Our organization is newly formed, but our work goes back 10 years to a group tour of London in 2012. We recognized then that learning about other cultures, places, and the many ways people live in the world we share is critical to developing compassion, understanding, and care for others across differences and borders. Since then, we've organized and led 8 international tours spanning 11 countries
, each with 25+ travelers with disabilities. Continuing to bring the life-changing benefits of exploration to people who may not be able to travel without support is our #1 goal. We also want to develop experiences that are intentionally inclusive, connecting people with and without disabilities together for shared growth and learning. Consistent with the practice of "Nothing about us without us", at least 20% of our board seats will always be held by directors who identify as disabled/people with disabilities. It is deeply important to us that our tours are affordable to travelers with financial need. We are currently a small, volunteer-run organization, and donations will go directly to scholarships. We hope you will support our mission in these early days with a gift or by spreading the word to others who may share our passion. Donations can be made on our website, embarkinclusivetravel.org
We want to thank Tom and Carla Fortmann for their founding gift, which allowed us to grant thousands of dollars in scholarships for our 2023 Costa Rica tour and created the momentum for our incorporation into a formal organization.
