This Ohio City Just Launched an Accessibility Guide for Visitors With Disabilities
Courtesy of Experience Columbus
The Ohio city of Columbus is making it easier for travelers with disabilities to visit by publishing a brand-new accessibility guide that includes everything from hotels and restaurants to transportation options and more.
The guide highlights Columbus' accessible options in several categories: mobility, vision, hearing, and cognition, Experience Columbus, the city's destination marketing organization, shared with Travel + Leisure. The guide includes more than 20 attractions, restaurants (including outdoor options), hotels, and transportation options.
"We welcome visitors of all abilities to Columbus and want everyone to be able to comfortably experience and enjoy our city," Experience Columbus' Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer Sarah Townes said in a statement provided to T+L. "Our Accessibility Guide is a one-stop resource visitors and residents can use while planning an upcoming visit to Columbus or in real time while exploring the city."
Each option listed in the guide has been reviewed and screened by disability inclusion experts, according to the group, and will be continuously updated.
In addition to resources for travelers, the guide also features tips for planning an accessible meeting.
Courtesy of Experience Columbus
"During the past two years we have launched a variety of initiatives focused on diversity, equity and inclusion," Shannon Jones, Experience Columbus' director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, said in the statement. "We hope that this new Accessibility Guide will be a valuable resource for the community and visitors and show that Columbus is a welcoming and inclusive place to visit."
Columbus joins several others in the travel industry that are working to become more accessible. Last week, Six Flags, for example, introduced a new, specialized restraint harness on rides for park goers with physical disabilities and earned accreditation as a Certified Autism Center at each of its theme parks. And earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation published the first-ever bill of rights for airline passengers with disabilities.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
