Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF LEISURE TRAVEL ON THE QUALITY OF
LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENS
Shu Cole
Indiana University
colest@indiana.edu
Abstract
To date, most research on understanding travel of people with disabilities has been focused on
accessibility issues. Much of this research was a response to policies and regulations set forth
to protect the rights of people with disabilities, such as ADA in 1990. Recently, there is a call
for research looking beyond accessibility when understanding the consumer market of people
with disabilities (Yau, McKercher, & Packer , 2004; Baker, 2006). One of the reasons for this
call is because 2000 Census data show that there are approximately 50 million people with
disabilities in the U.S. Of these, about 36 million people are mobility-challenged (Ray, &
Ryder, 2003). Limited literature on travel for people with disabilities demonstrates that they
have the same desires for travel (Baker, 2005). In addition, some suggest that travel has
special meanings to travelers with disabilities. For example, Yau et al. (2004) concluded that
“being able to travel is a meaningful task through which a person with a disability can
demonstrate to others that they have recovered or started to regain their control over destiny
and to assert their future quality of life” (p.958). Findings from their study imply the potential
impact of being able to travel on the quality of lives of people with disabilities. However, the
impact of travel on the lives of people with disabilities has not been further examined and
determined in the literature. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of travel in the
quality of lives of people with mobility impairments.
Method
Two focus group discussions were held among avid travelers with mobility impairments at the
13 th Congress of Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH) in 2009. A total of 12
people participated in the focus groups. Two questions were asked: 1) What was the role of
travel in your life before you became mobility impaired (or “What is the role of travel in your
life?”, if the impairment is a congenital condition)? and 2)Based on your past travel
experience, has travel in general impacted your quality of life? How?
Results & Implications
Focus group discussions revealed the essential role of travel in the lives of people with
mobility impairments. Many considered travel as a basic need in life, such as food and air.
Participants confirmed the positive impact of leisure travel on their quality of lives. They
believed that leisure travel had helped them to 1) regain control of life; 2) overcome the fear
of leaving their mundane environment; 3) complete the rehabilitation successfully; 4) enhance
their relationship with family members; 5) continue learning and exploring of different
culture; and 6) keep the adventurous spirit in their lives. Findings of this study suggested the
psychological, mental, and health benefits for people with mobility impairments. Policy
makers should protect the rights of this population to travel, and business owners/managers
should make sure their facilities and services are accessible.