Hey, everyone!
It's a busy week in the office, as I've just returned home from a week of travel and the first Wheelchair Travel Group Trip of 2025 is right around the corner! In this edition of the Wheelchair Travel Newsletter, you'll find some brand new reporting from the Aircraft Interiors Expo, a look back on my Easter trip, and details about what's on the horizon.
Accessibility in Flight: Reporting from the Aircraft Interiors Expo
Accessibility in aviation gets a lot of attention in this newsletter and on WheelchairTravel.org, and that's because it is critical that airplanes and airports become more accessible — For nearly a century, flying has been the fastest and safest way to travel long distances, and it is the mode of transit that connects us all (or should connect us all) to the rest of the world.
I visit the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) each year to report on what's happening in the industry, and also to raise awareness about the importance of accessibility. If you missed the last newsletter, be sure to read about How Accessibility Took Center Stage at the Passenger Experience Conference, where I spoke twice and shared my perspective to all assembled.
AIX kicked-off after the conference, and I held more than 20 meetings with airplane and aircraft interior manufacturers, airlines, and even a company that makes onboard aisle chairs. The big story is always around the products that will allow disabled people to sit in their own wheelchairs inside the airplane, and I published two exciting stories on that last week:
John Morris
Collins Aerospace made significant improvements to its Prime+ Accessibility Platform that make it much more practical and marketable to airlines. Be sure to check out my video highlighting some of the new features at the link above.
John Morris
In perhaps even bigger news, Airbus displayed the Air4All wheelchair securement system made by Delta Flight Products — the fact that Airbus (Airbus!!) would showcase a wheelchair space on its stand through a co-marketing initiative is evidence that the demand for personal wheelchairs in the cabin is being taken very seriously. Read more about that at the link above.
I am able to travel and cover events like the Aircraft Interiors Expo only through the support of paid newsletter subscribers. Would you sign-up to support this important work?
Easter blessings
I've just returned home after a little over a week in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I spent Easter with Stevie and Robert. We had a wonderful holiday together and it was a joyous occasion!
On Monday morning, one week ago, we awoke to the sad news of the passing of Pope Francis, who served the world and the Church with dignity and grace for more than a decade. We will miss him.
In November 2022, I had the honor of meeting Pope Francis in Vatican City. You can read about that meeting here. At the time, he was using a wheelchair, and the resulting photograph of our handshake is one that I cherish.
Pope Francis was a strong advocate for the inclusion of disabled people, and I hope his message will live on for many years to come. During the pandemic, he released a statement about disability inclusion, which I commented on here (not your typical travel blog content, but there wasn't much going on during lockdown):
John Morris
The end of the Francis pontificate led me to reflect on its beginning. I watched coverage of his 2013 election live on television, from a bed in a rehabilitation hospital following my car accident. At that time in my life, I was tortured by my invisibility and what I thought would be a lifetime of dashed hopes and missed opportunities. But in my 13 years as a disabled person, the visibility of and opportunities for our community have increased. In many respects, my outlook has improved, and accessibility has too!
Through my work in accessible travel, I promote the message of "Equal Access Everywhere." While progress on accessibility across the world, in the travel industry and even in the Church comes about slowly, I hope that my photograph with Pope Francis will inspire others to do what is right and to make our communities, businesses, products and services truly accessible to everyone — from the layperson to the Roman Pontiff. We live in hope!
Looking ahead
In the April 14 newsletter, We Broke London and a Charging Debacle, I teased a "whopper of a story" related to a "(practically) unsolvable accessibility barrier" that I faced in Germany. This Wednesday, check your inboxes for the next premium newsletter edition — I'll discuss that barrier, how it impacted my trip, and how I responded to an unexpected change of plans while traveling abroad.
Paid members of WheelchairTravel.org receive access to exclusive content not available to free subscribers, early access to Wheelchair Travel Group Trips, and reduced advertisements.
On Thursday, I will depart for Athens, Greece to prepare for the first Wheelchair Travel Group Trip of 2025. These tours are the highlight of my year — it's a tremendous joy to bring readers together to explore exciting destinations. I am looking forward to meeting this wonderful group, which includes travelers from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom!
I pick a new book to read on each long trip, and up next is the young readers' edition of Judy Heumann's memoir, Being Heumann, which is entitled Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution. I'd like to share the book with Robert and want to prepare for the many discussions we are sure to have about disability advocacy.
In addition to my obvious reporting from Greece, here are some other stories in progress and events on my radar:
- Nuremberg, Germany: I spent a few days in Nuremberg recently, and gathered enough content to produce a destination guide. Look for it to be released in the next week or two!
- Innsbruck, Austria: Stevie, Robert and I ended our European trip in Austria — It was my second time in country and first visit to Innsbruck. Look for an overview of our trip in an upcoming newsletter.
- Richmond, Virginia: Visit Richmond has invited us to spend the Fourth of July in the Richmond Region, and I'm excited to expand the Richmond, Virginia Wheelchair Travel Guide to include more resources to plan your vacation!
That's all for now, but I look forward to being back in your inbox on Wednesday. Enjoy the week!
All the best,
— John
