Hello, friends!
I have been absent from your inboxes over the past few weeks, but I have a good excuse — The biggest day of my life took place two weeks ago when, after an engagement of more than a year, Stevie and I were finally married in Saint Louis, Missouri! We have just returned from our honeymoon in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and are eager to get back into the hustle and bustle of our work in accessible travel!
For those of you who have been following our journey, we promise to share lots of photos (and even a video!) from our wedding day — as soon as the photographers send them to us! We will share our joy with you, plus a few lessons learned from planning a wheelchair accessible wedding and honeymoon, in a future email.
Today, in this newsletter, I have a couple of updates — including unexpected openings on an upcoming group trip. Let's start there:
You're in luck! Two spots have opened on the Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Sicily!
Occasionally, travelers have something come up and need to cancel their participation in a Wheelchair Travel Group Trip. I have recently had two accessible hotel rooms open up on the accessible tour of Sicily, taking place October 1 to October 11, 2026 — and I would love for you to join me!
On this small group tour, we will explore the cities and villages of Palermo, Agrigento, Castelbuono, Monreale, Catania and others, all while experiencing the beautiful architecture, landscapes and gastronomy of the Sicilian region. Check out the Sicily Group Tour Itinerary and email me with any questions at grouptrips@wheelchairtravel.org. I hope you will join us!
Meet Me This Saturday, June 5, at Access Fest in Toronto!
O Canada! I'm headed North! I have been invited to moderate a panel on accessible travel at Access Fest in Toronto next weekend, and I want to meet you there!
Find me in the "Unfiltered AF" tent at 3 p.m. for a boundary-breaking discussion on the state of accessible travel and what must change with an incredible group of people including the Government of Canada's Chief Accessibility Officer, Stephanie Cadieux; Disability Advocate and Content Creator Tori Hunter; and Motion's Regional Manager, Stacey Burnett.
Would you like to support my work as an advocate for accessibility in travel? The best way to do that is by upgrading to a paid membership. Your paid subscription provides the critical resources needed to keep me on the road writing and advocating for a more accessible world.
On the Road — in so many beautiful ways
Since 2011, Steve Hartman's weekly "On the Road" segment as part of the CBS Evening News program has been must-see television. Over the years, I have bookmarked so many beautiful stories that Hartman has shared and wanted to highlight a few of them here.
So often, stories about disabled people focus on how "inspirational" we are for living our lives, pursuing opportunities and achieving dreams that would otherwise be considered ordinary. Steve Hartman does not tell stories that way. His familial connection to disability — his blind nephew, Ted, in the story above — may have something to do with that or, perhaps, he is just an excellent person who sees and appreciates the humanity in everyone he encounters.
The story of Chef Donell Stallworth and his customer, Charlie Hicks, is one of my all-time favorites in the On the Road series. Family and community are the two most important features of our lives, and it's important that we have someone — anyone — looking out for us.
The naming of the Claudene Wilson Learning Center at an elementary school in rural Missouri is a heartwarming story — it is a reminder that we all have the power to touch lives, no matter our profession. It reminds me of my middle school janitor, Theo, who had an infectious smile and was loved by all of us, in much the same was as Claudene Wilson.
I could go on and on sharing the stories of the incredible human beings that Hartman has profiled over the years, but I will leave you to explore the On the Road playlist on YouTube yourself. You will not be disappointed.
What these segments do for me, in addition to raising my spirits, is to remind me of the type of person that I want to be. There are so many incredible people in the world — so many great examples for us to follow!
I hope this brightens your Monday — I'll be back in your inbox very soon and, if you are able to attend Access Fest in Toronto, please say hello!
All the best,
— John
