Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine April 2022 | Page 76

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When visiting hotels , people said , " People [ with disabilities ] don ' t travel ; why are you even bothered ? Why should we be training ourselves to cater to them because they ' re not coming ?" Arora replied , " They are not coming because you ' re not accessible . It ' s not the other way around ."
After learning more about how beneficial her company will be to the travel industry , and gaining enough confidence , Arora resigned from her job , knowing that she didn ' t want to push this off any longer . Her ultimate inspiration stems from her parents , and she said , " They ' ve done better than most non-disabled people . All of those experiences , better or ugly , whatever they were , actually led me to start this company , to solve the problem for everyone ."
With no savings left from previous business adventures , Arora took the leap and created Planet Abled in January 2016 , taking it one day at a time . Six years later , she has created an incredibly successful business , making accessible trips for people with and without disabilities while teaching inclusivity . Prior to the group trips , Planet Abled teams visit the locations to complete " destination development ," where they visit hotels and museums and look into transportation options to
Neha signing to a deaf participant at Planet Ableds inclusive pottery workshop
identify how accessible the plan is . They also consider which disabilities would be likely to take part in the trip . In addition , they train the staff at the sites on awareness and sensitization to understand how to communicate and what the necessary preparations should include . Arora said , " One wrong word and one wrong body language can spoil the whole travel experience . We make sure that everyone is prepared ." They identify the ideal group of people for the specific destination . Planet Abled has even created 3D printed models of monuments
in museums in order to provide people with visual impairments a physical model to touch alongside an audio tour , creating a more inclusive and engaging experience .
They also work with museum authorities to provide special access for disabled travelers , allowing them to touch the artifacts they would otherwise not be allowed to . Special hours are held for deaf and autistic travelers as well . In addition , the company works directly with various governments to train and provide consultations .