Ten years ago, Jane Alameti was travelling around Europe without a second thought. Then leg pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis changed everything, leaving her reliant on a stick or, on bad days, a wheelchair. Instead of giving up travel, she turned the hard-won lessons into a career: her website, AccessibleTravelling.com, offers practical, no-spin information for wheelchair users, people with reduced mobility, and anyone with an invisible disability, chronic illness or sensory need.
The core problem she tackles is that "accessible" rarely means what travellers hope it means. A hotel can advertise a wheelchair-friendly room yet have a step-strewn path to the restaurant. A cruise ship might be superbly equipped, but the shore excursion at the other end isn't. Her solution is detail: step-free routes, door widths, roll-in showers, transfer space, even pavement terrain at a destination — the specifics that decide whether someone can actually book with confidence.
Her verdict on Portugal is encouraging — she calls it "quite good" for accessibility — though experienced readers may raise an eyebrow, given the country's famously uneven cobbled pavements and the occasional alarmingly steep ramp. Practical help exists if you plan ahead: Faro Airport runs a MyWay assistance service for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility (book through your airline or agent at least 48 hours before departure), and railway operator CP offers boarding lifts on some services, though not every station is covered. Attitudes aren't always perfect, either; Alameti recalls a fellow passenger loudly questioning why she should be wheeled through check-in ahead of others.
Beyond the free guides and checklists, the site sells three tiers of planning support: general guidance at no cost, a £50 package with personalised research into accommodation, transport and activities, and a £75 version that verifies specifics like door widths and shower access, plus downloadable planners via Etsy. There's also a "Condition Hub" covering everything from ADHD and neurodivergence to visual and hearing impairments — useful, because overstimulating airports and hidden struggles are things fellow travellers rarely spot.
One honest caveat: the site isn't an official authority and its information isn't independently verified, so it advises confirming key details directly with airlines, hotels and operators. But as a starting point for understanding your rights in the UK, Europe and the USA — and for decoding what an "accessible" label really hides — it fills a genuine gap. It's a reminder, too, that not every disability is visible, and that a small inconvenience for one traveller can be a dealbreaker for another. Details via AccessibleTravelling.com.
Story first reported by Portugal Resident.
