Introducing the Wheelchair Travel Selfie Project

Introducing the Wheelchair Travel Selfie project

Wheelchair users can travel, too! There are a lot of us. The #wctselfie hashtag will show just how far across the world we’re willing to roll!

John Morris

Sep 6, 2015 2 min read

The #wctselfie Wheelchair Travel Selfie Project

A ‘Selfie revolution’ has taken hold in societies around the world. They are taken all around us. Most of us take them frequently ourselves. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘Selfie,’ here is the definition from the Oxford English Dictionary:

A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

Social media has changed the world, its economies, and the relationship between businesses and consumers. A simple, 140-character tweet decrying an airline delay can translate into legitimate action by an airline, for example. Businesses collect information from Twitter and other social media outlets to develop marketing strategies and business plans.

Wheelchair users account for more than 1% of the population of the United States. Improvements to accessibility have come slowly because we are a minority group that is neither seen nor heard. Other historically marginalized groups have had to fight to achieve their civil rights; they have done so loudly. This is something the wheelchair community is lacking.

Join your fellow wheelchair travelers. Take a selfie, tag it with #wctselfie, and post to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Not only will this selfie trend be seen by travel providers and local governments, but it could also inspire other members of our community to get out and see the world. That, ultimately, is my goal – to open the world to everyone.

Here are a few of my own selfies to get us started!