Travelers with Disabilities: The Untapped Market

Online Dating, Why Not?

 by: Brenda Dennick

So, you’re looking to meet that “special someone”. You have tried the bars, blind dates, churches, grocery stores, etc, all with little or no success. What have you got to lose by trying one, or even a few, of the many different online singles services? Absolutely nothing!

As a former dating service professional, with both matchmaking and video dating services, I would encourage anyone to spend a little time on their computer and explore the possibilities available with online dating. For a low cost, convenient, private avenue for searching for other quality singles, online dating can be a very rewarding and interesting experience.

Online services typically charge a monthly subscription fee around $20 - $30 for a “Standard” package or program. These fees can increase, as you add more of the features offered through the service, often times enhancing your membership. Some services even offer their standard features FREE! Either way, it is a relatively low investment compared to the thousands of dollars, and long term memberships, typically charged by the traditional dating services. Don’t get me wrong, although traditional dating services and matchmakers can be quite expensive, many people have enjoyed great successes through their memberships and you may eventually want to try one as well. But to start, go cheap, go convenient, go online!

There are some online dating sites that also do compatibility testing and personality profiling. These features help members find other quality singles who are similar to themselves and complement their lifestyle. The testing and profiling also helps determine what qualities and characteristics one should look for in a mate. This might seem a bit confusing and overwhelming, but it is actually quite easy. Most sites have online help should you have any questions or need assistance. Some sites will even offer suggestions on possible matches.

Typically, no personal information is disclosed between members until both parties agree. All communication can be done through the online website. So, your e-mail, address, phone number, etc., is all get kept private and secure.

One of the nicest features of online dating is the ability to work on your membership in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Whether you are a morning or an evening person, there are no restricting office hours. You can work on your membership when you want, from any location with a computer, for as long as you want. You are in complete control.

Online dating has come a long way, and many singles have benefited and met their “special someone” through the internet. But, do your homework. Research and compare the different sites. Read and understand the membership agreements. Do searches for positive, and negative, information on the sites you are considering. The Singles/Dating business is very popular and competitive, so you need to educate yourself. Take your time, investigate your options, and online dating can be a very exciting, enjoyable, and rewarding experience. Who knows? You might even meet Mr. or Mrs. Right. So, why not?

Travelers with Disabilities: The Untapped Market

 by: Craig Kennedy

When most people think about accommodating people with disabilities in their business they get a scared feeling in their gut and their mind scrambles to search for that all-important date when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect. It doesnt have to be that way! When business owners open their eyes and start to realize that there are literally billions of dollars to be made in the accessible travel market, I believe we will start to remove the fear associated with the ADA.

There are currently more than 50 million people with disabilities in the United States and 180 million worldwide, representing the single largest untapped tourist market in the world. According to a recent Harris Poll conducted in conjunction with the Open Doors Organization and the Travel Industry Association of America, the 50 million people with disabilities in our country have a combined income of more than $175 billion. In 2002, these people took 32 million trips and spent more than $13.6 billion on travel ($4.2 billion on hotels, $3.3 billion on airfare, $2.7 billion on food and beverage, and $3.4 billion on retail, transportation, and other activities). This study suggested that these travelers would double their spending if some minor amenities were made available. Meet and greet programs at airports, preferred seating on airplanes, hotel rooms closer to amenities, and employees who go out of their way to accommodate guests with disabilities topped the list.

The current trends in adaptive travel show most of these travelers taking advantage of destinations that they know are already accessible such as cruise ships, Florida, and Las Vegas. The visitors bureaus and businesses at these destinations that have gone to great lengths to ensure their visitors that there will not be any accessibility issues during their stay. From personal experience and years of traveling in a wheelchair, I can guarantee that these locations have built and will continue to build strong relationships with travelers with disabilities. This group is a very loyal one, who will often return to the same city, hotel, or activity provider year after year if they have a good experience. If everyone were to catch on to this we would see growth in the tourism industry like we have never seen!

With this in mind, it is a wonder that more business owners have not taken steps to make their accommodations more accessible and even start marketing to these travelers. If the staggering numbers listed above arent proof enough, the U.S. Census Bureau recently stated that nearly 16.5% of all people with disabilities in the U.S. leave their home two days per week or less. That constitutes nearly 11 million people that are not traveling at all. Also keep in mind that there are millions of people in their golden years that are looking for accessible travel accommodations. Many of these people use canes or walkers, travel with oxygen tanks, or have other mobility impairments, and are not included in disability statistics.

With millions of people in need of accessible travel options, and with our Baby Boomers (almost 25% of our population) starting to reach retirement age as well now is the time to start thinking about improving marketing efforts to include people with disabilities and about better overall accessibility in general. By educating business owners on the benefits of marketing to people with disabilities and educating travel agents who are fighting a losing battle with the internet, we can begin to focus on this new target market.

If you want to take advantage of the rapidly growing adaptive travel market, get started now! I recommend hiring an expert to get your business rated and start removing barriers to access as soon as possible. Think about accessibility anytime youre planning a remodel or addition. These improvements will benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities. For those of you who have already taken steps to improve accessibility, start bragging about it.

Craig P. Kennedy, Steamboat Springs, Colorado,

CK Consulting: Setting Standards for Accessibility

http://www.CKConsultingonline.com

* Please visit our Web site to take a FREE accessibility quiz to find out if you are on the right track.