Department

Health & Wellness Design

Education

• Texas A&M University, Ph.D., 1998

Background

• PI, Antecedents, consequences, and interventions for travel participation after SCI. Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Psychosocial Research Grant, 2020-2023.
• PI, Airport Cooperative Research Program synthesis S18-07-02: Strategies for airport passenger access and mobility. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, sponsored by Federal Aviation Administration, 2018-2019.
• PI, Innovation in lodging industry information on accessibility: Part 2. Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Creating Opportunity & Independence project, 2018-2019.
• PI, Innovation in lodging industry information on accessibility. Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Quality of Life Project, 2016-2017.
• Co-I, Airport Cooperative Research Program research project 1-31: Innovative solutions to facilitate accessibility for airport travelers with disabilities. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, sponsored by FDA, 2016-2018.
• Member of the Research Committee of Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, Inc. 2016-2021.

Scholarly Interest

The ability to travel plays an important role in many Americans' daily lives, and the reduced ability to travel due to aging, chronic health conditions and disabilities will negatively impact their everyday activities, including work, independent living, community involvement, recreation, and subsequently, individuals' well-being across their lifespan. My current research in the travel behavior of people with disabilities and older adults is framed in the biopsychosocial model of functioning, disability and health, as defined by the World Health Organization. This conceptualization not only emphasizes the health conditions of individuals with disabilities from a biomedical perspective, but also embraces the social and environmental life domains of the individuals. My research focuses on the psychological, social and environmental factors that predict participation of people with disabilities and older adults in travel-related activities. Additionally, my research examines the consequences of participation in travel, namely, health-related quality of life. Findings from my research can be implemented in the travel and hospitality industries to help travel businesses (lodging, airport, destinations, etc.) expand their capacities to accommodate the ever-growing aging population.

Keywords: travel experience of people with disabilities and the elderly; travel participation of people living with spinal cord injury

Selected Publications

Articles

Zhao, H. A., Zhang, Y., Wang, W. X., & Cole, S. (2021). Contribution of travel participation to life satisfaction after spinal cord injury. Disability and Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101167.

Hua, C. G., Cole, S., & Xu, N. (2021). Rethinking trust in tourism apps: The moderating effect of age. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JHTT-01-2020-0013/full/html

Cole, S., Whiteneck, G., Kilecept, S. Wang, W. X., Hoback, N. G., & Zhao, H. A. (2020). Multi-stakeholder perspectives of environmental barriers to participation in travel-related activities after spinal cord injury. Disability & Rehabilitation. DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1774669

Cole, S., & Valdivia, D. S. (2020). Developing a facilitators scale in the travel context: ReTRIP. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2020.100042

Kang, S. G., Kim, H. Y., Cole, S., & Piatt, J. A. (2020). Examining the event service quality for travelers with mobility impairments by Korean caregiver's perspective. Event Management. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599519X15506259856499

Cole, S., Svetina, D., & Whiteneck, G. (2019). Developing a barriers scale in the context of travel: TRIP – Travel Restrictions Influencing Participation. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 100(1), 52-59.

Cole, S., Zhang, Ye, Wang, W., & Hu, C. M. (2019). The influence of accessibility and motivation on leisure travel participation of people with disabilities. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 36(1), 119-130.

Books

Austin, D.R. & Cole, S.T. (2013). Inclusive Tourism. In D. R. Austin, & Y. Lee (Eds.), Inclusive and Special Recreation: Opportunities for Persons from Diverse Populations to Flourish, (p.301-314). Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

Voight, A., & Cole, S.T. (2010) Inclusive Travel, Tourism, and Amusements. In Inclusive Recreation: Programs and Services for Diverse Populations, (p.331-345). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.