" The WildKat Access Ratings Scheme "

The 55 million people with disabilities in the United States take 32 million trips per year and spend more than $13.6 billion annually on travel. Travelers with disabilities represent the fastest growing and largest untapped tourism market in the world today! With gas and other travel expenses at an all time high, and with travel being down more than 30% across the country there's never been a better time to learn how to market to this vast untouched market - People With Disabilities.

Reliable and accurate information on disabled access in the travel and tourism industry is sadly lacking. Less than 1% of hotels listed on online travel agencies have any reference to disabled access on their listing, and the information that they display is poor.

This year, we have launched the WildKat Access Ratings Scheme for the travel and tourism industry. We're building something unique for travellers with disabilities in Canada: the first comprehensive rating of the accessibility and customer service standards of travel and tourism providers across the complete service spectrum, from Airports and Airlines to Cinemas; Hotels; Parks; Restaurants; Sports Stadiums; Shopping Malls and Tourist Attractions.

For the very first time, a traveller with mobility or sensory challenges will be able to plan their travel from door to door, secure in the knowledge that the services they use have been assessed, not just as a result of legislation but by a person like them, someone with real disabilities who have been able to use their unique perspective to assess and rate the physical facilities and the customer care services delivered.

This information, gathered through physical audits of premises and facilities together with tailored disability awareness training, is being delivered to online and offline travel agencies, via the wildkat website and the disability community around the world.

[ Download a Fact Sheet on the WildKat Access Ratings Scheme here ]