Traveling the world in a powered wheelchair

Traveling the world in a powered wheelchair

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Aired on August 21, 2022

Travel blogger Cory Lee joins World Footprints hosts Tonya and Ian Fitzpatrick to talk about the joys and challenges of traveling the world in a powered wheelchair.

At the age of two, Cory Lee was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy. Because this disease is progressive it has served as a catalyst for Cory Lee to see as much of the world as he can.

Cory Lee, who runs the wheelchair travel blog Curb Free with Cory Lee, began traveling internationally when he was 15 and he’s never looked back. To date, he has visited all seven continents in his powered wheelchair. In fact, he is likely the first wheelchair traveler to achieve this goal. But there are many more countries that Cory Lee wants to check off on his travel wish list.

Traveling is a right for everyone to enjoy but, as we’ll hear from Cory Lee, the travel industry is not accommodating to every traveler.

Cory Lee on water skis
Cory Lee on water skis
Cory Lee next to a Hippo
That’s close enough!
  • Cory and a cheetah
  • Cory and his mom in the Amazon rainforest on the Ecuador side
    Cory and his mom in the Amazon rainforest on the Ecuador side
  • Cory Lee and Camel
    Photo courtesy of Cory Lee
  • Cory Lee on camel
    Cory Lee on camel
  • Cory Lee at Western Wall
    Cory Lee at the Western Wall
  • Cory Lee across bridge
    Photo courtesy of Cory Lee
  • Cory Lee on the beach
    Photo courtesy of Cory Lee

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Tonya: I’m Tonya Fitzpatrick, Ian: And I’m Ian Fitzpatrick, and this is World Footprints. INTRO SEGMENT Cory Lee: I can’t stay in my powered wheelchair on the plane, so I have to stay in a regular plane seat. And then once I’m on the plane, I’m unable to get up again. So, there’s no getting up to go to the bathroom or any of that and I’m kind of just stranded right there in the plane seat. And so, it’s– you know, I’ve flown from Atlanta to Johannesburg, 17 hours nonstop. I flew LA to Sydney, Australia, 15 hours nonstop. And I’m really having to, like, dehydrate myself and not eat anything for two days in advance of the flight just to be able to fly. And so, that’s something that I should not have to be saying in the year 2020. I mean, something needs to happen with airlines and it’s– I’m constantly like fighting the airlines to get them to realize you know what all I go through to hopefully make a change. Ian: That’s Cory Lee, a world traveler and blogger who’s changing perceptions of travel and adventure possibilities for disabled travelers. His blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee, shares his experiences with a mix of inspiration and practical tips to show how, where and why a person with a disability has a world worth exploring. Tonya: Cory was diagnosed with type two spinal muscular atrophy at the age of two. And by the time he was four years old, he got his first powered wheelchair and took his first trip to Walt Disney World, a personal favorite of his. At 15, Cory’s first international trip took him to the Bahamas and sparked a desire to see the world that inspires him to this day. With seven continents and 37 countries visited and counting, Cory believes that travel is the best teacher and the world has taken notice. Cory has emerged as a leading thought leader