Tapooz Travel

Stand by for the discussion between Laurent Roffe of Global Voices and Martin Heng in Australia. This one is a little longer and maybe a bit "inside baseball". Laurent and Martin talk about trends to evolve the concept of accessibility into the broader goal of inclusiveness. Martin discusses his work in Australia with the State of Victoria and how progressive policies can make an actual and real difference in the life of people with disabilities. Martin also talks about the simple solutions that businesses can apply to make a difference, the role of the media can play, how global sustainability is connected to inclusiveness, and much more. An hour of exciting and thought-provoking discussion.

Watch Laurent Roffe the host of #GlobalVoices in discussion with Bonnie Lewkowicz on Youtube. They discuss the challenges presented by the pandemic for the community of people with disabilities and how her organization has developed innovative solutions. https://youtu.be/eYZHynesMFw

Laurent Roffe the host of #GlobalVoices in discussion with Bonnie Lewkowicz. They discuss the challenges presented by the pandemic for the community of people with disabilities and how her organization has developed innovative solutions. Bonnie has worked for more than 35 years advocating for, and educating about access to outdoor recreation and tourism for people with disabilities. Her extensive experience as a wheelchair rider combined with her professional experience as ...a recreation therapist and travel agent has provided her with in-depth knowledge about inclusive tourism and outdoor recreation. She was the founder and director of Access Northern California and acting now as a Program Manager at BORP, the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program. She is also one of the founders of AXIS Dance Company, an internationally renowned physically integrated contemporary dance company based in Oakland, CA. See more

We are thrilled to announce that in cooperation with ENAT, all the interviews of the Global Voices of Accessible Travel project are now available on the ENAT's website. ENAT (the European Network for Accessible Tourism) is the lead membership association for organisations and companies involved in the study, promotion and practice of accessible tourism. Click here to access the interviews: https://www.accessibletourism.org/

This interview is a little different. Punsri Abeywickrema is not an accessible travel professional per se. Rather, Punsri is a serial Silicon-Valley internet entrepreneur whose latest company, Cloud of Goods, grew to become one of a lead providers of mobility equipment to travelers across the USA. He brings a unique perspective to the business development of a service company dedicated to serving the needs of wheelchair users.... Punsri was visiting his family Sri Lanka when the pandemic started. He is still there and describes how well the island nation has coped with the crisis. Punsri and Laurent discuss what the actors in the tourism industry need to do to address the future challenges of accessible travel.

Tomorrow we will release our interview with Punsri Abeywickrema (pictured left) in Sri Lanka! Punsri is a serial internet entrepreneur whose latest company, Cloud of Goods, grew to become a lead provider of mobility equipment to travelers across the USA. Working and living in both the USA and Sri Lanka, Punsri brings a unique perspective to the business development of a service company and how to address the challenges of accessible travel.

We are honored to be interviewed on the No Barriers Podcast! Have a listen to Laurent’s interview in addition to the many other influential guests

ADA@30 You can also watch and share the youtube video https://youtu.be/TBUd4VHwYG8 Don't forget to subscribe to our channel

ADA@30 A video montage of pictures celebrating the enactment of the Americans with Disability Act 30 years in July 1990. All the photos were taken during accessible trips organized by Tapooz Travel. .

ADA@30 .. and finally: a moment of joy and discovery in the bayous of Louisiana. The wooden boardwalk (maintained and constantly repaired by the National Parks Services after each rainy season) allows the visitors to walk-and-roll freely deep into this unique natural ecosystem. Isabelle and Martine at the Bayou Jean Lafitte, Louisiana. Summer 2019. Photo credits to Aicha Nystrom.

ADA@#30 ...and number 2: Helene and Christine at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. We cannot recommend enough a visit to this amazing place. Completely accessible of course. https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/ For us, this image captures the idea that civil rights and accessibility rights are all part of the human rights experience: past, present and onward. ... Summer 2019. Photo credits to Aicha Nystrom See more

ADA@30 It was so hard to select the best image to conclude this series, celebrating the enactment of the ADA 30 years ago. So what do you do when you can't decide on one image? In our case, we are posting three! Each represents a different aspect of what the ADA has meant for our travelers. So here we go with number 1: Our friend Pierrette. 5:48 AM. Sunrise at Hopi Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Fall 2015. The National Parks Service is at the forefront of maki...ng the beauty of the American natural wonders accessible to all. Photo credits to Aicha Nystrom See more

ADA@30 Number six in our series celebrating the enactment of the ADA thirty year ago. We love these encounters between our travelers and total strangers across the US, overcoming whatever physical and cultural boundaries there are to enjoy moments of friendship and glee. Ladies' night at Silky O'Sullivan on Beale Street. 100 years old Irish bar, made wheelchair-accessible (mostly). A young lady just grabbed Martine and started dancing. Memphis, Tennessee. Summer 2019. ... Photo credits to Aicha Nystrom. See more