2019 was a record-breaking year for Wheelchair Travel, with well over one million page views and a readership hailing from more than 100 countries. That growth trend was continuing into 2020, but COVID happened. In mid-March, almost overnight, people went from dreaming about vacations to panic-buying face masks and toilet paper. As coronavirus cases hit their first peak in April, traffic to this wheelchair travel blog dropped a mind-boggling 95%. No one was thinking about travel, much less traveling while disabled.
Despite the sad state of affairs, I never abandoned this website. Throughout the year, I produced new content where possible, tracked developments in the travel industry and shared stories in the hopes of spreading a bit of positivity. Despite this difficult year, I’m confident that, with vaccines now being distributed around the world, 2021 will grant us a return to travel and exploration.
As I do every year, I’ve compiled a list of the year’s most popular content to showcase what readers were interested in. I’ve broken it down into two parts: the top 5 cities you read about, and the top 20 articles and blog posts.
Top 5 Accessible Destinations of 2020
These were the destinations readers read the most about 2020.
- New York City Wheelchair Travel Guide
- London, England Wheelchair Travel Guide
- Las Vegas Wheelchair Travel Guide
- Dubai Wheelchair Travel Guide
- Chicago Wheelchair Travel Guide
New York City held the top spot and two new cities joined the list in 2020 — Las Vegas at number 3 and Chicago at number 5. Paris and Berlin both fell of the list this year, likely due to the strict travel restrictions imposed by the European Union. Although each of this year’s top 5 guides debuted on the website in years past, I published several brand new travel guides in 2020 including the Nashville Wheelchair Travel Guide and Salt Lake City Wheelchair Travel Guide.
Top 20 Blog Posts of 2020
These were the top blog posts of 2020, based on traffic. Some of these posts were written in previous years, but they remain relevant.
- American Airlines Policy Effectively Bans Power Wheelchair Users From Flying to 130 U.S. Airports
- Hyundai’s New Wheelchair Taxi Concept is Out of This World
- CHOP SHOP: American Airlines Forces Wheelchair Disassembly
- Free Powered Beach Wheelchairs in Miami Beach, Florida
- 10 Wheelchair Accessible Destinations to Visit in 2020
- Only 2 Airlines Permit Disabled People Who Cannot Wear A Mask to Fly [UPDATED]
- How Many Countries Can You Name in 15 Minutes?
- 11 Airports in the United States with Adult Changing Tables
- Where Can We Find Accessible Family Restrooms?
- Accor Hotels Are Winning the Accessibility Race
- Airlines Are Training Complaint Resolution Officials to Break the Law
- Man Fakes Injury to Score a Business Class Upgrade
- You Can Now Stream Netflix’s Crip Camp Movie for Free
- Disabled? Get Free Entry to National Parks with the Access Pass!
- 15 Smartphone Apps for Travelers with Disabilities
- First Class for the Wheelchair Traveler: Luxury or Necessity?
- 17 Cities with Wheelchair Accessible Uber or Lyft
- What Airlines Won’t Tell You About Preboarding for Disabled Passengers
- This One Bigoted Tweet Reveals So Much About Disability Discrimination
- The City Where Bus Drivers Aren’t Required to Let Wheelchair Users on the Bus
Which was your favorite article of 2020, and what new content would you like to see in 2021? Which destinations would you like me to cover? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!
