Sonoma County, California Trades Accessibility Guesswork for Clarity

Just about 1 in 4 adults in the United States, 70 million people, report having a functional disability, spanning mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, and more. Key destinations across the United States, such as Sonoma County, California, have excelled in offering barrier-free experiences and fostering welcoming communities for travelers with disabilities. MMGY Global research indicates that American travelers with mobility disabilities, the most common type of disability, travel about as often as anyone else and collectively spend $58.2 billion per year on travel. Whether and how people with mobility disabilities travel depends on many factors, from cost and health to how a place is built and more. One major consideration is access to information, including whether a destination tells travelers what to expect before they arrive. While travelers with disabilities are seeking clarity, not just compliance, businesses’ accessibility information is notoriously hard to find. MMGY Global’s study found that 8 in 10 travelers said travel destinations can better attract visitors with mobility disabilities by providing more accessibility information before they visit. Setting itself apart f...