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Travel is the best thing there is about living life, but for many millions of people with disabilities, the hurdles they must face when seeking to experience the world are huge. But one person who is overcoming this hurdle is Neha Arora, an entrepreneurial visionary who is reinventing the travel industry.

Who Is Neha Arora?

Neha Arora is a social entrepreneur from India who established an organisation called Planet Abled, which specialises in offering inclusive travel facilities to people with special needs and the aged community. 

She has gained global recognition for her efforts towards promoting inclusivity in the hospitality and tourism sector.

What Inspired Neha Arora To Make Travel More Accessible?

Neha comes from a family wherein both her parents have physical disabilities, one who is visually handicapped and another who is wheelchair dependent.

Family outings or vacations were infrequent during her childhood, partly because of a lack of infrastructural facilities for the handicapped and partly because of a lack of a transport system which catered to their needs.

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How Is Neha Arora Making Travel Barrier-Free?

Planet Abled was established by Neha to provide full-access travel services. Her strategy involves:

  • Customised trips for people with needs related to mobility, vision, communication, and hearing.

  • Employment of trained sign-language interpreters, personal assistants, and guide personnel.

  • Collaboration with audited accommodation centres, transport services, and cultural places that provide access ramps, tactile walking surfaces, and other accessible facilities.

Neha Arora’s Journey Towards Inclusive Travel

In 2015, Neha dared to take a chance on herself by abandoning her corporate life to found Planet Abled. From heritage walks in Delhi to international travel programs, her business grew from small beginnings. 

By putting disabled people and able-bodied individuals on the same trip together, she developed an innovative way of promoting social integration and empathy.

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Conclusion

Neha Arora’s tireless enthusiasm has ensured that her personal experiences become a worldwide movement for equality in leisure. By proving that there should be no boundaries in tourism, she continues to carve out the path for many travellers who earlier felt marginalised in this realm.

Image credits: Instagram

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