Accessible Travel Still an Afterthought: Notes from My Recent Holiday

By Linda Bartram

I recently went on a short vacation through Parksville and Honeymoon Bay on Vancouver Island with a sighted friend, staying at two different hotels. While I always try to approach new places with a sense of openness, I also carry the quiet expectation that accessibility may not have been part of the planning. That proved true again on this trip.

At the first hotel, my expectations were low from the outset. The door number wasn’t labeled in Braille, but the etched numerals were tactile enough for me to read. The air conditioning couldn’t be adjusted independently. Like many blind travellers, I’ve learned to bring my own toiletries because shampoo, conditioner, and lotion often come in identical containers. There was a microwave in the room, but it had no tactile features, making it impossible for me to use. The coffee maker was a basic drip model with a familiar layout—one of the few things I could operate without help. Printed materials and signage weren’t accessible, and the self-serve breakfast area wasn’t staffed, so I had to ask my friend for help there too.

The second hotel had similar challenges. The room was right off the parking lot, so I didn’t check for Braille numbers. I couldn’t control the air conditioning or identify toiletries. The TV was unusable. Both the microwave and coffee maker relied on flat touch panels, not buttons, so I couldn’t use them. It struck me again how older appliances, with their simple knobs and dials are more accessible than today’s sleek digital screens.

At both locations—and in the various venues we visited—there was no accessible signage or maps. Restaurant menus weren’t readable. Without a sighted companion, I would’ve relied more heavily on Be My Eyes, though I did try it a couple of times and it didn’t always work because it may have been out of range.

These are common frustrations. When you can’t get the information you need yourself, you end up depending on someone else for even the simplest tasks. That dependency can wear on you. Occasionally, you stumble across Braille signage or an accessible menu, but that’s the exception.

There’s hope that accessibility regulations will improve these experiences over time. But right now, it’s tools like AI that may help us bridge the gap—at least until more places start thinking about ALL of their guests when designing services.