Tell us about yourself
My name is Kendra Erhardt, I am from Alberta, Canada and am 32 years old. I have been a full-time manual wheelchair user for the past 5 years as a result of a spinal cord injury sustained in a sports accident. I started Wheelie Girl Travel as a platform to raise awareness about living with a spinal cord injury and providing accessible travel information. Prior to my injury I had the privilege to do a lot of travelling. I am thankful to have had those opportunities when I did, since travelling as a wheelchair user cranks up the difficulty level of everything! I remember being in a hospital bed and trying to find information online about it, and was shocked about the lack of information, especially in today’s digital age- so it inspired me to create a wheelchair travel blog.
What has been your journey of disability?
My spinal cord injury is a sudden partition in my life. I was paralyzed in an instant in a sports accident and was conscious the entire time. There is a clear “before” walking life and a new life of “after” on wheels. Adapting to a whole new way of living, and figuring out how to rebuild a plan for a future that had been so fundamentally shifted. Adjustment didn’t happen over night, but small accomplishments day by day added up quickly. As is often the case: it’s only in looking back to see how far we have come.
“Adjustment didn’t happen over night, but small accomplishments day by day added up quickly. As is often the case: it’s only in looking back to see how far we have come”
Are there things about you that people misunderstand because of your disability?
People tend to focus so much on the “can’t” that they lose out on all of the “can.” While living life with a disability is a challenging adjustment, there is still a lot of life to be lived, it just looks a little bit different.
How did your passion for traveling begin?
Love of travel was instilled at a young age, from camping trips with the family, road trips and adventures around North America. This evolved into travelling abroad to Europe and Asia with friends, and tour groups. Culminating in solo backpacking around the world. Things were a lot simpler when all I had to worry about is where I was heading to next, and I could carry everything I needed for 3 months on my back. All the planning it took was booking a flight on a Thursday to leave on a Sunday for 3 months, and booking room for the first few nights, then figuring out the rest along the way. The juxtaposition of the ease of backpacking versus the planning and preparation that go into travelling as a wheelchair user, is literally night and day. Everything must be planned months or years in advance! There is often little to no availability of accessible accommodations (especially last minute). Even if there is availability, accessibility standards vary widely, even in first world countries. Unfortunately, there are often systemic barriers in place that make travel financially impossible for those living with a disability. If you think traveling is an expensive luxury as an able-bodied person, try tripling the price to accommodate for accessible accommodations, transportation and activities! There is a severe lack of information, which can make it difficult to plan and research what is doable, and the fear of the unknown can leave people stuck, as they want to be able to go somewhere or do something.
“If you think traveling is an expensive luxury as an able-bodied person, try tripling the price to accommodate for accessible accommodations, transportation and activities!”
What made you decide to start Wheelie Girl Travel and what is your vision for your project ?
During the time of the stay at home due to Covid, I was recovering from a second back surgery for my hardware replacement, and I needed a project to work on to help with going stir crazy. It combined my hobbies of writing, research, travel, advocacy, and it was fun learning how to put it all together. The overall vision would be to raise advocacy and awareness about living as a wheelchair user. There are still a lot of barriers in place for those living with disabilities to fully participate in their communities and with today’s technology available, this shouldn’t be the case.
How do you go about choosing where you travel?
A lot of my travel is focused around travelling to train and compete in various para sport tournaments. This offers the other added bonus of travelling with other wheelchair users and learning tips and tricks from them. But when I am choosing where to travel on my free time, definitely some place warm, and either going to relax on a beach in the sun, or else planning a trip around an event or bucket-list to do.
What is the most wheelchair friendly place that you have traveled to?
The most wheelchair friendly place I have travelled so far would be Las Vegas. I was incredibly impressed with how every venue and restaurant was accessible. With elevators to access the pedways and accessible trams + monorail cars. There was so much to do and see, lots of great food and drinks, and it was nice and flat to roll around. Win, win, win!
What is the least accessible place that you have been to?
The least accessible place would be any airplane. It is wild that every other form of public transportation allows you to be able to stay in your mobility aid that is custom made to support your seating. From an able-bodied persons perspective, it would be like being separated from your legs during the flight and unable to leave your seat. Your “legs” are then put in the hands of strangers, and often get damaged or broken. And the cherry on top is that most flights don’t have a bathroom that is truly accessible unless you can stand and pivot. If “regular” people were told that their couldn’t move for the entire flight, their legs may be broken or lost upon arrival or return, and they can’t use the bathroom. There would be absolute outrage… but as someone with a disability we are just expected to be happy and grateful for the way things are. Thankfully there are organizations such as All Wheels Up working on advocating for an accessible seating options for commercial flights. And Delta has unveiled a modular seat concept design. ( https://www.cnn.com/travel/delta-flight-products-wheelchair-airplane-seat-design/index.html )
“From an able-bodied persons perspective, it would be like being separated from your legs during the flight and unable to leave your seat…If “regular” people were told that their couldn’t move for the entire flight, their legs may be broken or lost upon arrival or return, and they can’t use the bathroom. There would be absolute outrage”
What have been the most common challenges have you came across while traveling in a wheelchair? How did you overcome them?
Lack of accessible bathrooms in public places can be a challenge. A good bet are usually shopping malls, grocery stores, or movie theatres. But there are also several apps that can be used to help locate accessible restrooms AccessNow, WheelMate, Flush Toilet Finder, or else the about section tab on Google Maps.
What are some of the top destinations on your bucket list?
Would love to go to Japan – I am obsessed with the videos of the deers in Nara, Japan and would love to go see them. There’s also a restaurant that has a 100+ year old perpetual sauce that is on my food bucket list to have.. along with all the other great food.. considering Japan has the highest density of Michelin restaurants per capita and an extensive street food culture, so I don’t think I could go wrong. I would also love to go back to Thailand and around south east Asia as a wheelchair user, there is really no other place like it in the world. As for bucket list travel activity: I would also love to Iceland and scuba dive between the tectonic plates and do the ring road road-trip loop around the country.
Is there a single piece (or more!) of technology that makes your life or makes travelling easier? Why?
A push assist unit is super helpful to save my shoulders over long distances. I also love my RGK frontwheel attachment to help navigate uneven terrain. It makes for smoother rolling up opens up more adventure options. I also love my apple airtags and keep one with my wheelchair to have peace of mind to know it made it on the plane. Google street view can also be great to scope out an area for general accessibility, and the about tab for businesses will let you know if there is an accessible entrance/parking/restrooms, it is usually fairly accurate, but information is not always complete or listed.
Do you see yourself as an activist through the important work you do sharing your travel experiences?
It is impossible to be inconspicuous as a wheelchair user. So I figured I would use this to my advantage! I think it is important to raise visibility for other wheelchair users. Especially to the showcase establishments that truly are welcoming of everyone; and having the ability to educate others how to do better. It feels empowering to be a voice for change and to be an advocate to leave this world better than I found it.
“It is impossible to be inconspicuous as a wheelchair user. So I figured I would use this to my advantage!”
Do you think travelling with disability has changed over recent years? How and Why?
I think there has been a huge push for inclusion from those travelling with a disability and as wheelchair users in the age of social media. There is a huge network of voices worldwide that are united to make traveling with a disability equitable, dignified and safe for all. While changes can take time, I think there are a lot of great people and organizations that are fighting the good fight to raise awareness. There are also great facebook group collectives of people sharing recommendations: word of mouth goes a long way, and seeing others do it show how much out there is possible!
Do you have any tips for other wheelchair users / traveler’s with disabilities that might not think traveling is possible?
Everything is possible, it just might look a little bit different than you originally planned. Start small. Start by exploring your neighborhood, do a day trip, then an overnight road-trip, then try a short plane trip, and the sky is the limit from there! Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to plan an extended international trip for your first escapade. Start with one trip at a time, and you will learn what you need and what you can do without and will gain confidence adapting to different environments. Finally, know your rights when travelling, and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.
Do you have a way for people to connect or follow you?
Follow me on Instagram (@wheeliegirltravel) or Facebook at Wheelie Girl Travel
Or check out my full blog at: www.wheeliegirltravel.com
