Travel

Jessica in front of an archway with fairy lights at dusk

In college, I aimed to experience as much of the world as I could, so I made travel a priority. Growing up without many disabled travelers or explorers to look up to, I wanted to build that path for myself and explore what was possible, even without hands and feet. Becoming an Obama-Chesky Voyager opened even more space for me to seek out new places and new ways of moving through them.

Travel is where my work meets real life. Every city shows me what access looks like when it is designed well and what happens when it is not. Moving through the world in this way sharpens how I think and what I say on stage. Each trip becomes part of how I speak about access and what freedom in work and play can look like. Scroll down to see some of my favorite trips and the lessons they've given me about inclusion along the way.

Advocacy in Motion

1/13

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a profound lesson in scale. I stayed at the Grand Canyon Lodge, which has 120 rooms, but only 5 of those are accessible. To secure one, I had to keep track of when they became available and act quickly to reserve one before it disappeared. In contrast, all shuttles and museums in the area are accessible. The varying levels of access significantly shape the overall experience.

Jessica smiling in NYC with the Statue of Liberty behind her

2/13

New York City

The city that never sleeps surprised me with its wide availability of accessible taxis. In the U.S., taxis are not required to be accessible unless local regulations mandate it. NYC shines with 50% of its taxis being accessible, making it one of the easiest places I've explored.

3/13

Chicago

Chicago has a wide range of accessible transportation, including Uber, Lyft, and taxis (which tend to arrive more quickly). However, the city's newest infrastructure, the Boardwalk, is not fully accessible, as a significant portion of the walkway can only be reached by stairs. This enlightened me to the fact that access is not guaranteed in new infrastructure.

4/13

Phoenix

Phoenix is a large city with plenty to offer. The Downtown area is enjoyable to explore, especially with its close proximity to the Diamondbacks. However, a significant portion of the sidewalks are cracked, making it difficult for wheelchairs to navigate. On a positive note, places like the Desert Botanical Garden offer much to learn about the beauty of adaptation in a tough environment.

5/13

Washington DC

Washington DC is one of the most accessible cities in the country. I rode the subway for the first time and enjoyed all the ways I could navigate: taxi, bus, or rolling. One of my favorite experiences was the fully accessible city bus tours. I witnessed how a citywide investment in access can transform the capital.

Jessica with her arms out waving at the Golden Gate Park inSan Francisco

6/13

San Francisco & Redwoods

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of the Redwoods towering over you. But one of the best things about the park is how clearly the accessible trails are marked in the NPS app and on the signage. San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is equally impressive and inclusive, and I witnessed how nature and access can work as one.

7/13

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is vivid in its glory and memorable in its power and height. Its boat tours are accessible from start to finish, they even give you plastic to cover your wheelchair! The falls gave me a valuable perspective on how a fully unrestricted path can improve your entire journey.

8/13

Cleveland

One of my favorite things about Cleveland is its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They deliberately chose to ensure that each section has a screen displaying the lyrics of the songs playing through the speakers. This was something I had never seen done in a museum before, and while it might seem given that visitors to a music museum can always hear the music, they did not make that incorrect assumption.

9/13

Monterey Bay

Monterey offers a beautiful view of the bay and ocean along its 17-mile drive, which is wheelchair accessible. But when I think of Monterey Bay, I think of the Aquarium. Every year, the Aquarium celebrates Disability Pride Month. Their celebration has shown me how inclusion can be welcomed in the most remote of places and venues.

10/13

Las Vegas

Much can be said about Las Vegas, and one of my favorite aspects is that the slot machines have braille signage. Additionally, the shows have accessible seats integrated into the rest of the rows. At the same time, the Strip is probably one of the most inaccessible experiences because every elevator I found was broken. The beauty of Vegas is that options exist, and inaccessibility can be addressed with an alternative pathway, though it may add 2 hours.

11/13

Sacramento

Sacramento is interesting because the Capitol building is accessible, but its legislative building is more difficult to enter. One of the advantages of this accessibility is that disabled individuals can enter the Capitol to hear proceedings and participate in the democratic process. However, they often struggle to access the legislative building to meet with their legislators. The lesson here is that accessibility relies on a functioning democracy that allows constituents to reach their leaders.

12/13

Kansas City

Kansas City is beautiful in the winter with its lights and city decorations. Its government-funded buildings, like the train station and the Federal Reserve, have managed to merge beauty with accessibility, making a city with charm and Southern character.

13/13

San Diego

As a native San Diegan, I will be biased and say that SD is my favorite city. Fully accessible trolleys, boats, and buses make the city easy to explore. The San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park are exceedingly accessible. Limited wheelchair accessibility in taxi offerings detract from its access, but I'll say my favorite city is the finest city in America for a reason.