Disability Travel Survey Identifies
Most Popular American Cities

Imagine flying to Hawaii for the vacation of your dreams, taking a moment to view the gorgeous Pacific waters and realizing, unfortunately, that although you can see the water a mere few hundred feet from you, you'd might as well be miles away. This is the result of two inopportune ideas: steps and wheelchairs.

Disabilities hinder the nomadic traveler instinct of many. So, where do adults with disabilities commonly travel for leisure or business within the continental US? Until the recent study of U.S. adults with disabilities, conducted by Harris Interactive for the Open Doors Organization (ODO), there was really no answer to this key question. Now American cities can gauge how popular they are among this quickly growing travel segment, and make arrangements to be sure that the city is at it's peak for disabled travelers.

American cities most traveled to by adults with disabilities:

New York City - 47%
Washington, DC - 45%
Chicago - 44%

Orlando, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles all tied at 42 percent for fourth most traveled city by disabled adults. Rounding out the top ten destinations, in order, were San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Diego.

General findings from this study, released in conjunction with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), not only identified which cities these travelers have visited, but also explored their patterns of hotel, restaurant and transportation use.

But are American cities in general doing enough to ensure that this group of visitors also has a great travel experience? "Often only a few minor steps can make a city more attractive to first-time visitors with disabilities and encourage repeat visits. Adapted transportation continues to be an issue, getting to and from the airport or just visiting local attractions. Having a website that is both accessible in itself and has accessibility information is another key component to serving this market," says ODO Executive Director, Eric Lipp.

The survey, the second of two undertaken by ODO, was carried out in response to the growing population of adults with disabilities. It was conducted online and by telephone among a national sample of 1,373 U.S. adults with disabilities aged 18 or over.

Based in Chicago, ODO was delighted with the city's third-place finish. "We are making great strides in making Chicago one of the most accessible cities in the nation," said Karen Tamley, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

"From popular tourist attractions such as the Lakefront Festivals and Millennium Park to our 100% accessible bus fleet, we believe Chicago offers a wide range of accessible options for residents and visitors with disabilities, making it one of the nation's top destinations."

For mobility impaired traveler tips and advice, click here.

Read RTM's "Room for Everyone: Diversity Travel"

(Source: ODO)