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Nominees for the Accessible Hospitality Award of Distinction are attractions or events that provide exceptional, welcoming experiences for travelers with disabilities. This could be a lodging property, restaurant, attraction or event that goes above and beyond standard ADA compliance.
Join Destination Dutchess in celebrating all the honorees at the 12th annual Destination Dutchess Awards of Distinction on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at The Henry A. Wallace Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park. Read more about the event and purchase tickets here.
Read on to learn more about each Accessible Hospitality Award of Distinction finalist.
• Pam Malcolm, Historic Site Manager, Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Staatsburg
• Katie Ross, Marketing Communications and Events Manager, Fishkill Farms, Hopewell Junction
• David Steffen, Director of Marketing and Audience Services, Fisher Center at Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson
• Pam Malcolm, Staatsburgh SHS: Staatsburgh was the Gilded Age country estate of Ruth Livingston Mills and Ogden Mills, which was donated to the People of New York by their daughter in the 1930s, and now forms Mills Memorial State Park, along the Hudson River, and the 79-room mansion, which retains much of its original furniture, art and décor from the Mills Family’s residence. The site is operated by the Taconic Region of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The site offers house tours, special costumed tours and many programs — indoors and outdoors — for all ages and many interests, year-round.
• Katie Ross, Fishkill Farms: Fishkill Farms is a 270-acre orchard and vegetable farm located in East Fishkill that has been in the Morgenthau family for over 100 years. Our homegrown organic vegetables, berries, flowers, and eco-certified tree-fruit can be found year-round at our farm store and through our seasonal pick-your-own operation, as well as our CSA program and several farmers markets in the Hudson Valley and New York City. Starting with peas and strawberries in the spring and culminating with apples and pumpkins in the fall, the farm provides family-friendly outdoor fun for the local community.
• David Steffen, Fisher Center at Bard College: The Fisher Center at Bard creates exceptional performing arts experiences that challenge and inspire. We nurture and support artists at all stages of their careers and believe the performing arts are a societal and educational necessity that foster connection, creativity, and community. Home is the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, designed by Frank Gehry and located on the campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson.
• Pam Malcolm, Staatsburgh SHS: Because the mansion is a historic house from 1895, it is not possible to make every part of it accessible, but New York State Parks places great importance on making all its parks and historic sites as accessible and welcoming as possible to everyone. A 2012 restoration of the mansion’s grand east portico included an accessible ramp in the design, offering access to the mansion’s main floor of period rooms for people using wheelchairs or with mobility challenges. Staff have created methods to show images of the mansion’s second floor to visitors who cannot traverse the historic stairs so they can have some experience of that level of the house. The site has sought guidance from organizations, including Wheel the World, to assess viable ways to improve our accessibility and the visitor experience for people with disabilities. Staff recently completed the Wheel the World Accessibility 2.0 Training, and we are now very are pleased to be a "Destination Verified" site through Wheel the World. The site also trains all guides on the use of its assisted listening system for tours and programs, and provides training on the policy to admit service animals into the site. Language access, including American Sign Language, is available by request through a process maintained by NYS Parks; staff receive annual training from our agency on how to appropriately and courteously interact with a person using an ASL interpreter.
• Katie Ross, Fishkill Farms: Our farm store and Treasury Cider porch are designed with low, ramped access and wide entryways to allow easy passage. Thanks to a grant from Destination Dutchess and Wheel the World, we’ve proudly installed a new accessible outdoor sink in our courtyard to accompany our accessible outdoor restrooms. To further expand access, we recently invested in a new set of hayride trailers that ride lower to the ground, making them easier for visitors to board. The set includes one trailer with a drop-down ramp, allowing guests who use wheelchairs to participate in our hayrides.
• David Steffen, Fisher Center at Bard College: The Fisher Center aims to provide a positive, accessible, and inclusive visitor experience. Our comprehensive “Know Before You Go Guide” details all aspects of our accessibility program with large typography and corresponding photography. The guide includes parking details, venue entry and exit plans, theater floor plans, seating options, restroom information, assisted listening device instructions, wheelchair accessibility, and clear wayfinding directions so that guests can map out their entire visit to the Center in advance. Our commerce channels and pre-event communications invite audiences to share their specific accessibility needs in advance. In addition, our front-line team is trained to be knowledgeable of our accessibility programs, aware of both seen and unseen disabilities, and to anticipate and respond to requests on the day of performance.
• Pam Malcolm, Staatsburgh SHS: Partnering with organizations such as Destination Dutchess and Wheel the World is a great start to inform oneself on how to be as accessible as possible to everyone; and guidance from people focused on accessibility can expand awareness of issues easily overlooked. Communicating to all staff that accessibility and customer service are paramount, and reinforcing that standard with periodic staff and volunteer training and discussion helps everyone stay focused on the goal.
• Katie Ross, Fishkill Farms: When upgrading or replacing equipment, consider how each improvement could also make your space more accessible. Small, thoughtful changes over time can add up to a big difference, helping more people feel welcome and included in your business.
• David Steffen, Fisher Center at Bard College: At the Fisher Center, the focus on accessibility aligns with both our institutional values and business strategy. We strive to create a welcoming, approachable, and hospitable community of audiences, staff, students, and artists. Tourist destinations can become more inclusive by making accessibility an organizational priority. First steps might include the formation of an Accessibility Working Group, allocating a line item in the budget for accessibility projects, conducting an accessibility audit, creating feedback channels for staff/guests/visitors, seeking out grants that fund accessibility programs, and consulting with organizations and people that specialize in accessibility.
