Rachel didn’t just study abroad in Dublin—she lived history, wrestled with access barriers, and found unexpected pieces of herself along the way. Rolling across the city’s cobbled streets during the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, she felt the weight of her ancestors’ courage.
“It was pretty upsetting,” Rachel said, “but good to know that so many people were not just sitting back letting it happen.” Their fight for freedom wasn’t so different from her own determination to claim her space in a world not built with her in mind.
Finding Family—and a New Perspective
Meeting extended family and standing where her ancestors lived and worked gave Rachel more than memories—it gave her a vision. “I enjoyed meeting extended family and seeing where they lived,” she shared. “While I was there, I did see things that I could have contributed in, such as the Dingle Peninsula Hotel where my relative works.” In another life, maybe she would have helped run that hotel by the sea. In this one, she was building a different kind of legacy.
Traveling Abroad: Access Denied, But Not Defeated
Traveling abroad as a wheelchair user came with barriers Rachel hadn’t fully anticipated. “I was surprised by the lack of access for tourism options to leave Dublin,” she said. Buses turned her away because her chair didn’t fold, and tours and adventures beyond the city limits often remained just out of reach.
Rachel wishes universities and study abroad programs understood the real needs of disabled students. “I wish they offered the option of taking along a local companion,” she explained. “It would be so much easier to know what areas may be a significant barrier and which scenarios would be amazing.”
Sometimes, advocacy meant speaking up—and finding allies. When a long wait for the Book of Kells seemed inevitable, Rachel told her professor. His response? He called a friend at Trinity College, and suddenly, they had open access whenever they wanted.
If she could do the trip again, Rachel wouldn’t go it alone. “I’d have someone that I could bounce ideas off of and plan better for what is suitable for them and myself,” she said. She also would’ve fought harder for better transportation options. “I would have probably tried getting them to get a rental,” she added.
Isolation—and Eye-Opening Lessons
In Dublin, Rachel noticed something missing: peers. She rarely saw other wheelchair users her age, and that absence was palpable. “I felt like the Irish got pride in assisting the disabled,” Rachel observed, “but by bringing things to them—not bringing them out to where it may be difficult environment.”
The experience sharpened her understanding of global disability inclusion—and the long road ahead.
Turning Struggles Into Advocacy
Rachel didn’t keep her story to herself. For her externship project, she interviewed other disabled travelers about their experiences—and shared the conversations on YouTube. “I wanted to give others the option,” she said.
The interviews surprised her. “What stood out was how many different approaches they took—and how little the colleges assisted,” she recalled.
Rachel already knew herself as a creator—an artist—but this project revealed a new side of her: a storyteller shining a light on the disabled traveler’s journey. “It was fun having conversations about disability and getting other perspectives,” she said.
Lessons in Independence—and Empathy
Traveling abroad taught Rachel more than just logistics. It reshaped her relationship with independence—and interdependence. “I learned how to book things better and what I enjoy about international travel,” she said.
There were challenges along the way—a broken-down bus that left her waiting for hours, for one—but the emotional journey was just as complex. If she had to sum it all up in three emotions? “Frustration, because of lack of access,” she said. “Anxiety, because of all the things I had to sort through for access. And empathy, because the disabled people that live there don’t have basic things that would make their independence so much better.”
Looking Ahead
Rachel isn’t finished traveling—not by a long shot. Next stop on her dream list? Australia. “I’d like to go to Australia,” she said. “I would hire a guide and an assistant and book adventures each day I am there.”
Armed with hard-earned wisdom and a spirit that refuses to be boxed in, Rachel is ready to take on the world—one accessible adventure at a time.
Here’s another audacious person for you. https://www.audacitymagazine.com/fatherhood-after-injury-a-life-transformed/
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