Wheelchair Travel Newsletter: Bedridden, Accessible Travel Summit and a Historic Fine

Although an illness has forced a last-minute holiday trip cancellation, I still have a lot to say about accessible travel.

Here’s a not-so-great photo from a recent road trip to make you laugh.

Hello, everyone!

I am writing this email from my bed — a place I have hardly left in a week, as I battle the second round of a cold or flu that refuses to go away. About once every couple of years, I find myself so wrecked by a common cold that I am reminded of the time, after a car accident more than 12 years ago, that I spent over a year bedridden, mostly in the hospital, as I underwent 50+ surgeries.

The 12-year anniversary of that car accident was just two months ago, but I didn't mark the occasion or mention it in this newsletter. I don’t like to think much about that fateful year, to be honest — it was emotionally and physically draining, and for the most part devoid of hope.

My spirits changed when I took my first post-accident trip as a wheelchair user, and I have reflected on that numerous times — most recently last year, when I wrote about My Fearless Journey: 3 Reflections After 10 Years of Accessible Travel. I encourage you to give it a read!

My recent illness has overlapped with some big trips (including a road trip to North Carolina!) — and while I don’t have the energy to catalogue them all at the moment, I promise to catch-up in future editions of this newsletter.

Accessible Travel Summit in San Francisco

Since 2018 or 2019 (time flies!), I have served on the advisory board of the TravelAbility Summit — it is an annual event that brings together accessible travel experts, tourism leaders, and destination marketing organizations to tackle big questions about accessible travel resources, training and marketing.

It’s important to note that this is not a conversation about infrastructure — the people attending this summit don’t control the pursestrings of state or local governments, so they won’t deliver better public transportation, paratransit or sidewalks. What they can do is teach local businesses about the importance of accessibility, and to develop resources for disabled visitors. This is work that I have been engaged with for years, and I am always excited to connect with destinations interested in advancing accessibility. This year was no exception!

I was delighted to reconnect with past clients, including Toni Bastian from Richmond Region Tourism (check out my Richmond, Virginia Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide) and Jessa Campbell and Kendall Likes from Visit Fort Wayne (check out the Fort Wayne, Indiana Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide). These were two of my favorite destinations to work with in 2024, and I look forward to visiting those cities again in the future!

I am a regular speaker at the summit, and this year I was most proud to headline a session entitled “From Paris to LA: Insights on Helping Los Angeles Win Accessible Gold in 2028.” I reflected on the lessons learned from the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, some of which I discussed in my August 10, 2024 newsletter. It was an engaging conversation, and I look forward to the influx of disabled tourists who will visit the United States in the Summer of 2028. While the Olympic and Paralympic Games will surely be the main draw, those foreign visitors will also explore other destinations in California and across the country during their time here. It is important that we work to make out communities welcoming to everyone, and I look forward to working with destinations both small and large to build a more accessible and inclusive tourism product offering.

Next week, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I will be participating in a webinar with LA Tourism to discuss preparations for the 2028 Games, where I will offer insights to help businesses and travel providers position themselves to welcome visitors with disabilities. The work is beginning!

DOT Levies Largest-Ever Fine for Disability Discrimination Against American Airlines

Late last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation made headlines when it announced a fine of $50 million, levied against American Airlines for its repeated discrimination against disabled passengers from 2019 to 2023. The fine was in response to thousands of damaged wheelchairs and mistreated passengers.

I have reported on the discriminatory practices and culture at American Airlines for years, and it is clear that a fine was warranted:

• American Airlines Refuses to Return Wheelchair, Threatens Disabled Passenger with Arrest in New York

• American Airlines Agent Tosses Wheelchair Down Baggage Chute, Violent Crash Ensues

• American Airlines Dropped My Wheelchair — And Planned to Hide It

• After 100+ Days, American Airlines Still Hasn’t Repaired My Wheelchair

• American Airlines Policy Effectively Bans Power Wheelchair Users from Flying to 130 U.S. Airports

• American Airlines is Leaving Wheelchairs Behind and They Don’t Know Why

• Airlines Are Training Complaint Resolution Officials to Break the Law

• Everything You Need to Know About Wheelchair Handling at American Airlines in One Photo

• Shocking Video: American Airlines Mishandles Power Wheelchair in Miami

Suffice it to say, American Airlines is not one of the good guys. One might expect the carrier to reverse course following a historic fine, but I don’t think that will happen. The pattern and practice of violations is likely to continue.

Last week, I experienced a particularly egregious violation that I intend to document in a future article and file as a formal complaint — meaning, the complaint will appear in the DOT’s docket and be a public record, open for everyone to see.

When asked about my perspective on the $50 million fine, I have commented that it was not enough — American Airlines has caused billions in misery for disabled passengers and there has been little effort by the carrier to remedy its failures. If you have flown or plan to fly with American Airlines, be sure to report any disability-related incidents to the USDOT. For an airline with a $10 billion market cap, that $50 million fine (half of which will be credited to past and future planned expenditures) is a drop in the bucket. Make of this what you will, but Robert Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, collected a $31.4 million compensation package in 2023.

The DOT noted that investigations of other carriers are ongoing, and I welcome that — asking only, what took so long?

NEW Fall 2025 Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Greece

The May and June 2025 Wheelchair Travel Group Trips to Greece both sold-out in less than 48 hours, but you still have a chance to travel with me! Mark your calendars, because I am adding a THIRD group trip to Greece, which will be hosted from September 29 to October 7, 2025. The cost of this wheelchair accessible tour will be $5,450 USD per person based on double occupancy.

Booking for the Fall 2025 Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Greece will open on Monday, December 9, 2024. Paid subscribers of this newsletter will get early access on that date, with free subscribers receiving an opportunity to book only if space remains. If you would like to get early access to reserve a spot on this and future tours, please consider upgrading to a paid newsletter subscription. Your readership and support are instrumental in supporting my work in accessible travel.

If you are interested in joining the Fall trip to Greece, please send me an email at grouptrips@wheelchairtravel.org to give me a heads-up!

Happy Thanksgiving

12 years ago, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving 2012, I departed Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta after more than two months in the intensive care unit. That day, I traveled to my hometown of Gainesville, Florida for further treatment and rehabilitation — not in an ambulance or medical transport van, but in a motorcoach that had once been owned by country music superstar Faith Hill. The bus was graciously loaned to us so that I could ride home in comfort.

I fondly recall that memory because today, rather than traveling to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, I will instead remain at home in bed — with my only tasks being to rest and recover from this cold, and to cancel my previously booked airline ticket to Florida.

While I may be spending tomorrow’s holiday alone, I remain incredibly grateful for the gift of life and the opportunities of these past 12 years — and I hope, in a truly special way, for your happiness and health as we approach the holiday season. I am grateful for you, the Wheelchair Travel community, who give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning or, in this case, to write an email from bed!

Happy Thanksgiving, and talk to you soon!

All the best,
— John