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Magazine cover titled “Accessible Journeys” featuring a woman with limb difference paddling a canoe on a turquoise lake with mountain scenery in the background. Cover text reads “Women with disabilities exploring the world.”

January 2026 Issue

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Women with disabilities exploring the world

A woman stands on a sandy beach smiling, wearing a floral pink and white dress and holding a large woven picnic basket. Her prosthetic leg is visible beneath the hem of her dress. Behind her is a calm lake and a steep hillside dotted with houses and lush green evergreen trees.

Guest Editor's Note

By Sara Banaeirad

Ten years ago, I lost my leg in an accident. At the time, I could never have imagined that I would one day lead such an active and adventurous life. For a long while, my concerns were simple but overwhelming: walking, maintaining balance, driving, being in social spaces, and continuing my professional career the way I always had.

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Person with limb difference wearing two-tone athletic activewear, posing confidently outdoors on a rocky surface with green foliage in the background.

What international travel really looks like for adaptive skater Kanya Sesser

Kanya Sesser arrives at an airport prepared. She asks questions, sets expectations and knows exactly what she needs before moving through security or boarding a flight. Travel is part of her work and her routine, shaped by years of competing, modelling and appearing on international stages.

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Amputee traveller: A woman, sits in a black canoe on a vibrant turquoise lake, holding an oar. She is wearing a light green cardigan over a black top and grey shorts, with a prosthetic leg visible. In the background, a massive, jagged mountain with patches of snow towers over a shoreline lined with dark green pine trees and small cabins under a dramatic, cloudy sky.

Travelling with access in mind: Three journeys that redefined what’s possible

By Sara Banaeirad

The Amalfi Coast had been on my bucket list for years, so I approached the trip with months of planning and high expectations. The reality was mixed, part exhilarating and part deeply frustrating. Positano, the most famous spot on the coast, was the most challenging area for me. The combination of chaotic parking, intense heat, and endless staircases made it almost impossible to enjoy. 

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A woman in a wheelchair enjoys a sunny day at a tropical plaza near the coast. She is wearing a green crop top, a floral hat, and pink heart-shaped sunglasses, holding a drink. Behind her is a large bronze sculpture of two figures reaching toward each other, with turquoise water and palm trees in the distance.

Kendra Erhardt shares accessible travel realities through her website Wheelie Girl Travel

Six and a half years ago, Kendra Erhardt lay in a hospital bed, crying as she mentally listed places she believed she would never see again. A downhill skiing accident had left her with a T10 spinal cord injury, and she had become a full-time wheelchair user almost overnight. In those early days, nothing felt familiar. Every task required thought, patience and repetition.

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Person standing near a waterfront wearing a dark sweater, with water, a ferry and a large bridge visible in the background.

Why Jenn Lloyd has become a trusted voice in disability travel planning

Jenn Lloyd has always wanted to see the world. Long before passports and plane tickets were realistic options, she was a child memorizing flags, capitals and country facts from an almanac, quietly building a mental map of places she hoped to reach one day. Travel fascination came early. The logistics arrived much later.

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A woman in a light blue denim dress sits on the edge of a weathered wooden dock, smiling toward the camera. She is wearing a sleek, dark grey prosthetic leg and white sneakers. The background shows a large body of water with misty, blue-toned mountains in the distance and a few blurred figures walking further down the dock.

Steps across the world: Tips for travelling with a prosthetic leg
(from the wearer of a prosthetic leg)

By Sara Banaeirad

Travel has always been one of the most enriching parts of my life, a way to connect with cultures, people, and landscapes that expand how I see the world. Yet, for me, every trip also carries an additional layer of preparation and resilience. Living with a prosthetic limb means that each destination isn’t just about adventure; it’s about adaptation, resourcefulness, and courage.

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A woman in a bikini top and black skirt sits on a rustic wooden swing decorated with seashells on a shallow, sandy beach. The tide is out, and the sky is overcast.

Mah Mooni on freedom, accessibility, and finding home through travel

Mah Mooni is a multilingual singer, songwriter, and activist from Iran, now based in Brazil. Since migrating in 2012, she has used her music, poetry, and performance to speak out for women’s rights, bodily autonomy, and the dignity of people with disabilities. Her work bridges cultures and challenges the narratives that silence marginalized voices. Shaped by the contrast between restrictive environments in Iran and the inclusive communities she discovered in Brazil, Mah’s artistic journey is rooted in resilience and freedom of expression.

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Woman standing on a wide, wet beach near the shoreline, wearing a dark jacket and sneakers, with a visible prosthetic leg, looking toward the ocean as waves roll in, with a large, green-covered sea stack rising behind her under a cloudy sky.

Sara Banaeirad inspires women with disabilities to travel boldly and stay visible

Beyond museums and beaches, travel has reshaped how Sara sees independence. Even though she often travels with her husband, they sometimes split their days. He wanders for long city walks while she slips into museums he would rather skip. She navigates new buildings, foreign languages and unfamiliar streets on her own, asks strangers for help when she needs it and finishes the day thinking, “I did it.”

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Inclusive Travel

A woman in a wheelchair poses for a group photo with three men on a paved path in a lush Malaysian forest. They are surrounded by dense tropical foliage and large ferns. The group is smiling, and the woman is wearing a sun hat and a light green t-shirt.

What Inclusive Travel really means

By Jan Bonville

Inclusive travel is not the same as accessible travel—and that distinction matters!

In North America especially, accessible travel has a very specific meaning. It implies compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act: adapted vans, roll-in showers, grab bars, smooth pathways, and tourism activities designed to be fully usable by people with disabilities.

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Travelling With a Spinal Cord Injury

A young woman with long brown hair laughs joyfully at a Taylor Swift "The Eras Tour" concert. She is wearing a sparkling navy blue sequined outfit and several friendship bracelets. She is seated in an accessible viewing area of a massive, packed stadium with the stage and large LED screens visible in the background under a bright sky.

A wheelchair travel Q&A with Rosie Dunn who has visited 39 US States and 20 countries

Rosie is a travel writer and content creator based in Nashville, Tennessee. She has been a full-time manual wheelchair user for more than 25 years following a spinal cord injury. From her wheelchair, she has travelled to 20 countries and 39 U.S. states. Through her blog and social media platform, RosieRoaming, she shares practical insights into travel and daily life as a wheelchair user.

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Travelling With a Limb Difference

A full-length photo of a woman standing on a brick bridge in Amsterdam. She is wearing a black t-shirt, olive-colored trousers, and a colorful necklace. Behind her are two bicycles parked on the bridge, a scenic canal, and historic Dutch architecture leading toward a large domed church.

Accessible travel through the lens of a flight attendant with a limb difference

Sarah Tuberty moves through airports, airplanes and cities with a clarity shaped not by training manuals, but by a lifetime of lived experience that has taught her where systems support people and where they quietly fall short. Born with a congenital limb difference, disability has always been part of her life, but what it meant to her changed gradually as she grew older. 

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A sunny selfie of a woman with her hair tied back, wearing sunglasses on her head and a white sweatshirt. She is standing on a rocky shoreline with white waves crashing against the coast and a steep, green cliffside under a bright blue sky.

Sarah Tuberty on travel, access and visibility

 Q. In your view, which destinations combine comfort, adventure and accessibility?

Sarah Tuberty:
Italy remains one of the most meaningful places I’ve lived and travelled. I spent a year there as a high school exchange student, and what stood out was how often people related to me as a person first, rather than focusing on my limb difference. That cultural response made daily life and exploration feel easier.

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Travelling With Cerebral Palsy

A candid, vibrant photo of a woman laughing while sitting in a power wheelchair outside a stone building. She is wearing a red fleece jacket over a leopard-print sweater and blue jeans. Small orange leaves are scattered on the ground around her.

Accessible travel tips for disabled travellers from writer Carrie-Ann Lightley

Lightley is a freelance writer, speaker and content creator specializing in accessible travel, with 20 years of experience in the field. Her work began in the early 2000s in an information role at a small charity. At the time, detailed accessibility information was difficult to find online and social media was still in its infancy.

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Journeys With Autism

A young woman with red hair in pigtail braids and glasses smiles warmly while leaning out of the top half of a rustic wooden stable-style door. She is wearing a cream-colored hooded sweatshirt.

Allie on adventure and sensory travel

Q: You’ve redefined “adventure” as something that doesn’t have to be extreme. What’s a small travel moment that’s felt enormous to you?

A: The beauty of redefining adventure is that you’re no longer chasing that feeling, but instead seeking lasting contentment. For me, at least, there’s no standout moment that feels more significant than the others, but rather a growing collection of slower, gentler memories that weave together to create something magical to look back on.

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Immersive Nature Experiences

A wheelchair user and a companion kneel on a dirt road in a wildlife reserve, gently touching a relaxed cheetah lying on the ground. The wheelchair user smiles while reaching out, with safari vehicles and trees visible in the background.

Regions that impressed Tiffany with outdoor accessibility for wheelchair travellers

Travelling with a progressive condition forces Tiffany Rose Gambill to move through the world with grit, guided by humour and sharp clarity. Every trip tests her body in ways most travellers never notice, yet she keeps chasing new landscapes because nature steadies her. A wheelchair may shape the route, but never the curiosity that drives her, and she has learned to find colour in places many people hurry past.

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Pride On The Move

Close-up portrait of an adult with a shaved head and short facial hair, wearing a blue denim jacket, looking directly at the camera against a textured light-coloured wall.

Navigating security with pride and power: A guide for travellers with mobility aids, prosthetics, and invisible disabilities

By Matthew “Matty” Medeiros

I still remember the first time I approached airport security with my mobility scooter. Before that moment, travelling had always been easy. I used to glide through checkpoints without a second thought, never stopping to consider how much my body made the process simple. But after my arthritis diagnosis and the progression that eventually required me to use a scooter for long distances, everything suddenly felt different.

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Destination Spotlight

Person standing beside an apple tree in an orchard, reaching toward ripe apples among green leaves.

Oregon is the first Accessibility Verified State

By Phoenyx Powell

When Travel Oregon invited me out for their Accessible Oregon FAM trip, I knew it’d be special — but I didn’t realize I’d be watching a piece of travel history in motion. Oregon just became the first state to be officially Accessibility Verified by Wheel the World, and I spent a week seeing what that actually looks like off paper — across five regions, seven cities, and a lot of coffee.

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Three young women pose smiling in the center of Nickels Arcade in Ann Arbor. The woman in the center sits in a manual wheelchair wearing a patterned skirt and white cardigan. She is flanked by two friends; one in a pink sweater and jeans, and another in a cream puffer jacket and black cargo pants who has one arm playfully raised. The historic corridor features glass ceilings and yellow "100 Year" anniversary banners.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Welcome to Ann Arbor, Michigan! You are invited to experience a mix of energy and charm in this bustling college town filled with art, entertainment, great food, nature, and vibrant local culture.

As the first Wheel the World Verified Destination in the state, visitors with physical, cognitive, or invisible disabilities can explore the Ann Arbor area with confidence. Through accessible attractions, inclusive outdoor activities, and sensory-friendly things to do

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Family Fun, No Limits

Accessible destination round up – Japan edition

By Jennifer Allen

Traveling to Japan with a wheelchair can feel overwhelming. Figuring out where you can and cannot go is hard enough when you can research in your own language and time zone, not to mention making follow-up calls to confirm accessibility needs. We packed a lot into two busy weeks in Japan and overall it was a genuinely positive experience. Public transportation was largely accessible, accessible restrooms were easy to find, and it was clear that many cities are making real efforts to welcome all travelers.

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A family portrait on a paved outdoor path with mountains in the background. A woman stands behind a boy in a manual wheelchair; she is flanked by another boy and a girl. The boy in the wheelchair and the girl are both holding tall trekking poles. The group is smiling against a backdrop of a wooden fence, green shrubbery, and a cloudy sky.

Rerouting: navigating the detours in travel and life as a family with disabilities

By Jennifer Allen

You may be familiar with the Emily Perl Kingsley short story, “Welcome to Holland.” It’s a beautiful analogy that compares the disability journey to a flight to Italy that unexpectedly delivered travellers to Holland, instead. While the travellers had planned for the splendors of Italy, and are momentarily flummoxed by the changes in language, currency, and itinerary, they end up adapting and embracing the beautiful land of tulips.

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A young person in a wheelchair is positioned on a sunny sidewalk, facing a vintage-style red and tan trolley bus. The trolley's accessibility ramp is deployed toward the pavement. Other children are standing nearby on the sidewalk, and the trolley features a sign that reads "FREE TROLLEY" and "Historic Main Street."

Better Together– disability parent Q&A

By Jennifer Allen

Q: How have real families navigated mixed-access needs?

A: “It’s utter chaos!” responded Amy Tarpein, of Elijah’s Baby Bucket List, but of the best kind. In some ways, it’s no different than traveling with any family with varying ages and interests.

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A teenage boy and a woman sitting side-by-side on the deck of a boat under a bright blue sky. Both are wearing yellow and blue life jackets and smiling. A large concrete bridge spans the water in the background.

Alabama through a mother’s eyes: a mother–son trip with space for every generation

By Kristy Durso

This issue’s theme is women in travel, and for me, that almost always comes back to motherhood.

Our Alabama trip was just Timothy, my youngest child, and me: a simple mother–son getaway. No big group. No complicated logistics. Just the two of us exploring. Everywhere we went, I kept thinking the same thing: this place gets families.

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Features

A wide-angle night shot of the Salzburg skyline reflecting in the Salzach River. The Hohensalzburg Fortress and several domed cathedrals are brightly illuminated against the black sky, their lights creating long, shimmering colorful streaks across the dark water.

Salivate over Salzburg

By Jacob Rosser and Jennifer Hartley

When most people think of Salzburg, Austria, images of Mozart’s birthplace or musical The Sound of Music pop into their mind. It certainly did for me — and truth be told those are pretty good reasons. But it turns out there is so much more to this enchanting city.

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A group of ten travelers, including several individuals on red and black mobility scooters, gathered in front of tropical, green-roofed buildings in Costa Rica. The setting is lush and green under an overcast sky, with the group dressed in casual travel attire and light jackets.

Global travel accessibility expands through John Sage’s industry leadership

Talk to anyone who has tried booking a trip while juggling access needs and you will hear a familiar mix of frustration, grit and the occasional heroic workaround. Then you meet someone like John Sage, who has spent the past 16 years picking apart the barriers that most travellers never notice. 

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A high-angle evening view of the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa during winter. The frozen canal is filled with the blurred motion of ice skaters, flanked by snowy banks illuminated by warm golden streetlights and red-lit trees. In the background, the Gothic-style architecture of Parliament Hill and the Peace Tower stands out against a deep blue twilight sky.

Oasis Ottawa: Canada’s capital delivers

By Jacob Rosser (assisted by Jennifer Hartley)

There are so many ways to describe the City of Ottawa. For some, it is the centre of government, with Parliament Hill in the downtown core. For others, it is Silicone Valley North, with people creating all those apps and techie things that make our lives better. (I love that it is highly accessible and thrives on being so. 

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A headshot of a smiling man with short dark hair and black-rimmed glasses, wearing a light blue textured button-down shirt. He is outdoors with a blurred background of a marina, featuring sailboat masts and a body of water under a bright, overcast sky.

When accessible travel almost works

By Mike Clapper

After years of travelling as a wheelchair user, I stopped being surprised when things didn’t work. Not because people didn’t care. Most of the time, they did. But because the same problems kept showing up again and again. The hotel was almost right. The room was labelled accessible. The staff wanted to help, but didn’t quite know how. Something always broke down.

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