Market Study

Open Doors Organization

Opening doors for people with disabilities

COPIES OF THE 2002 and 2005 MARKET STUDY ARE AVAILABLE.
"Research Among Adults with Disabilities:
Travel and Hospitality"

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Scroll down to see Press Releases from study findings
To order call us at 773-388-8839 or email us at info@opendoorsnfp.org

The NEW 2005 STUDY expands on the findings of the 2002 study that Open Doors Organization conducted with the national polling firm of Harris Interactive
The 2005 STUDY covers some new areas of interest such as internet usage, rental cars, and ground transportation to and from airports
NEW 2005 STUDY was able to trend how much people with disabilities spend on hotels, airlines, and dining out from 2002 to 2005
Another first in the NEW 2005 STUDY is the exploration of international numbers.
The 2005 study reveals which destinations, domestic and international, are most popular among travelers with disabilities
2002 findings include how much people with disabilities spend dining out
2002 study reveals how much, how often and where people with disabilities dine out
Both studies research hotel and airline habits and spending

RATES FOR COPIES OF THE 2002 AND 2005 MARKET STUDY

Corporate/Individual Rate: $279
Government Rate: $179
Educational Rate: $179
Not-for-Profit Rate:$159

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Market Study Press Release

March 30, 2006

DISABILITY TRAVEL SURVEY IDENTIFIES MOST POPULAR AMERICAN CITIES

CHICAGO: Where do adults with disabilities commonly travel for leisure or business within the continental US? Until the recent study of U.S. adults with disabilities, conducted in February 2005 by Harris Interactive® for the Open Doors Organization (ODO), there was really no answer to this key question. Now American cities and their tourism bureaus can gauge how popular they are among this growing market segment. Topping the list of cities most traveled to by adults with disabilities were New York City (47%), Washington, DC. (45%), and Chicago (44%), edging out Orlando, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles (all tied at 42%). Rounding out the top ten destinations, in order, were San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Diego.

General findings from this study, released in conjunction with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), not only identified which cities these travelers have visited, but also explored their patterns of hotel, restaurant and transportation use. 40 major tourism destinations from every region of the continental US were included in the survey.

Based as it is in Chicago, Open Doors Organization was delighted with the city’s third-place finish. "We are making great strides in making Chicago one of the most accessible cities in the nation," said Karen Tamley, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. "From popular tourist attractions such as the Lakefront Festivals and Millennium Park to our 100% accessible bus fleet, we believe Chicago offers a wide range of accessible options for residents and visitors with disabilities, making it one of the nation's top destinations."

But are American cities in general doing enough to ensure that this group of visitors also has a great travel experience? “Often only a few minor steps can make a city more attractive to first-time visitors with disabilities and encourage repeat visits. Adapted transportation continues to be an issue, getting to and from the airport or just visiting local attractions. Having a website that is both accessible in itself and has accessibility information is another key component to serving this market,” says ODO Executive Director, Eric Lipp.

The survey, the second of two studies undertaken by ODO, was carried out in response to the growing population of adults with disabilities. It was conducted online and by telephone in February 2005 among a national sample of 1,373 U.S. adults with disabilities aged 18 or over. The question concerning U.S. destinations was asked only of online respondents, a sample of 871. The sampling error for the total sample and online sample results is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For further description of methodology, see the ODO website (www.opendoorsnfp.org).

Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll® and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry.

Also contributing to the design of the ODO study was the Travel Industry Association of America, a leader in market research on the U.S. travel industry. The Open Doors Organization is a non-profit organization founded in 2000 for the purpose of teaching businesses how to succeed in the disability market and make their goods and services accessible to people with disabilities. Copies of the market study are available for sale through ODO (773-388-8839, info@opendoorsnfp.org).

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Details of the Market Studies

Chicago August 1, 2005
Contact: Eric Lipp or Laurel Van Horn
Open Doors Organization; 773 388-8839; ericlipp@opendoorsnfp.org

DISABILITY TRAVEL ON THE RISE DESPITE BARRIERS TO ACCESS

CHICAGO: The Open Doors Organization (ODO) in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) today released the findings of its 2005 research study. The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive®, is a follow-up to ODO’s groundbreaking study of 2002 on the spending trends and market scope of U.S. adults with disabilities. “This new data,” says ODO Director Eric Lipp, “confirms what we already knew, that there is a strong disability travel market. In the past two years alone, more than 21 million adults with disabilities traveled for pleasure and/or business.” The 2005 study reveals which destinations, domestic and international, are most popular among travelers with disabilities and provides new data on Internet use. Surprisingly, the study showed marked increases in certain sectors despite ongoing barriers to access.

The 2002 ODO study quantified how much adults with disabilities were spending on travel--approximately $13.6 billion annually--and suggested that revenues from this market could easily double if certain needs were met and obstacles removed. The 2005 ODO study, which employed an identical methodology, shows businesses in the travel industry the extent and types of barriers the majority of travelers with disabilities still experience. Among those adults with disabilities who have traveled by air, 84% said they encountered obstacles when interfacing with airline personnel and 82% said they encountered obstacles at airports.

Despite such barriers, the average number of leisure trips and hotel stays was up 50% from 2002. However, 60% of travelers with disabilities who have stayed overnight in paid accommodations said they had problems at these properties, either physical barriers (48%), problems with customer service (45%) or communication barriers (15%). On the positive side, as Eric Lipp notes, “Many of the most common complaints identified by the study, such as heavy doors and lack of knowledge among staff, could be easily and inexpensively resolve.”

In terms of restaurants, the study indicates 71% of adults with disabilities dine out at least once a week and also shows a 6% increase in casual dining from 2002 to 2005. To attract this clientele, Fuddruckers restaurants are offering such things as Braille/large print menus, customer service training and larger pathways between tables. In the 2005 poll, 40% of adults with disabilities complained of the lack of room between tables.

The 2005 ODO study covered a new area of travel, car rental. It found that 20% of adults with disabilities rented a car for travel in the past two years. But a staggering 50% said they would be more inclined to rent a car if it were delivered to and picked up from them, and 36% said they would be willing to pay more for this service. In Eric Lipp’s view, “More rental car agencies should follow the example set by Avis, which now offers Avis Access®, a comprehensive program of individualized products to serve customers with disabilities.”

The 2005 market survey was conducted by Harris Interactive both online and by telephone between February 8-25, 2005 among a national sample of 1,373 adults aged 18 or over. The sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For a further description of the study methodology, see the ODO website
below. Harris Interactive Inc,(www.harrisinteractive.com) the 15th largest market research firm in the world, is known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research. Also contributing to the design of the ODO 2005 market study was the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), a leader in market research on the U.S. travel industry.

Copies of the 2005 market study are available for sale to businesses, non-profits and individuals through the Open Doors Organization by calling 773 388-8839 or e-mailing info@opendoorsnfp.org. The Open Doors Organization is a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of teaching businesses how to succeed in the disability market and for making businesses’ goods and services accessible to people with disabilities.

Methodology for 2005 Study
Harris Interactive® conducted the online and telephone survey in the United States on behalf of Open Doors Organization between February 8 and February 28, 2005 among 1,373 adults (including 871 online respondents and 502 telephone respondents) ages 18 and over with disabilties. Disability was defined as having blindness, deafness, or a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying. Respondents were screened based on this criteria using a variation of the 2000 Census question. Figures for age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align with population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also used for the online sample, to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

Though the online sample is not a probability sample, in theory, with probability samples of this size, Harris Interactive estimates with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire population of U.S. adults with disabilities had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub-sample results of adults with disabilities who have traveled for businesss and/or leisure in the last two years (n= 1037) and adults with disabilities who have traveled by air (n= 497) is higher and varies.

About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, NY-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results. Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through its U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries, HI Europe in London (www.hieurope.com), Novatris in Paris (www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.

2002 MARKET STUDY
The landmark 2002 market study conducted in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) identified and quantified the needs and interests of people with disabilities with respect to the travel, entertainment and hospitality industries. The 2002 study revealed disabled travelers take 31.7 million trips per year in the U.S., and spend $13.6 billion annually. Major areas of spending include $3.3 billion on airfare, $4.2 billion on hotel accommodations, and $2.7 billion on food and beverage. In addition, adults with disabilities patronize restaurants about once a week, and they account for $36 billion in annual revenue for restaurants. This information is helping businesses find ways to best meet the needs of people with disabilities, and realize revenue growth among this large but relatively untapped market.The study, conducted by Harris Interactive, interviewed 1,037 adults 18 and over with disabilities. Key objectives of the study were:

to measure general travel behaviors including how often people with disabilities are traveling, with whom, how much they spend, and on which sources of information they rely to make decisions,

to gauge experiences and level of satisfaction with airlines, cruise lines, restaurants, and hotels,

to determine how well the needs of persons with
disabilities are being met when they travel,

to quantify the top services/products that would encourage people with disabilities to travel more often.

The 2002 travelers with disabilities survey was conducted on behalf of Open Doors Organization by Harris Interactive with a methodology identical to the 2005 study (telephone and online). The sample consisted of 1,037 interviews (534 online and 503 by phone). The study was conducted between September 23, 2002 and October 8, 2002. The findings were calculated based on data on the incidence of adults with disabilities (15% of U.S. adults) obtained through The Harris Poll (February 2005) and based off of the 209,128,094 people age 18 years and older in the U.S. population, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Its findings were calculated by combining expenditures for air travel, hotel stays, restaurant dining, and entertainment reported by adults with disabilities for the previous two years.