The Intersection of Travel and Disability
By Jennifer Allen
Sylvia Longmire is the accessible travel writer behind Spin the Globe. She’s also a filmmaker and producer, bilingual voice actor, media personality, and disability rights advocate.
Sylvia has been on a handful of helicopter tours around the globe, but her experience in Honolulu, Hawaii stands out in accessibility. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters has an innovative way to make helicopter rides accessible to all. Sylvia Longmire shares her experience here.
Each month we try to address various accessibility issues that may arise within the TravelAbility community.
An Uber driver pulls up to a scheduled ride and sees that the passenger is accompanied by a guide dog. The driver immediately shares that he has a severe allergy to dogs and says that he can’t let the dog in the car. The passenger, who is blind, is now stranded. Neither the driver nor the passenger are sure of what to do. If you were the driver? The passenger? The platform? What would you do?
“I think the Uber driver should arrange for another driver to come asap and if the person is alone stay with them until the next driver arrives.It would be great for Uber to include some type of filter on the app that addresses this issue so it does not happen repeatedly.”
“The platform/app should have an option to indicate “guide dog” for the traveler, and “allergies” while onboarding new drivers.”
“Uber could provide incentives to drivers to provide these services. The online platform should have accessibility options to connect people with disabilities with equipped drivers.”
“The driver needs to contact Uber before pulling away and Uber should send a new driver.”
“The platform could ask about guide dogs, but that could make it even harder to get a ride.”
All respondents agreed that Uber should be responsible for finding a replacement driver before leaving the passenger. Adding accessibility filters to the platform would help avoid the situation altogether.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Each year, the TravelAbility Summit brings together travel professionals, entrepreneurs, and disability advocates to explore how to make travel more accessible for everyone. Last year’s summit included a panel of blind travelers who shared the challenges they’ve encountered and offered insights on how destinations can eliminate barriers to blind travel.
Check out the panel’s key takeaways below and click the YouTube link to rewatch the session. Want to learn more? Don’t miss the 2025 TravelAbility Summit at Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, October 13-15, 2025, where you can connect with industry experts and disability advocates dedicated to making travel more inclusive for all.
From California and British Columbia to Germany and around the globe, the TravelAbility community is making waves – and headlines.
(Watch the full adventure on YouTube)
By Jennifer Allen
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.
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.
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 greatest barriers in this journey aren’t physical. The main struggles we face have been:
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.
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:
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