Recap: Traveling with a disability

An Overview of the January 2026 Understanding Ableism Webinar: “Traveling with a Disability” 

By Sara Marshall, AmeriCorps KCDC Coordinator 

(Watch the webinar here on our YouTube channel.)

 Intro 

The first panel of the 2026 Understanding Ableism series explored the complexities of traveling with a disability, highlighting both the barriers embedded in travel systems and the importance of mobility for connection, autonomy and joy. Our panelists discussed how disability identities intersect with travel experiences, noting the extensive preparation, advocacy and adaptability often required to move through inaccessible systems. While travel can be expensive, unpredictable and labor-intensive, panelists emphasized that it remains a meaningful and necessary part of life, enabling participation in work, community and leisure. 

Background on Panelists 

Kenny Salvini is the cofounder and president of the Here and Now Project, which connects and empowers people with spinal cord injuries and mobility disabilities in the Pacific Northwest. An experienced traveler who uses a power wheelchair, Salvini spoke about the importance of preparation and clear communication when navigating travel systems that are not designed with wheelchair users in mind. He described how developing personal expertise by understanding equipment, policies and procedures can help travelers assert their needs and build confidence over time. 

Dorian Esper-Taylor serves as the ADA Coordinator for Pierce Transit and brings extensive experience with domestic and international travel. As a manual wheelchair user, Esper-Taylor highlighted the logistical work required to plan accessible trips and the role of advance preparation in reducing barriers. They also discussed how experiences of disability and race intersect, noting that asserting access needs can carry different risks depending on identity and context, particularly when interacting with systems such as airport security. 

Laura Loe is the Program Manager for the Find a Ride program at the King County Mobility Coalition, which supports older adults and people with disabilities in finding accessible transportation. Loe, who identifies as disabled, spoke about the value of community in encouraging participation in travel and shared how online and in-person networks can help people navigate available resources. She also encouraged people with temporary or invisible disabilities to use the supports available to them, emphasizing that access services exist to make participation possible. 

Key Takeaways 

Throughout the panel, speakers emphasized that access needs are highly individualized and that travel systems often rely on standardized assumptions that fail to reflect the diversity of disabled experiences. As panelists described, navigating travel frequently requires extensive communication and self-advocacy, with disabled travelers becoming experts in their own bodies, equipment and rights while repeatedly explaining those needs to institutions that are not designed with disability in mind. This ongoing advocacy involves time, technical knowledge, and emotional labor—and misunderstandings can create real safety risks or lead to denied access. 

Panelists also highlighted how the effort required to travel extends far beyond the trip itself. From researching accessibility policies to coordinating equipment and preparing contingency plans for when systems fail, disabled travelers must anticipate barriers that able-bodied travelers often take for granted. These challenges are rooted in systemic design and policy gaps, yet they shape deeply personal decisions about whether travel feels possible, safe or worthwhile. Panelists further noted that intersecting identities, including race and disability type, influence how safely individuals can assert their access needs and how they are treated when they do. 

At the same time, panelists stressed that travel should not be framed solely as a necessity tied to work, school or medical care. Travel can be a source of joy, spontaneity and connection, and disabled people deserve equitable opportunities to explore, build community and participate in leisure. Accessible travel requires shifting responsibility away from individuals and toward the systems that provide travel experiences, so that mobility is not contingent on constant negotiation but instead supported through intentional design, policy, and practice.