Shining a Light on Accessible Travel: Disability History Month Q&A with Jasmine West
ResourcesBlogShining a Light on Accessible Travel: Disability History Month Q&A with Jasmine West
For most travellers, the risk of their legs being “lost” doesn’t exist, but for wheelchair users, losing or damaging a mobility device can ruin an entire trip or even leave them stranded.
Nov 20
Summary
Disability History Month has arrived! To raise awareness, we’ve partnered with Jasmine West, an experienced travel agent who specialises in accessible travel. In this Q&A, Jasmine shares insights into common misconceptions, the challenges disabled travellers face, and her hopes for the future of inclusive travel.
As the holiday season approaches, many of us are busy planning trips, family gatherings, and festive getaways. Travel is often associated with joy, freedom, and adventure, but for people with disabilities, it can also bring unique challenges that most travellers never have to consider. From inaccessible hotel rooms to unpredictable airport assistance, the barriers can be frustrating and exhausting.
Disability History Month is the perfect time to reflect on these realities, celebrate progress, and amplify voices calling for change. At SEND Tutoring, we believe that inclusion should extend far beyond the classroom. It should shape every aspect of life, including the way we travel. That’s why we’re honored to share insights from Jasmine West, an experienced travel agent who specialises in accessible holidays. With years of personal experience travelling in a wheelchair, Jasmine brings both professional expertise and lived perspective to her work. She understands how important care, respect, and attention to detail are when planning a trip, and has dedicated her career to making journeys smoother, safer, and more enjoyable for disabled travellers.
We sat down with Jasmine for a Q&A to explore the changes she hopes to see in the travel industry, the tools she recommends, and the misconceptions she wants to challenge.
What changes would you like to see in the travel industry to better support disabled travelers?
“I’d like to see the travel industry move from minimal compliance to meaningful accessibility, and designing for real people rather than just ticking legal boxes. For example, more hotels with pool hoists, swimming shouldn’t be a luxury and only available to able-bodied guests. Hotels should install reliable pool and spa hoists as standard, keep them maintained, and train staff to use them safely. I’d like to see truly accessible hotel rooms, not just “step-free”. An accessible room should mean usable. That includes: Handrails in the bathroom positioned correctly, roll-in showers without thresholds, height-appropriate beds that are stable and allow safe transfers, wide doorways and enough circulation space, accessible balconies, not ones blocked by a 3-inch lip or a heavy sliding door.. the list could and does go on!
I would also like to see hotels list on their websites whether they have accessible rooms or not, and if they do, include the following: door widths, bed height, bathroom layouts, shower bench type, grab-bar locations, lift size/ availability, and they should provide photos or videos to show customers what they’re booking, just like an able-bodied person when they book a standard sea view room.”
Are there any apps or tools you recommend for finding accessible routes or services?
“I use a mix of apps because no single platform is perfect. Google Maps and TripAdvisor are my go-to tools for getting an overview, especially when I’m abroad because they often have photos, reviews, and basic accessibility notes. You can’t rely on them completely, of course, but they’re a great starting point, and it’s always useful to see what other travellers have shared about routes, terrain, or facilities. Beyond that, I always recommend doing deeper research. That’s actually a key part of my role at World Accessible Holidays. We look into accessible hotels, destinations, routes, and services in much more detail than you’ll find on standard apps. Combining on-the-ground research with traveller-generated information is what really gives you a reliable picture of how accessible a place will be.”
What are your top tips for communicating accessibility needs to airlines and hotels?
“The first step is always to be as specific as possible about what you need. Rather than saying, “I need an accessible room,” it’s much more effective to describe the exact features that make a room usable for you. For example, clarifying that you need a roll-in shower with no lip, properly positioned grab bars, a bed at a particular height, or enough space on both sides of the bed for transfers helps staff understand your requirements, rather than guessing. The same applies to airline communication. Instead of saying you need assistance, explain whether you require help to the aircraft door, an aisle chair for boarding, support during transfers, or special handling for a mobility device. When staff know exactly what’s needed, they’re far more likely to prepare appropriately. We arrange all of this for our customers when booking a holiday with us.
It’s also vital to get everything in writing. Phone calls are handy for quick questions, but details can be forgotten or misrecorded, especially in busy hotels or airline call centres. After speaking to someone, follow up with an email summarising what you discussed and ask them to confirm the arrangements in writing. This gives you something to refer back to if there’s confusion on arrival, or if you’re suddenly told at check-in that your accessible room has been reassigned or your assistance request “isn’t in the system.”
What are the biggest misconceptions people have about traveling with a disability?
“Many people assume that traveling with a disability is impossible or at least extremely limited, as if the world simply isn’t open to you. In reality, disabled travelers go everywhere, whether that’s solo, with friends, on long-haul adventures, beach holidays, city breaks, cruises, you name it. What outsiders don’t see is the extra planning involved. It’s not the travel itself that’s the issue; it’s the hidden work behind the scenes to ensure accessibility and safety. The misconception isn’t that disabled people can’t travel, it’s that the world still makes them work twice as hard for the same experience. There’s also a widespread belief that “accessible” means the same thing everywhere, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Many people think that if a hotel or attraction claims to be accessible, it automatically meets everyone’s needs. They don’t realise that accessibility is deeply individual. A ramp helps some people but is useless if the bathroom is inaccessible, if there’s a steep hill outside the entrance, if the bed is too high, or if the lift is broken. The idea that accessibility is a simple on/off switch is one of the most persistent misconceptions.”
What kinds of unexpected travel challenges tend to affect wheelchair users in ways that other passengers might not experience?
“One of the biggest hidden challenges is the unpredictability of everything. For example, while most travellers simply walk to the gate at the airport, wheelchair users rely on staff to arrive on time, bring the right equipment, and understand proper handling. Assistance can be delayed, understaffed, or rushed, and that unpredictability adds stress to every stage of the journey. Missing assistance can lead to missed connections, unsafe transfers, or long waits alone. Another issue is how wheelchairs are handled once they’re taken away at the aircraft door. Power chairs are often dismantled by staff who don’t know how they work, leading to damaged parts, disconnected batteries, or chairs being stored on their sides. Even manual chairs get bent frames or broken brakes. For most travellers, the risk of their legs being “lost” doesn’t exist, but for wheelchair users, losing or damaging a mobility device can ruin an entire trip or even leave them stranded.
Inside the aircraft, the challenges continue. Narrow aisles, heavy cabin doors, and inaccessible toilets mean that wheelchair users may go hours without being able to use the bathroom, which requires careful planning, dehydration before flying, or managing discomfort silently. Other passengers simply move about freely, but wheelchair users often can’t. This is a personal difficulty for me. Hotels bring their own set of unexpected obstacles. A property may advertise an “accessible room,” but on arrival the wheelchair user discovers a small step to the bathroom, a shower with a raised lip, grab bars in strange locations, or a bed too high to transfer into safely. This is why we do what we do!
Transport at the destination is another minefield. Accessible taxis might be scarce, broken lifts at train stations can force huge detours, and buses may have ramps that drivers refuse to deploy or don’t know how to use. A journey that should be simple can suddenly take twice as long or become impossible. Most travellers adapt quickly by walking a different route; wheelchair users don’t have that option. There’s also the challenge of unexpected accessibility failures, such as the elevator that’s out of service, the ramp blocked by a delivery, or the “step-free entrance” that’s locked after certain hours. These issues may seem like minor inconveniences to others, but for a wheelchair user they can mean being stuck somewhere or unable to enter a building at all. I could keep going but I won’t!”
Rethinking Travel Through an Accessible Lens
Jasmine’s reflections are more than practical tips. They’re a wake‑up call. What many of us take for granted when booking a holiday, like walking into a hotel room or boarding a plane, can be a maze of obstacles for disabled travellers. Her examples of pool hoists, usable hotel rooms, and the unpredictability of airport assistance shine a light on how far the industry still has to go.
The truth is, accessibility isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a basic right. Yet Jasmine’s stories reveal how often disabled travellers are forced to work twice as hard for the same experience. That should make all of us stop and think.
So what can we do?
If you work in travel or hospitality, commit to meaningful accessibility, not just compliance.
If you’re a traveler, take time to notice accessibility features and share honest reviews that help others.
If you’re part of a local group or organisation, push for inclusive design in public spaces and hold service providers accountable.
As customers and travellers, we can all play a role by speaking up when accessibility falls short and challenging businesses to raise their standards.
At SEND Tutoring, we believe education and awareness are the first steps toward inclusion. By listening to leaders like Jasmine West, we can better understand the challenges disabled travellers face and work together to create a world where every traveller can explore freely, without barriers. Disability History Month reminds us that progress is possible when voices like Jasmine’s are heard. Her experiences shouldn’t just inspire us. They should compel us to demand better. Let’s act on her insights, and by demanding better, we can create a travel industry where inclusion is woven into every journey. Change begins when accessibility stops being optional and starts being the norm.
If you’re looking for support for a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability, book a free call with us todayand find out how we can help.
