July 2025 Issue
Magazine Sections
Travelling with Cerebral Palsy . . . Yes, it's possible!
Guest Editor's note
By Marco Pasqua
When most people hear the word “travel,” they think of postcards, passport stamps, and bucket lists. For me, travel has always been about something more: proving that inclusion can and should be present wherever the human spirit dares to go. As someone born with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair, I’ve had to learn how to navigate the world in ways that most people don’t think twice about. But when I became a father in 2021, travel took on a new layer. It became about more than access — it became about legacy.
Marco Pasqua on accessible family travel with a four-year-old in tow
There are people who travel for the view, the thrill, the cuisine. Then there’s Marco Pasqua who travels to reframe what inclusion looks like, one passport stamp at a time. Marco is a Canadian accessibility consultant, inspirational speaker, and entrepreneur who’s been advocating for inclusion since childhood. Born with cerebral palsy, Marco began public speaking at just nine years old, sharing his story with the world long before accessibility became part of mainstream conversations.
Travelling boldly with cerebral palsy and epilepsy
Q&A with Melissa Lyon, B.Ed., M.Ed.
Melissa Lyon is a young adult who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She walks without assistance, but tires easily, has balance issues, and her lack of depth perception can cause her to trip. She also has a sensory processing disorder that causes her to be hypersensitive to sound, especially unexpected sounds.
Armed with Pedesting, Nabeel Ramji is rewriting the map on his own terms
Travel begins the moment you step out your front door or at least try to. For Nabeel Ramji, venturing out, especially into a new space has often required more planning than a cross-country flight. While others grab keys and go, he’s scouting locations like a secret agent. Not for fun but for survival. Why? Because Nabeel lives with cerebral palsy and navigating unfamiliar places with a power wheelchair isn’t charming, nor is it inspiring. It’s a daily game of access roulette. Will the door open? Will the elevator be wide enough? Will the accessible toilet actually be accessible, or is it just wishful thinking dressed up in blue signage?
Streets of Fire: Parenting With A Disability In Cologne, Germany
By Aaron Broverman
“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.” ~ Cheers theme song.
Nothing puts that in sharper relief than parenting with a disability and that same sentiment certainly came to the fore when I found myself in Cologne, Germany having to navigate my three-year-old across a street undergoing tram track construction while I drove a mobility scooter and didn’t speak a word of German. My son Wells and I found ourselves in this particular predicament because my wife, Brit, was Team Canada’s Chef de Mission (spokesperson) for the 2023 World Dwarf Games and Cologne was the host city.
Aaron Broverman on navigating the world with cerebral palsy
Broverman is a journalist and the Lead Editor, Forbes Advisor Canada. He’s also a dad and husband. He has cerebral palsy and uses a mobility scooter or forearm crutches depending on the terrain. He loves to travel but Aaron is not interested in cruises or resorts with sanitized experiences. “I like the grit,” he says. “If I’m travelling, I want to see the streets, the real stuff, even if it means sore hands, uphill climbs and accessibility that feels like a bit of a gamble.”
Adaptive Adventures
How wheelchair tennis star Thomas Venos travels the world with a wheelchair and no limits
It is one thing to cross countries. It is quite another to cross thresholds, those less visible but far more defining. Thomas Venos, from Anmore, a small village just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, does both. He moves between continents with skill, focus and the quiet certainty of someone who has taught himself to adapt to almost anything.
Travel Tips from Thomas Venos
- Bring Your Own Hand Controls
If you drive, invest in portable hand controls. These can be clamped onto the pedals of most rental cars, giving you the freedom to book any standard vehicle without needing to rely on modified fleets especially in countries where accessible options are scarce. - Gate-Check Your Wheelchair
Always request to gate-check your chair. This reduces the risk of damage, as it bypasses rough baggage handling and keeps your equipment within view until boarding.
Family Fun, No Limits
Re-routing to destinations that truly welcome all
When I entered the world of disability through my infant son, the journey forward felt full of unscalable obstacles. Even when he was small enough to ride in a stroller, I began to analyze every outing for what we would and wouldn’t be able to do as he grew into a child who would never be able to walk independently. At first, I worried that my son’s disability would limit our ability to travel—but over time, we discovered that accessibility was expanding, making more of the world open to us than I had imagined.
Better together - disability parent Q&A
Finances are often a much greater barrier than accessibility. There are several free trip programs for people with disabilities, but most of them involve grants and applications and can only be used once. This could be a great option for that bucket list trip you’ve always wanted to take, but they’re not going to help you travel more often as a family.
Briella and me: finding our way to a life with no limits
By Jennifer Allen
Briella entered the world by emergency C-section at 34 weeks. She was six weeks early, only weighing 3lbs 11 oz. I never thought this would happen to us and we were not prepared or educated about what to do with a preemie baby. This was Briella’s start to life: struggling through 24 long days in the NICU. Luckily for us, it was only 24 days and then we were able to take our baby home.
Accessible destination round up
From space adventures at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and hands-on science at the Cook Museum to butterfly magic at Huntsville Botanical Garden, North Alabama blends accessibility with genuine Southern hospitality. Even the historic village at Burritt on the Mountain has been renovated for access. Don’t miss the all abilities playground at Kids Kingdom, or dining in a jail cell at Main Street Cafe. It’s not just about access—it’s about belonging, and here, that welcome shines through every experience. You can check out our full itinerary here.
Feature Stories
AbleVu 2.0: Pioneering a New Era in Accessible Exploration
By Meegan Winters
In a significant stride toward inclusivity, AbleVu has unveiled its much-anticipated 2.0 platform, setting a new benchmark in accessible digital navigation. This latest iteration introduces a suite of features designed to empower individuals with disabilities, caregivers, and advocates by providing comprehensive, community-sourced accessibility insights.
Finding Accessible Short-Term Rentals: A Personal Journey
Several weeks ago, a friend reached out asking for assistance in locating an accessible short-term rental for her daughter Jamie, who lives with Cerebral Palsy. At first, I felt confident about tackling this request—how complicated could it be? That confidence quickly shifted once I realized I needed more information about Jamie’s specific requirements to begin my search.
Gateway Arch National Park takes a monumental step towards inclusion
There are national parks, and then there’s Gateway Arch National Park. Rising from the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, its iconic curve has long drawn the gaze of visitors. But what lies beneath that shining silhouette isn’t simply steel and symbolism. It’s thoughtful design, deliberate inclusion and a renewed understanding of what access truly means.
Global travel as a wheelchair user and mom: Lessons from Marjorie Aunos
The car accident happened when her son Thomas was a baby, just 16 months old. One moment she was a new mother chasing after a toddler. The next, she was learning how to navigate the world from a wheelchair. Nothing really prepares you for that combo of parenting and paralysis, both arriving in full force. But she adapted because she had to and because there were places to go!
Modular Homes with Built-In Accessibility for Long-Term Travel
By Edrian Blasquino
Imagine planning a six-month trip. You research accessible travel destinations. You budget. Then reality hits. Hotels promise accessibility but deliver narrow doorways or broken lifts. Short-term rentals lack roll-in showers or kitchen adjustments. Customizing each stay drains time and money. You compromise safety. You sacrifice spontaneity. Over time, travel to anywhere that isn’t already accessible no longer becomes feasible.
Cycling Through Ottawa: An escape from limiting beliefs
By Saada Branker
When I was 16, I stopped riding bicycles. Not intentionally. As a suburban teen, eager to explore the city, I got distracted by the thrill of public transit. I might have ridden again, but my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis had other plans. Flare-ups turned into persistent, rotating inflammation, pain, and stiffness in almost all my joints.
Destination spotlight
The Oregon Coast
We have 363 miles (584 km) of public coastline to share, and we want to ensure everyone traveling the Oregon Coast has access to our spectacular beaches, forested trails, scenic waterways, and charming communities. We invite you to sample the best coastal cuisine at our farm stands, fish markets, restaurants, and craft breweries. Make happy memories in cozy cabins, deluxe beachfront lodgings, or a campsite in the woods. Enjoy biking, hiking, paddling, disc golf, fishing, and other unforgettable adventures.
Penticton’s Accessibility Shines: A Welcoming Destination for All
This season, Penticton’s beaches are more accessible than ever. Building on last year’s success at Sudbury Beach, one of only three Canadian communities to introduce Mobi-mats in 2024, the city has expanded these portable, wheelchair-friendly pathways to Skaha Lake Park (near Parkview Street) and Okanagan Lake Beach (by the S.S. Sicamous). These sturdy mats provide smooth access across sandy terrain, ensuring everyone can feel the lakeshore breeze.
Cruising
Accessible Cruising: Spencer Blomquist’s tips and insights for travellers with disabilities
Cruising isn’t complicated, not when you’ve got someone like Spencer Blomquist cutting through the confusion. He knows this world like the back of his joystick. As a wheelchair user who’s clocked 36 cruises, worked in accessible tech, and now arranges life-changing trips for others with Expedia Cruises, Spencer has advice that hits differently. It’s sharp, specific and backed by more mileage than your average travel agent has logged in their lifetime.
Immersive Nature Experiences
Enjoying the San Francisco Bay Outdoors with a Disability: Get Creative
By Jan Bonville
San Francisco is a magical place to live. This is the city of charming Victorians, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Golden State Warriors, amazing cuisine from around the world, fog, redwoods, the gateway to the wine country, and on the fabled Pacific Coast Highway. In addition, not many people may know that San Francisco and its neighbor Berkeley are home to the disability rights movement.
Journeys With Autism
Family travel with autism and the places that worked for the Wee Family
On the surface, the Weesners look like a typical American family caught up in the swirl of daily life with their daughter. But look closer, and you’ll find a family quietly rewriting the rules of what parenting, disability, and public life can look like. For the Weesner family, life is a series of little symphonies. Not always pretty, rarely predictable, but real.
Travelling With Same Aged Peers: How To Navigate Social Dynamics And Manage Your Autism
By Connor McClure
If you want to push yourself and see the world, meet new people, enjoy new experiences, you will inevitably face the problem of how should you manage your autism. I have travelled on three big international trips: one to Iceland, another to the United Kingdom, and just recently I returned from a two-week trip to Japan (at the height of cherry blossom season, I might add).
Connor McClure’s Tried-and-True Travel Tips
By Connor McClure
- Buy clothing with zippers so you don’t have to worry about things falling out of your pocket or getting pickpocketed. I made sure every item of apparel I brought with me had a pocket that zipped up, and it made the adventure less stressful.
- Put air tags in personal belongings along with your wallet or purse and be sure you know how to track them on your phone. If nothing else, knowing the location of your valuables brings a great peace of mind knowing that you have items. If possible, I’d also recommend putting an air tag in your passport holder as well.
Senior Travellers
Wheeling Around Downtown Atlanta
By Marcia Frost
Atlanta, Georgia, is a city filled with activity, but the best place to start is with Centennial Olympic Park. This was the center of the 1996 Olympics and Atlanta did it right with this dedication to the 100th anniversary of the games. The park is in the center of the city, home to top attractions, and accessible throughout. My niece, Moriah, is living in Atlanta and I decided to meet her to explore. This area was the perfect place for my first trip to the city in my wheelchair.
Guided Tours
My Unforgettable 14-Day Adventure in Ecuador & Galapagos
By By Alexander Neyer and Stefanie Brotzer
From the very first moment, I was filled with excitement as we set off for Ecuador and the Galapagos. Traveling as a wheelchair user always brings its own set of challenges, but I was determined to make the most of every experience—and I’m so glad I did! The entire trip was a wonderful mix of adventure, breathtaking nature, and heartwarming encounters with people and wildlife.
