Minnesota Travel Information for Persons with Disabilities

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Accessfor All

• Minnesota Travel Information for Persons with
  Disabilities

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Access for AllIntroduction

• Mike Chevrette, Executive Director, has used a
  wheelchair for over 23 years
• Concerned by the lack of information regarding
  accessibility for people with disabilities
• Focused his attention on the area of
  accessibility and travel, specifically in
  Minnesota
• Access for All was born in 1999

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Access for AllOur Mission

• Dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with
  disabilities by providing detailed travel
  information for those who live in or travel to
  the state of Minnesota

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Seeks to Achieve this Mission by. . .

• Researching, organizing and disseminating
  detailed accessibility information from
  facilities in Minnesota
• Promoting increased awareness about accessibility
  issues
• Publishing the first-ever Minnesota Travel Guide
  for Persons With Disabilities
• Creating and maintaining Travel Information on
  our web site for Persons with Disabilities

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Support to Date

• Grants and In-Kind Contributions from
• eFunds Corporation
• Deluxe Corporation
• Carlson Companies
• Urban Planet
• Medtronic Foundation
• Minnesota Office of Tourism
• Individuals
• Other Foundations

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What Have We Accomplished Thus Far?

• Recruited a Board of Directors and incorporated
  as a 501(c)3 organization
• Employed an Executive Director and Assistant
• Established a web site
• Mailed over 10,000 surveys to the travel and
  hospitality related industry providers
• Secured over 225 listings for the Travel Guide

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What Have We Accomplished Thus Far?

• Secured a matching grant from the Minnesota
  Office of Tourism of over 20,000 to be used in
  2003
• Gained insight and knowledge from the expertise
  of our Advisory Board and Board of Directors

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Two Immediate Goals

• To fund the costs of publishing the Travel Guide
  in the 1st quarter of 2003
• To fund and maintain the day to day operations of
  Access for All

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The Travel Guide

• This will be the very first Minnesota Travel
  Guide for Persons with Disabilities
• Detailed information on over 300 separate
  hospitality and travel related providers and
  organizations
• This will be an unduplicated service

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Consider These Statistics

• Over 650,000 individuals with disabilities in
  Minnesota
• Nationally over 50,000,000 individuals consider
  themselves disabled in some way
• 60 - 70 are over the age of 65 and take over 179
  million trips a year
• One of the most important constraints to travel
  is lack of key information about access

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Whos Includedin the Guide?

• Hospitality providers - Hotels, Resorts, Motels,
  B Bs, Restaurants
• Destinations like Attractions, Campgrounds,
  Parks, Recreational areas, Historical sites
• Transportation providers
• Arts and Theaters
• Others

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What Will be in the Guide?

• Specific measurements appropriate to
  accessibility features
• Parking locations and proximity, walkways, paths
• Emergency and safety features in rooms
• Other disability-related accommodations (sight,
  hearing, etc.)

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How Will the Guidebe Distributed?

• Initial run of 20,000 copies will be distributed
  free of charge
• Via the 8 Minnesota Centers for Independent
  Living
• Via numerous agencies and organization that serve
  persons with disabilities
• Via the Minnesota Office of Tourism, and
  Minnesota Association of Convention and Visitors
  Bureaus

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Other Facts

• Updated versions of the Travel Guide every 2 - 3
  years
• Web site version updated continuously
• Accessibility issues have huge implications for
  the shopping and retail marketplace

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Sponsoringthe Travel Guide

• Seeking individuals, businesses, corporations and
  foundations
• Asking you to consider a sponsorship gift of
  5,000 per year for three years, or 2,500
  per year for three years

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5,000 per year SponsorYou Will Receive . . .

• Your logo displayed on a full-color page with
  like sponsors
• A full page in the Travel Guide for message of
  your choosing
• Corporate or organization ad
• Statement on your organizations hiring
  initiatives
• Statement of support for the disability
  community
• Statement of support for Access for All

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5,000 per year SponsorYou Will Also Receive . .
.

• Your page included on the Travel Guide web site
• A link on our web site to your company,
  organization or business
• Inclusion of your page in the next revision of
  the Travel Guide
• Inclusion of your company name and logo in a
  display ad in Access Press, the leading
  disability related newspaper in Minnesota with a
  monthly circulation of over 11,000
• Identification as a sponsor in other Access for
  All promotions

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2,500 per year SponsorYou Will Receive . . .

• A half-page in the Travel Guide for message of
  your choosing
• Your half-page included on the Travel Guide web
  site
• Inclusion of half-page in next revision of the
  Travel Guide
• Identification as a sponsor in other Access for
  All promotions

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In Closing . . .

• Your support of Access for All and the Travel
  Guide will have a significant impact on the lives
  of thousands of people
• Please consider what you have seen here,
• review the brochure
• visit our web site at www.accessminnesota.org
• make a commitment of financial support
• Join us in opening the doors of travel to people
  with disabilities