Here’s what an ideal travel day would be like for a wheelchair user

Since I launched my accessible travel blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee, eight years ago, I’ve visited 37 countries and all seven continents. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with amazing sights and interactions with people of all abilities, but I've also observed that accessibility can greatly improve in many areas.

Having used a powered wheelchair since I was four due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy, being a wheelchair user is the only life I've ever known. I've learned to adapt to traveling with a 400-pound wheelchair throughout the day, though I wish some aspects of travel could be simpler.

As a wheelchair user eager to explore our vast and beautiful world, I often face challenges. While I’ve mostly learned to navigate these hurdles over the years, it remains a significant challenge.

Throughout the years, I’ve contemplated which aspects of the travel experience I would like to improve and what my ideal travel day might entail. From effortlessly boarding a plane in my wheelchair to easily finding accessible transportation upon arrival, here’s what my perfect travel day would look like as a wheelchair user.

I would remain in my wheelchair for the entire duration of the flight

This truly represents my ultimate travel aspiration. At present, I must bid farewell to my wheelchair at the aircraft door, where it is loaded alongside the luggage. Upon arriving at my destination, my wheelchair often suffers damage, leaving me anxiously hoping it arrives intact and functional throughout the flight.

As reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, about 29 wheelchairs are damaged daily by airlines. If I could simply roll onto a plane and remain in my wheelchair during the flight, it would significantly ease my travel experience and reduce stress.

Before you assume "That wouldn't be practical because it could be unsafe", take a look at All Wheels Up. They are conducting crash tests to demonstrate that securing wheelchairs with restraints on airplanes can be safe. Being able to roll onto a plane and stay in my wheelchair would mark the beginning of the best travel day imaginable!

I would quickly find accessible transportation (without the need for advance booking)

After disembarking the plane and settling into my wheelchair (assuming it's functional), the quest for wheelchair accessible transportation commences. Unless I've arranged for an accessible taxi in advance or am traveling with a company focused on accessibility, securing accessible transportation can be time-consuming.

Previously, I have waited over four hours for an accessible taxi… and that was in the U.S. (Los Angeles), where we have the Americans with Disabilities Act. In cities lacking accessible transportation, I find myself stranded at the airport, unable to reach my hotel. However, on my ideal travel day, I'd effortlessly obtain an accessible taxi without needing to book ahead.

I would have a completely accessible hotel room (without the hassle of making numerous calls to inquire about details)

On my perfect travel day, after disembarking the flight and swiftly locating an accessible taxi, I’d make my way to my hotel. Naturally, this would be a luxurious establishment like the Four Seasons, but that’s just a detail.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I would head to my fully accessible room/suite. It would be located on the ground floor (for safety reasons, it's ideal for wheelchair users to be on the ground floor), featuring a spacious roll-in shower, a sink that allows for easy access, grab bars in the bathroom, ample space in the room, and beds at an ideal height for easy access, among other accessibility features I value.

Usually, I need to contact the hotel I'm considering to stay at and bombard them with numerous questions about accessibility before making a reservation. They often lack answers to many of my inquiries, turning this into a lengthy process as they seek responses. Sometimes, after spending hours on this, I discover that the room doesn’t meet my accessibility requirements, forcing me to restart the search with a different hotel. On my ideal travel day, I'd be able to browse photos and videos of the accessible room online to assess its suitability, and when I arrive, it would actually meet my accessibility expectations.

I would enjoy a visit to an accessible beach

I absolutely love the beach. I mean, is there anything better than basking in the sun while sipping a piña colada?! I don't think so. Unfortunately, accessibility at beaches can be quite variable. On my perfect travel day, I would go to a beach equipped with accessible changing facilities featuring adult-sized changing tables and hoists for transfers, beach wheelchairs, and access mats for the sand.

The most accessible beach I’ve ever experienced is Nova Icaria Beach in Barcelona, Spain. It had every accessible feature I could imagine, proving that it's entirely possible to create a perfectly accessible beach environment.

I would dine at a lovely accessible restaurant and then enjoy drinks at a nearby accessible bar

To cap off my dream travel day, I would enjoy a delightful dinner at an accessible restaurant, ideally one I found by chance without needing to call ahead to check their accessibility. A few years back in Iceland, I called a restaurant to confirm its accessibility, and they assured me it was fully wheelchair-friendly. However, when I arrived for dinner, I encountered a large step at the entrance. So even with thorough research, it doesn’t always guarantee a smooth experience. Being able to dine out and visit a bar without any prior research sounds straightforward to many, but for me, it would be the perfect conclusion to the best travel day imaginable.

While the ideas presented in this article might seem a bit unrealistic in today's world, they are entirely achievable improvements that could materialize, provided we all collaborate to enhance accessibility standards globally. My greatest wish is that future generations of wheelchair users won’t have to navigate countless obstacles just to accomplish something as basic as boarding a plane. I wholeheartedly believe that one day, my dream travel day will transition from a mere fantasy to a tangible reality.

All images are courtesy of the author.