Listen to this Article
Melissa Lyon, B.Ed., M.Ed., 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.
Melissa has recently been on a few vacations within North America, Europe, and Hawaii. When she’s not travelling, she is busy with her Accessibility and Inclusion Matter Consulting business. She also recently earned her black belt in karate, and she is very active with adaptive rock-climbing, adaptive sailing, and lawn bowling. She loves traveling and is looking forward to doing more of it in the next few years.
What type of planning goes into your trip?
I do a lot of planning before going on a trip. I spend quite a bit of time researching where I want to go and what challenges different venues may present. I watch videos of some of the venues to see what issues may be a concern for me. I also consider what the transportation options will be to ensure they are accessible and not overwhelming. Since I’m on meds for epilepsy, I also need to consider how a time change may affect when I take my meds. For example, when I went to Europe, I started changing my med time by an hour each day for a few days before leaving to ensure that I wouldn’t need to get up in the middle of the night to take my meds.
Have you ever encountered unexpected accessibility challenges while traveling?
When I was in Europe I was surprised at how often I tripped and fell. The cobble stones caused me to fall many times – in fact, I counted at least 12 face-plants. They were very embarrassing as the streets were very busy. One of my face-plants caused me to rip open my chin. I probably needed stitches but I didn’t want to miss my train. This added a whole new challenge and stress to the vacation! I have recently got some leg braces to wear when needed and I had an eye operation to help with my depth perception, so I am hoping that when I go to Europe again in November my tripping issues are solved.
Also, when I was in London, two times the buses we were on suddenly stopped and told us to get off as the bus was being diverted. Luckily, we had Google maps on our phones to figure out where we were and to find another bus, but if we didn’t have that, we would have had major issues figuring out what to do. It made me realize the importance of carrying along an extra battery pack for my phone and also having an idea of the bus route before getting on a bus.
Several times planes have been diverted or cancelled. This made me learn the importance of being flexible and always having enough money to make changes if necessary. Even ensuring that I have some food with me is really important because if I have low blood sugar, I am more likely to have seizures. I always try to plan for the unexpected and I carry extra meds, food, and a first aid kit along with me wherever I go.
A final accessibility challenge for me, no matter where I am travelling, is problems due to my sound sensitivity. Sudden noises cause me to have seizures so I wear ear plugs to lessen the effects. Dogs barking are a big trigger for me so I try to avoid places where I know there will be a lot of dogs.
What destinations have you found to be especially welcoming or accommodating?
One of the most accessible places I have traveled is Disneyland. They have lots of seating, the rides are fairly easy to get on, the pathways are wide and flat, and most importantly for me, there are no dogs! Other than the cobble stones, London was quite accessible to me as well. They have a wonderful transit system that I wish we could implement in Canada. Also, another thing I liked about London was that I hardly saw any dogs at all.
Are there any travel experiences you’ve had that changed the way you view your disability – or how others view it?
Travel has helped me to feel more confident and independent. I am much more comfortable riding transit now and I also feel more confident when speaking to strangers or asking for help. I think it’s important for people with disabilities to travel and get out in the world. The more others see that we can do things despite our challenges, the more disability becomes just a normal variation of the human condition.
I think that when I share my experiences about the challenges that I have, especially my challenges with noise sensitivity and dogs, people are surprised that this is an issue and I think it makes them realize that not everyone interacts with the world in the same way.
What’s a moment during your travels when you felt especially empowered?
Before going to Europe I was unsure of what to expect and how I would handle it. Just finding out that I could do a trip like this and that with some planning it will be ok, empowered me. Although I haven’t travelled solo yet, I now think that it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for me to do if I needed to.
Have you noticed differences in how various cultures treat people with disabilities during your travels?
The places I have traveled to so far have all been very accepting of my disability. I often get asked if I want to go to the front of the line or if I would like them to unlock the accessible washroom for me.
f you could improve one thing about the travel industry to make it more inclusive, what would it be?
For me, what I’d like to see improved is more consideration of limiting loud sudden noises or of providing quiet spaces for those that need it. Vancouver’s Airport is a good example of a place that has done a great job of this in their planning for accessibility improvements.
What’s the most unexpected adventure you’ve had while traveling, and how did cerebral palsy shape that experience?
When I was younger, I was having an operation in Portland where they were straightening my legs. They said that I’d have to spend a week in the hospital after the operation to learn how to walk again. Remarkably, I was up and walking within a day so we were able to spend the rest of the week on the beaches of the Oregon Coast instead of being in the hospital so that was great!
Have you ever had a “this might not work, but let’s try it anyway” travel moment? What happened?
On the first day of my Europe trip we were in Dublin and were trying to find a museum that was supposed to be within walking distance of our hotel. We weren’t exactly sure of the directions, but we thought we’d just go out walking and try to find our way. We ended up being in a bit of a sketchy area of town and it was a bit scary since we were two females travelling alone. We learned from that experience to plan a bit better and to consider our options for getting there.
What’s a place you visited that surprised you when it came to accessibility?
A few years back I went to Kelowna to see my family and they suggested that we go skiing. I had never been skiing, and it isn’t something I could normally do due to my lack of balance and poor gross motor skills. Fortunately Big White has an adaptive skiing program. I was very nervous, but it ended up being one of the best experiences I have ever had. The adaptive skiing program at Big White was not only very accessible and accommodating to my needs; they also went out of their way to make sure I had a fun and memorable time.
Tell us about a time you turned a frustrating travel setback into something unforgettable.
In 2023 I was on an Alaskan cruise with my family. The cruise went from Vancouver to Alaska and back to Vancouver with a stop in my hometown of Victoria first. When we were coming back from Alaska and about to land in Victoria, my seizures decided to act up and they wouldn’t stop. I was having one seizure after the other so I went to the ship’s medical centre. My mom asked if we could get off in our hometown of Victoria rather than going to Vancouver the next day and then having to take a bus back to Victoria. We found out that due to port rules, passengers are not allowed to get off the ship early. This seemed ridiculous since I was in medical distress and I would be much safer and more comfortable at home. Finally after threatening legal action, they allowed me to disembark and go home. It was a good thing I did because I was very sick the next day and wouldn’t have been able to travel from Vancouver to Victoria anyway. I think it’s important to have some flexibility of rules when logic warrants it. I don’t think I would go on a cruise again due to this rule as I don’t feel comfortable knowing that I could very well be stuck on the ship not being allowed to leave even if I needed to.
What’s the boldest or most unconventional thing you’ve done while traveling?
When I was in Leavenworth Washington I went tubing down the river. This was very exciting and not something I thought I could do. It left me with some wonderful memories and I hope to do it again
one day.
What’s one place or travel experience that pushed your limits in the best or worst way?
In my trip to Europe I was surprised to find that I was walking about 11 km a day. I never thought that I could walk that much! When I’m home, I only walk 2-3 km a day. I didn’t even notice that I was walking so far because I was so interested in what I was seeing, and I was having so much fun.
Have you ever felt like a trailblazer going where few disabled travelers have gone before?
I’m a Harry Potter fan and in Scotland I went to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct that the Harry Potter train goes over. We climbed up the side of the hill next to it to get a good view. It suddenly started to
bucket down rain so it was very slippery. The train was late, so we stood in the rain for 45 minutes waiting for the train to come by. The rain made it even more difficult to manage the terrain, but it also made it more exciting. It was so amazing seeing the steam train blow steam as it raced across the viaduct! It was very memorable and I feel lucky to have enough mobility to have experienced
this.
For me, travel has changed the way I view the world and has opened my eyes to new things. I would encourage anyone with a disability to give it a try. It is important, though, to plan well, ask for help when needed, and expect that there may be some rough moments. I think that all the experiences, good and bad, are just part of what makes travel so exciting!