Open Doors Organization

01/15/2026

It’s hard to believe that we are already into 2026! Where have we been? Recently we were in Boston for a few days doing training for Smarte Carte who is getting into the wheelchair pushing business with Emirates. We trained them in Newark last January, now Boston this year. Some of them were trained as CRO’s and the rest were trained as airport assistance specialists.

Alt text description: A wide-angle photo of a hotel conference room set up classroom-style with long tables covered in white tablecloths. About two dozen attendees sit facing the front of the room, A projector and laptop sit on a table at the front, with cables running across the carpet. The room is bright with overhead lights and large windows along the left wall. Eric Lipp is talking during the training.

01/01/2026

On the first day of 2026 we want to say thank you to all our friends from airlines around the country. We couldn’t be successful on our endeavors without each of you. We are committed to making travel and leisure accessible to all! Let’s make this year great.

Alt text photo description: A group photo from our airline symposium back in August. It has all our ODO employees as well as a lot of our friends from Airlines around the country.

01/01/2026

Flashback to April 2024 when we visited Secret Bay in Portsmouth, Dominica. Not only is it a beautiful place to visit but it is super wheelchair accessible. It has a wheelchair accessible funicular. Maybe your next destination vacation for 2026?

Alt text photo description: Accessible funicular at Secret Bay Resort traveling uphill through lush tropical forest, supported by concrete pillars.

12/31/2025

A traveler with a disability just told us about a rideshare pilot program that their town has. Stamford Government
The program is based in Stamford, Connecticut and is called StamFORWARD. The program has been in existence for about a year. It is a rideshare app that individuals with and without disabilities can use to get around the area. They have wheelchair accessible vehicles for passengers who need that. The service is door-to-door for the people who use the wheelchair vehicles it cost anywhere from $.85 to $1.75 per ride. What a great program! A great example for other cities to follow suit! Learn more at this link: https://www.stamfordct.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2158/

Alt text photo description: A basic outline of a smart phone. On the smart phone screen, there is a white and gray outlined a map that shows the destination and arrival of a ride with a teal button at the bottom of the phone screen that says “Book This Ride”
To the right bottom corner of the phone there is a cartoon drawing of a black and teal minivan with the StamFORWARD logo on it.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from retired Service Dog, Edison. He hopes you have a jolly holiday.

Alt text photo description: Edison, a yellow lab stands in the middle of a doorway with a toy in his mouth. He has a Santa hat on his head.

12/22/2025

Flying into the holiday season and the new year with an action shot from a stowage training we did for Japan Airlines in El Segundo, California which is right near the airport. We trained about 25 people and most of them were below the wing managers or supervisors. We will be returning there in February to continue other training with them.

Alt text photo description: Eric Lipp (ODO) sits in his manual wheelchair next to a person in a power wheelchair during the training session.

12/12/2025

Craig and some others from the ODO team just returned from New York City. They were there doing a pilot training program for the airport system through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). We ran the pilot program over the course of seven sessions in three different airports including John F. Kennedy International Airport - JFK, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport - EWR. If feedback comes back positive then we will roll this out Port wide next year. Making moves and continuing to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities will be something we will never stop doing.

In the picture are as follows. Far left is Raimy Cheyne, Program Manager Aviation Customer Experience, then Laurel Van Horn (ODO), Craig Kennedy (ODO), Matt Mellinger (ODO Trainer), and William DeFeis also a Program Manager Aviation Customer for PANYNJ.

12/03/2025

Our November newsletter is out! The note from Eric at the beginning gives a great summary of what we are up to! It says, “As we approach the end of another productive year, I’d like to give credit to our great staff. Very wise and inquisitive, ODO employees are more than dedicated. Everyone one of us is dedicated by our heart. We are here because we want to make a difference behind the scenes. We are not the group that screams the loudest, but we are the ones with boots on the ground, heads down and focused on problem solving. We do not listen to a specific group of people, we speak with everyone. It’s thanks to the great team at ODO that we continue to deliver great results. As you start to think about those end of year donations, please keep ODO on your list. Visit our website to donate. Eric Lipp, Executive Director, Open Doors Organization”

Head to this link to read the November newsletter: https://opendoorsnfp.org/newsletter-page/

Alt text photo description: A screenshot of the beginning of the newsletter. It shows a written letter from Eric Lipp.

12/02/2025

Today is Giving Tuesday! As a nonprofit, we rely solely on donations from the community at large. Your support would mean so much to us. Head to our website and go to the donation page. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Link is in our bio.

Alt text photo description: A screenshot of our donation page. The text says,
“Support ODO. We Appreciate Your Support
The Open Doors Organization envisions a society in which all persons with a disability have the same opportunities as everyone else. Your gift ensures increased opportunities for these individuals and older adults. With your ongoing support, our programs will continue to make significant contributions to the disability community. The Open Doors Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and your donation is fully tax-deductible.”

11/26/2025

Recently, we were in Miami at the Miami International Airport - MIA reviewing all operations for Spirit Airlines— taking a close look at accessibility, customer service, and the full passenger experience.

A large seating area inside Miami International Airport is cordoned off with “MIA Miami-Dade County” barriers. The chairs in the section all display blue accessibility symbols. Several blue airport transport wheelchairs are lined up in the center. A few people sit or use their phones around the area. In the background are shops, including “Mercado Miami,” bright overhead lights, and large white columns throughout the space.

11/18/2025

Last week, Open Doors Organization was thrilled to be a sponsor and participant at the Blind Travel Summit in Austin, Texas. Mike May, Board Member and Founder of the Blind Travel Summit, shared, “This summit is not about talking at people — it’s about bringing lived experiences to the table and co-creating better solutions with the community.”

ODO is so grateful for every opportunity to collaborate and help shape the present and future of accessible travel and tourism.

Alt text: Eric Lipp, Founder of Open Doors Organization sits at the far left end of a wooden conference table, facing the audience. Four additional panelists sit beside him in a row, each with microphones in front of them. The panel is set in a conference room with a projected screen behind them, while attendees sit in the foreground listening.

Blind Travel Foundation

11/08/2025

Thanks Eric for all you do! We can’t wait to be at the summit!

Meet Eric Lipp!

Eric is the Executive Director of , a Bronze Sponsor of the Blind Travel Summit! His organization has been a trailblazer in making travel and hospitality more accessible for people with disabilities. We are thrilled to have Eric joining us as a speaker!

Where do you live today?

Chicago, IL

What are your goals for attending the Blind Travel Summit?

To make travel easier but also to be a resource to travelers who are blind.

What is a travel feature, product, or accessibility improvement you hope will happen in the future?

I hope that indoor and outdoor GPS with AI works to make walking simplified and give people more independence.

What are you most excited to do in Austin besides the Summit?

Warm weather, good food, and UT

What three destinations are on your bucket list and why?

Australia because its looks so cool. India because it is one of the most beautiful and populated countries in the world with great food. Lastly, I have never been to Branson, Missouri and I want to get down there.
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Thank you to the Blind Travel Summit 2025 sponsors!

Gold Sponsors: and
Silver Sponsor:
Bronze Sponsors: AGIGA, .io, , , , ,
Virtual:
In-Kind: ,

A special thank you to the Gordan and Llura Gund Foundation for their continued support of the Blind Travel Foundation!