My middle son has multiple disabilities and is a wheelchair user, so I’m always on the lookout for accessible travel destinations. That means I love open spaces with a mild incline (ideally with a paved trail), activities that can be modified to include my son (like adaptive skiing), and spaces that make it easy for me to care for his basic needs (such as companion restrooms).
But finding those details and planning a successful trip around them can be tough because accessible information is typically hard to find. I’ve spent hours calling each place I want to visit on an upcoming vacation itinerary to learn about accessible accommodations for my son, only to arrive and realize the place isn’t a fit.
With the hope of witnessing what a better accessible travel experience can look like, I recently visited Oregon to explore the modifications made in the first state to become “accessibility verified” by Wheel the World in 2024 and to discover what that verification actually means.
Wheel the World is a platform that allows users to plan and book trips. The organization sends trained evaluators to destinations to verify that a location is accessible. They look at accessibility features, including physical access, navigation, amenities, safety, communication, and service readiness. “Each verified listing goes through our on-site assessment (using 200-plus data points) to confirm real accessibility information—not self-reported claims,” said Andrés Villagrán, Wheel the World’s head of marketing.
More than 750 sites throughout Oregon, including Multnomah Falls, were verified by Wheel the World.
Courtesy of Travel Oregon
Wheel the World works with more than 150 destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in the United States, plus global destinations.
A destination (city, region, or state) becomes verified when it reaches a minimum threshold. “For a single destination, that threshold is typically 10 verified listings,” said Villagrán. “Oregon has seven tourism regions, so the benchmark was about 70 verified listings statewide. Oregon went far beyond that—they verified more than 750 listings in this project, which firmly positions them as a verified state under our program.”
Destinations must also “ensure the details are transparent and reliable, so travelers can determine if the place meets their specific needs,” according to Wheel the World.
Since 2022, Oregon has invested millions of dollars in projects to improve accessibility across the state, explained Kevin Wright, vice president, brand stewardship at Travel Oregon.“People with disabilities, aging adults, those with temporary disabilities, and families with young children all gain from improved access,” Wright said in an email interview. “There is also a clear industry need. Globally, 22 percent of working-age adults live with a disability, and when you include their friends and families, disability touches 63 percent of the population.”
Portland Art Museum has many accessible programs and services, including complimentary admission for deaf community members and tours that are facilitated in American Sign Language.
Courtesy of Travel Oregon
During my recent visit, the trip started in Portland, where I stayed at the Benson, a hotel that has accessible rooms with a roll-in shower, a shower seat, and other amenities. While in Portland, I visited Washington Park, where the free, accessible shuttle took me to the Hoyt Arboretum, the Oregon Zoo, and the International Rose Test Garden.
Over the next few days, with the help of a driver from Adventures Without Limits, a nonprofit that offers accessible outdoor adventures, I visited other accessible locations such as Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Mount Hood, Oregon, where Mobi-mats, a nonslip, firm surface specifically made for wheelchair users, were added so visitors with physical disabilities can easily access their apple orchards. Another impressive accessible destination in the state is Nye Beach in Newport, where mobility track chairs, called David’s Chairs, allow disabled visitors to access the sandy shore.
In the coming years, verified locations such as those throughout Oregon must provide “annual updates, continuous improvements, and inclusive marketing that reflects real traveler experiences,” said Villagrán.
After three days of exploring Oregon’s accessible tourism developments, I left feeling excited to come back with my son and the rest of my family. Knowing that we could easily access the city, the beach, and the apple orchards, and just focus on making family memories rather than navigating accessibility, makes all the difference.
For those who would like to create an accessible travel itinerary, Travel Oregon provides numerous resources online, as does Wheel the World.
