55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving‪.‬ Christel Seeberger

In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving  Audio Conference join Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger, and guest hosts Sophie Yang and Christopher Basmadjian, occupational therapy students, as they take a deep dive into the extensive expertise of John Simon, Kefi Travel, and mature traveller Mona Crowley. 
Join a conversation about delivering travel and tours that are attractive to experienced and mature travellers.  This episode also has a special host, broadcaster Trish Hamilton.

Episode Guide
0:24 Welcome, John & Mona!
0:40 Kefi Travel
1:40 Free time on Kefi Tours
2:35 Approaching each trip individually
3:06 John & Mona meet on the streets of Dublin
4:13 How Mona likes to travel
5:06 Mona prepares for the mode of travel ahead of her trip
5:45 Putting in the sensory aspect into travel
8:07 Sensory-friendly travel
9:20 Finding what interests clients
10:09 Supporting small local hotels
12:23 Mona's best trip experience
14:10  Avoiding some of the busier destinations
16:40 COVID-19 and the impact on travel
20:16 What Mona looks for in a restaurant
20:55 A restaurant experience in Greece
23:00 The ideal hotel accommodation
25:42 Doing your homework 
26:48 Making a tour fit with travelers
29:05 Mona's tips to travellers
30:40 Making travellers comfortable
32:06 John recommends slower-paced destinations
34:49 Mona's next trip
38:58 Thank you, Mona and John!


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In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving  Audio Conference join Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger, and guest hosts Sophie Yang and Christopher Basmadjian, occupational therapy students, as they take a deep dive into the extensive expertise of experienced traveler Elaine Shannon.

Be inspired by the travel insights from Elaine Shannon as she shares how she spent her first paycheck on a cross-country trip and has been traveling for over 3 decades since, culminating in her launch of curated experiences for mature travelers at Fundy Vortex Tours. Elaine Shannon provides first-hand experience

Episode Guide

0:25 Welcome to guest Elaine Shannon
1:15 Elaine shares how she spent her first few pay-checks
1:45 Changes in Elaine's travel preferences
6:15 Preparing for your trip
8:08 How Elaine begins planning her travels
10:41 Pinterest: Look Books
13:25 Utilizing Social Media
16:15 Elaine's experiences with tourism operators
19:00 Customer Service
21:05 Operators should provide information in different forms
23:11  Fundy Vortex Tours
28:12 Elaine's approach for creating tours for mature adults
29:44 It's Important that everyone is able to hear or be heard
30:45 Appropriate wardrobes
33:02 There always has to be food!
35:17 Thank you, Elaine Shannon!


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In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving Audio Conference, hosted by Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger and guest hosts Sophie Yang, and Christopher Basmadjian, Occupational Therapy Students, we host two tourism industry experts:

Listen to Danielle Timmons, Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, and Carol Alderdice, Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick, as they give expert perspectives on delivering exceptional customer experience.

Episode Guide:
0:48 Welcome to guest Danielle
1:40 Danielle's Role at Aquila Tours
2:35 Danielle's Role with Training
4:28 Providing tours and services
6:35 Travelers over the age of 55
8:38 Sensory Friendly Cruises for mature adults
11:48 Building in Time
12:50 Restrooms
14:28 Providing Information Verbally
15:23 The barriers
20:32  The Key to Providing a Positive Customer Experience
22:30 Finding a "Natural" Tour Guide
26:00 Multigenerational Travel
30:00 Vision Barriers & Accommodations
35:57 Preferred Excursions
41:05 Anticipating the Needs of 55+ Travelers
43:38 Welcome Carol
45:20 Primary Demographic
46:30 Travel for Older Adults Post COVID-19
49:05 The Importance of Training
51:31 Creating a Positive Customer Experience
53:38 Word of Mouth
55:20 Action Feedback
58:32 The little things
1:03:28 Thank you gues
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In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving  Audio Conference join Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger, and guest hosts Sophie Yang and Christopher Basmadjian, occupational therapy students, as they take a deep dive into the extensive expertise of Shelley Ann Morris, traveler with low vision.

Learn from the lived experience of Shelley Ann Morris, a traveler with low vision.  As the receptionist/administrator for the Canadian Council of the Blind and the host of the radio show, Welcome to My World, Shelley Ann has person-first advice to create exceptional experiences that include more people.

Episode Guide:
0:20  Shelley Ann Morris
0:46 Shelley Ann's role at the Canadian Council of the Blind
2:37 Shelly Ann's Radio Show
4:39 Shelly Ann's Experience with her Own Vision Loss
7:26 Traveling with Vision Loss
10:03 Clients of the CCB
10:34 Travel Accommodations for People with Low Vision
14:50 CAPTCHA's
15:40 bigger, brighter, bolder is always better.
18:15 Shelley Ann's Experience on the Train
20:33 Using Apps like BlindSquare
21:11 Airport and Train Signage
22:30 Shelley Ann researches locations prior to travels
23:10 Speaking to the Businesses Directly by Phone
24:25 One Size Fits all Approach Does Not Work
26:34 Shelley Ann's Tips to Travel or Tourism Operators
31:38 Talk to the traveler to understand their own personal needs.
33:25 Checking into a Hotel
35:10 Attending a Museum or Festival
37:40 Touchscreens provide barriers
42:15 Listen & Act Accordingly When Supporting Low Vision Travelers
45:42 Thank you, Shelley Ann Morris  
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In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving Audio Conference, hosted by Sensory Friendly Solutions, founder & CEO Christel Seeberger and guest hosts Sophie Yang, and Christopher Basmadjian, Occupational Therapy Students, we will learn from Sarah Nematallah, Xenia Concerts, on how to create musical performances and concerts an experience for everyone to enjoy. 

Hear Sarah Nematallah share how Xenia Concerts offers high-quality music and arts performances in an environment that welcomes everyone.  Sarah walks you through the simple steps that make the sensory experience a match for the audience.

Episode Guide:
0:20 Welcome to guest Sarah Nemahtallah!
0:45 Xenia Concerts and how it became what it is today
7:01The importance of feedback
8:10 Sarah's Role as Executive Director of Xenia Concerts
10:57 Resources that Xenia Concerts uses
12:40 sound.colLab
14:05 Accessibility Limitations of 55+ population
16:13 Creating a Quiet Space
16:50 Making sure the audiences voices are heard
18:31 Doing a Walkthrough in Advanced
23:05 Accommodating Seniors and Hearing Loss
24:58 Preparing the Audience
27:03 Welcoming all audiences
28:00 The Impact of COVID-19
31:37Creating a Sensory-Friendly Livestream
33:58 In-person performances & COVID-19 Measures
35:04 Always Room for Improvement
36:40 The future vision of Xenia Concerts & Acessibility
40:34 Sarah's key advice in making music and performances more accessible to older adults
41:50 Thank you, Sarah Nematallah!
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In this episode of the 55+ Travelers: Arriving & Thriving  Audio Conference join Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder Christel Seeberger, and guest hosts Sophie Yang and Christopher Basmadjian, occupational therapy students, as they take a deep dive into the extensive expertise of Lynn Leblanc, Executive Director, New Brunswick Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Inc.
Lynn teaches listeners about the challenges of hearing loss along with the simple solutions that make communication easier for mature travelers.

Episode Guide
0:21 Special Guest Lynn Leblanc
0:49 How Lynn got involved with the Deaf Community
2:28 Lynn's role as the Executive Director of the NB Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Inc.
5:16 Programs & Services Offered by the NBDHHS
8:01 Lynn's Experience Working at the NBDHHS
11:02 Avoiding Isolation for Deaf Individuals
13:16 Traveling with hearing loss: A Client Example
16:01 How owners & operators can make their guests more comfortable
18:05 The Baby Boomer Population
18:45 Creating a great customer experience
20:01 Airports and Hearing Accessibility
23:35 Significant challenges for hard of hearing travelers
28:38 Hearing aids don't always solve the problem
30:06 What's important for restaurants and businesses to know about hearing aids?
32:32 You are going to be including a whole lot more people by nature, by trying to include this one group.
36:30 COVID-19 and the impact on the hard of hearing
39:40 What are non-manual cues and why are they important
45:28 The difference between someone who is hard of hearing and someone who is completely deaf
50:50 Lynn's tips for tourism and restaurant operators.
56:15 Thank you, Lynn Leblanc!
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