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Accessible destination round up

By Jennifer Allen

Three children stand together on a wooden pier under a vast blue sky with wispy clouds. To the left, a boy in a blue Superman shirt and dark shorts holds a blue bucket. In the center, a young girl in a teal dress waves with a smile. On the right, a boy sitting in a wheelchair wears a bright patterned blue shirt and grins at the camera. The ocean waves and a sandy coastline with distant buildings are visible in the background.

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This winter was a season of caring for family needs. This provides me with the unique gift of time. Instead of rushing to share all that we’ve done, I’d like to use this issue to take a step back and share some of our absolute favorites. These are destinations where welcome is woven into every experience and accessibility will never have to cross your mind because inclusive design has made you limitless.

The Great Outdoors

Three children are smiling inside a rustic log cabin. On the left, a boy in a yellow shirt sits on a small cot. In the middle, a girl in a white patterned shirt holds a green teddy bear while sitting on her bed. On the right, a boy in a grey t-shirt sits in his wheelchair. The room is filled with several small cots and colorful blankets under a slanted wooden ceiling.

John Dillon Park is an accessible campground deep in the forest. They have fully accessible lean-tos (essentially a three-walled cabin, for other camping novices), accessible bathrooms, only accessible paths and trails, and… well, fully accessible everything from adventures like fishing and boating to essentials like sleeping and eating.

If there’s anything that you can’t do on your own in a wheelchair, ask for help. The staff are amazing and they’ll help as much as they can. They can even get your gear from the parking lot to your campsite.

Overnight camping is completely free, but you can also just use a day pass for hiking, fishing, boating, picnicking, or whatever style of outdoor retreat you need. If you’re up for more than camping, there are plenty of other accessible options in the Adirondacks.

Check out our full itinerary here.

Small Town U.S.A.

Three children pose playfully in the middle of a quiet town street marked with double yellow lines. A boy in a wheelchair wears an orange and blue jacket on the left. Beside him, a girl in a purple jacket strikes a pose with one leg kicked up high. A taller boy in a grey hoodie stands behind her. The street is lined with historic brick buildings under an overcast sky.

Greenbrier Valley is home to the world’s most accessible hotel – The Schoolhouse Hotel. The boutique hotel, transformed from an old school, is thoughtfully designed to make every room and shared space exceptionally easy to navigate. The hotel makes a great launch pad for exploring the rest of accessible Greenbrier Valley. From expansive accessible trails to a trending small town food scene with mostly zero-entry eateries, the area has a bit of something for everyone.

The Greenbrier is an upscale resort that has several accessible activities open to the public, including day passes to the spa. Seasonal festivals add to the allure of the area, but there is something to do at any time of year and both the small towns and the great outdoors are surprisingly easy to navigate.

Check out our full itinerary here.

The Big City

A full family portrait taken outdoors on a sunny day. Two adults and three children stand together on stone steps. The Washington Monument rises tall in the background against a crisp blue sky. Everyone is dressed in warm winter jackets, including a boy in a wheelchair in the front row and a girl in a bright pink coat.

Washington, D.C., is hands down the most wheelchair friendly city we’ve visited. In fact, it’s one of the only places we keep returning to. All of the Smithsonian museums and national monuments have been adapted to welcome wheelchair users, and many offer additional amenities to welcome a wide range of disabilities. The public transportation is fully accessible, with elevators at every stop within the city. Restaurants and shops throughout downtown and The Wharf are clearly designed with intention to welcome all.

It’s an easy destination with enough diversity to make it your only trip, year after year.

Check out our full guide here.

Beach Trip

 

Three children stand together on a wooden pier under a vast blue sky with wispy clouds. To the left, a boy in a blue Superman shirt and dark shorts holds a blue bucket. In the center, a young girl in a teal dress waves with a smile. On the right, a boy sitting in a wheelchair wears a bright patterned blue shirt and grins at the camera. The ocean waves and a sandy coastline with distant buildings are visible in the background.

We used to think the beach was impossible, but if you know where to go it can be one of your easiest trips. Loads of places offer beach wheelchairs, Mobi mats, and even all abilities playgrounds. We were thrilled with the track chairs in Michigan (also available on the Oregon Coast), but our overall favorite for beach accessibility is still Santa Monica.

Santa Monica has all of the essentials for an accessible beach trip – beach wheelchairs available from multiple locations, a Mobi mat for ocean views, and spacious accessible restrooms.

What makes Santa Monica our favorite accessible beach destination is how far above and beyond they go. There are multiple accessible parking options, with some spaces within easy rolling distance of the mobi mat. With multiple beach wheelchair pick up locations, offering different styles of chairs, including electric beach chairs, you have the freedom to explore different areas of the beach with each visit. The pier has plenty of accessible food options, tourist shops, and local artisans. Accessible dining options abound, both on the boardwalk and off. Accessible views extend far beyond the boardwalk along the wide, paved oceanfront walk. The beach has three all-abilities playgrounds.

The Annenberg Community Beach House is a community destination that’s free to the public. They have a splash pad, playground, gallery, Marion Davies Guest House, beach courts & fields, community & cultural events, historic pool, free wi-fi, and more. This is one of the pick-up spots for beach wheelchairs.

Check out our full itinerary here.

National Park

A family of four poses on a sunny day at a scenic overlook. A woman kneels on the right next to a young girl in a pink plaid dress. In the center, a boy in a straw hat sits in a wheelchair, and to the left, another boy stands near a pine tree. They are positioned in front of a massive canyon with a large waterfall cascading in the distance under a clear blue sky.

Every national park has something for everyone. There’s usually at least one trail that’s been made accessible and many parks grant driving rights on access roads to people with disability placards.

That said, Yellowstone has everything for wheelchair users. Perhaps due in part to the nature of the park and already needing elevated paths, they’re lightyears ahead of anyone else in terms of welcoming wheelchair users. Not only is almost everything wheelchair accessible, they offer more thorough information for planning around accessibility needs. They even have a beach wheelchair on loan!

Check out our full guide here.

Jennifer Allen

Jennifer Allen is a prominent accessible family travel blogger and the founder of the website Wonders Within Reach. Based in Pennsylvania, she is a dedicated advocate for inclusive travel, documenting her adventures alongside her young son who has Spina Bifida. Jennifer focuses on uncovering accessible destinations and celebrating locations that successfully remove barriers for wheelchair users.
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