From wheelchair-secure seating to better-designed websites to increased medicine allowance, there are many things the travel industry can do to improve the experience for many travelers. We asked a range of writers and campaigners, from TV presenter and disability rights advocate Sophie Morgan to the founder of Traveleyes, Amar Latif OBE, what changes they want to see in the coming year.
There’s still a tendency to think about accessible travel as physical access—installing ramps and elevators, for example— and of course, those changes can make the difference between doing and not doing something to many people. But accessibility in travel goes beyond that. It’s about making travel websites easier to use for partially sighted or blind travelers; it’s about recognizing one in six people globally has a disability, and that some of those may be invisible conditions; and it’s about understanding that what improves the experience for a traveler in a wheelchair, usually ends up benefiting other people, such as someone with limited mobility or recovering from an injury.
Accessible travel is a broad term that, when done right, can make travel inclusive—or at least, more inclusive—to a huge swathe of people. And while profits are the least of it, it also makes economic sense. This often-overlooked market has money to spend and wants to travel, but is often put-off by unnecessary barriers, physical or otherwise.
Of course, none of these changes can be made without collaborating and discussing needs with those who require them. While some organizations and providers may not be equipped, financially or otherwise, to do everything they’d like to, sometimes small changes can make a big difference too. We asked a broad group of travel writers and disability advocates what they think the industry needs to do in 2026 to make travel more accessible and inclusive across the board. One thing is clear: It’s time to stop just talking about the importance of accessible travel—and start making the changes that are possible.
TV presenter Sophie Morgan is a multi-award-winning travel writer, speaker and disability advocate specializing in accessible and inclusive travel. She is the founder of Rights on Flights, a global campaign fighting for the rights of disabled air travelers, and the author of the memoir ‘Driving Forwards’. Read Sophie’s stories on Adventure.com here.
“Air travel is still the only mode of transport where wheelchair users are forced out of the very equipment that keeps us safe. No-one would design a system like this today, and yet millions of us are expected to endure it often at great physical and emotional cost.
The technology for wheelchair-secure seating already exists, the demand is overwhelming, and the moral case couldn’t be clearer. What’s missing is industry will.
Allowing wheelchair users to choose to remain in our chairs isn’t radical; it’s the baseline for dignity, safety and equal access. It would transform everything from injury rates to independence to the sheer possibility of travel. If 2026 is the year the aviation sector claims to care about inclusion, this is the moment to prove it, before any more of us are left behind.”
Sassy Wyatt is a travel and accessibility consultant changing the landscape of accessible tourism through speaking, content creation and her debut book ‘The Smart Marketer’s Guide to Digital Accessibility’. Her travel writing has been featured in national and international press and she has won several awards for her work which you can find out more about at BlindGirlAdventures.com
“In 2026, blind travelers need the industry to fix digital access first. We want apps and websites that work with screen readers, with clear headings, logical navigation and booking forms we can complete without sighted assistance.
Every airline, hotel and tour provider should offer a dedicated access page with described photos using alt text, short videos with audio description, and detailed but easy-to-follow walk-throughs so we can understand a space before booking.
Planning a trip online should be as smooth for us as it is for sighted travelers. And when we arrive, staff need proper training so our access needs are recognized and acted on. This is the foundation of accessible travel.”
Suzanne Morphet has been a journalist for most of her career, beginning at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). But with a genetic and progressive hearing loss, working in a radio newsroom eventually became impossible. Suzanne now works as a freelance writer focusing on adventure travel, wildlife and Indigenous cultures. Watch this space for her first story on Adventure.com
“As someone with profound hearing loss, I can’t hear what’s being announced. After an announcement, I always turn to the person beside me–usually a stranger since I travel alone most of the time– and ask, ‘What did they say?’
It’s not a good way to obtain information, especially if it’s safety-related or urgent. Long-haul flights have back-of-seat screens. When in-flight entertainment is interrupted for an announcement, it would be a simple thing to caption what is being said. The technology exists. That’s how I follow Zoom meetings–by reading the live captions.
For flights with no screens available, give us the option to read captions on our phones. Wi-fi is available on many flights now, and apps are also available to provide live transcription. It’s not only people like me who would benefit. People with normal hearing tell me they sometimes struggle to catch announcements over poorly amplified sound systems.”
Matt Dennis is a freelance travel writer based in the southwest of the UK, and founder of empoweredtraveller.com. Never happier than when he is discovering somewhere or something new to him, he can usually be found on the hunt for good food—unsurprisingly, two of his favorite places are India and Italy. Read his stories on Adventure.com here.
“What would be immediately helpful is if tourist boards and hospitality organizations such as hotels and attractions focus on verifying the accuracy of information provided for travelers with additional needs. If disabled travelers can access trustworthy sources covering aspects such as barriers, toilet facilities and transport options, this would allow them to make better informed decisions. It means we can decide whether to travel, select which places to visit and stay at, and plan routes with greater confidence. It would reduce uncertainty and encourage more inclusive travel experiences.
The opportunities to improve accessible travel are immense, but some organizations and destinations are more engaged than others, with certain places leading the way. A recent visit to Costa Rica demonstrated dynamic progress in this area. For example, the fabulous Donatapa scheme is a huge success, encouraging locals to collect bottle caps which are recycled into hard-wearing, roll-out plastic walkways for beaches, in turn making them wheelchair-accessible. There are currently 15 accessible beaches on the Pacific Coast and two (with a third soon to be rolled out) on the Caribbean coast. Regardless of perspective, whether ethical or financial, it is clear that making travel accessible to everyone is the sensible path forward.”
Zanny Merullo is a disabled travel journalist who writes about tourism as a force for good. A former Cambodia resident, she’s currently based in Colorado in the US. Read Zanny’s stories on Adventure.com here.
“As someone who is disabled because of chronic health issues, one of my greatest frustrations is that how I look on the outside (young and healthy) doesn’t match how I feel on the inside (tired and often in pain). Which is why I feel conflicted about taking up handicap seating when traveling. The dirty looks and questions from those who believe I’m inconsiderate because my disability isn’t immediately apparent just don’t feel worth the physical reprieve.
In 2026, I’d love to see designated seating for people with chronic illnesses in airports and other public spaces. That, plus extra baggage allowance for medication (I take upwards of 20 pills each day and usually have to pay for a checked bag to fit all of my meds), would make travel a whole lot easier. I also take medications that have to be refrigerated, and have struggled to get enough ice to keep my medicine cold on long-haul flights.
It’s time for accessibility measures to take those of us with chronic conditions into account, too.”
Tanzila Khan travels the world with her pink rucksack on the back of her wheelchair while collecting stories, experiences and recipes. She divides her time between Sweden and Pakistan or wherever there is good food, and also runs a menstrual healthcare company in Pakistan. Read Tanzila’s story on Adventure.com here about traveling by wheelchair to a festival in Spain.
“Having traveled to more than 35 countries on wheels gave me memories but also mishaps–from broken assistive devices to lost wheelchairs to discrimination by hotels, airlines and tour operators.
Most companies join the ‘DEI Policy’ bandwagon, but none of these policies include remedies; disabled travelers end up in a frustrating loop of asking for but getting no actual support. What happens, for example, when airlines break wheelchairs and leave users stranded at airports? Sometimes, staff don’t know how to deal with such a situation because their policy only talks about wheelchair transportation, but not when something goes wrong.
Perhaps airlines could provide air tags for wheelchairs so they never get lost. And if they do, at least they know where it is. Sometimes, it’s not even loaded in the same aircraft and you find out only once you have reached your destination. Too many policies are stuck in the ‘honeymoon’ phase–all optimism and no accountability. In 2026, I hope to see companies publicly commit to compensation and protect travelers with a disability so we can travel focused more on memories than mishaps.”
Savannah Finestone is a discerning diabetic travel journalist and disability advocate, dishing the dirt on accessible destinations worldwide and campaigning for greater inclusivity in the travel industry.
“As a Type 1 diabetic, travel can be… an adventure. Ever tried injecting yourself at 38,000 feet, in a two-foot cubicle, during turbulence? Fun. But the drama starts long before take-off. Strict hand-luggage limits make me re-evaluate “essential” holiday packing. A “your sunnies or your life” scenario. Because I’m not getting very far without my insulin.
That’s if I don’t have it confiscated by security. I have fond memories of Lithuanian border control detaining me for running an elaborate drug smuggling ring… “No, officer. That’s my pancreas in a pen.”
One change airlines could make is an automatic extra medical carry-on allowance, combined with better diabetes education across the industry. There’s ‘essential’ holiday carry on and then there’s truly essential carry on that people with chronic illnesses need to survive. Baggage allowances discriminate against those who need to take medication and all the paraphernalia.
Then there’s the kerfuffle of keeping meds cool. I once took a fridge to Antigua. Yes, a fridge. Meds aren’t luxuries; they’re survival gear. Airlines should instate an automatic extra medical carry-on allowance and a better basic level of staff education on chronic illnesses. A faulty pancreas shouldn’t make exploring the world a full-time logistical job.”
Carrie-Ann Lightley is a UK based accessible travel writer and speaker. She specializes in lived experience storytelling for national media, tourism boards and global brands which you can see more of here.
“I want travel media to show disabled people as we actually are. Not brave, not exceptional, but part of the crowd.
Show a wheelchair user being pampered in a spa, a blind traveler tasting something new, a mobility aid leaning against a sunbed while its owner reads in the shade. Scenes that feel natural and full of life.
Some brands are beginning to move in the right direction by hiring disabled creators and trusting us with the full story, not just the inspirational angle. What I want in 2026 is simple. Give us space to be human and recognize us as paying customers who expect the same choice and joy as anyone else.”
Amar Latif OBE is a Scottish entrepreneur, television presenter and founder of Traveleyes, a unique, global group tour operator offering holidays for blind and fully sighted travelers. Despite losing 95 percent of his sight by the age of 18, he has built a thriving career in business and television, presenting travel and documentary programs while championing accessibility and inclusion.
“As a blind traveler, the next step for accessible travel is simple: Make digital and in-person navigation usable for everyone. Around 95 percent of airline websites remain inaccessible, yet when I set up Traveleyes, which offers group holidays for blind and sighted travelers, accessibility was built into our website from the start with a screenreader compatible design.
Hotels, meanwhile, often prioritize sleek touchscreens over practicality. Simple adjustments from voice-activated lifts, to tactile or voiced air-con controls are all that’s needed. Accessibility shouldn’t be an ambition for the future–it isn’t complicated and should be standard.
But accessibility isn’t just technology. It’s attitude. Too often, assumptions limit what blind travelers are ‘allowed’ to do. We’ve seen blind and vision-impaired travelers skydive, ski and hike given the chance. So, for 2026, I want to see a world where accessibility isn’t an afterthought, but it’s built in from the first click to the final adventure.”
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Meera Dattani is executive editor at Adventure.com and an award-winning freelance travel journalist, with an interest in food and cultural heritage, wildlife, conservation, identity, and decolonizing and modernizing travel. Based in London, she has written for publications such as National Geographic Traveller, BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Condé Nast Traveller, and Travel Weekly.
