Over the past few years, Open Doors Organization (ODO) has worked closely with the Dominican Republic regarding their state of accessibility within hotels, tourism, as well as the built environment.
The goal of this project is to review the current state of accessibility in the Dominican Republic tourism industry and provide recommendations to make tourism more accessible for the future. Specifically, ODO is looking to expand the number of shore excursions for people with disabilities, such as, zip-lining, waterside, snorkeling, and many others.
Another part of this project is working with the local community to increase awareness relating to disability in travel/tourism. ODO’s multi-faceted work in the DR includes both public and private initiatives to help this popular tourist destination become fully accessible and marketable to travelers with disabilities.
A more recent update on this project as of March 2025:
Eric Lipp and Craig Kennedy consulted on the accessibility of the tourism industry of the Dominican Republic for individuals with disabilities, advised on classes and coursework in colleges regarding travel accessibility, completed site evaluations of hotels and shore excursions, and advised on new airports with Arajet.