Context’s new Mobility Program, the first of its kind, embodies a new

direction for accessible travel.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Petulia Melideo, +442071939158 or petulia@contexttravel.com

Rome. March 3, 2011

Context Travel, the walking tour company for intellectually curious

travelers, announces its new Mobility Program. The program combines a

selection of å la carte accessible tours with customized trip planning

and support services. This program was created through a careful

consultation with accessible travel experts, docents and former

clients with mobility concerns.

Since its inception, Context Travel has aimed to provide

transformative experiences for intellectually curious travelers.

However, due to the physical nature of some cities, this often

excluded access for travelers with mobility concerns and physical

disabilities. With the creation of this program, Context establishes

itself as an innovator in the field of accessible travel, being the

first urban tour company to offer personalized and informed services

for travelers with disabilities.

The services and features of the program include:

- a collection of specifically designed itineraries, considering all

physical factors (walking surfaces, walking pace and distance,

accessibility of sites visited, availability of accessible bathrooms

and dining establishments nearby)

- a team of docents who have been trained in leading

mobility-friendly itineraries

- a client resource document for each city, which include: wheelchair

rental information, accessible taxi and transfer options, accessible

travel resources and trip planning sites

- pre and post-booking assistance for creation of a personalized

travel itinerary.

To guarantee the benefits and capabilities of this program, Context

Travel will be conducting an annual roundtable discussion with its

in-house staff and a panel of accessible travel experts.

“Our mobility program has always existed in a nebulous way – we

worked with travelers with a variety of mobility concerns but did not

have a formal set of systems and services in place,” says program

coordinator Megan McDonnell. “I see this program as setting a standard

for other like-minded travel companies. This program is an ideological

partner of our sustainable travel initiatives – this program supports

inclusiveness and is a way to give back to a segment of the population

that is not well served by the normal standards of the travel

industry.”

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and graphic

designer Lani Bevacqua, Context is a network of English-speaking

scholars and professionals – including art historians, writers,

architects and gastronomes – who organize and lead didactic walking

seminars in several world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice,

Naples, Paris, London, New York, Istanbul, Philadelphia, Madrid,

Athens, and Boston. Travel + Leisure has named Context one of the top

European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the

depth of its programs.