Speaker Biograghy: Laurel has specialised in accessible travel and hospitality since 1987, working as a writer, educator and consultant. For the past 11 years she has been the Programme Director for Open Doors Organization (ODO), the Chicago-based non-profit best known for its nationwide studies of the disability travel market. In addition to developing ODO customer service training for airlines, airline service companies, airports, cruise lines, hotels and ground transportation companies, Laurel edits the organisation's Easy Access city guides, newsletter and website. She has served on a variety of transportation-related advisory boards including Northwest Airlines, Greyhound Lines, Project Action and the US Access Board's Passenger Vessel Access Advisory Committee. A long-term resident of New York City, Laurel has an MA in Economics from the New School for Social Research.


Day 2 - 11 March
Session: Customer Service & Passenger Experience

16:05 - 16:30 - 2015 Open Doors Organization study of American travellers with disabilities
Synopsis: Open Doors Organization (ODO) conducted the first-ever nationwide studies of American adult travellers with disabilities in 2002 and 2005. The 2015 follow-up study again measures general travel behaviours including how often people travel, how much money they spend, where they travel in the USA and abroad, and which sources of information and technology they rely on. It provides detailed information on experiences with airlines and airports, including the obstacles encountered. The presentation will compare 2015 findings with earlier ODO studies to reveal differences over time, including how well the aviation industry is meeting the needs of this growing market.

Audience will learn:

• Percentage of Americans with disabilities travelling long distance and their total travel expenditures over a two-year period
• Frequency and expenditures on air travel over a two-year period
• Percentage using websites, smartphones and mobile apps for travel-related purposes
• Percentage who encounter obstacles in airports and with airlines, and how this has changed since 2002 and 2005
• How the market has changed over time: number and percentage travelling long distance, travel frequency, expenditures, destinations, etc.