Hello and welcome to the latest Accessible Travel Newsletter. This issue has a new #SafeAccessibleTravel interview, as well as the usual accessible travel news roundup, and a call out for travel writers. More on those below. 

How are you doing, lovely readers? When I launched this newsletter a month ago, I didn’t really know what to expect. Would anyone read it? Would anyone find it helpful? Or would my whole mailing list unsubscribe to leave me with a readership of my nan, my mum and my dog? However, I’m delighted to see that lots of you are reading it, brands and operators are starting to reach out to me with their news, and my mailing list has grown by 25%. Which makes me so happy, because, honestly, putting together this newsletter brings me so much joy. 

After last issue’s confession about my tendency to overwork as a coping mechanism, I decided to put my thoughts around ‘coping’ into words, and wrote this post on disability and asking for help, “Just because I carry it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy”. Grab a cuppa before you dive into that one, it’s an emotional read. 

Last week I returned to part time work-work at AccessAble; one of my first jobs pledging our support to DMUK’s ever-important supermarket parking campaign, Baywatch. 

I’ve just confirmed my first blog review trip of 2020 – I'll be staying in this gorgeous accessible caravan at Callander Woods Holiday Park for a few nights in September, and writing all about it. 

Here’s one for my fellow travel writers – the Sunday Times Travel Mag is putting together a commissioning database of global travel writers. Add your details here. 

ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL NEWS ROUNDUP

• Hong Seo-yoon - a South Korean globe-trotter and wheelchair user advocates for more accessible tourism in this piece about bringing down barriers for travellers with disabilities in Korea 

• Every train operator in the UK now recognises the Sunflower lanyard scheme to support people with invisible impairments. Here’s Chloe Tear’s campaign video all about it. 

• Revitalise – a charity which provides respite holidays for disabled people and their carers have teamed up with a travel agency – who will donate 5% of the price of holidays to them. 

• Disabled travel blogger Cory Lee has launched a new children's book based on his world travels in wheelchair. 

• The UN World Tourism Organisation is calling on destinations to recognise the needs of travellers with disabilities or specific access requirements as they open up to visitors again. 

• Transport for London has launched a new travel app with focus on accessibility and socially-distant travel. 

• Campaigners say London's pop-up cycle lanes are 'stopping disabled travel'. 

• Motability have launched a new version of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, which features over 200 reviews of accessible days out. 

• Disappointing news from Disability News Service - Holiday Inn hotel plans to rip out hoist from its only accessible bathroom. 

• I loved listening to this one - former Paralympian and TV presenter Ade Adepitan discusses his travel highs and lows, including a hairy moment in Mexico, on the Telegraph’s ‘Postcards’ podcast.

NEW SAFE ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL INTERVIEW

How are pubs making themselves safe and accessible for disabled guests in the era of COVID? In the latest #SafeAccessibleTravel interview, I chat with Chris Taylor from The Amble Inn, a pub with rooms offering wheelchair accessible facilities in Northumberland. 

You may have noticed that as well as this newsletter, I’ve been sending out email notifications when I publish a new blog post. I need your help to decide if I should continue this way, or go newsletter only. If you wouldn't mind spending a quick minute answering this poll, I’d be so grateful.