CWT (No. 5 on Travel Weekly's Power List) has launched the Special Assistance service designed to help business travelers with disabilities.
Open to all of CWT's customers, Special Assistance has a dedicated email and phone number.
Advisors handpicked for the Special Assistance service have been specially trained "to enhance skills such as empathy and awareness, avoiding ableist language and building trust to reduce the anxiety experienced by many travelers," CWT said.
Advisors can assist travelers with airport and airline services, making reservations for service animals, requests for special services like wheelchair assistance and finding hotel accommodations that match the traveler's needs.
CWT has also created a digital repository for advisors with comprehensive information about travel suppliers. The guide, CWT said, helps overcome a traditional problem in helping travelers who need special assistance: lack of consistency across suppliers.
Traveler profiles have been adapted to better collect traveler information about service animals, wheelchair options and extra seats for assistants.
"With this new service, we are highly equipped to provide access to specialized support to travelers with visible and nonvisible disabilities, empowering them to travel for work with confidence," said Stephanie Lewis, director of service design at CWT. "Developing accessible travel solutions is a collective industry-wide responsibility, and consistency is crucial in getting this right, so we are committed to working closely with our partners to drive meaningful change."
Special Assistance is currently offered in some 20 countries. CWT plans a global rollout by the end of the year.