Jennifer Allen

A family of five poses for a portrait in front of a grand, ornate building with a large blue dome and intricate patterns. In the foreground, a young boy sits smiling in a blue wheelchair. Behind him, two adults and two other children are grouped together around the edge of a large, circular stone fountain with animal-shaped water spouts.

Five fingers to freedom

At home, I am queen in a kingdom of chaos. We have a nearly exact routine from the moment the kids wake up in the morning right up to the moment we collapse in bed at night.

A close-up, vertical shot of an adult's hand firmly and gently holding a young child's hand. The hands are centered in the frame, with the adult wearing a light-colored, textured sleeve and the child in a tan or brown ribbed sleeve. The background is a soft, out-of-focus golden yellow, suggesting a path covered in autumn leaves.

Better together – disability parent Q&A

I noticed the question was worded as “when,” not “if,” because in real life it’s inevitable that something will go wrong. I’m not sure if our roles as disability parents make us more flexible, knowing that we need to hold each day with open hands

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.

Accessible destination round up

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Accessible destination round up – Japan edition

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.

A young girl, a boy in a wheelchair, and another boy are standing on a wooden deck at a zoo. They are all looking at and feeding a giraffe over a fence.

Accessible destination round up

As a disability travel writer, I have a lot of unique experiences exploring accessible destinations and attractions with my family. Every once in a while something sticks out as exceptionally fun and accessible – we share those here.

A woman and three children are sitting in an ice cream shop eating ice cream. The woman and a girl are on a red and gray bench, and two boys are in chairs across from them. One of the boys is in a wheelchair.

Better together – disability parent Q&A

Responses from readers included things that the travel industry can do to remove barriers, while all suggestions for travelers focused on sticking with known quantities.

Three children are on the grass beside a baseball field at dusk. The girl in the foreground holds a baseball and is looking at the camera. A boy in a wheelchair and another boy with a baseball cap are beside her.

Creating family memories that last

By Jennifer Allen What do you remember about your family vacations as a kid? I remember my dad driving late into the night because he refused to pay more than $50 for a hotel room and we simply weren’t in a $50 per night part of the world. He would get off at each exit and

Jennifer Allen

Posts by Author:

Five fingers to freedom

Better together – disability parent Q&A

Accessible destination round up

Better together – disability parent Q&A

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

Accessible destination round up – Japan edition

Accessible destination round up

Better together – disability parent Q&A

Creating family memories that last

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