SpecialGlobe is a travel company and community created specifically for families who would like to travel with their special needs children.

Family vacations are great opportunities for young children to learn about the world. However, for families with special needs children, travelling can be a worrisome experience. In fact, some parents just forego it altogether, out of fear for their children’s safety, or that their special needs will not be met by certain destinations.

Meg Harris founded SpecialGlobe based on her own experiences as a mom to Eliza, who was diagnosed with atypical Rett’s syndrome. SpecialGlobe aims to create a community and place for families to book custom trips and share their experiences about special needs travel.

Our unique, comprehensive travel site will help provide safe, worry-free and memorable vacations that will empower and enrich the lives of families with special needs children.

In the United States alone, there are more than 13.5 million children with special needs, and more than 47 million adults whose lives they touch. 

Many families with special needs children do not travel due to fears for their special needs children’s safety, and also a lack of knowledge as to what is out there for their children. In fact, it’s very common for one parent to stay at home with the child while the other parent takes the rest of the family out on vacations or trips. This scenario leaves families saddened by the lack of togetherness during these times when memories should be made and shared.

SpecialGlobe aims to open up a wonderful and exciting world for all family members to explore together by giving them a venue to plan and book vacations that their special needs children will also enjoy. The website offers a community and resource database of trusted, experienced and approved content for families to finally eliminate their fears about travel. 

SpecialGlobe is a travel site created especially with the needs of families with special needs children in mind.

Our platform offers special needs-friendly destinations and itineraries, so that families with special needs can explore the world together. At the same time, our platform also aims to educate the travel industry on how to better serve these families and individuals.

Our website allows users to go on trips designed by special needs travel experts, customize their own adventures, as well as share their own personal stories and recommendations with others within the SpecialGlobe community. 

Families can plan their next dream vacations with SpecialGlobe’s Special Needs Travel Expert, Tarita Devenock. Through the website, families and individuals can talk with Tarita to determine the best times, preparations, and places to travel depending on their preferences, budget, and other considerations. Tarita’s comprehensive experience and diverse worldwide tourism contacts will give families a wide array of options that are sure to provide the best service and attention for their special needs children.

Expert and experienced travelers will recommend destinations specially curated for families with children with all types of special needs. These itineraries are guaranteed to give families peace of mind and enjoyment wherever they decide their next trip will be.

Another goal of ours at SpecialGlobe is to create a community of sharing and knowledge, which will serve as a valuable resource for all families with special needs children worldwide.

SpecialGlobe provides easy and convenient travel bookings and hotel reservations for families at affordable rates.

SpecialGlobe and its turtle logo is a global trademark as a provider of travel services to special needs families. Since our official launch in November 2014, we have steadily gained an organic following on our website and through our social media platforms, as well as significant coverage from the press.

We have had 17,500 unique visitors to the site since launch, with an average of five pages per visit, which highlights visitors’ curiosity and engagement. In addition, we have over 12,500 followers on Twitter, and our social media presence is well-received by parents and families of special needs children.

We have also been featured in various media outlets, such as Huffington Post, USA Today, Tnooz, The Cultureist and Travel.com. Journalist Chris Elliot is also doing a piece on us on Washington Post. 

Meg Harris, CEO
Meg is the driving force behind the SpecialGlobe vision, which is grounded in her personal experience as an avid traveler and parent to a special needs child.

Meg has a passion for travel ever since she was young. It has such a profound effect on who she is today and she wants to share this passion to her daughter, Eliza, who has Rett Syndrome. There are very few resources about traveling with a special needs child that she set out to create SpecialGlobe with the hopes of not only helping enrich travel with her own special needs family but with other similar families as well.

Jonathan Yardley, President
With over 20 years of experience in business development and operations, Jonathan is the focused team builder and leader in SpecialGlobe's product and business development efforts.

Jonathan has spearheaded various complex projects and business ventures domestically and internationally over the course of his 20-year career. His field of expertise involve user experience, research and development, business strategy and marketing. He has a passion for storytelling and leadership, overseeing and managing teams of marketers, web designers, graphic artists, user experience professionals, researchers, strategy and social media experts, and many other individuals for companies that include AT&T, Coca Cola Company and many more.

Tarita Davenock, Senior Travel Expert
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 29, Tarita's first-hand knowledge of traveling with a physical challenge and her fifteen years of travel industry experience gives her a unique and valuable advantage when planning trips for SpecialGlobe families.

Tarita is a Certified Special Needs Travel Advocate who gives her clients the same attention to detail that she uses for herself when planning a trip. She finds that giving a client with a physical challenge or a special needs child pre-vacation preparation time can make the difference between a conventional vacation and one that the travelers will remember for a lifetime. She does not rely on the brochures or what is on the websites. Tarita makes contacts at the client’s destination and speaks directly to the vendor to discuss and plan the details, giving special attention to the distinct requirements of the client or special needs child. When planning for a family, her years of travel experience have taught her that vacations that address the needs of all members of the family: parents, typical and non-typical children, are the most successful.