Hello and welcome to the latest Accessible Travel Newsletter. This issue has a new #SafeAccessibleTravel interview, a video about disability and air travel with an opportunity to share your experiences, the usual accessible travel news roundup, and details of a brilliant newsletter for travel writers to sign up to. More on those below. 

How are you doing, lovely readers? Have you missed me? The eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed that this newsletter is going out a week late – with good reason though because, for the first time in 2020, I actually travelled! 

I won’t pretend that accessible travel is ever easy, and travelling as a disabled person during a pandemic certainly brings an extra level of things to worry about – but, during my first trip of the year, the stars seemed to align, to remind me exactly why I love to travel. A September heatwave, comfortable accessible accommodation, an amazing piece of mobility technology, and stunning accessible natural environments all combined to make me fall in love with Scotland’s Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. 

I’ll be publishing a full review of the trip on my blog in the coming weeks, and there will also be a serialised version in the next issue of PosAbility magazine. For now, though, here’s a photo capturing one of my favourite moments – discovering a beautiful waterfall, thanks to the amazing Trekinetic GTE all terrain powerchair, which was kindly gifted to me for the duration of my trip. 

NEW SAFE ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL INTERVIEW

Looking for a wheelchair accessible holiday cottage with COVID safety measures in place? In the latest #SafeAccessibleTravel interview I chat with Steve from Croft Bungalow, an accessible self-catering holiday cottage in Derbyshire. 

DISABILITY AND AIR TRAVEL

easyTravelseat have launched a new video series around disability and air travel, which I was very happy to be interviewed for. Check out the first video below, which gets insight from disabled people on travelling during COVID-19. 

They’ve also published a new survey which focuses on COVID-19 and flying with a disability. Share your experiences and complete the survey. 

ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL NEWS ROUNDUP

• AccessAble have teamed up with accessible motoring expert Helen Dolphin to create a blog series answering key questions on Blue Badges, parking and motoring. Read Helen’s guide to accessible parking 

• Runway Girl Network reports on what changes can be made to make air travel more accessible, especially as airlines adjust their fleets to accommodate longer flights on narrowbody aircraft. Making Room for Accessibility On board 

• Interested in accessible transport in Hackney? Disability forum calls for equality of opportunity in Hackney transport 

• Accessible travel writer and advocate Kimberly Graham gives her expert advice on accessible and inclusive tourism in New Zealand 

• Meet Cory Lee, the first traveller in a wheelchair to visit all 7 continents 

• Updated guidance says train companies need to improve access for wheelchair users on rail replacement buses 

• A new travel app for neurodivergent people has attracted £50k in match funding 

• Did your Blue Badge expire during lockdown? Blue Badge holders urged to check expiry date to avoid a penalty charge 

• Highways England is introducing new resources to make it easier for disabled people to use England’s motorways and major A roads. The drive to improve motorway journeys for disabled people 

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Run by two successful travel writers, Talking Travel Writing is a newsletter that seeks to demystify the travel media for professional and aspiring writers. It explores everything from pitching travel stories and ethics to the essential skills travel writers need, and each edition comes with exclusive advice from editors and writers. If you've ever wanted to be a travel writer for major titles like Nat Geo Traveller or The Telegraph, this is the newsletter to sign up for. 

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