Who Is Wheelchair Jimmy and Why Should We Care?

If you don’t already know ‘Wheelchair Jimmy’, you’re missing out on a treasure trove of information. This month, TravelAbilityInsider.com got a chance to catch up with the man behind the site, Jim Parsons, to talk about his accessibility reviews. There are more than 4,000 reviews in the site of accessible hotels, attractions, destinations—and just about any damn thing he feels like reviewing. He’s developed a credible rating system with the help of other disabled travelers to let folks know where to go and what to avoid. Since he retired, he’s been sharing his wheelchair travel insights through his website/online guide WheelchairJimmy.com.  


Q: When and what prompted you to create Wheelchair Jimmy?

A: At the age of 20, I became paralyzed in an accident and began using a wheelchair for mobility.  After the accident, I finished up my MBA at Indiana University and began a career in banking that required extensive travel. Well before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I had to learn  to navigate hotels, restaurants, airlines, from my wheelchair.

Q: How many destinations and reviews do you have on the site?

A: Five continents and 40+ countries in 50 years. 

Q: What is the purpose of your website and how many followers have signed up?

A: My travels over the past 50 years have taken me to so many places around the world—some great, some horrible. There are always challenges involved when traveling in a wheelchair. When I retired, I decided to create the site, WheelchairJimmy.com. I wanted to put together a site to review and rate hotels, restaurants, attractions, and transportation.  My purpose is to let people know what’s accessible and, more importantly, what to avoid. With that in mind, I created the Wheelchair Jimmy Accessibility Rating (WJAR) system.

Q: How does the WJAR Rating System work?

A: Indiana University has an accessibility program, so I asked one of the professors there to work with me to create the WJAR system. As we were building it out, hospitality Professor Cynthia Mehia at the University of Central Florida Hospitality (UCFH) program helped us create a database for the students. As they visited various properties, they collected accessibility information along with videos and photos. I then went in and analyzed the data and decided on a WJAR score for each venue. With the UCFH program, we’ve now covered all of Orlando and much more. I’ve also received calls from other hospitality programs wanting to get involved, so we’re working on bringing them on as well. They’re learning that it’s not just about ADA compliance it’s also about customer service and training. Some of the students rented wheelchairs to do their reviews. Through these programs, we’ve added over 200 entries to the database including hotels, restaurants, casinos, transportation, and attractions.

Q: What recommendations do you have for wheelchair users?

A: Never book anything online or even with the call centers for a hotel chain. When you reserve with a call center, they take down the booking information and then send the instructions to the specific property. However, sometimes the pertinent details aren’t properly relayed, so you end up arriving at your hotel and discover they didn’t reserve you an accessible room. I always reserve with the front desk of the specific property I’m going to stay at. I also have a list of 20 questions I ask them about accessibility.

Q: How many listings do you have on the site now? 

A: Currently, we have over 4,000 listings of hotels, restaurants, attractions, transportation companies, cruise lines and destinations.  Our YouTube channel has 400 video reviews. A total of 70 were done by hospitality program students from UN Las Vegas, and Rosen School of Hospitality at the University of Central Florida. 

Q: When people with a disability will be feel comfortable traveling again? 

A:  I’m carefully watching Las Vegas resorts and cruise lines. They operate as self- contained cities that have been catering, in varying degrees, to travelers with a disability. Las Vegas is opening in June. Carnival Cruise lines are taking reservations for August departures. From what I’ve seen, if the standards and practices they have been communicating work to create both a high safety level and a positive guest experience, they will be able to attract some people. That said, I don’t think the disability community will be traveling again until there’s a vaccine or pharmaceutical treatment that’s safe and widely available.

Q: Have you traveled since sheltering lockdowns were in place? 

A: We drove from Phoenix (where I spent the winter) back home to Washington State and spent two nights in hotels. I could see how sensitive they were to touchpoints, physical distancing, and food and beverage. Room service arrived in bags left outside our hotel room door.