Only a few days after delivering an impactful keynote address on inclusion (I also highlighted this blog and shared some travel experiences to emphasize the importance of accommodations), I flew to Palm Springs, California to attend a Conscious Inclusion Summit! This two day conference took place in early December, and several other colleagues from my work came as well. I had a really great time and learned a lot!
I flew on Southwest Airlines out of Chicago Midway (MDW) and had a layover in Phoenix (PHX) both ways. Unfortunately, both flights going out of Phoenix were delayed at least a couple of hours. One was because the flight we were taking was coming from Las Vegas, and the airport there had construction on the runaway, which slowed things down dramatically. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone as a couple co-workers were on the same flight as me, but it made our day longer and more tiring. Moving forward, I’ll book only direct flights even if the price is a little higher.
The Conscious Inclusion Summit was held at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa, which is a 15 minute drive from the Palm Springs airport (PSP). Palm Springs is located in the Sonoran Desert of Southern California, and is known for its hot springs, spas, and golf courses. In December, the temperatures go up to the 60s during the day and go down to the low 50s at night. Bring a jacket and wear layers if you go during this time of the year. If you are interested in learning more about the accessibility of Palm Springs, I invite you to check out this post by another disabled travel blogger, Cory Lee.
As always, when I made my hotel reservation online, I requested a standard room and a step stool. A week before the Summit, I called the hotel to confirm that they would provide the stool for me. It turns out that they booked me an ADA-compliant room without asking me. What’s important to know that ADA-compliant rooms are necessary to have in hotels but they are not conducive for me. Hotels shouldn’t assume all people with disabilities require an ADA-compliant room. If they’re not sure, they should consult with us first. I told the hotel that I will just need a standard hotel room and a step stool. The manager said that the housekeeping staff were going to look and see if they had a stool on hand and if not, they would purchase one for me to use.
When I got to the hotel, I didn’t realize that the hotel rooms were in different buildings spread out across the property. You have to either walk 5-10 minutes from the lobby or take a golf cart shuttle to get to your room. The buildings don’t have any elevators so if you have difficulties walking up the stairs, make sure to request a room on the ground floor near the lobby of the hotel. The property itself has wheelchair accessible pathways but golf cart shuttles are not. So be sure to plan extra time to get to the meeting rooms and other amenities of the hotel. My hotel room was spacious but it looked a bit outdated. The bathtub leaked, and the bathroom faucets were rusty. The step stool also wasn’t in my room when I arrived (which I reminded them to do), so I had to wait a while for staff to bring it. And since we’re in different buildings, it took longer for them to come.
It’s strongly recommended for organizations that host meetings at hotels to include accessibility info in their email communications to the attendees. That way people with disabilities can come prepared and know what to expect so we all can have an enjoyable and smooth experience.
If you’re looking to have some great seafood in Palm Springs, check out the Pacifica Seafood Restaurant. My colleagues and I went there for dinner one night, and I had the pan seared Chilean seabass. Yummy!!
Just a Little Traveling... 