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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Good afternoon:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Below is an interview I gave to Ms. Judy Jacobs of Travelmarket Report, she had contacted me after hearing me speak at a recent travel agent seminar, about Echevarria Travel and that I am legally blind. This is the story<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>MEET CHERYL: IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T SEE!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As president of the Travel and Tourism Division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Cheryl Echevarria has become a leading advocate for blind-friendly travel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>She’s also a travel agent and the owner of Echevarria Travel in Brentwood, N.Y. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Before losing her vision in 2001 at age 35 – she’s now 48– as a result of the Type 1 diabetes that afflicted her since birth, Echevarria did administrative work. In her last position as an administrative assistant at a Long Island sales firm she performed a variety of duties, including making travel arrangements.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>After enduring kidney dialysis and a kidney transplant, also the result of diabetes, Echevarria went through a New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped training program, which taught her how to use computer software for the blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>A better use of talent<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Two years working in medical billing using her new found skills, convinced Echevarria that there might be a better use for her talents. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Her husband encouraged her to write down everything she liked to do and after looking at the list, suggested she become a travel agent. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Echevarria hesitated but was convinced he was right when a travel agent who was planning her trip to Walt Disney World in 2009, said, “Why do you want to go to Disney World when you can’t see anything?” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“My husband said, ‘You can help a lot of people, because you’re not the only one going through this.’”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>So Echevarria reached out to representatives of the National Federation of the Blind who introduced her to a couple of travel agents. They told her about working with host agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Soon after, Echevarria signed up with host agency Montrose Travel. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Evaluating accessibility<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Traveling without vision was a whole new form of travel for Echevarria, but a year spent studying the travel industry and a couple of cruises taught her how to evaluate the accessibility of places.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>She began to work with Norwegian Cruise Lines to help it improve the way it handles blind guests. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“In the late 1990s or early 2000s, the National Federation of the Blind sued Norwegian Cruise Lines,” she said. “A couple had gotten married and planned a cruise on the Pride of America and when they got to the port and tried to get on board, the cruise line refused to let them sail unless they were accompanied by a sighted person.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“They hadn’t told their travel agent that they were blind.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Things are different now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Echevarria has encouraged Norwegian to create Braille menus, among other things. She also meets with companies like Sandals as well as other cruise lines, to encourage them to change the way they deal with disabled clients.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Although Echevarria will book travel for anyone, about 75% of her clients are blind. Many of them come to her through contacts at the NFB or friends of friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Of her blind clients, about 80% go on cruises, 10% on tours, and 10% to all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Careful qualification<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Because her clients have varying degrees of vision loss, Echevarria must carefully qualify them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“I ask them, ‘What are your mobility skills?’ Some people have great mobility skills with their cane and don’t need any help or they need some help, and others have greater needs,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Some blind travelers want to bring their service dog companions on trips, but that can be problematic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“You need to plan ahead,” Echevarria said. “If you’re going on a cruise you can’t bring your dog into Turks & Caicos or Jamaica, for example. Jamaica will allow service animals from the U.K., but they won’t allow service animals from the U.S.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Echevarria has taken her own service dog Maxx, who is recently retired, to the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Martin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Advocating for blind-friendly travel<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Besides selling travel, Echevarria devotes a lot of her time and energy to her duties as president of the NFB’s Travel and Tourism Division, one of the organization’s 75 divisions. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The division focuses on improving travel for blind people in every area of the industry – from airlines and cruise lines to busses, trains and hotels.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Its members have fought a long battle over airport check-ins. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As check-in desks become fewer, kiosks have become the means by which most people obtain their boarding passes. That’s another hurdle for the blind, since without vision they can’t use kiosks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>A long way to go<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The travel industry has a long way to go in accommodating those with vision loss, but there are many things it can do, according to Echevarria.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“Listen to what we’re saying and give us more respect,” Echevarria advised. “Blind people just need a tour of your property or cruise ship, and [after that] they can get around.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“If you’re offering [travel opportunities] to the general public and you have someone who’s disabled, you should allow them to come and enjoy the experience just like everyone else. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“You should let them come and be welcomed.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cheryl Echevarria, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>A proud division of the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>NATIONAL FEDERATION <b>OF THE BLIND - "Live the life you want"<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>www.nfbtravel.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>631-236-5138<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>cherylandmaxx@hotmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cheryl Echevarria <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Travel is our specialty and offering the best of meaningful travel for all ages is our passion!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>http://www.echevarriatravel.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>reservations@echevarriatravel.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>631-456-5394<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Visit my website to get my FREE report, “Top 5 Good Reasons to Use a Travel Professional”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>I build my business on referrals. Please pass my details on to friends and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>family members that deserve the best vacation that they can imagine<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>P.S. – Families of all sizes is my specialty. Whether you are just starting out and looking for that romantic destination for your destination wedding or honeymoon. Booking that planned family vacation to Walt Disney World or that bucket list trip that Grandma & Grandpa are planning for the family, I would love to help you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>We have partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her braille needs. Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>