Wheelchair Traveling

27/04/2024

I've always wanted to go to the Azores, Portugal and feel lucky that I finally got to go in 2023. I was happy to find wheelchair accessible travel opportunities to sites and attractions. Here's the new video

In 2023, I traveled to the biggest and most accessible Azores island. I've always wanted to travel here but wasn't sure about wheelchair access. I was happy ...

20/04/2024

Yay! Accessibility has been improved on Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. Come on and raise up!

In Linville, North Carolina, Grandfather Mountain is welcoming even more people to its Mile High Swinging Bridge and signature events thanks to the purchase of two ADA-compliant vehicles, made possible by the state’s American Rescue Plan funds. Grandfather Mountain experienced record visitation af...

07/03/2024

Accessible hotel shower hack = making it work when both nozzles turn on at the same time. ♿🧐👍

09/02/2024

Looking forward to my workshop at the 2024 Abilities Expo in Los Angeles on Friday, March 15 at 1:00 pm. I'll be sharing my recent travels to Portugal, the Azores, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park and stories about my adventures in New Zealand, Ecuador, Easter Island, and Mexico. Let's discuss tips for flying on an airplane, staying overnight, and how to get around. I'm thrilled about how far the wheelchair traveling world has expanded. Come to my workshop and access your world.

https://www.abilities.com/losangeles/workshops.html

29/11/2023

How wheelchair accessible are cruises? Share your thoughts 👇

29/10/2023

The Grand Teton National Park can officially be crossed off my bucket list! I found all the wheelchair accessible stuff too. Check it out:

Come visit the Grand Teton National Park with your wheelchair. This complete accessible travel guide provides tips on trails and activities in the park. See all

22/08/2023

Can I get a what?! Whaaaat?!!!!! This is officially the oddest ADA hotel bathroom setup yet. What do you think?

10/08/2023

I LOVED this wheelchair accessible home rental while visiting the Grand Teton National Park, and know many others will too. Check out the details here:

Idaho: Teton Country Home Rental In Idaho’s Teton Valley overlooking the Grand Teton Mountain Range surrounded by sagebrush is a beautiful country home rental sitting on eight acres with a modern accessible design and a perfectly idyllic setting for a small group or family (6 people maximum). The ...

03/08/2023

Overjoyed to be a part of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History exhibit "Our Places: Connecting People and Nature," open now until July 2024 in Washington, D.C.

Nature has always played an important role in my life and I am forever grateful.

Feature: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4f13c11288f241578e8594121679d692
Main Exhibit Page: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/exhibits/our-places

23/07/2023

Dear Hotels,

I understand it saves money by not providing mini shampoos and soaps, and instead mounting the full-sized versions, but PLEASE place them within reach of the bench (not standing).

Hotels could also mount 2 sets and/or routinely provide the minis in the accessible rooms. Asking the front desk for minis every time is getting old...

Sincerely,
Ashley Olson
wheelchair traveling.com

21/06/2023

Interviewed by KQED about wheelchair accessible hiking trails in the San Francisco Bay Area and my Access2Parks Project: https://www.kqed.org/news/11953167/best-bay-area-accessible-hiking-trails-recommended-by-disability-advocates?fbclid=IwAR18m-ZsiFhTmcKt5krGV4OU-k0B5qj8TUiqnUOLm-wG06rDBA3qzMl33FM KQED Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) SFGATE San Francisco Chronicle

A look at some of the best accessible trails in the Bay Area for wheelchair-using nature lovers and others with mobility considerations — and why accessibility outdoors is so crucial.

26/05/2023

NEW VIDEO = Lisbon, Portugal Metropolitan Area + Wheelchair Access with Tourismforall https://wheelchairtraveling.com/tourism-for-all-portugal-wheelchair-travel-tour/

16/05/2023

Tourismforall makes Portugal possible with wheelchair accessible vehicles. Read travel tips on where to go when planning a tour. https://wheelchairtraveling.com/tourism-for-all-portugal-wheelchair-travel-tour/

10/04/2023

Who knows about wheelchair access in Tulsa, Oklahoma? What are the accessible accommodations and transportation options? Holler back.

04/04/2023

Make traveling with a wheelchair on an airplane easier! YES, this is the moment in time to speak up. This is a LIMITED WINDOW of opportunity to improve air travel. The Air Carriers Act has been reintroduced in Congress. It calls for safer travel and accountability for wrecked equipment. Let's get this done! https://unitedspinal.org/limited-window-of-opportunity-to-improve-air-travel/

05/03/2023

Traveling in a wheelchair around Portugal is possible with Tourismforall. They know all the accessible places.



Music: New Horizons
Musician: Rafael Krux
URL: https://filmmusic.io/song/5458-new-horizons-
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

03/03/2023

Traveling all over Lisbon, Portugal with an amazing crew organized by Tourismforall. Cobblestones are all over but it's not impossible to travel with a wheelchair. Here are the all-stars I'm with...

Kristy = Kristy Durso
Fed = Maahs Travels
Sylvia = Spin the Globe
Asmae = Roll on Adventures
Houston = Houston Vandergriff

Since 2006, wheelchairtraveling.com provides wheelchair travel tips and resources on destinations: Airplanes, Cruises, Parks, Historical Sites, Hotels...

07/02/2023

Let's solve a problem. If the rain showerhead is on the bench side with a hand-held nozzle and grab bar, is another grab bar really needed on the opposite side? What do you think?

27/01/2023

Traveling on an airplane with a wheelchair or any other mobile device is not easy, and sometimes it can be a disaster when things break. I have experienced it, and I know I am not alone. This issue has FINALLY reached the mainstream thanks to Emily Ladau, All Wheels Up, and VICE. THANK YOU!!!

For millions of wheelchair users, flying on an airplane means undergoing a series of indignities, and sometimes even dealing with a broken chair upon arrival...

26/01/2023

Do you want to change our world? Looking for an advocacy outlet? Then run for office, write to your state representative, become a lawyer, and/or share your voice about why bed height is important and needs regulation. Extra tall beds are not wheelchair friendly.

17/01/2023

Another wheelchair travel companion caregiver has been added to the list. Reach out if you too want to be added. https://wheelchairtraveling.com/hiring-travel-companion-caregiver-questions-answers/

There is an indisputable need for travel companions and caregivers that can assist a person with a wheelchair. These tips and service providers will help...

12/01/2023

What a wonderful wheelchair traveling world. So much has changed for the better since I started wheelchairtraveling.com in 2006. People are traveling and sharing their experiences, which opens the doors for all of us. Thank you all who believe if there is a will there is a way. Here's a new video to keep you motivated: https://wheelchairtraveling.com/world-wheelchair-travel-video/

This video montage is a celebration of what a wonderful wheelchair traveling world we live in. Wheelchair accessible travel has come so far and I am so proud...

27/12/2022

Are there any specific wheelchair travel agents or guides for Scandinavia? Please holler.

09/11/2022

NEW interview with lifelong wheelchair community advocate and outdoor lover, Bonnie Lewkowicz. She was one of the VERY first wheelchair dancers and accessible travel agents. Hear about some of her tremendous contributions as well as tips and tricks for world travel and exploring the great outdoors.

More about Bonne:
Bonnie Lewkowicz has worked for over 40 years advocating for and educating about physical and programmatic access to outdoor recreation and tourism for people with disabilities. She is the founder of the non-profit organization, Access Northern California, which merged in 2017 with the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP), where she authored several access guides to San Francisco, an accessible trail guidebook, and two websites that offer accessibility information. She has created and conducted countless access surveys for a variety of venues and has led disability awareness trainings to a wide range of businesses and government agencies including, hotels, parks, museums, and Amtrak. Early in her accessibility career, she was trained by the state of CA to assist businesses in identifying access barriers. She is also a founding member of the AXIS Dance Company.
https://wheelchairtraveling.com/interview-with-bonnie.../

Bonnie Lewkowicz was paralyzed at fifteen. She was one the first wheelchair dancers and also travel agents. Bonnie loves outdoor recreation and parks...

19/09/2022

Traveling solo in New Zealand, I was in a dream come true. On the 2nd to last day, I decided to go see this random lake because I'd done everything I set out to do. I later found out that the super, random road to the lake is known to locals to be dangerous, even deadly. On the way back from the lake the car lost all traction and flipped off the road. I survived. I share this animated recreation to demonstrate spirit's resillence. I LOVE New Zealand and would love to go back again. Keep going is the message... Keep traveling... https://youtu.be/t4QjcxDdk3w

My 2020 adventure in New Zealand was all I hoped for and more. It was a dream trip and was able to do everything I had planned. Traveling alone, the day befo...

24/08/2022

Nice to meet you, cartoon wheelchair traveling Ashley 🙌♿

01/08/2022

SUCCESS! So important to kindly speak up about access because it helps the next person wheelchair traveling. Recently, I came across this roll-in shower with no shower bench, so I used a patio chair but told the owner about the missing equipment, and now there's a legit shower chair. Who's to blame doesn't matter because that doesn't solve anything, I just wanted to fix the problem.

30/07/2022

HELP PLEASE. While traveling in Oregon, my friend called Simon's Cliff House Restaurant & Valentino's Lounge at the CGH (Columbia Gorge Hotel) and asked if they were wheelchair accessible with an open reservation. She was specific to use the word “wheelchair” and we were delighted to be accommodated. We pulled up and parked in a handicapped parking spot, and were seated right away at a table by the window. The meal and our server were perfect. After paying the bill, I inquired about the bathrooms as we still had about a half-hour drive back to our hotel. To my astonishment, the bathroom had zero accessibility. There wasn’t a single grab-bar, nor could I fit my teeny, tiny manual wheelchair into a stall and close a door. I went to the front desk to ask if there was another bathroom somewhere else or if I may use one of the rooms. I was patient and not mad. The manager at the desk gave me the snarky reply that the hotel is “grandfathered-in” and thus doesn’t have to create access. There was no apology or suggestion of a nearby bathroom that was accessible. She returned to looking at her screen. I calmly and kindly replied that she was mistaken and that wheelchair access can be created without damaging the original foundation of a building. She shrugged and repeated that they were “grandfathered-in,” but considering that we called in advance to ask about access, I felt the decent thing to do was to comp our meal. I told the waiter and restaurant host about the situation and they wholeheartedly agreed but would have to get approval from the manager, which they did. However, the manager refused to personally acknowledge us or the situation and instead had the server repeat the “grandfathered-in” phrase tableside. I worked for a world-class, fine-dining establishment for about five years, and cannot imagine treating anyone like this. What do I want? NOT money. I ONLY want this restaurant to have a wheelchair accessible bathroom, so the next wheelchair traveler doesn’t have to go through what I did. One or two regular stalls could be removed to create one large, wheelchair accessible stall. Columbia Gorge News - The Dalles Chronicle KGW-TV KATU News ColumbiaGorge.com

21/07/2022

Accessible kayaking anyone? Please holler if you know of any more spots with wheelchair-friendly docks or piers to be added to the list. https://wheelchairtraveling.com/wheelchair-accessible-kayak-launch-dock-pier-locations/

Kayaking is a great outdoor water activity! Accessible kayaking is growing throughout the United States. With adaptive equipment and launching docks/piers, kayaking is more possible than ever before. In addition to barrier-free pathways and ramps, accessible docks/piers are equipped with a self-prop...