Applying a time-geographical perspective to understand tourism mobilities of families with children who use wheelchairs

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities encounter numerous challenges in the realm of tourism travel. Various constraints can affect their opportunities to engage in travel, influence their choice of destinations and modes of travel, and shape their overall tourism experiences. Research on tourism for individuals with disabilities has predominantly concentrated on identifying barriers to travel. This paper employs a time-geographical framework to extend beyond this focus, examining how various constraints are negotiated and the resultant outcomes for tourism trips. The study is based on interviews with Swedish parents whose children use wheelchairs. The findings indicate that these families face multiple constraints impacting their tourism opportunities and experiences, primarily related to rules, regulations, and inaccessible physical environments. Furthermore, the interviewed parents do not perceive their children’s disabilities as constraints but rather highlight the challenges of using a wheelchair in inaccessible tourism contexts. While some constraints are negotiated to facilitate tourism, not all desired tourism activities can be fully realised. Consequently, the families in this study exhibit rather routinised travel behaviour. An important finding is that families who travel with a child with a disability should be considered part of the family tourism market, rather than the disability tourism market.