Encourage Traveling for All Without Limits

Episode #33: Encourage Traveling without Limits

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In today’s Purposeful Conversation, we’re talking with Mom entrepreneur, Julie Jones, from Have Wheel Chair will Travel. Julie talks with us about accessible travel and her new magazine Travel Without Limits.

Julie Jones: I’m from Australia, which you can probably tell from my accent. I have a son, Brayden, who I also refer to as BJ in my blogs. He’s now 23 years old and lives with cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair, and needs assistance with all of his day-to-day living. So, he’s entirely dependent when we travel. I write for Have Wheelchair Will Travel, as well as some other publications, including yours. And I love sharing our travel adventures with people. I’ve always expected that, as a family, we would travel and when Brayden was diagnosed with cerebral palsy that became a little trickier. My focus, in the beginning, was very much around therapy. I really delved into this five-days-a-week therapy and was very much like a mouse on a treadmill: It just wasn’t sustainable. I think, like many families, in the beginning, it’s all-consuming. Although you don’t give up on that therapy, you realize that you need to have more of a balance.

So, travel for us is very much a balance, and it’s been perfect for Brayden and his sibling, Amelia, as a connecting point and for us a family, as well.

Takeaways from this podcast:

Find out what started Julie on this magical accessible journey helping her family and others.
Learn about Australia’s first disability-specific travel magazine Travel Without Limits, its mission, and why you should read it.
Learn about accessible travel and the changes and improvements taking place, tips that savvy, accessible travelers know, but that less savvy accessible travelers don’t.
Hear Julie’s number one tip to encourage families or someone new to disabilities.

Accessible Travel & Balance

[0:53] Julie talks about how accessible travel created a balance and a connecting point for her family and a love for sharing their travel adventures with others.

[2:34] New and exciting things are happening with accessible travel.

[3:22] Julie shares the reality and the need for more articles on traveling with a disability.

[6:30] Julie discusses the mission and how the magazine will aid us all when traveling with disabilities.

[7:10] Julie shares about one of her favorite stories in the new issue about a woman who needs four support workers to travel. Despite the many, many challenges, she continues to travel and enjoy it. Read it here.

Find out Julie’s most fun, accessible trip to date

[8:15] The most fun and accessible trip was also magical

[12:21] Hear about tourism provider changes and exciting things that are happening with travel, events, and inclusion.

[16:15] Everyday items to pack that savvy accessible travelers know and less savvy travelers don’t (four or five great things to pack are shared).

[18:57] Julie’s tells her number one tip for parents or someone new to having a disability and traveling adventures.

Listen to find out where Julie’s next travel adventure is taking her, what will be in the next issue of “Travel Without Limits” and how you can share your travel adventures, tips, and tricks.