Disability Positivity

I’ve always liked the idea of traveling, but because I am disabled and have physical limitations, I use a power wheelchair to get around. As a result, my parents and I need to make sure that the different cities and places we go to are accessible.

There are many things to consider when my parents and I go somewhere, such as how long we plan to be there, how we are going to get there, what we will do, and where we will stay during our trip. It’s also always important to keep my needs in mind in every part of the planning process. 

In September of this year, my parents and I made the decision to drive to the city of Montreal for a few days. As part of the planning process, I decided to make an itinerary with all the details we needed to make our trip a success. One big part of this was doing different kinds of research to see what we wanted to do, what hotels and restaurants were accessible and more. 

Luckily, we were able to navigate the city with ease and enjoy our time away from home. On the first day, we got there and immediately drove to one of the most famous markets in the city for lunch and to pick up food to have in our hotel room. After that we relaxed back in our hotel, and then went on a walking mission to find a Montreal t-shirt for me. Following that we went back to our hotel to prepare and have dinner. After eating, we went for a little walk near our hotel to explore the area. Then, we decided to head back to our hotel for the night and watched some TV before going to sleep.

The next morning, we had breakfast at our hotel before heading for a walk to an art museum where we saw a mix of paintings, old and new technology furniture and much more! We all saw some very interesting things there. After that it was time for lunch. We walked around the area to try and find a restaurant we liked. Some time had passed, and we were finally able to agree on a restaurant. Following lunch, my parents and I headed back to relax and plan our day tomorrow. After a few hours, we headed to pick up a side of sushi to have with some leftovers we still had from when we went to the market. During our meal, we got to watch TV, which never happens when we are home. We spent the rest of the night in our hotel watching TV and playing Uno. Uno is my favouite card game.

On the third and final day, we had breakfast at our hotel again, before going for a drive in the city of Montreal, to buy 4 dozen bagels. We also checked out of our hotel before driving. These bagels are so popular that my Dad lined up for 45 minutes to get them! 

After shopping, we headed outside of Montreal and slowly started on our way back home. On the way, we made a few stops for gas and food. Overall, it was a great trip, and it will be a memorable one for years to come!