Switch color mode
Home Blog Why Travel Accessibility Still Falls Short and How Tech Is Closing the Gap
There are over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with some form of disability, representing an estimated $13 trillion in annual spending (WHO), yet when travel services aren’t accessible, these customers face delays, confusion, dependence on others, or outright exclusion.
December 3, 2025
The impact on businesses includes lower customer satisfaction, lost loyalty, and missed revenue.
In fact, 73% of consumers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad support experiences, and over half will leave after just one negative experience. (Zendesk)
For travelers with disabilities, an inaccessible service is a bad experience.
In this blog, we explore travel barriers faced by the blind and low-vision community, particularly, and how technology can make travel more accessible.
Blind and low-vision travelers today, unfortunately, still face barriers at every stage of their journey, from trip planning to transport and accommodation.
Let’s explore some of these further…
The journey for an accessible trip begins long before arriving at the terminal or station. Online travel agencies, airline websites, hotel apps, and self-service kiosks are often inaccessible. Many booking engines aren’t fully screen-reader compatible; important form fields or buttons may not be labeled for text-to-speech, and image-based CAPTCHA can be impassable barriers.
These obstacles in the planning phase can deter travelers from even attempting a trip.
Large airports and train stations can be especially daunting for blind or low vision travelers. For example, terminal designs often assume visual wayfinding with endless signage, color-coded directions, flight information boards, etc. – all of which are inaccessible if you can’t see them.
In a study, NCAT found that 27% of travelers reported poor station design (e.g., confusing signs or inaccessible layouts) as a barrier. One respondent put it bluntly: “Stations themselves were inaccessible. I can’t enter the station at all.”
Due to inaccessibility, blind and low-vision travelers often rely on assistance to navigate these spaces, but that help isn’t always available, with the same research also showing that nearly half of disabled flyers and train passengers found that “staff assistance is unreliable”.
Even after a blind traveler successfully boards the plane or train and arrives in a new city, the journey isn’t over. Hotels and accommodations present their own set of challenges. Finding one’s way around an unfamiliar hotel – locating the front desk, navigating hallways, using a keycard on a door that has no tactile markings can be stressful.
Consider something as simple as operating the in-room thermostat or coffee maker. Without an accessible interface or some guidance, a blind guest is typically left guessing or forced to call the front desk for assistance with basic tasks.
The good news is that technology and forward-thinking brands are beginning to overcome these barriers by providing more accessible travel experiences.
One breakthrough approach is leveraging smartphones to connect blind travelers with real-time visual assistance, either from sighted agents or advanced AI.
Be My Eyes has been at the forefront of this movement. Originally launched as a popular app connecting blind users with volunteer helpers via live video, we have evolved into a comprehensive Customer Accessibility Suite for businesses across industries.
By partnering with travel and hospitality companies, Be My Eyes enables blind and low-vision customers to get on-demand visual support tailored to specific services.
Here are a few examples of how it’s transforming airports, rail, and hotels:
In October 2024, Hilton, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, announced an industry-first collaboration with Be My Eyes to make its properties more accessible for blind and low-vision guests.
Through this partnership, Hilton integrates the Be My Eyes “Service Connect” platform into its customer service. Now, a blind guest staying at a Hilton (or any of its brands like Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, DoubleTree, etc.) can use the Be My Eyes app on their phone to instantly connect with a trained Hilton agent via live one-way video and two-way audio. In practice, this means if a guest needs help during their stay, they can simply open the app and tap the Hilton listing to get immediate assistance.
In August 2025, Amtrak (the U.S. national rail operator) launched a partnership program with Be My Eyes to provide live visual interpretation at major train stations. Sixteen busy stations in the Northeast Corridor; including New York Penn Station, Philadelphia 30th Street, Boston South, and Washington D.C. Union Station are now equipped to connect blind and low-vision travelers with on-demand agents through the Be My Eyes app.
A passenger arriving at one of these stations can use their phone to call an Amtrak assistant via Be My Eyes and get help with things like finding the correct platform or gate, reading departure boards, finding the ticket counter, or locating elevators and amenities.
In March 2025, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), which manages Rome’s Fiumicino “Leonardo da Vinci” International Airport, partnered with Be My Eyes to integrate live visual support into the airport’s assistance services.
Fiumicino serves over 40 million passengers a year and consistently wins awards for its service quality; with this initiative, it extended that excellence to blind and low-vision travelers. By using Be My Eyes’ Service Connect™, passengers who need assistance can now access a blend of AI and human support in real time through their phones.
For example, a traveler arriving in Rome could step off the plane and use the app to connect with an ADR agent who sees their camera feed and guides them through the gate, or passport control, and even identify their bags on the baggage carousel – describing signage, and reading directions.
The Dubai-based airline, renowned for its onboard luxury and expansive network, now delivers round-the-clock visual support through the Be My Eyes platform for passengers flying to over 140 destinations. Through this collaboration, travelers can use the Be My Eyes app to connect directly with Emirates’ trained customer support agents via live video, whether they need help navigating emirates.com to book a flight, locating assistance at the airport, or understanding in-flight information during their journey.
From digital booking to onboard comfort, Emirates is reinforcing its position not only as a leader in luxury travel but also as a brand committed to accessibility and inclusive design.
It’s worth noting that a broader ecosystem of innovation is helping reduce barriers for blind and low-vision travelers. Around the world, mobility and wayfinding solutions are being developed so that navigating unfamiliar places is not such an ordeal. For example, many transit agencies and airports have introduced tactile maps and models – physical maps with braille and raised features that allow blind travelers to orient themselves by touch.
Another major development is the use of Bluetooth beacons and smartphone apps for indoor navigation. In an airport or train station, small electronic beacons can broadcast signals that an app uses to pinpoint the user’s location and provide audio directions.
Other innovations include smart canes with ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles, wearable haptic devices (like vibrating belts or shoes that signal directions), and AI-based image recognition apps (e.g. Be My AI).
For business leaders in the travel industry, prioritizing accessibility should be a key strategic move and one that drives customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and revenue growth for years to come.
By removing barriers for blind and low-vision travelers, you tap into a huge underserved market, improve your service for everyone, and differentiate your brand in an increasingly competitive industry. Conversely, ignoring accessibility means turning away willing customers and risking the loss of goodwill (or worse, facing compliance penalties) in an era where inclusion is non-negotiable.
The success stories of Hilton, Amtrak, Emirates, and Aeroporti di Roma show that solutions are readily available. Whether it’s deploying cutting-edge apps or simply ensuring your website meets WCAG accessibility standards, every step toward access counts.
If you’re interested in making accessibility a core part of your strategy for 2026, then get in touch with the Be My Eyes team today to discover how we can help. Book your free demo here.
