How to Make Travel More Inclusive: Real Stories from Various Travelers

What does it actually look like to make travel more inclusive?

For many of us, it starts with the moments that are often overlooked: reading a menu in a new language when you have a food allergy, navigating sensory overwhelm in a crowded airport, or wondering if a tour will accommodate your body size or medical device. These moments might not make the guidebooks — but they deeply shape how we experience the world.

I’m Audra, the history-loving traveler behind The Nerd Traveler, where I explore how heritage, culture, and identity intersect with every journey. And I’m Lisa from 1 2 3 Go Solo, where I empower women to embrace solo travel with confidence — whether it’s their first trip or their fiftieth, locally or globally.

We’ve teamed up with other women travelers to share what inclusion looks like in practice — not just in marketing.

This collaborative series includes four real stories from travelers who have navigated international travel while managing:

• Food allergies

• Neurodivergence

• Medical devices

• Plus-size accessibility needs

What Does Inclusive Travel Really Mean?

“Inclusive travel” is a phrase that gets used a lot — in tourism marketing, in DEI conversations, and on listicles promoting accessible resorts or destinations. But for those of us living with specific needs, inclusive travel is not a trend. It is a daily negotiation between what we dream of doing and what our body, brain, or dietary needs will allow.

It means asking a hotel if their “accessible room” has more than just wide doorways. It means checking if the food tour includes options that will not make you sick for two days. It means wondering if you will fit comfortably on the plane — or if you will have to explain, again, why your medical device cannot go through the scanner.

And more than anything, it means not having to justify why you deserve to be there.

Inclusive travel is about more than ramps and allergy menus. It’s about making space — in itineraries, in infrastructure, in our mindsets — for the beautifully varied ways people experience the world. And when that happens, everyone benefits.

This post is not a checklist. It’s a collection of real stories from travelers who have learned how to advocate for themselves, plan with intention, and still find joy along the way.

In our first installment, we shared our own stories on how the two of us approach food sensitivites and allergies while traveling the world, experiencing different foods and cultures.

In our second installment, we shared Al Hawn's story on traveling as a queer and neurodivergent person.

Our third installment, which we bring you today, is written by Shereen Abusaeedi, a plus sized woman who also travels with medical devices. In her candid story, we learn how Shereen travels in comfort and confidence.

Traveling as a Plus Size Traveler with Medical Devices

When you travel in a plus-size body — especially with a medical device — you have to account for factors many travelers never think twice about.

Will the plane seat fit you comfortably? Will there be armrests that pinch, seatbelts that do not buckle, or stares when you ask for an extender? What about navigating public bathrooms with insulin pumps or catheters? How will the TSA handle your medical device? Will your destination have the supplies you need?

These are not questions of vanity. They’re about access, safety, and dignity.

Inclusive travel means making space — literal and cultural — for bodies of all shapes and needs. And it means understanding that travel doesn’t become less valid or adventurous just because someone needs a little more room, support, or privacy.

Shereen’s Story - Lessons on Traveling in Comfort and with Confidence

When I first started traveling, I didn’t think much about what it meant to move through the world in a plus-size body. Airplane seats were uncomfortable, hotel bathrooms were tiny, and walking on uneven ground sometimes made my hip ache — but I told myself that was just part of the travel deal. You squeeze in, you make do, and you focus on the adventure.

But in my late 40s and early 50s, that started to shift. As my body changed and I began traveling with medical devices — a CPAP, and sometimes a cane — the little discomforts I used to ignore became harder to brush off. What I’d chalked up as “travel fatigue” or “airport chaos” was actually my body quietly asking for more support than I’d been giving it.

I still think about one long-haul flight where everything hit at once: cramped aisles, a surprise period, and a bathroom so small I felt like I needed a geometry degree to use it. I had packed well — my travel bidet, wet wipes, all the Girl Scout preparedness — but I realized I couldn’t keep white-knuckling my way through travel just to avoid being “in the way.”

Now, I travel with intention. I ask for a seatbelt extender the second I board, no apologies. I choose window seats for that extra inch of space between me and the world. I check SeatGuru before booking. I keep essentials where I can actually reach them — leggings with real pockets, a scarf with a hidden zipper, my trusty yarner bag clipped to the tray table so nothing disappears under the seat.

And I think more carefully about where I stay. A reachable outlet for my CPAP, a bathroom that isn’t an Olympic sport, a bedside table that can hold more than a single water glass — these small details add up.

More than anything, I’ve learned to travel with people who respect my pace. On some of my favorite trips, my companions offered help when I needed it and trusted me when I said I was fine. No judgment, no pressure. Just ease.

Being plus-size on the road isn’t about shrinking yourself or strategizing your way through shame. It’s about traveling with awareness instead of apology, preparation instead of panic. And somewhere along the way, that shift made travel feel not just doable — but more joyful, more grounded, and far more aligned with the body I’m actually in.

Need Help Planning a More Inclusive Trip?

Audra offers custom travel planning and advisory services to help you navigate logistics, food restrictions, and destination research with intention. Whether you’re solo, navigating allergies, or just need a nerdy deep dive into itinerary planning, I’ve got you covered. Work with me →

Lisa offers 1:1 coaching for women who want to travel solo but don’t know where to start. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to take the leap, she’s the support system you didn’t know you needed. Learn more here →