Travel is on many peoples’ bucket lists for the new decade as we bring in the 2020s, but doing so in a wheelchair holds unique challenges and rewards. Having visited all continents of the world by myself independently in either a manual or powered wheelchair I’m here to let you know it can be done.  

Staring out the car window at the great pyramid of Giza in Egypt, my initial reaction was awe at this ancient wonder of the world. Awe promptly turned to feeling perplexed as the four wheels of my wheelchair bogged into the sand before I even left the car. 

At this moment I had an epiphany! A wheelchair is simply a mode of transportation! And, for certain locations, my wheelchair may not be the most suitable.  

Top tips: 

1. Decide whether you want the perfectly accessible holiday (organised through an accessible tour company and verified by other people you know) or if you’re willing to risk discomfort, inconvenience and having to be creative to get somewhere you desperately want to go. Most of my adventures in a manual wheelchair fall in the latter camp and have taken me from dodging chariot ruts in Pompeii to backpacking in Europe and more recently catching Amtrak around the USA with a power wheelchair. 

2. Adapt your thinking to the environment. When you encounter a wheelchair related barrier such as sand at the pyramids, ask yourself whether an alternative mode of transport is available.

To access the pyramids, the answer to my conundrum walked over the sand Dunes - like a scene from Laurence of Arabia! Charlie Brown, a most obliging camel, agreed to sit down next to the vehicle making a level transfer (Charlie’s terms were negotiated by my driver/translator).

On the Greek islands, drive-through souvlaki restaurants, sunsets and beaches! Quad bikes were my holiday transport of choice, with my chair strapped to the back of the bike!

In the snow, my sister towed me on a toboggan until I discovered sit-skiing.

3. Select the right wheelchairs & equipment. Assistive technology such as power assist, or an e-pilot attachment to make the front wheel of your manual wheelchair larger, might be useful while travelling on cobblestones or long distance. Powered wheelchairs can cover great stretches and more rough terrain provided you have a vehicle to transport it. Once you have chosen the assistive technology make sure you work out how to travel with it - for example will it fit in your car and what are the instructions for travelling with it on an aircraft? 

Tourism for people with a disability is not only possible, it’s also booming, contributing $3.3 billion to travel expenditure in Australia alone. By travelling, we vote with our money for the destinations which make themselves accessible and show there is a demand for accessible opportunities such as the Great Barrier Reef pontoon, complete with a wheelchair hoist into the water for snorkelling. The next decade is going to be a game-changer for accessible tourism, opening up attractions to be universally accessible, not only for wheelchair users but all abilities including ageing travellers, parents with prams, even broken limbs.  I can’t wait to be part of it by ticking new things off my bucket list and advocating for more inclusive experiences.  

Whatever holiday you plan this decade, my best advice is to expect the unexpected, and you’ll be guaranteed memories to last a lifetime. Sometimes the tales of the adventure that went crazily wrong are the ones that you are reliving at the dinner table decades later. 

*Part one of a series. Up next; carrying luggage, travel by plane bus train and car, sourcing accommodation and more. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marayke Jonkers is a motivational speaker and expert in empowering the audience to embrace the peak performance paradox to lead a gold medal life. A three-time Paralympian and medallist in swimming, Australia’s first female para-triathlon medallist at a world championship and founder of the charity Sporting Dreams empowering athletes with a disability. Marayke is also passionate about diversity and inclusion. When not travelling the world or checking out the latest adaptive fashion she can often be found handcycling along the Maroochy River near her home on the Sunshine Coast QLD. 

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