When the National Tour Association brought on VisitAble as a strategic partner in May, NTA urged its members to become more welcoming to travelers with disabilities by utilizing VisitAble’s resources, including webinars, training sessions, and certifications tailored for specific audiences.
One audience that stepped up right away was the NTA staff. Within two months, every member of the NTA Headquarters team had completed the self-guided online learning module.
“NTA sets an example for their membership and other associations,” says Joe Jamison, VisitAble founder and CEO. “They don’t just talk the talk. By completing our training and certification program internally, they’re also walking the walk.”
The VisitAble course, available on both mobile and desktop formats, combines relevant information with real-world experiences and interviews that allow participants to learn about a wide range of communities with disabilities, says NTA President Catherine Prather.
“It’s important for our members and our staff to know that disabilities come in different forms, many of which are not immediately apparent,” Prather says. “This training addresses people who are blind and people who are hard of hearing, as you might expect, and it also helps us work with individuals with chronic illnesses, neurodivergence, and mental health challenges.”
The online program, which can be completed an hour, provides learners with up-to-date verbiage, terms, and best practices, and it addresses common misunderstandings and outdated assumptions. The experience can also provide surprising results.
“VisitAble’s training course, with eye-opening personal accounts from individuals with disabilities, challenged me to examine – and re-examine – what I thought I knew about accessibility,” says Kendall Fletcher, NTA’s Communication and Marketing Manager. “Even a group of inclusive-minded individuals like the NTA staff were able to learn something new and become more mindful of how the world works for people of all abilities.”
In recent months, Jamison has led NTA webinars for tour operators and destination marketing organizations, and he has offered a discount on VisitAble’s disability inclusion training and certification. Member companies and organizations that complete the training receive VisitAble Advocate Certification, showing they are prepared to serve travelers with disabilities.
Jamison is seeing immediate benefits of connecting with NTA. “We’re so pleased that our partnership with NTA has enabled us to make a positive impact in accessible tourism with professionals throughout the industry: DMOs, tour operators, tour suppliers – and at NTA Headquarters!”
The article NTA staff completes VisitAble training first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.