Traveling with a disability: How I've explored 13 countries in a wheelchair

By Hawken Miller • Washington Post

A Vietnamese security guard shook his head as I approached the entrance to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on my blue mobility scooter. I knew what was coming next.

"You can't take a motorized vehicle in," our guide translated.

After negotiating for a few minutes, we ditched the scooter, and my dad scooped me onto his shoulders.

I have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare neuromuscular disorder that causes the weakening of muscle cells, which makes it difficult to walk and nearly impossible to do most physical activity. As a result, I've had plenty of limitations traveling.

Traveling with a disability is not easy, but it should be enjoyed by everyone. This includes Americans who have trouble walking or are unable to walk, who make up 7% of the population, according to a 2017 report by the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire.

I've managed to see 13 countries, 23 states and Puerto Rico, largely thanks to my dad. He has literally carried me through situations any able-bodied person would have difficulty with, whether it was down a waterfall in Argentina or up to the Great Wall of China. We started when I was 6 in Russia and haven't stopped. I just turned 23.

Still, traveling with a physical disability is a challenge. I've ridden a small, irritable donkey with no saddle up the cliffs of the Greek island of Santorini, persuaded Argentina's government not to disassemble my mobility device, and navigated rough cobblestone in Italy and slippery rock stairs at Iguazu Falls, in Argentina. An elevator and low-grade ramp would have helped immensely. Unfortunately, you don't always get what you need while traveling.

Getting out of my comfort zone and experiencing different places has shaped my worldview and the way I interact with others. I hope to show those in similar situations that we are capable of seeing the globe.

"Give as much info and do as much research ahead of time so you don't put yourself in a bad situation," says Eric Lipp of Open Doors Organization, a nonprofit that helps businesses serve the disabled community.

Planning ahead can reduce unforeseen problems. Ask for pictures, be clear about what you need and triple-check accommodations.

Plenty of crowdsourced websites, such as Brettapproved, offer ratings of places based on the experiences of those with disabilities, caretakers, family members and friends.

Find out what kind of services are available in the places you'll go. If you call the Transportation Security Administration's TSA Cares hotline before a flight, the agency will give assistance from the curb to the plane.

Most airlines have dealt with people with disabilities, but it's important to take precautions. Measure the dimensions of your chair, if you have one, so they can get the right plane for you and paste easy-to-read handling instructions on the mobility devices.

It's frightening to ask random people for help, especially from a lower point of view. When I traveled back and forth between cities during a summer internship, I had to ask people to help me put my luggage on the conveyor belt. They didn't bite, and it made my life a lot easier.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, when I ask for help, help is provided," Heising says.

People won't know how to help you if they don't know anything about your situation. That's why it's important to be transparent and give as much information about your condition as possible.

In 2012, my family wanted to go diving in St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Divers typically put their gear on near the front of the boat, walk a few feet to the back and slip into the water. With my limited muscle strength, it wasn't possible to walk that far with an oxygen tank, weighted belt and vest. Instead, my parents and I put on all of my equipment while I sat on the edge of the boat. All I had to do was shimmy a few inches and drop straight in.

There was also the issue of swimming on my own. I have enough strength to get in a few kicks with flippers on, but not enough to sustain the whole dive. We asked the guide if he could grab my dive vest and tow me between reefs.

That persistence of exploring ways around a barrier is natural to Adedoyin Adepitan, a former Paralympic athlete-turned-travel-TV-host for the BBC who is always on the road. He uses a wheelchair because of polio complications and approaches everything with the same attitude:

"We'll go, and if we come across an obstacle we can't deal with, then we'll find a way of overcoming it," says Adepitan. "There are always ways to make what you want to do work."

Yes, there's a lot of stress when it comes to traveling with a disability. But don't let that subtract from a good time. Focus on the bright spots, even if things didn't go how you wanted. Celebrate the things that work out better than you could have imagined.