Co-designing accessible tourism with the disability community for embodied choice

Reflective of ‘Nothing about us without us’, this paper contributes to contemporary methodological approaches to research and practice about people with disability (PwD) through examining a case of policy co-design with PwD and disability advocacy organisations. Contemporary mobilities of PwD travelling to experience natural and protected areas requires whole-of-jourrney approaches. A narrative review of academic and grey literature provides insight into current conceptualisations of disability, accessible tourism, and stakeholder involvement. What becomes apparent from this review is the lack of involvement of PwD beyond often tokenistic consultation. Similarly, in academic literature, there are few examples of active engagement of PwD beyond being the subject of the research, where ableist perspectives consider PwD as ‘vulnerable’. Following the narrative reivew, a case study of an online policy-driven co-design process implemented by a protected area agency is present. The case explores the complexity, and benefits, of authentically working with PwD, to listen to their voices and lived experiences, to understand their needs across a whole-of-journey approach, so that they too may enjoy the benefits derived from visiting natural areas. This co-design process should be applied in future accessible tourism research to avoid further marginalising of PwD, understanding their abilities and agency.