The challenge
Barriers to accessible travel persist throughout the entire travel process, from booking to the actual trip, highlighting ongoing inequalities. Inconsistencies in accessing and booking services across suppliers make traveling with visible or hidden disabilities particularly challenging. The varied language used by suppliers in describing accessible travel offerings further complicates matters, making it hard to identify relevant services and navigate different booking processes.
The absence of a dedicated accessibility program presents many obstacles for business travelers with disabilities. They face challenges in accessing the same opportunities and career advancement within their organizations as their non-disabled counterparts. This lack of inclusivity can lead to feelings of exclusion and frustration, potentially resulting in missed business opportunities and damaging the organization’s reputation for inclusivity.
The lack of knowledge and experience among travel counselors in managing and booking travel can lead to a more inconsistent and lengthy booking process and issues during the trip.
Increasing customer demand underscored the necessity for an accessibility program that prioritizes inclusivity in business travel.
The solution
The solution involved creating a program accessible to all customers, regardless of the size of their program or location. The team explored various areas to ensure they could fulfill the objective of offering equal access and barrier-free support for travelers with disabilities:
- Collaboration and listening: Through engagement with prospects, customers, and consultants, CWT identified key themes such as individual differences, privacy, and the need for continuous support throughout the booking process and trip
- Recognizing the roles of various stakeholders including suppliers and travelers, CWT focused on meticulous planning, door-to-door support, and expanding the scope of accessible services to ensure comprehensive accessibility.
- Training and Communications: Developing a bespoke interactive training program, exclusive to CWT counselors. Emphasizing language sensitivity, and consistency in service provision, aimed to enhance empathy, awareness, and efficiency in addressing accessibility needs.
- Technology solutions: Addressing challenges such as inconsistent booking processes and the reliance on self-disclosure, CWT developed a globally accessible digital repository and adapted its global profile tool to streamline the booking process and ensure accurate recording of needs.
- Iterative approach and future expansion: Launching the initial version of the program with a focus on travelers with disabilities, CWT remains committed to continuous improvement and scalability, incorporating feedback and expanding the program to address emerging customer demands and broader accessibility needs.
The results:
- Developed a Special Assistance service that delivers equal access and barrier-free support for travelers with visible and non-visible disabilities
- Created a bespoke training program to develop highly skilled and experienced Special Assistance counselors
- Digital repository exclusive to our counselors. Providing accessibility information for a wide range of suppliers, including hotel chains, airlines, airports, and ground transport providers
- Support tailored to the traveler’s unique requirements, not their disability
- A dedicated email and phone service direct to the Special Assistance team
- Traveler profile tool adapted to capture special assistance requirements, avoiding the need to request each time you book a trip
- Accessible requirements verified with suppliers 48 hours before departure
We now have an accessibility program that supports the needs of travelers with visible and non-visible hidden disabilities. And a team of highly trained counselors that can tailor support to meet the traveler’s unique requirements. Every detail in the trip is reviewed, booked, and verified to ensure needs are accurately recorded. We reconfirm trip details with suppliers 24-48 hours before travel and provide dedicated contact support to business travelers if needed on-trip. The in-house digital repository means a quicker and smoother booking experience for the traveler.
While the program initially focused on travelers with disabilities, CWT acknowledges the broader scope of accessibility and plans to expand the model to incorporate additional traveler demographics. Collaboration and consistency across the industry are essential to achieving equal and barrier-free access for all travelers, and CWT encourages industry partners to join in this collective effort towards meaningful industry change.
“At CWT, we believe that all business travelers should have a seamless and comfortable experience, regardless of their individual needs. Our accessibility program was designed to provide equal access and barrier-free support for travelers with visible and non-visible disabilities. The program is a natural addition to our broader portfolio of globally consistent, specialized services.”
Stephanie Lewis, Director of Service Design, CWT