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Capstone Mentor of the Year Award, New Advisory Board Memberships, Accessibility at New KCI Terminal, and More!

January 2023 News

The year is off to a great start at ODO! We  recently announced that we will be attending the National Restaurant Show in Chicago for the first time in over a decade. Our goal is to reach out to hotels, motels and restaurants and give them the tools they need to create access. We want to speak to the small business owners and teach them how to make changes, get tax credits and employ people with disabilities. Finally, let me congratulate Katy O'Reilly for the well-deserved recognition from Drake University‘s Capstone Program, described below. We are so proud of the work that she has done with the students that Drake has steered to ODO. What a great partnership!

Eric Lipp, Executive Director
Open Doors Organization

Drake Capstone Award
Katy O'Reilly, ODO Program Manager, has been named the 2022-2023 Capstone Site Mentor of the Year by Drake University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. This award is presented to instructors and fieldwork educators who demonstrate outstanding teaching and mentorship to students at their practice sites. ODO has hosted Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone students for several years. Prior to starting their Capstone experience, students submit a list of areas they hope to learn more about during their time with us. Previous participants have supported ODO in developing training curriculum and creating resources for travelers with disabilities. We are excited to welcome two students through April, Audri Yoakem and Kevin Ockenfels!

Eric Lipp Appointed to U.S. Tourism Board 
Eric Lipp, ODO's Founder and Executive Director, has been appointed to the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB). The TTAB's role is to advise the Secretary of Commerce on matters that relate to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. It is an honor to represent travelers with disabilities on such an influential body, in company with friend and colleague John Sage, President, Accessible Travel Solutions. See the Press Release for the full list of appointees, mostly from the top corporations in travel and tourism.


KCI Accessibility Preview
According to an article on Kansas City Fox 4 News, the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport (KCI), due to open in March, aims to provide the best possible experience for travelers with disabilities. Justin Meyer, Deputy Director of Aviation, states that, “A real priority of this project from the very beginning is making a facility that is the most accessible new terminal in the world." In addition to minimizing vertical circulation, the new terminal will offer adult changing tables, a quiet room, a sensory room, an inclusive play area and an "Airplane Travel Experience" (design shown above). The latter is "a recreated portion of an airplane for travelers to see what it’s like to fly while on the ground." 

ODO Joins ACI Advisory Group

ODO was recently invited to join the ACI Accessibility Advisory Group, made up of aviation stakeholders and disability organizations. Now that Level 1 of the ACI Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation Program (AEA) has been launched, the group will help determine the additional features needed to quality for Level 2 status. AEA provides a common tool for airports to validate their own facilities and processes and indicate to travelers with disabilities, regulators and the aviation ecosystem that they implement globally agreed best practices. We're excited to lend our expertise to the next phase of this voluntary program. 

APEC Report Features ODO

A 2022 report on Tourism Access and Inclusion Best Practices from the APEC Tourism Working Group features statistics from the 2020 ODO/Harris Study on Adult Travelers with Disabilities. It also cites ODO's Easy Access Guides for Chicago and Springfield as best practice examples. ODO Director Eric Lipp spoke at the APEC Accessible Tourism Workshop in 2021, presentations from which are available on YouTube.

CRO Training

ODO offers Initial Complaints Resolution Official training in the U.S. and abroad. To schedule an in-person training for your air carrier, email Katy O'Reilly or call 773.388.8839. Our affordable Online CRO Refresh Training is new each year.
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