A hotel or entertainment venue may look great online or in brochures, but determining if it's wheelchair-friendly or if it will have bathrooms you can access is often a lot harder. Butler County has been beefing up its efforts to be an accessible destination, and now it's listed on a website dedicated to accessible travel.
"We are incredibly proud to be the first in the state of Ohio to do this sort of accessibility verification," Travel Butler County CEO Tracy Kocher tells WVXU.
Wheel the World looks a lot like any travel website — you can search hotels, find events, and manage travel options — but it has a much smaller list of places to visit. That's because every destination and entertainment venue has been vetted in-person by a staff member.
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"Our team visits the city to make an accessibility report and suggest other accessibility improvements. We carefully map every detail, take measurements and photos to record and show the accessibility of everything we offer," the site writes in its FAQ.
When you click on a destination, you can find detailed information — with pictures — about parking, types of restrooms and if they're accessible, amenities within restrooms and buildings, door widths, and more.
Butler County is the only Wheel the World Verified Destination in Ohio.
"There's over 15 million Americans who travel every year with a disability, and we want to make sure that we are welcoming them and providing resources so they can find destinations that work best for them, and hopefully they'll come visit us along that journey," Kocher says.
A team from Wheel the World visited Butler County in November, along with an expert mapper. Kocher says they visited 70 hotels, attractions, and experiences throughout the county, assessing each one on more than 100 accessibility attributes. Once the findings were verified, they were uploaded to the travel website.
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"A common misperception is that all disabilities are seen," Kocher adds. "Lots of disabilities are unseen. We want to make sure that our communities are welcoming, and this is a really great way for us to reach people in the community who may have very specific needs that they are unable to find easily accessible information about."
The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities supported the tourism group's effort to get the county added to the Wheel the World website. In a statement to WVXU, Superintendent Lee Ann Emmons congratulates Travel Butler County, and says the Board is grateful for the advocacy.
"This initiative makes our community a more inclusive place for visitors and residents alike by equipping local businesses with the knowledge and resources to be more accessible. Greater accessibility means that individuals with disabilities who live, work, and explore here every day can enjoy more of what our vibrant communities have to offer. Whether it’s accessing local attractions, dining at favorite restaurants, or simply navigating public spaces with ease, this program is making Butler County a more inclusive and welcoming place for all. We applaud Travel Butler County for making that happen.”
