Travel without limits: Designing for accessibility and inclusion
Q&A with Cheryl Everitt
Travel should be for everyone – but too often, accessibility barriers hold people back. From accommodation to transport, the tourism industry is making progress, but there’s still work to be done to ensure that disabled travellers can explore the world with confidence.
At this year’s British Tourism & Travel Show (BTTS), Cheryl Everitt, Founder of A Wheel and Away, will share first-hand insights on what true accessibility means in practice. She’ll be joined by industry experts in the panel session, ‘Travel Without Limits: Designing for Accessibility and Inclusion‘ on Wednesday 19 March, 3-3:50pm in the Keynote Theatre.
Drawing from her personal experience as the proud parent of two wheelchair users and her extensive travels across India, Nicaragua, and Vietnam, Cheryl will share valuable insights on balancing practical considerations with the right mindset to create exciting, accessible travel experiences for all. Her session will explore the social model of disability, provide key insights into the disability market, and outline actionable strategies to make tourism more inclusive.
Ahead of her session, we caught up with Cheryl to discuss her work in accessible travel consulting, and her vision for a more inclusive tourism industry.
Introducing Cheryl Everitt
Cheryl is the founder of A Wheel and Away, an accessible travel consultancy designed for independent travellers with disabilities who dream of exploring the world on their own terms. Her extensive travel experiences with her children revealed a significant gap in information available to disabled travellers. Through her consultancy, she bridges this gap by connecting adventurous travellers with the right resources and advises travel companies about how they can serve the disabled community better.
Can you tell us more about your business and what it does?
“A Wheel and Away is a project of passion, focused on making travel easier for people with all manner of disabilities. I do this in a variety of ways. I help individuals craft their perfect trip, providing them with the knowledge they need to make it a reality or, if required, organising it for them. I work with travel businesses, offering training and support to help them to improve their own knowledge and processes, and to offer a better solution to travellers with disabilities. I also write for a number of publications, flying the flag for accessible travel and highlighting destinations that have something special to offer the disability community.”
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your job?
“The most rewarding aspect is that lightbulb moment when someone realises that the trip they thought couldn’t happen is achievable. Similarly, when I meet someone who shares my feelings about making the world easier for everyone to travel in. Those moments are wonderful and make everything worthwhile. In terms of challenges, as a one-woman band, just the sheer volume of things to do is probably the biggest one!”
What are you most looking forward to at BTTS 2025?
“I’m really looking forward to meeting a wide range of people from different backgrounds and finding out more about how we can work together to improve travel for people with disabilities. It will also be good to find some new opportunities that I can share with my clients.”
What can visitors expect to learn from your session?
“I hope that they will gain a better understanding of the challenges facing disabled travellers, as well as some insight into the reasons why businesses should be making better accessibility a key part of any strategy. In addition, I will be identifying some steps that businesses can take to achieve this.”
What advice would you give tour operators and group travel organisers?
“As a whole, the needs of travellers with disabilities are not currently being met. The ethical reasons for changing this speak for themselves. For any business that chooses to make this a priority, they automatically position themselves as a leader in a niche market with money to spend.”
Travel Without Limits
Cheryl’s passion for accessible travel is clear. Her insights highlight opportunities in creating a truly inclusive tourism industry: by understanding the needs of disabled travellers and making accessibility a priority, businesses can open their doors to a growing market and ensure that travel is an experience everyone can enjoy.
At BTTS, she’ll be joined by a panel of experts who are driving change in this space. Alongside Cheryl, you’ll hear from Hester Grainger from Perfectly Autistic, James Dixon-Box from the Marsham Court Hotel and Ray Veal from Tourism for All, each offering valuable insights from their unique perspectives.
Join the conversation on Wednesday 19 March at 3pm, and discover how your business can be part of the solution – register for free today.
