{"id":63993,"date":"2025-12-10T10:22:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T10:22:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outthere.travel\/?p=63993"},"modified":"2025-12-10T10:22:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T10:22:58","slug":"carrie-ann-lightley-what-i-want-from-travel-in-2026-as-a-disabled-traveller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outthere.travel\/carrie-ann-lightley-what-i-want-from-travel-in-2026-as-a-disabled-traveller\/","title":{"rendered":"Carrie-Ann Lightley:
What I want from travel in 2026 as a disabled traveller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ranked among the United Kingdom’s top 100 most influential disabled people on the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 List for several years in a row, travel blogger Carrie-Ann Lightley has been making waves for a while. Following up from her appearance on a panel at OutThere’s 2025 Icons of Inclusion event, the accessible travel advocate again shares her thoughts on how the industry can \u2013 and must \u2013 improve to become inclusive of all. Here is Carrie-Ann’s disabled travel wish list for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Luxury can mean many things. For some, it\u2019s thread count. For others, it\u2019s a rooftop pool or a Michelin-starred tasting menu. For me? Luxury is being able to open the balcony door of my hotel room without help. It\u2019s not having to rearrange furniture to reach the wardrobe. It’s the freedom to travel like everyone else. And if you\u2019re a disabled traveller, I\u2019m guessing you know what I mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve come a long way in the travel industry. There are more destinations than ever making efforts to include disabled travellers. But even now, going on holiday often comes with trade-offs \u2013 dignity for accessibility, spontaneity for planning, style for function. Disabled travellers deserve more. So as we head into 2026, here\u2019s my wish list. A few things I\u2019d love to see \u2013 and that I hope will resonate if you, like me, are looking for travel that truly includes all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It starts with design. I\u2019ve lost count of how many \u201caccessible\u201d rooms I\u2019ve stayed in where the layout just didn\u2019t work. Spaces that look great online, but where I can\u2019t get to the window, turn in the bathroom, or use the mirror without a view of the brick wall above my head. Here\u2019s the thing: real accessibility is about how a space feels to move through. Has it been tested? Did someone like me help design it? If you\u2019ve ever arrived somewhere and felt exhausted before you\u2019ve even unpacked, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s not only about physical design. We talk a lot about ramps and grab rails, but emotional access is just as important. I\u2019ve been to places where I felt stared at, apologised for, or awkwardly \u201chelped\u201d, and others where everything felt calm, easy, and respectful. True luxury is being met with confidence, not hesitation. A team that knows how to support you without fuss, just like any other guest. A space where inclusion is assumed, not awkwardly bolted on. That\u2019s the kind of travel I want more of in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n
\"Disabled<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Disabled<\/a><\/figure>\n
Travel without boundaries: Carrie-Ann Lightley wants disabled travellers like herself to be able to explore the world without the unnecessary challenges the tourism and hospitality sectors continue to present.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There’s also the question of clarity. If you\u2019ve ever booked a \u201cfully accessible\u201d room and found steps at the hotel entrance, or a bathroom that\u2019s technically accessible, but not to you<\/em>, you know how frustrating vague information can be. The phrase means nothing unless it\u2019s backed up with detail. I look for places that show measurements, photos, and honest descriptions. It\u2019s not about perfection but about knowing what to expect. There\u2019s nothing luxurious about crossing your fingers until check-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representation matters, too. When disabled travellers appear in travel content, it\u2019s often with a side of \u201cinspiration\u201d. We\u2019re either heroic or invisible. But I want to see more of us just being<\/em> \u2013 having fun, relaxing, getting sunburnt on a lounger like everyone else. I want to open a luxury travel magazine and see a wheelchair user in a five-star spa, a blind person on a food tour, someone with a mobility aid exploring a vineyard. Because that\u2019s what real inclusive travel looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course, there’s the question of spontaneity. How many times have you had to plan assistance 48 hours in advance? Or been told to wait by the side entrance? I dream of a day when I can just go<\/em> \u2013 grab lunch, change plans, take the scenic route \u2013 without checking access six times first. Occasionally, I get a taste of that. A last-minute accessible dinner reservation, or a hotel that just works. I want more of that in 2026 because spontaneity shouldn\u2019t be something disabled people have to give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a disabled traveller reading this, I see you. And if you\u2019ve felt disheartened by the limitations or the let-downs, I have, too. The truth is that accessibility isn\u2019t extra. Inclusion isn\u2019t a nice-to-have. It\u2019s an absolute necessity \u2013 without it, travel excludes and dehumanises us. You deserve luxury that includes you without asking you to shrink or explain. The industry has a responsibility to do better. Anything less perpetuates inequality and signals, yet again, that some people\u2019s freedom and joy are less important than others\u2019. Travel, at its best, lets everyone belong. In 2026, that cannot be optional. It must be the baseline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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www.carrieannlightley.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography by Allan Myles (Visit Scotland), Rachel Airey (Surfr Media) and courtesy of Carrie-Ann Lightley<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Months after her appearance at OutThere’s 2025 Icons of Inclusion event, blogger Carrie-Ann Lightley explains how and why the travel industry must do better for disabled travellers in 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":64083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2806],"tags":[3523],"class_list":["post-63993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-experientialist","tag-accessibility"],"yoast_head":"\nCarrie-Ann Lightley shares her disabled travel wish list for 2026 - OutThere magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Carrie-Ann Lightley explains how and why the travel industry must do better for disabled travellers | LGBTQ friendly holidays and vacations\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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