Quote from Penny McCarthy on November 15, 2024, 9:22 am

Driven by her own experiences traveling with a disabled son, Paula Hansen is transforming accessible holiday planning with World Accessible Holidays—a unique service designed to offer stress-free, budget-friendly trips for disabled travellers.

Despite her own struggles with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, Paula has built a flourishing business from the ground up. Occasionally managing operations from her bed, she proudly calls herself a "bedpreneur," balancing her pain while running a company dedicated to easing the travel experience for families like hers.

Turning Travel Challenges into a Solution

At 52, Paula launched World Accessible Holidays, inspired by years of international travel with her son, Evan, who has cerebral palsy. Paula spotted a critical gap in the travel industry, where accessible yet affordable holidays were rarely available. She explains, “We love traveling, but the process has always been full of barriers—starting with airport assistance, challenges boarding flights, and endless concerns about wheelchair accessibility upon arrival.”

Paula is no stranger to these obstacles. From airport assistance struggles to last-minute changes in accessible hotel rooms, she understands first-hand the unique hurdles disabled travellers face. Now, through her service, she aims to provide relief by handling every detail, ensuring an accessible and smooth travel experience.

Affordable Accessibility: The World Accessible Holidays Difference

Paula officially launched the World Accessible Holidays website in January 2024, with the support of her husband Steve, who took redundancy to join her mission. The platform offers a comprehensive, one-stop booking experience that covers:

• Guaranteed accessible rooms
• Airport assistance
• Accessible transport options, including transfers and car hire
• Accessible tours and activities
• Equipment hire
• 24/7 travel support

This integrated service simplifies accessible travel, helping families plan and enjoy holidays without unnecessary stress and unexpected costs. For those who have struggled with mainstream travel providers, Paula’s business is a much-needed alternative that prioritises comfort, affordability, and reassurance.

A Personal Journey to Break Down Barriers

Paula’s journey began decades ago when Evan, born eight weeks prematurely, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Their first overseas trip as a family, for a ground-breaking surgery in the U.S., ignited their love of travel. Although Evan’s surgery improved his mobility, he continues to use a wheelchair, making accessible accommodations essential for their trips.

The family’s experiences navigating inaccessible environments led Paula to pursue a career in travel, eventually stepping away from a 25-year career in insurance as her fibromyalgia symptoms intensified. After testing the waters with a part-time travel agency franchise in 2020, Paula decided to go independent, acquiring an ATOL license and developing partnerships with niche suppliers to provide both high street and custom packages.

Embracing Inclusivity with Lived Experience

World Accessible Holidays has already expanded its team and aims to bring in diverse talent with first-hand experience of disability. Paula is actively working on plans to recruit a visually impaired intern, broadening the company’s ability to serve visually and hearing-impaired travellers.

As Paula explains, “This is an underserved market, often poorly represented and overly expensive. Booking accessible travel shouldn’t be an ordeal, and we wanted to create a service that is inclusive, affordable, and offers complete peace of mind, whether it’s a budget-friendly getaway or a dream holiday.”

Looking to the Future: Expansion and Franchising

As demand grows, Paula and Steve are considering selling their Cardiff home to spend more time visiting destinations offered on their website, ensuring first-hand knowledge of accessibility standards. Their son Evan, a wheelchair tennis player who dreams of winning a Grand Slam, hopes to study in the U.S. while continuing to pursue his sport.

Paula’s vision for the future is ambitious: “In five years, we’d love to see World Accessible Holidays franchised across other countries, run by people with lived experience of disability. We want this mission to open up the world to disabled travellers to continue and expand, creating opportunities for others and making accessible travel the norm.”

Through her business, Paula is not only challenging industry standards but also opening doors for countless families and individuals to explore the world with ease and confidence.