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As a wheelchair user living in the United Kingdom, I’d grown familiar with the cold shoulder of the country’s uncompromising listed buildings, people’s awkward ways around disability, and our poorly enforced accessibility laws. So when I experienced life in California for the first time about a decade ago, it felt like a warm embrace.
“I could get used to this,” I thought haughtily as I cruised over the Golden Gate Bridge, my wheelchair strapped beside me in the passenger seat of a rental car fitted with hand controls, trying to put my finger on what makes California so remarkably different. The easy-to-find adaptations; the newer buildings; the wider, smoother sidewalks; the expansiveness of the people and the surrounding scenery. “How is my day?” you ask. “Well, uniquely accessible, thank you very much!”
Whenever there is an occasion to return to the state, I leap at the chance, eager to be back in the land of the step-free, where wheelchair access is mandatory, “handicapped” toilets are often integrated, and the mental load of the physically disabled can be temporarily replaced with a breezier outlook.
Be it the minimum of physically accessible accommodation or the gold standard of inclusive experiences, California, in my opinion, has it all. Despite years of traveling as a wheelchair user, going solo is a luxury I can only afford in certain places—and California is one of them. Below, I’ve made a guide with everything you need to know about accessible travel in California.
Sophie at the Hollywood sign
Getting around
There are direct flights to all major California airports from the UK. My preference is always to fly with Virgin Atlantic, but there are several options. Direct flights avoid any complications with transfers and, with several airports to choose from, you can always see if there are deals to neighboring airports. The last time I visited, I was flexible on dates and times, so I was able to find a business class seat on the less busy route to San Jose and then drove the extra hour to San Francisco.
