How DMOs can showcase destination’s accessibility

Accessibility is a topic on every marketer’s mind, especially in the travel industry. Our friends at Destinations International recently published some of our thoughts on how DMOs can showcase their destination’s accessibility efforts, which features our team’s work on Choose Chicago’s accessibility initiatives. 

The city of Chicago is on a mission to become the most inclusive and accessible city in the nation, from revamping public transportation infrastructure to improving the pedestrian experience. But Choose Chicago (the city’s official destination marketing group) needed more information about these important programs on their website. 

A lack of accessibility content and functionality can be a huge miss for DMOs. Travelers with disabilities are going on leisure trips with nearly the same frequency as those without mobility issues and spending a total of $58.2 billion per year on travel.

To help Choose Chicago dive into the accessibility space, Destination ENV’s dedicated team spearheaded a multifaceted approach to ensure we were providing all the right information and creating a seamless experience for each and every user.

These accessibility updates included:

• Building an accessibility content hub on the Choose Chicago website, which includes articles on public transportation, accessible attractions, sensory-friendly things to do, and beyond.
• Identifying writers and creating a blog series by Chicagoans with disabilities to showcase a first-person perspective.
• Completing technical improvements, including updates to page formatting, heading structure, linking, navigation, and more.
• Collaborating with Access Living, a local advocacy group led by people with disabilities, to ensure a variety of perspectives and experiences were being considered.

Accessibility should be a fundamental part of every destination’s equity, diversity and inclusion work. Check out the Destinations International blog post for more quick tips, or contact us for strategic guidance on incorporating accessibility into your marketing.