Accessible Travel: What it Really Takes to Get There
Featuring Tori Hunter, Accessible Travel Blogger & Content Creator
Travel is often framed as something spontaneous. A last-minute booking, a packed bag, a sense of adventure. But for many people with disabilities, travel begins long before takeoff.
It starts with research, coordination, and careful planning. It requires thinking through every step of the journey, not just the destination, but how you’ll move through it.
And while that process can feel overwhelming, it also opens the door to experiences that are just as meaningful, exciting, and worth it.
Where Planning Really Begins
Before choosing a destination, before booking a hotel, there’s one question that comes first: How will I get around?
For Tori, a power wheelchair user, transportation is the foundation of every trip. Without it, nothing else works.
“If I can’t leave the airport, then it doesn’t matter, I can’t stay there.”
That reality shapes every decision. Finding accessible transportation often means calling taxi companies individually, searching for rentals, or turning to online communities for real experiences. Because accessibility isn’t just about whether something exists but about whether it actually works in practice.
The Trade-Off Between Planning and Freedom
Spontaneity is often seen as part of the travel experience. But for many disabled travelers, it comes with risk. Instead, planning becomes a way to create freedom.
Transportation is booked in advance. Routes are mapped out. Even dinners and activities are considered ahead of time.
”When you travel with a disability, depending on your accessibility needs, you might not be able to be as spontaneous as you want… that's okay to me because I want to be able to experience these destinations.”
That preparation is what makes the experience possible.
Getting There Isn’t Always Simple
Even choosing a flight involves more than price or timing.
The size of the plane matters. Larger aircraft are more likely to safely accommodate mobility aids, while smaller regional planes can create barriers before the trip even begins.
Sometimes, the most accessible route isn’t the most direct one. Flying into a different city. Renting an accessible vehicle. Taking a ferry instead of a connecting flight.
”Sometimes it's just also, thinking about different options, like a lot of times there are workarounds but it might just not be the most straightforward one so you have to look at all your options to see what accommodates your needs best.”
The journey itself becomes something that has to be designed.
Protecting What Matters Most
For travellers who rely on mobility equipment, the risk isn’t just inconvenience. It’s independence. A damaged wheelchair can impact an entire trip.
Preparation becomes essential:
Measuring equipment in advance
Contacting the airline before booking
Photographing everything before boarding
Removing detachable parts
Checking functionality immediately upon arrival
These steps are necessary for travelling with peace of mind.
The Most Stressful Moment
For many, the hardest part of travel isn’t the planning but boarding the plane.
The process is fast, coordinated, and often overwhelming. Transfers, equipment disassembly, and seating adjustments all happen within minutes.
In Tori’s experience, she says:
“It resembles a pit crew. Like everyone knows what their job is and they're doing it so fast.”
Preparation, communication, and support make the difference. Because in those moments, clarity matters more than anything else.
Accessibility Beyond the Obvious
Accessibility isn’t just about ramps or hotel rooms. It’s about the full experience: sidewalks. Terrain. Weather. Crowds. Energy levels.
A destination might be technically accessible, but still exhausting or difficult to navigate. “Accessibility is more than just getting there. It’s about being able to enjoy being there.”
That perspective shifts how destinations are chosen and experienced.
Learning Through Community
In a system where information isn’t always clear, community becomes essential.
Other travellers share what worked, what didn’t, and what to expect. Those insights often go beyond what official websites provide. Real experiences help others make informed decisions. And sometimes, they challenge assumptions.
Places that seem inaccessible can turn out to be surprisingly manageable, while others may present unexpected barriers.
When Sharing Leads to Change
Accessible travel isn’t just about personal experience. It’s also about advocacy.
After sharing a difficult airport experience, Tori saw something unexpected happen. The airport responded. They listened. And they made changes to improve accessibility for future travellers.
That impact matters because each shared experience has the potential to make travel safer and more inclusive for others.
Progress and Ongoing Challenges
There has been meaningful progress. More destinations are recognizing the importance of accessibility. More brands are including disabled travellers in their campaigns and experiences.
But gaps remain.
Accessibility varies widely between regions. Information can still be difficult to find. And much of the responsibility still falls on the traveller.
Knowing what to expect allows people to plan in a way that works for them.
Starting Somewhere
For anyone unsure where to begin, the advice is simple. Start.
The first trip may feel like the hardest. But each experience builds knowledge, confidence, and clarity for the next one.
“The more you travel, the easier it becomes,” Tori says.
Accessible travel isn’t always easy, but it is possible. And the experiences, the places, the moments, make the effort worth it.
Because travel isn’t just about getting somewhere. It’s about being able to experience it fully.
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