At OutThere’s inaugural Icons of Inclusion event in 2024, Go Beyond Holidays co-founder Ian Callen took part in a panel discussion on accessible and supported travel during which it became clear that his background and experiences begged for a more in-depth follow-up… In this Q&A, we talk to Ian about all things travel with hidden disabilities.
People with disabilities are often painted with a broad brush, but making travel accessible to all requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Despite many airports, hotels, and travel businesses touting accessibility, most simply haven’t thought through what that means for the travellers they serve. Installing a wheelchair ramp or equipping a business with signs in Braille are critical steps in the right direction. Still, they don’t mean a space is suddenly accessible to all – what about, for instance, those battling intense chronic fatigue, who struggle to wait in line? And what about people with cognitive impairments who are easily overstimulated?
The needs of travellers with so-called invisible disabilities differ from one individual to another and may not be immediately apparent. Travel already comes with numerous challenges, but those challenges become barriers when a traveller’s basic needs, safety, and comfort levels aren’t met. For those with invisible disabilities, the barriers can become even more insurmountable and advocating for your needs when you present as perfectly abled usually leads to uncomfortable interactions. But as we firmly believe at OutThere, being a member of a marginalised group shouldn’t mean being excluded from travel – it should just mean that you travel differently.
Admittedly, trying to accommodate the needs of every kind of disabled traveller out there isn’t an easy task, which is why the idea of ‘supported holidays’ (trips with a caretaker or other trained professional) is so important. The next best thing to encountering a business that is already set up to accommodate your disability is having someone travelling alongside you as an advocate and caretaker. This can turn stressful and uncomfortable situations into something resembling what abled travellers get to experience: relatively carefree cultural immersion, adventure, and connection that is only possible once your basic needs are met.
That’s where the work of people like Ian Callen comes in. As the co-founder of Go Beyond Holidays, a company that specialises in supported trips for those with cognitive and other invisible disabilities, Ian knows it can take some creativity to accommodate the needs of differently abled travellers. But if those needs are met, travel can be just as valuable and rewarding of an experience for someone with a disability as it would be for an able-bodied traveller.
At the Icons of Inclusion event, Ian got to share some of his knowledge in a panel, piquing the interest of everyone in the room. So we sat down with him one-on-one to learn more about Go Beyond Holidays, the idea of supported travel, and the unique challenges of travelling with a hidden disability.
Ian, you were part of a panel during our Icons of Inclusion event last year. What did it mean to you to be able to share your insights on accessible and supported travel?
First of all, I found the Icons of Inclusion conference very inspiring and humbling. I learnt about so many barriers in travel that I never even considered… To be on a panel talking to the wider travel industry about supported travel for people with autism, learning disabilities, and other hidden disabilities in the esteemed company of Richard Thompson was a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment. It has been a long journey from our humble beginnings when my wife and I set up Go Beyond Holidays with the intention of creating a project that would be useful and meaningful to people in need. I was also very nervous onstage – being front and centre doesn’t come easily to me.
Were there any talks from the event that you found particularly inspiring?
I thought Marley Conte’s talk on transgender and non-binary travel was inspiring. Marley explained how packing their case to go on holiday required lots of tactical thought. I was sad to hear that people have to prepare like this when going on holiday. I also very much enjoyed the discussion on empowering women in luxury travel and hospitality and thought Pegi Amarteifio was amazing.
Can you tell us about what led you to co-found Go Beyond Holidays and how your previous experience teaching people with learning disabilities has informed your work with the company?
I was teaching horticulture and conservation on a farm in Bristol to people with support needs. In 2007 my wife and I, with two young children, moved to Provence in France, to teach at a small international school for children with dyslexia and challenging behaviour. The school closed in 2009 due to a lack of funding and I found myself wondering what we should do next – move back to the UK or work out a way to stay in the remote Provencal village we were living in.
Since leaving England, I had an idea to bring some of the guys I taught in Bristol down to see us on holiday in the back of my mind. So I got in touch with them and their support networks and organised a holiday for them. This was my first taste of supported travel, as I realised that I would have to go back to the UK to support the group back down to France from the airport in London to Marseilles. Every piece of the trip had to be broken down into elements for us to be able to work out the support required, and there were different levels of this, too, for different individuals. There had to be enough support to be safe, but not too much for the journey not to be fun. After that first holiday, I was exhausted, but I personally had such a wonderful time showing our guests around Provence and making friends everywhere we went. It was then that I thought we could start up Go Beyond Holidays.
Being a teacher in an environment with people who need support taught me that safeguarding is so important. People with autism and other hidden disabilities can be very vulnerable in society. I organised lots of activities, day trips, and even a holiday whilst I was a teacher, and learned that if your planning is carefully thought out and your support team is of the right mind, you can keep everyone safe and have lots of fun and meaningful experiences.
How did you decide to use the wording “supported holiday” for the service Go Beyond Holidays offers?
For confirmed and potential guests, their parents or guardians and support network, having ‘supported holidays’ in our literature makes it clear that our holidays are assisted. This is a key feature that separates us from the standard agents within the tourism industry. If you like, Go Beyond Holidays has one foot in tourism and one foot in social care. We did consider not including the term in our literature but this lack of clarity can bring confusion, and as trust is so key to people coming on our holidays, clarity and good communication are what we strive for in our information.
As someone who is disabled due to chronic illness, I’m well aware of how challenging it can be to travel when differently abled. The thing about disabilities, though, is that they come in many different forms and create many different accommodation needs. So how would you describe the unique challenges travellers with cognitive disabilities and other such invisible disabilities face when planning or executing holidays?
One challenge is that a lot of our guests have an invisible disability. So, sometimes getting help – like in the airport, or at a tourist site – can be difficult as it isn’t obvious. Most people read situations, but not everyone, unfortunately. For example, queueing can be a massive challenge for someone with autism, as can be a very crowded and noisy space. Airports are exactly this: loads of people, noise, and potential waiting, especially if flights are delayed.
Special assistance is great when it works, but if special assistance is understaffed or just very busy, the whole airport or travel hub experience can be very traumatizing for our guests. Another challenge is if a planned activity is cancelled, due to bad weather for example. It can be very hard for our guests to process any changes to the itinerary and this can be a trigger for challenging behaviour. It is so important that we implement the right team of support on each supported holiday that we operate if we are to minimise any challenging behaviour. We have to be flexible in our approach to supporting our guests, we have to be prepared and in touch with what is happening around us, and we have to be clear and kind in our communication.
Is there anything that abled travellers can do to help the industry evolve or show up as allies for their fellow adventurers with invisible disabilities?
Sometimes people wear a lanyard around their neck; a common one is a green lanyard with yellow sunflowers. This is a visual prop to help able travellers identify someone with a hidden disability. If you see someone wearing one of these, just be mindful that this person perhaps needs more time, requires a bit more space, and maybe some help with something. Travelling can be very stressful for all of us, but we have met some of the most interesting people whilst waiting for a delayed flight with our guests, so there is always room for human connection.
The travel industry still has a long way to go to be comfortable for travellers of all backgrounds and abilities. Are there any perspectives or themes you’d like to see included at our next Icons of Inclusion event?
I think the solo talks you did were really interesting, so perhaps it would be good for someone with autism, for example, to be given the platform to share their experiences with travelling and holidays. I would be happy to help out with this.
For more on OutThere’s Icons of Inclusion event, read our recap of the day here.
Photography by Sarah Lucy Brown and courtesy of Go Beyond Holidays
