Ayleen lives with a spinal cord injury and is able to walk with her C-Braces. On tough days or longer trips, she relies on her wheelchair. Her favorite escapes are snorkeling trips where the feeling of weightlessness lets her forget barriers and truly feel free. Traveling is her passion, but it often comes with extra worries: calling airlines to share wheelchair details, only to find it scratched or damaged, or relying on train support that can be delayed or canceled last minute. Despite these challenges, Ayleen has found ways to make travel possible and uses her social media to raise awareness - helping others feel seen and less alone.

Zainab is a globe-trotting model, TV personality, and businesswoman who moves with confidence using her leg prosthesis. Yet, travel isn’t always easy. She’s familiar with the frustration of being treated like a security risk – rigorous pat-downs or requests to remove her prosthetic leg. Last-minute gate or platform changes drain extra energy that often goes unseen. To embrace her journey, Zainab chooses outfits that celebrate her prosthesis rather than hide it. She’s adapted, but hopes for greater awareness and empathy from the world.

Davide is a Paralympic athlete who knows how to push through limits both on and off the track. Living with arm and leg prostheses, he’s familiar with the vulnerability travel can bring – the worry that everything will go smoothly, from security checks to navigating broken elevators. Everyday technology like touchscreens and automated check-ins can become unexpected hurdles, turning simple tasks into exhausting challenges. What some see as minor inconveniences are, for Davide, extra races to run.

Did you know that in the US alone, over 12,000 wheelchairs are lost or damaged every year during air travel? For many travelers with disabilities, a broken wheelchair isn’t just an inconvenience – it can mean the difference between a trip or a canceled journey – or even a night at the airport.

A study by the National Disability Authority found that up to 50% of hotel rooms labeled as “accessible” fail to meet basic accessibility standards, leaving travelers with disabilities in challenging situations.

Lengthy paperwork - whether applying for travel assistance, arranging wheelchair shipping, or carrying detailed info about prostheses – adds stress and delays for travelers with disabilities. Slow or unreliable support at airports, train stations, and hotels turns simple trips into frustrating challenges.

Whether using taxis, ride-hailing services or public transit, travelers with disabilities often face long wait times - or no service at all. Accessible vehicles are limited, and some drivers may even cancel rides when they see that users travel with a wheelchair or need more support, leaving travelers stranded.

Nature tours, beaches, hiking trails, or boat rides are rarely adapted for people with mobility impairments. This excludes many travelers from exploring natural attractions - especially when terrain, lack of adaptive equipment, or safety concerns are not considered.