Why are wheelchair-friendly travel options in Asia so lacking? Plus five accessible tourist attractions among region’s best
While some progress is being made across the continent to improve access, much of Asia remains inaccessible to wheelchair users. We talk to the people trying to do something about the problem
Prasong Thongwang, from Thailand, has used a wheelchair since 1983 but was determined not to let that get in the way of his passion for travelling. “I love to travel,” he says. “But I had many problems each time I travelled. I had to do a lot of planning before I went. It was difficult and there wasn’t much help out there.”
Wanting to provide other wheelchair users with an easy way to explore his homeland, he launched Wheelchair Holidays Thailand in 2001 as the country’s first company catering towards travellers with disabilities. “The disabled must have full participation and equality, and that is what we aim to offer,” Prasong says.
Despite the United Nations declaring 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, with the aim of creating barrier-free countries that are friendly to people with disabilities, there remain huge hurdles for accessible travel across Asia.
While small steps are being made across the continent to improve access, much of Asia remains inaccessible to wheelchair users, who face a multitude of issues navigating cities, finding accommodation and accessing attractions.
“The need for greater accessibility has not gone unnoticed in Asia, and many communities are making small improvements where they can,” says John Morris, who was in a car accident in 2012 that left the then 26-year-old a triple amputee.
