TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Accessibility

Wheelchair-Accessible Camping: Immersing in the Adirondack Wilderness Without Limits

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Jennifer Allen, TravelAbility Editor and founder of Wonders Within Reach, takes on the world’s only fully accessible campground—camping with three kids, including one in a wheelchair.

Three children, one in a wheelchairs smiling inside a three walled logged cabin.

What if there were an accessible campground, deep in the forest, with fully accessible sleeping arrangements, accessible bathrooms, only accessible paths and trails, and… well, fully accessible everything from adventures like fishing and boating to essentials like sleeping and eating? An accessible camping wilderness dream…

But accessible camping is not a dream: John Dillon Park is a real place. It has all those things. This one-of-a-kind, FREE, wheelchair friendly park, built in the heart of the Adirondacks, is centered on accessibility and inclusion.

For our family, John Dillon Park was a game-changer. We’ve stayed at a few accessible campgrounds before. However, even with accessible campsites, the rest of the campground and recreation areas were too hard to navigate. Loose gravel roads; narrow, bumpy mini-golf courses; grassy playgrounds of only slides and high monkey bars make accessible camping pads irrelevant.

Our Accessible Camping Experience

A family walks an rolls along a gravel rail sounded by trees. One child is rolling in his wheelchair while another pulls a green wagon.

People with disabilities often have a hard time finding wheelchair accessible outdoor experiences. National forests don’t grow with the Americans with Disabilities Act in mind. Park systems and recreation areas are made for adventurers – forgetting that wheelchair users are adventurers, too.

When we arrived at John Dillon Park, I was a little bit worried about the quarter mile trail from the parking lot to the accessible cabins with all of our camping gear. We didn’t need any adaptive gear for this trip, thanks to the accessibility of the facilities, but we still had a minivan full of sleeping bags, kid-o-bunks, medical supplies, and food. After we signed in as a park visitor, a volunteer offered to help us deliver our things, but, of course, I wanted to try by myself, first.

The parking lot was loose gravel, but the trail was tightly packed fine gravel that was easy to roll on. The incline percentages are included on the park map so that you can choose the route that’s best for you. We loaded our things into two all-terrain wagons and hit the trail. My eight year old had no problem getting his manual chair down the trail. My eleven year old and I pulled the wagons and the youngest took care of her backpack.

The Accessible Campsite

The trail led us to a pair of lean-tos. A lean-to is like a three-walled cabin, offering shelter from the elements while allowing you to be fully in the wilderness. The lean to had a wide wooden ramp, making it easy to enter and exit. It had one murphy-style wooden bed that pulled down from the wall, and plenty of space for additional cots or floor sleepers.

Our lean-to had an accessible outhouse with an elevated composting toilet with grab bars. A hand sanitizer pump hangs on the wall. These bathrooms are typically semi-private, but no one was staying in our neighboring lean-to, so we had it to ourselves.

We had a food locker to keep our food safe from bears and an accessible campfire with cooking grates. We had an accessible picnic table too.

Accessible Campground Facilities

After setting up our bedding, the kids took off while I worked on dinner. This was actually one of my favorite parts. My crew is old enough to thrive on independent outdoor play, but we rarely have an inclusive outdoor opportunity where all three can navigate the terrain. They explored the woods and went on the mini-adventure of every child’s dream – Tom Sawyer style with no adults. (Maybe that’s a poor comparison. My three are also better at understanding boundaries and staying out of dark caves.)

Dinner was enjoyed at our accessible picnic table – no transfer required. Then we wandered down to the accessible fishing dock to watch the sunset over the lake.

We didn’t make it on an accessible boat trip this visit, but we’ve enjoyed their pontoon before. It’s important not to schedule at high tide if you’re worried about the incline of the boat ramp.

In the dark of the early dawn the next morning, my son was too scared of daddy-long-leggers to use our accessible restroom, so we made the trek back to the indoor ranger station at the parking lot for his enema. This welcome center has electricity and running water and is open 24 hours. The outdoor sink also makes a great kitchen for cleaning dishes before packing up for home.

Three children sitting at a wheelchair accessible picnic table in the woods.

A Few Accessible Camp Notes

An adventure like this can feel overwhelming to families like mine, but I can’t imagine a better place to start.

The staff here is incredible. If there’s anything you can’t do on your own in a wheelchair, don’t hesitate to ask for help. They will go out of their way to help you.

If camping isn’t your thing, I still highly recommend it for all of the other outdoor recreation opportunities like hiking, fishing, boating, picnicking, or whatever style of outdoor retreat suits you. You can claim a day pass and enjoy the rare treat of barrier-free nature.

Whether you’re spending the day or a weekend – the facilities and amenities are always completely free for you to use.

Find the original article here.

Hotel Spotlight: Amway Grand Plaza

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Amway Grand Plaza was recognized as a 2024 Accessible Travel Award Winner by Wonders Within Reach. Here’s what Jennifer, mom of an eight year old wheelchair user, had to say about their stay.

It was promising from the start when we saw a wheelchair accessible slow-down button for the rotating doors, adjacent to the standard automatic sliding doors. When you scan your key card at your room door, the door opens automatically, making it easy to roll in. There’s an automatic door button on the inside making it just as easy to exit as it is to enter. This is only the second time we’ve ever encountered automatic interior doors.

As one of the best accessible hotels we’ve stayed in, the Amway Grand Plaza impressed us with its wide bathroom doors, roll-under sinks, and perfectly placed grab bars. The roll in shower had the perfect set up for us, with the chair and moveable handle on the same end of the shower. Low bed height made for easy transfers.

The chair lift at the pool rotated to reach the hot tub. Valet parking is only $4 more than using the garage across the street, but if you do opt for the parking garage there’s a skywalk so you don’t have to worry about crossing traffic.

The seamless details make for an easy, barrier-free stay.

A person in a wheelchair rolling out of an open hotel door room. The automatic door button is visible on a left hand side.

Accessibility Champions of Change: Alvaro Silberstein of Wheel the World

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By Jennifer Allen

Alvaro in his wheelchair with a big grin on his face. He's on what appears to be a gravel trail - a meadow full of yellowish grass expands behind him with a gray/blue mountain range in the background.

Wheel the World has quickly become the resource in disability travel – both for travelers looking for the guarantee of an accessible destination, and for destinations looking to become the accessible destination. This article from Co-Founder Alvaro Silberstein shares an incredible journey from paralysis – both physically and metaphorically – to conquering mountains.

The Backstory

My journey into accessibility began with my personal experience. After a car accident left me paralyzed as a teenager, I never lost my passion for travel and adventure. However, I quickly realized how challenging it was for people with disabilities to find reliable accessibility information and plan trips with confidence. In 2016, I set out on a life-changing journey to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, where I became the first wheelchair user to complete the trek with the support of friends. That experience sparked the idea that accessibility should never be a barrier to exploring the world.

I co-founded Wheel the World in 2018 to empower travelers with disabilities by providing them with verified accessibility information and the ability to book accessible travel experiences seamlessly. Since then, we’ve helped 20+ thousands of travelers explore destinations they once thought were out of reach.

The Vision

At Wheel the World, our mission is simple: to make the world accessible. We believe that every person, regardless of ability, should have the opportunity to explore the world with confidence.

To achieve this, we focus on two key areas:

1. WheeltheWorld.com – A travel booking platform that provides travelers with disabilities detailed and verified accessibility information to book accommodations, tours, and transportation suited to their needs.

2. Destination Verified – An Accessibility Management System designed to help destinations and hospitality businesses improve, verify, and promote their accessibility, ensuring they can welcome all travelers.

We are not just building a company; we are leading a movement to make travel more inclusive worldwide.

The Hurdles

The greatest barriers in this journey aren’t physical. The main struggles we face have been:

  • Lack of Reliable Accessibility Data: The travel industry historically lacked structured and verified accessibility information, making it difficult to build a comprehensive, trustworthy database.
  • Skepticism from Industry Partners: Many hotels and destinations underestimated the market opportunity for travelers with disabilities. We had to educate and convince them of the demand and value in being more inclusive.
  • Scaling Accessibility Verification: Accessibility is not one-size-fits-all, so we developed a structured approach to collect and verify accessibility data at scale. Our trained mappers and tech-driven solutions allow us to capture detailed information that travelers can trust.
  • Despite these challenges, we’ve built a platform used by many thousands of travelers and secured partnerships with major destinations to drive accessibility forward.

The Future

 2025 will be a pivotal year for scaling our impact. Our focus will be on:

1. Expanding Destination Verified – We aim to work with over 200 destinations globally to verify and enhance their accessibility.

2. Growing our Travel Platform – We plan to double the number of accessible experiences and accommodations available for booking through WheeltheWorld.com.

3. Enhancing Technology & Personalization – Our goal is to improve our AI-powered accessibility matching to provide even more personalized travel recommendations for users.

Advice and Inspiration for Other Would-Be Change Makers

Here are important things to remember:

1. Accessibility is an opportunity, not a compliance checkbox.

Businesses that embrace accessibility win loyal customers and open new markets. The disability travel market alone is worth $120 billion annually.

2. Make accessibility information structured and transparent.

Many businesses offer accessibility features but fail to communicate them properly. Travelers with disabilities want detailed, reliable information, not vague claims.

3. Train staff to provide better service.

Frontline hospitality staff often lack the knowledge to assist travelers with disabilities. Simple training programs can make a huge difference.

4. Engage the disability community.

Organizations should work alongside people with disabilities, not just design accessibility solutions for them. User feedback is key.

5. Make accessibility a business priority.

The travel industry needs C-level executives and decision-makers to actively invest in accessibility as a core strategy, not an afterthought.

6. Follow other organizations and individuals that are driving innovation in accessibility and/or travel. 

Some that inspire me include:

  • Hipcamp.com – I love this company’s brand, purpose, and communication.
  • Diego Mariscal – Founder of Together International, a nonprofit that supports disabled entrepreneurs. I believe his mission and impact are powerful.

A Wedding Without Compromise

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Update from Kristy Durso – a TravelAbility Ambassador representing TravelAbility and accessible travel in the greater world.

By Jennifer Allen

Kristy and her family pose on the beach backdropped by a beautiful sunset. Kristy is sitting in her wheelchair, wearing a white off the shoulders wedding dress and holding a bouquet of white flowers.

Kristy and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal—a resort event at Sandals Turks and Caicos that wasn’t just accessible but was designed without compromise.

“The distinction is important,” Kristy explains. “There are probably a lot of accessible wedding destinations, but I didn’t want to sacrifice anything. So that’s what we did.”

The idea took root when Kristy attended the Sandals Star Awards last year. She had not been a big seller of Sandals travel because her priority had been accessibility. When she suggested Sandals should run an accessible wedding campaign, they asked her to lead it.

“That meant I got to plan this however I wanted,” she says. “I wasn’t going to just make do—I was going to show what was possible.”

“I don’t love the lack of freedom with a beach wheelchair. It’s not an equal relationship when someone has to push you down the aisle. I didn’t want that, and I didn’t want to sacrifice getting married on the beach just like anybody else would be able to. I needed to show it was my choice to come down that aisle.”

Kristy used a FreedomTrax to independently roll down the sandy beach, her train trailing behind her. Sandals built a ramp to ensure she could meet her husband at the altar—on her own terms.

The reception was just as thoughtfully curated. With multiple dietary restrictions in her family, she worked with Sandals’ culinary team to create a sugar-free, gluten-free menu. “These weren’t just substitutes; they were creative and flavorful dishes proving that dietary needs don’t mean boring food.”

You can watch Kristy rolling down the aisle here.

Changing the Industry’s Perspective

When asked what made the difference between Sandals and any other destination trying to host an accessible wedding, Kristy pointed out that true inclusion is shifting how travel providers approach accessibility. “Instead of thinking about what I can’t do, Sandals focused on what I wanted to do,” she says. “That’s what every resort should be doing.”

“The biggest thing is to get resorts to look at the person and not the disability. Does she want to dance? Include a dance floor. Guests with sensory needs? Create a quiet space.”

She emphasizes the need to move beyond minimum requirements. “When we talk about accessible dining, we think about what needs to be removed from a menu instead of how to create something exciting. People with allergies are still foodies. The industry needs to evolve in how it approaches inclusion.”

Training Travel Agents for True Accessibility

Kristy is also transforming how travel agents learn about accessibility. She’s developing an in-depth training program that will soon launch on a major platform.

“It’s immersive and constantly evolving,” she says. “I’m sure it’s missing things, but I’m also sure there’s never been a training course this in-depth.”

She speaks from experience. “When I became a travel agent, I was already disabled and had three children with disabilities. I thought I knew what I was doing. But when I took my first trip as a full-time wheelchair user, I realized how much I had missed. If even allies and advocates are getting it wrong, how can the average travel planner get it right? It’s not fair to the disability community because we’re already so afraid to travel. Agents falsely claiming to be disability experts could ruin travel for good.”

Her training challenges agents to stop asking, Is this accessible? and start asking the right questions. “If you ask whether something is accessible, your answer is almost guaranteed to be wrong. Accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. Instead, we need to ask, How are you going to accommodate this traveler’s needs?” She gave the example, “If you go to Fiji, you won’t find ramps and beach wheelchairs: you’ll find a people group who are willing to do whatever it takes to help you experience everything. They will carry you and make sure you’re a part of everything.” Accessibility doesn’t always look the same. We need to rewind and ask the right questions.

A Global Impact on Accessible Travel

Kristy sits in her wheelchair wearing a red dress and black boots next to another person in a suit at the ITB Berlin.

Kristy’s influence isn’t limited to the U.S. She was recently a keynote speaker and panelist at Accessible Tourism Day, a part of ITB Berlin.

“I was blown away to be trusted as a keynote speaker when I was still untested,” she admits. The panel included major global figures in accessible tourism, discussing what the industry will look like in ten years and how to get there.

Her keynote, Rethinking Accessibility, focused on shifting perspectives from limitations to possibilities. “It’s about helping people reach their full potential and dream in ways they’ve never imagined,” she explains. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with one industry leader commenting, ‘We hit the jackpot with Kristy.’

Unifying the Industry for Change

Kristy is now curating a series for the Accessible Travel Network, highlighting destinations excelling in accessibility. She’s also spearheading TICAT (The Inclusive Coalition for Accessible Travel), bringing together disability groups and major travel organizations to push for industry-wide change.

“We don’t need more personal kingdoms—we need to be a force to be reckoned with. Unification is the key to changing the world.”

Additionally, she’s working with Dr. Charlie Powell on designing the first all-inclusive resort in Mexico for families with disabilities, ensuring that “0 compromise” is built into the blueprint.

Joey’s Journeys: Empowering Travelers with Disabilities

Kristy’s latest endeavor, Joey’s Journeys, coordinates trips for families needing extra support and fosters independence for young adults with disabilities looking to travel on their own.“This isn’t just about making travel accessible—it’s about making it possible in ways people haven’t dreamed of before.”

What Would You Do?

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What height is the right height?

This month’s What Would You Do is taken from Brittany DeJean’s post on LinkedIn.

Q: You are at a conference and are about to have a conversation with someone in a wheelchair who is half your height. What do you do? 

This is the scenario that a woman posed to me. She asked, “Should you get down like they are a child and talk to them face to face or do you treat them like anyone else who’s not your height?”

This second-guessing is enough to make some determine that it feels easier (and safer) to avoid the conversation at all. But avoiding disability is not a strategy (not to mention how awful it feels), and this woman wanted to know the “protocol”.

A: The answer is…it depends.

It’s not about getting it “right”, but assessing the situation to see how you can achieve your goal of having an actual conversation with someone.

Consider things like:

🔸 How long is the conversation?

🔸 How loud is the room?

🔸 Is there a chair for you nearby?

There have been times when I’ve bent down to speak to someone in a wheelchair because the room is too loud to hear otherwise. I’ve also proposed moving to a quieter location where we could be heard more easily.

There have been times when I stand at my normal height and converse just fine. I have also proposed finding a place where I could take a seat and get us at eye level. Sometimes I’ve been able to just pull up a chair in the vicinity.

If you get too fixated on following a “rule” (that in actuality, doesn’t exist the way you may assume it does), you risk losing the opportunity to have an authentic interaction with someone. No two wheelchair-users are the same, nor can you expect them to have the same norms, preferences or personalities.

So rather than go for a rule, go for your goal of a conversation, and remove any barriers that could keep that from happening.

Other comments included the importance of asking what the person feels most comfortable with. Being disabled doesn’t automatically make any one thing true or consistent about a person. It’s important to consider a person’s personal preference.