Overcoming Barriers To Inclusive Traveling: A Push For Solutions In Business Travel For People With Disabilities

Published on August 17, 2025

Business travelers pinch disabilities still look galore barriers that make walking difficult. Even pinch improvements successful accessibility, galore acquisition issues for illustration mislaid aliases damaged mobility instrumentality during transit.

These problems were discussed astatine a 2025 convention held by nan Advantage Travel Partnership and nan Business Travel Association successful London. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a leader and erstwhile Paralympian, shared her frustrating acquisition of having her wheelchair mislaid during a trip. It was returned months later, but it was damaged.

These individual accounts shed ray connected a larger issue. A study by MMGY Intelligence, conducted successful business pinch nan European Network for Accessible Tourism and nan World Travel & Tourism Council, revealed that much than 80% of travelers pinch disabilities faced important challenges, including damaged instrumentality and agelong waits for assistance.

The study surveyed travelers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and nan UK, highlighting nan urgent request for amended solutions.

Growing Awareness And Positive Steps Towards Change

Despite nan ongoing issues, location are affirmative signs that alteration is underway. In June 2025, nan UK Civil Aviation Authority released an accessibility study detailing improvements astatine respective airports. Notably, for nan 2nd consecutive year, nary UK airports were rated arsenic poor in position of accessibility.

The study revealed that 5 airports, antecedently categorized arsenic needing improvement, were now classified arsenic bully aliases moreover very good.

Moreover, nan number of passengers requesting assistance astatine UK airports has accrued significantly, rising from 0.94% successful 2010 to 1.9% successful 2024. This surge whitethorn bespeak a larger, aging population, but it besides indicates that group pinch disabilities are walking much often and pushing for greater accessibility.

Increasing Regulatory Attention And New Legislation

The UK authorities has shown expanding committedness to addressing nan needs of travelers pinch disabilities. In July 2025, it welcomed a study by nan Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, led by Baroness Grey-Thompson.

The study includes 19 cardinal recommendations aimed astatine improving accessibility, including mandatory training for aviation unit by group pinch disabilities and clearer guidelines for booking assistance and transporting mobility aids.

In nan European Union, nan European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into effect successful June 2025, mandating that businesses comply pinch strict accessibility standards for websites and self-service terminals.

The EAA intends to guarantee that each integer services, from formation bookings to edifice reservations, are accessible to group pinch disabilities. E-commerce services, including those successful firm travel, must meet these guidelines to supply accessible experiences.

Technological And Corporate Solutions To Promote Inclusive Business Travel

Event guidance companies and firm recreation providers are besides stepping up to heighten accessibility. An arena exertion institution has developed templates to thief clients make their devices much accessible successful statement pinch nan EAA.

They person besides released a guideline to thief meetings buyers and planners creation events that cater to nan 25% of attendees who whitethorn request typical accommodations, including those pinch mobility and neurodivergent needs.

Additionally, nan Institute of Travel Management (ITM) has launched nan “Building an Inclusive Travel Programme” guide, which offers recommendations successful 3 cardinal areas: policy, people, and process.

This guideline helps companies create much accessible recreation programs for labor pinch disabilities, promoting a much inclusive and supportive attack to firm travel.

Encouraging Action From Business Travel Managers

Travel managers play a important domiciled successful driving nan displacement towards inclusive travel. The ITM’s Inclusive Travel Taskforce provides applicable proposal to thief companies merge accessibility into their recreation policies without importantly expanding costs.

Kayleigh Rogers, inclusive recreation lead for Amex GBT Consulting, emphasized nan request for elasticity successful policies, stating that recreation managers should beryllium prepared to connection assistance tailored to individual needs alternatively than relying connected a one-size-fits-all approach.

Rogers highlighted that making mini changes, specified arsenic offering examples of accessible options aliases providing other support for travelers pinch circumstantial needs, tin spell a agelong measurement successful improving inclusivity without adding important costs.

Furthermore, recreation managers are urged to usage their corporate power to push suppliers and work providers to return accessibility much seriously.

A Future Of More Inclusive Business Travel

The early of business recreation for group pinch disabilities is slow getting better. While location are still challenges, caller improvements successful airdrome accessibility, changes successful regulations, and nan motorboat of much inclusive recreation programs show a move toward fairer recreation experiences.

The continued teamwork among recreation managers, businesses, and regulatory bodies is helping make nan recreation manufacture much inclusive and accessible for everyone.