impairment is the abnormalities in functions
  such as mobility, vision, hearing or cognitive.
• Disabilities and impairments can be visible as
  well as invisible.

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS

• With over 10 of the world population having some
  form of disability, can you afford not to tap
  into this market?

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
YOUR CLIENT YOUR ATTITUDE

• No two people are the same nor do they
  have the same experience
• Be conscious of the personal comfort
  level
• Rapport can be jeopardized by lack of
  knowledge and confidence, fear, denial,
  embarrassment and personal character traits.
• Treat your clients with disabilities just
  the same way you would anybody else
• Never over assist - make sure your help
  is wanted
• Always let the other person instruct you
• Never assume the degree of disability

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
Disability Etiquette 

• DO NOT SENSATIONALIZE A DISABILITY
• DO NOT USE GENERIC LABELS
• PUT PEOPLE FIRST
• EMPHASIZE ABILITIES
• DO NOT USE CONDESCENDING EUPHEMISMS
• DO NOT IMPLY DISEASE

Non-disabled is the appropriate term for people
without disabilities. Normal, able-bodied,
temporarily able-bodied, healthy, or whole are
inappropriate.
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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
Have You Ever?

• While in a wheelchair?
• Equipped with an oxygen tank?
• Wearing a blindfold?
• Wearing earplugs?
• With the fingers of one or both hands taped
  together?

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
Perform any one of these actions and you will
begin to have insight into the presence of
barriers in your own world and the meaning of
inaccessibility.
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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
? WH Questions.
What do I need to know? Who can give me the
information? Why do I need the info? Where can
I get info and services? When do I need the
info?
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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
GETTING STARTED IN THE DISABILITY TRAVEL MARKET

• Where do you want to go?
• Select target markets
• Who do you reach?
• Set your goals
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Reasonable
• Time

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
Whats In It For You?

• A lucrative, untapped market in which you can
  become a leader
• Increased insight resulting in improved service
  for all your clients

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Looking For Prospective Clients

• Family friends
• Staff
• Existing Clients
• Associations
• Internet

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
How They Approach Travel

• 46 consult the Internet
• 33 book online
• 34 book direct with airline or hotel

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
Modify Your Web Site

• Make your affiliation clear
• Show persons with disabilities
• Link to key disability-related sites
• Convey personalized service

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Networking

• Join disability associations
• Do volunteer work
• Serve on boards
• Write articles and advertise
• Make presentations

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Associating Yourself

• Rehabilitation Centers
• Physical Therapists
• Senior Centers
• Your own advisory board

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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
A Good Agent must

• Assess each clients needs correctly
• Understand what tools are required
• Know what challenges each destination presents
• Know what challenges each product presents
• Determine what each supplier provides
• Inform suppliers of all clients needs

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Necessary Information
Profiles of

• Clients
• Destinations
• Transportation
• Cruises

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Keep Your Focus On The Customer

• Relate benefits to price
• Offer travel insurance
• Offer services that facilitate travel
• Offer special products

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Access to information

• SATH Congress
• Internet Resources

Researching on your own The local organizations
can be a valuable resource to reach out of state
out of country service providers
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SATH at OPENING DOORS AND MINDS
Any questions? THANK YOU!