TravelAbility Announces Winners of InnovateAble Pitchfest for Assistive Technology
TravelAbility, an organization working to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities, has announced the winners of its InnovateAble Pitchfest, a virtual event that showcased the latest assistive technology and innovations for travelers with disabilities. The event took place on July 26, 2023, to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The InnovateAble Pitchfest featured presentations from 10 companies and startups that have developed cutting-edge products and services that can make travel easier and more enjoyable for people with different abilities. The presentations were judged by a panel of experts from the tourism industry, the investor community, and the CES pitchfest recruiter, as well as by the attendees who voted for the People’s Choice Award.
The OVERALL WINNER of the InnovateAble Pitchfest was Enchroma, a company that makes patented lens technology that enables people who are color blind to see colors. Enchroma also offers lenses for scenic viewer telescopes that can enhance the visual experience of color for travelers at various destinations.
The FIRST RUNNER-UP was Translate Live ILA, a device that allows hotels and attractions to provide closed captioning, language translation, and ASL sign language assistance on demand.
The SECOND RUNNER UP was Spoke , an app that ensures the deaf never miss important public announcements at airports or in public locations.
The PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD went to Centaur Robotics, a revolutionary electric vehicle that elevates and fits into the space of a dining room chair to navigate narrow rooms spaces.
Other companies selected for InnovateAble were:
Dateability, The only dating app designed for the disabled and chronically ill communities.
Vacayit, Explore and experience sensory and audio described tours in 160 Australian locations
Lisnen, App that notifies the deaf or HOH to phone rings, door knocks and alarms that can save their life
Be My Eyes, An app that uses ChatGTP4 to help blind users navigate hotels or attractions
Purple Lens, A digital accessibility toolkit that combines automated and human remediation
Picture Live. A photo book that enables audio descriptions or ASL interpreters via a QR code.
For more information about TravelAbility and InnovateAble Pitchfest,, contact Jake Steinman at jake@travelability.net.
