Author: Ted
Did You Know Some USB Ports Offer Power?
A Field Guide for Blind and Low Vision Users Who Plug Things In by Feel If you are blind or low vision, there is a good chance you have plugged a USB cable into a device based on shape, location, and muscle memory, not color, icons, or tiny printed labels.Read More …
10 Helpful Tips for Sighted People When Guiding Someone Who Is Blind or Partially Sighted
If you have ever found yourself standing near someone who is blind or low vision and thought, I want to help, but I do not want to do it wrong, congratulations. You are already doing better than most. Guiding a blind or partially sighted person is not complicated, but itRead More …
The TSA Says the Fix for Confusing Security Rules Costs About $80, Travelers Are Still Frustrated
Airport security has a unique talent for turning capable adults into anxious guessers. Shoes on or off. Laptop out or in. Liquids visible or buried. The rules shift from airport to airport, sometimes from lane to lane, and the explanation is usually delivered at volume instead of with clarity. Recently,Read More …
National Parks, Timed Entry, and Why 2026 Is the Year You Don’t Wing It
It’s worth saying this out loud, because a lot of people still think this is a brand-new thing. The timed entry reservation system at national parks has actually been around for a few years now. The big difference is enforcement. For a long time, rangers were… let’s call it generous.Read More …
Is Hotel Digital Keys and App-Only Check-In Accessible?
Great for Some, Brutal for Others There is a particular moment at the end of a travel day that tells you everything you need to know about a hotel. You have landed. You are tired. Your brain is already in pajamas. You walk into the lobby, phone in hand, andRead More …
What to Say When You Can’t See the Screen, A Blind Traveler’s Guide to Calm, Confident Travel
The “I Can’t Read That Screen” Script Polite Phrases That Actually Work When You’re Traveling With Low Vision or Blindness There’s a moment in travel that never shows up in glossy brochures or airline commercials. It’s the moment when someone gestures vaguely and says, “Just go over there,”or slides aRead More …
The TSA Will Toss These Items Instantly
If you have traveled more than once in your life, you have probably experienced a perfectly nice human being losing their entire sense of composure at a TSA checkpoint. Nothing transforms an otherwise reasonable person into a surprised toddler quite like the moment a TSA officer pulls their favorite lotion,Read More …
Making art accessible
On this giving Tuesday, I’m happy to announce that my wife Carrie is creating a nonprofit for the Tactile photos project. The goal is to make visual art accessible to galleries, museums, schools and other public places. Please consider backing or sharing her campaign. To view her campaign on kickstarter,Read More …
TSA’s New $45 REAL ID Fee: What Travelers with Disabilities Need to Know Before Flying in 2026
Starting February 1, 2026, travelers in the United States who arrive at TSA airport checkpoints without a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another federally accepted form of identification will face a new hurdle: a non-refundable $45 fee. This charge grants access to the TSA’s Confirm.ID identity verification process—a tech-driven solutionRead More …
Why I Always Book the Early Flight (and Why You Should This Holiday Season)
If you’ve read my travel tips before, you know I’m a big fan of the early flight. I mean really early, the kind of flight that makes your alarm clock question your life choices. It’s not glamorous, but it’s one of my favorite travel hacks. And this year, with theRead More …