Accessibility Playbook

PART 1

SECURING FUNDING FOR ACCESSIBILITY There is no single pathway to funding accessibility. Accessibility funding sits at the intersection of destination development , civic infrastructure, public policy, and community community engagement . In practice, this means destination organizations are rarely the sole funders. Instead, they operate within shared ecosystems where leadership must be coordinated across sectors: government agencies, nonprofits, and private industry partners. Accessibility cannot be addressed through a single budget line or isolated initiative. The most effective destinations advance accessibility through coordinated investments across partners and sectors. For destination organization teams, the challenge is therefore twofold: 1. Securing internal buy-in that positions accessibility as a legitimate destination priority. 2. Aligning external partners around a shared funding and implementation approach. This requires reframing accessibility from a cost center into a multi-benefit investment that supports residents, visitors, and long-term destination competitiveness. Below are 5 examples of how different destinations are structuring collaboration across sectors to fund accessibility in practice.

FIVE REAL WORLD APPROACHES TO ACCESSIBILITY FUNDING

FUNDING STRUCTURE & MECHANISM

ACCESSIBILITY FOCUS & OUTCOMES

DESTINATION ROLE

Pure Michigan STATE PARKS ACCESSIBILITY INVESTMENT MODEL

Michigan funds accessibility upgrades across state parks through a combination of state recreation dollars, federal park improvement programs, and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants. Investments support adaptive track chairs, accessible beaches, kayak launches, and trail enhancements across the park system.

Accessibility assets are embedded into public recreation infrastructure and integrated into state tourism marketing platforms. This creates dual outcomes: improved independent access for residents and expanded accessible outdoor visitor experiences that can be promoted by destinations.

Destinations across Michigan act as downstream activation partners. They do not influence funding decisions but package and promote accessible infrastructure as visitor- ready experiences through regional marketing, itinerary development, and destination storytelling.

Travel Oregon STATE TOURISM ACCESSIBILITY INVESTMENT SYSTEM

In 2025, Travel Oregon invested approximately $8.2 million through combined funding mechanisms, including a competitive grants program supporting 65 projects and a Wheel the World accessibility assessment covering more than 750 businesses across 43 communities.

The model integrates capital funding with system-wide accessibility measurement, positioning accessibility as a coordinated statewide tourism strategy. Improvements range from low-cost operational upgrades to infrastructure enhancements, often leveraged with local or private co-investment. Oregon was positioned as an “accessibility-verified” destination through this system-wide approach.

Travel Oregon functions as a system architect and integrator, managing grants, commissioning accessibility assessments, and embedding verified accessibility data into statewide tourism marketing and destination development strategies.