Traveling with a disability w/Jennifer Kumiyama

Summary

In this episode, host Dr. Katie Dudley and guest Jennifer Kumiyama discuss the experience of traveling with a disability. Jennifer was born with Arthrogryposis and uses a wheelchair daily. She is a disability rights activist, singer and actress who can be heard as the voice of Dahlia in Disney's animated feature "WISH". She currently works as the Citywide Accessibility Coordinator at the City of Long Beach and loves spending time with her family, friends and cats; and traveling.

They start by playing a game called Tourists in the News, where they discuss funny and bizarre headlines related to tourism and Jennifer shares her love for travel and her favorite destinations, including New York and Hawaii. They discuss the challenges faced by travelers with disabilities, such as inaccessible infrastructure and lack of training for airline staff. Jennifer emphasizes the importance of speaking up and advocating for better accessibility in the travel industry. Throughout this conversation, Jennifer Kumiyama discusses the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in the tourism industry. She highlights the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities when traveling and emphasizes the need for empathy and understanding from both tourists and service providers. Jennifer also shares her experiences with the TSA and discusses the issues surrounding the DAS Pass at Disneyland. She acknowledges the progress that has been made in terms of accessibility but emphasizes the need for continued improvement.

Jennifer provides tips for tourists, including treating people with disabilities with dignity and respect, being mindful of accessible facilities, and avoiding stereotypes and offensive comments. Keywords travel, disability, tourism, accessibility, airline, headlines, inclusivity, accessibility, tourism industry, disabilities, empathy, understanding, TSA, DAS Pass, Disneyland, progress, tips

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