The Intersection of Travel and Disability
That’s right! Lake Erie and the town of Evans, NY are making history. Once projects are completed, this town will be the most inclusive inland lake community on the entire east coast for wheelchair users, and community members with adaptive needs.
This joint collaboration between the Western NY Walleyes Organization, the town of Evans, New York, and Wheelchairs and Walleyes shows what can be done when public and private organizations share a common goal.
Squirmy and Grubs share their life and travel experiences with a YouTube audience of almost two million. Shane is a full-time powerchair user with a severe muscle wasting disease, married to Hannah.
Last month, they visited Oregon with Wheel the World and had the opportunity to climb a tree with a power wheelchair. Check out their experience, here.
Please send any business inquiries to: squirmyandgrubs@gmail.com
Kristy Durso has seen plenty of destinations roll out the welcome mat for accessible tourism, but her recent trip to Colombia was something different: the country’s very first accessibility-focused FAM.
Hosted by PROColombia, the trip brought together a diverse group of travel professionals from the U.S., Spain, Portugal, and Argentina. Some were disability-owned travel agency leaders and some came armed with tape measures and accessibility checklists in hand.
Kristy was the only participant on the accessibility FAM trip with a physical disability, giving her a unique perspective on how theory translated into practice.
Over the course of the trip, the group explored three regions—each offering surprising accessibility in a country without ADA-style regulations. In the coffee region, Kristy rolled through a plantation, made chocolate, and sampled coffee alongside world-class cuisine in restaurants that were both inclusive and innovative. One standout stop: a holistic dining experience owned by a disabled entrepreneur, featuring healing foods and accessibility built into the very ethos of the restaurant.
The experiences were creative and immersive. A blind guide led a birdwatching tour. A ceremonial tree-planting introduced visitors to Colombia’s iconic wax palms—the world’s tallest palm species. Coffee and food tastings were reimagined as “blind” experiences, inviting guests to explore through senses beyond sight.
In Medellín, accessibility met adventure. A city tour using trike-style vehicles offered detachable motors, similar to Kristy’s Firefly, that clipped directly to manual wheelchairs. Riders could glide alongside their peers without transferring, simply detaching the motor when stopping at restaurants or attractions.
The trip wrapped up in Bogotá with strategic conversations. Kristy met with DMOs and hoteliers eager to learn what worked and what needed improvement. Her expertise was not only welcomed but invited—three tour operators asked her to collaborate on developing new accessible tour options, and PROColombia requested her ongoing partnership.
Clic Air, a Colombian national airline, stood out above most U.S. airlines with their wheelchair policy. The carrier has a dedicated cabin space where rigid-frame wheelchairs can be safely secured for the entire flight. While passengers still transfer to their seat, the chair itself travels in-cabin—no questions asked.
Kristy returned from Colombia energized by both the progress already in motion and the genuine interest in building a more accessible future. With AFRO Tourism, LGBTQ+ travel, and now accessibility all priorities for PROColombia, the country is positioning itself as a leader in inclusive tourism across the Americas.
Meet Kristy: Kristy is a writer, speaker, and disability travel advisor. She has experience across multiple disabilities traveling as a wheelchair user with a pace-maker along with her children with intellectual disabilities, autism, ADHD, and over 30 food allergies.
As TravelAbility’s ambassador, she networks and speaks around the globe to promote accessibility and inclusion in the travel space.
MobilityWorks labeled Everline Resort and Spa as one of the most accessible resorts in America. According to their top five list, the resort includes an accessible fitness center, wheelchair height peepholes on doors and even audio/visual smoke detectors. The website also mentions:
The seventh annual INNOVATEAble highlighted groundbreaking ideas transforming how people with disabilities live and travel. The competition was close, with judges noting how tough it was to choose among such strong pitches. Taking second place was ScanMeHome, already making a huge impact for families living with autism. Below, founder Justin Behnke shares the story behind his innovation.
The idea for ScanMeHome came from my son, Jaxon. He’s nonverbal and autistic, and like many on the spectrum, he has intense sensory sensitivities. That meant wearables like GPS trackers or bracelets weren’t an option — he simply couldn’t tolerate them. Yet the fear of him wandering off and not being able to tell anyone who he was or how to reach me kept me awake at night.
I realized there was nothing in the marketplace that could meet his needs. Families like mine were left without a practical, immediate way to reconnect if their loved one got lost. That’s when I started building ScanMeHome: a simple, universal solution that doesn’t rely on batteries, devices, or apps — just a QR code that anyone can scan to instantly connect to a parent or caregiver.
ScanMeHome bridges the dangerous communication gap when someone can’t speak for themselves. In those critical moments — whether it’s at an airport, a beach, a theme park, or even a neighborhood walk — a quick scan of the code gives first responders, staff, or good Samaritans immediate access to contact details and instructions to help reunite families.
For families
Memberships start at $9.95/month or $99/year, with a 7-day free trial. During the trial, families can immediately access ScanMeHome by printing their own digital QR code or ordering iron-on tags.
For destinations & organizations
ScanMeHome also offers bulk membership programs as well as flexible short-term visitor passes, making it easy for destinations and partners to provide added safety and inclusion to the communities and travelers they serve.
At its heart, ScanMeHome was built so families like mine can experience the world with less fear and more freedom — knowing there’s always a way home.
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