Accessible travel blog founder Cory Lee is committed to helping other wheelchair users travel the world freely.
It basically means I have overall muscle weakness.
It was a really fun trip.
Credit:Courtesy of Cory Lee
Thats when the travel bug really bit me.
Ive found that people everywhere are friendly and helpful, and there’s so much empathy.
But there were and still are many challenges traveling in a wheelchair.
Courtesy of Cory Lee
It seems like at least one thing will go wrong on every trip.
Some of the initial challenges were around navigation, like finding accessible taxis and public transportation.
At one point, we even talked to some policemen about possibly carrying me up the stairs.
Courtesy of Cory Lee
But my wheelchair weighs about 400 pounds, so it was nearly impossible.
Eventually, we found an elevator that was out of the way.
Once on the street level, we got a taxi, but I almost missed the show.
Courtesy of Cory Lee
Sparks flew and it blew up the charger.
Fortunately, we found a repair shop the next day.
Things like that in the beginning were a struggle, but they prepared me.
Courtesy of Cory Lee
He shut me down, even though I traveled to get there.
That same week, I was planning my college graduation trip to Australia.
I noticed there was so little information aboutaccessible travel.
Courtesy of Cory Lee
Between those two things, I decided to start a blog,Curb Free With Cory Leein December 2013.
It was a different world at the time.
There were many destinations I couldn’t have visited 10 or even five years ago.
Courtesy of Cory Lee
Unfortunately, there were zero accessible transportation options in the entire country until 2018, whenEnable Travelstarted there.
As soon as I learned about them, I immediately booked a trip.
And I finally was able to see the Taj Mahal.
There have been so many pioneers and disability advocates that fought so long to make the world more accessible.
I was born in 1990 the year the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed.
I’ve also noticed a huge change on the beaches in the U.S. within the past few years.
They also have beach wheelchairs to go in the water or out on the sand further.
The fact that kids who use a wheelchair nowadays can visit the beach like any other person is incredible.
As for flying, booking a flight is a fairly simple process.
I’m pretty loyal to Delta Air Lines because I’m based near Atlanta.
Im able to input the dimensions of my wheelchair and its weight.
Its a bit of a process.
I’m able to stay in my wheelchair until I get to the door of the plane.
They then have to physically pick me up and put me in the seat.
The airlines do provide assistance for transferring me into the plane seat.
Hopefully, we’ll see a shift and be able to stay in our wheelchairs during the flight.
Our first trip was to Morocco, a destination you may not think is wheelchair accessible.
But there we were, four wheelchair users rolling through an alleyway in Marrakech.
We got a lot of stares and questions.
I believe we’re really changing perspectives when people see us out in the world on these international trips.
I’m completely OK with that because I hope they learn more about people with disabilities.
So far, we have sent people to Disney World, the Caribbean, and soon Morocco.
We’ve provided some incredible experiences through the foundation and it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever done.
As a wheelchair user, I can stay at home and be comfortable for the rest of my life.
