Tourism in a Wheelchair

Tourism for People with Disabilities

Traveling is one of the most valuable ways for me to spend time. Ever since I can remember, I've always loved active leisure and exploring tourist-friendly destinations. Backpacking was a staple of every holiday. Everything changed after breaking my cervical spine and damaging my spinal cord. After such a severe injury, I thought I would never have the chance to visit the places I hadn't seen before that fateful dive into the water.

My Journey to Wheelchair Accessible Tourism

Over the years, I increasingly came across information about tourist attractions being adapted for people with mobility impairments. I hesitated for a long time, but on one occasion, I gently mentioned to friends that I dreamed of going back to my beloved mountains in Świeradów-Zdrój, where a new gondola lift had been opened. My friends reacted very positively, and soon I embarked on my first long-distance tourist trip.

The Active Rehabilitation Foundation – A Key to an Active Life

My further development, aimed at embracing life and stepping beyond my immediate surroundings, was significantly aided by attending a camp organized by the Active Rehabilitation Foundation. Despite doubts about the value of participating in such workshops, the 10 days spent in Zielona Góra provided an even stronger motivation to fight for myself and my dreams. As a result, I became open to extreme sports and tourist trips to places like Zakopane, Kraków, Wieliczka, and many other interesting destinations.

Why It's Worth Accepting Help from Others

I'm glad that I've reached a point in my development and approach to life where I can fulfill my dreams. Of course, I am very grateful to my friends who want to help, as reaching many tourist attractions would otherwise be impossible for me. I used to be ashamed of accepting help from others, but now I don't have much of a problem with it, and I often notice joy and satisfaction in my loved ones or even strangers when they can help make a dream come true. An example of this is a text message sent by an instructor at an aerodynamic tunnel to my friend who organized the whole trip: "Thank you as well; this was an amazing experience for us. I'm glad your friend got what he expected :) And it gives us incredible motivation!"

I regret that I didn't use the early years of life in a wheelchair to their full potential. Therefore, I want as few people as possible to make the same mistake. I encourage everyone who cannot independently reach and enjoy tourist attractions to accept the help of close and distant acquaintances. There are indeed many people in the world who are willing to dedicate their time to help us, and it also brings them great joy. Sometimes, all it takes is opening our minds to experience something truly wonderful. We don't have many opportunities to break the monotony of our lives, so when one arises, we shouldn't resist it. Sometimes, our loved ones don't know what we want or how to make us happy, so gently suggesting that we'd like to see something in person can set actions in motion to make our dream come true, leading to new, even bigger and bolder ones.

Traveling is a Right for Everyone

With the right tourism solutions, people with disabilities can enjoy the joy of discovering the world. More and more people are recognizing that barrier-free tourism is the future of the industry, supporting the development of accessible solutions and helping people with disabilities fulfill their travel dreams.

On my website, I present a list of places and tourist attractions, along with detailed descriptions, that I have managed to visit in a wheelchair and can heartily recommend to others with limited mobility.