Module 3: Getting Started & Stakeholder Management for Accessible Business Travel

There are many ways to organize stakeholders to get started on accessibility, and you should choose the one that works best for your company or program
Whether you are a travel buyer or supplier, getting started on accessibility requires a stakeholder management strategy to determine the steps that will work best for your company and create buy-in. In addition, some companies are now employing a dedicated resource or department to determine whether they are compliant with accessibility guidelines and regulations. Here are some options on how to structure organizational collaborations on accessibility: 

• You can start with a small group of interested stakeholders and practitioners, which can either be temporary or ongoing. This Steering Committee or Advisory Group can be tasked with determining benchmarking challenges and existing accessibility efforts, defining priority areas for action, and identifying the roles and responsibilities of different business units. 
• Organizations can also set up external advisory groups with travelers who have accessibility requirements to determine how they are utilizing your service or product, how you can accommodate their needs today, and how you can proactively use inclusive design principles on new services or products in the future. 
• You can also start (or utilize existing) Business/Employee Resource Groups (see United case study). 
• If more specific activities need to be implemented, you can convene short-term Task Forces to tackle specific issues and projects. These Task Forces can have a time-based mandate or deliverables to achieve, and stakeholders can be included based on need. (For example, a Business Travel Accessibility Task Force could aim to create new policies related to accessibility, and could include HR, legal, travel managers, existing accessibility teams, and travelers themselves.) 
• Finally, the company can create roles specific to accessibility. Depending on needs, these can be part of Risk & Compliance teams, Product teams, Travel teams, etc. While this is at the discretion of the company and not the individual, individuals can always advocate for these roles and use the supporting information from this toolkit to build a case that the accessibility role should report to senior leadership. 

Individuals can also join industry coalitions, resource groups, and committees to learn more about the topic, bring resources and ideas back to their company, and shape industry guidance and action. 

• GBTA Ladders (for GBTA members, open to buyers and suppliers)
• A4A Passenger Accessibility Committee (open to A4A member airlines)
• Travel & Meetings Society (TAMS) Accessibility work 
• The Valuable 500

Create buy-in through a focus on company culture and strong storytelling
Generating buy-in to create more accessible programs, especially when it requires human resources and investment, can often be the most difficult part of the journey. This LinkedIn Learning course from Microsoft provides insight on how to develop a stakeholder engagement strategy through a focus on the company culture and strong storytelling. The accessibility challenge has a uniquely human element, and there is no better way to create buy-in than to provide the platform for travelers with needs to tell their stories. 

Evaluate and benchmark the accessibility of your travel program
To get started on any new accessibility strategy, the travel manager should understand how well their program currently addresses the issue. Travel managers can conduct internal self-assessments to evaluate accessibility performance. In 2020, a GBTA Global Leadership Professional (GLP) cohort developed a questionnaire to help travel managers evaluate the maturity level of accessibility in their travel program, and what steps they can take to improve. Below is the updated questionnaire. 

Program Accessibility Self-Evaluation for Travel Managers

Travel Policy

1. Does your company have an Accessible Travel Policy that accommodates travelers who self-identify or self-disclose as having a visible or invisible disability?
2. Does your Accessible Travel Policy extend to Non-Employees (e.g. Contractors, Consultants, etc.)?
3. If you have an Accessible Travel Policy, does it involve significant friction or exception approval for travelers (i.e. burden of process is placed on the organization, not the traveler)?
4. Is there a review of the Accessible Travel Policy on a regular basis to ensure inclusiveness of all visible or invisible disabilities including COVID-19 and or pandemic related impacts?
5. As part of your travel policy, do you already have a written process in place if an employee self identifies as to having a disability and to needing an accommodation?
6. If special accommodations are needed, is there a defined process and frictionless workflow for exception to the policy?

Collaboration & Supplier Engagement 

1. Do you currently engage with other business units or key stakeholders (i.e. HR, Legal, Risk, Inclusion & Diversity, etc.) within your organization to support travelers with disabilities?
2. Does your Travel Management Company support any accessible travel policies or processes?
3. Does your Travel Management Company offer dedicated agents to support and assist travelers with disabilities?
4. Does your company or travel management company send push notifications and provide support links for travelers with disabilities?
5. As a travel buyer do you review your Accessible Travel Policy on a regular basis with your suppliers regarding disabilities, traveler wellness or travel friction?
6. Have you partnered with any Employee Business Resource Groups to ensure you are meeting the needs of your travelers with a disability?
7. Do you consider hotel accommodations for travelers with disabilities as part of your hotel RFP process?

Communication 

1. Do you have a process in place to ensure traveler profiles are up to date for travelers that self-identify or self-disclose?
2. Do you know the percentage of people who have self-identified at your company?
3. Does your organization proactively communicate to and educate travelers on any accessible travel policies or practices?
4. Do you send out post-trip surveys to secure traveler feedback and address any accessible challenges and identify opportunities for improvement?
5. Is your company travel policy on accessibility posted and visible on your intranet, travel websites and corporate portals?
6. Do you have an action and communication plan ready for when a traveler experiences reduced mobility as a result of an accident while traveling on business?
7. Is there an accessibility guidebook or educational information on traveling with disabilities available to all new hires and via corporate travel portals for current employees?
8. Is there accessibility training available through your company for those that manage others, and does it include resources and considerations for traveling?
9. Is your travel policy digitally accessible and available in various formats to accommodate travelers with varied needs?  

Microsoft also has an Accessibility Evolution Model to help determine where programs fall in the spectrum of addressing accessibility. Watch this LinkedIn Learning course to learn more about how to interpret and use the model.

Figure 2. Microsoft Accessibility Evolution Model

You can also commission external accessibility or DEI audits to evaluate accessibility performance by a neutral third-party. 

Finally, you can participate in benchmarking exercises such as the Disability Equality Index, a leading independent, third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of corporate disability inclusion policies and programs. Companies can register during certain periods every year, and all participants receive a custom scored report. Top scorers also receive a public distinction of “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

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