A Cardiff mum and business owner, who sometimes works from her bed due to the debilitating and painful chronic condition, fibromyalgia, has made it her mission to make holidays abroad possible for all disabled travellers & their families.
Paula Hansen, 52, has set up a first-of-its-kind business, World Accessible Holidays, after travelling around the world with her husband, Steve, 53, and son, Evan, 17, who now plays national wheelchair tennis for Wales.
The business idea came after spotting a gap in the market for trips abroad that are less stressful and more affordable for disabled holidaymakers & their families. Specialist travel agencies who cater for wheelchair users are extremely expensive, but Paula and the team work to provide the same concierge service, but at high street prices.
Caring mum Paula describes herself as a ‘bedpreneur’ – an entrepreneur who is sometimes forced to run their business from bed.
She explains: “At times, it’s difficult to get up from bed because I’m never not in pain, but I try my very best and if I have to spend a day on my feet – for example at an exhibition or speaking at a conference – I’ll just take it a bit easier the next day. I’ve adapted my working day to include regular breaks, ice packs and medication to alleviate the pain. I start at 9am and rarely finish before 11pm, but I know I’m making a difference and that’s what drives me.”
In January 2024, with the help of Steve, who took redundancy to support his wife’s business dream, Paula officially launched the UK’s first platform giving disabled travellers accessible holidays at high street prices.
The new business offers everything in one place including:
- A guaranteed accessible room
- Airport assistance
- Accessible transfers and car hire
- Accessible tours and activities
- Equipment hire
- 24/7 support while travelling
The Hansens have extensive experience of the disability barriers encountered while travelling abroad after their son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Evan was born eight weeks prematurely and went to the US at the age of three for pioneering surgery when it became evident that he could not walk.
While the operation put a stop to uncontrollable muscle contractions caused by spasticity and improved his mobility, Evan still relied on his wheelchair to get around at home and away.
Paula says: “We love travelling, but we really had to muddle through and know how incredibly stressful it is for parents travelling with a disabled child. There are many pain points, starting with the airport, assistance to the plane, people piling up behind you wanting to get to their seat, and toilet facilities onboard. Then you spend the entire flight worrying about the wheelchair being left behind or arriving broken.
“When you get to the other side, you’re stressing about whether your transfer will turn up and if it’s going to be a suitable vehicle. Finally, you get to the hotel and find that an accessible room hasn’t been booked or the one you thought you’d been allocated has been given away. It’s totally frustrating and exhausting.”
Paula, who studied travel and tourism at university, turned her love for globetrotting into a business after giving up a 25-year career in the insurance industry as her medical condition worsened. She bought a part-time high street travel agency franchise in 2020 just before the Covid pandemic hit and quickly became aware of the acute need for simple, accessible and affordable travel among online disability communities.
In 2023, she decided to set up independently full-time, acquiring an ATOL licence to build specialist holidays with niche suppliers, while also offering budget-friendly high street operator packages.
“The accessibility market is hugely under-represented and badly serviced. There is a good specialist operator, but it’s very expensive. Alternatively, if you try to book with a mainstream operator, it’s virtually impossible to guarantee an accessible room, and the booking process is extremely disjointed.
“We saw a massive opportunity to provide a one-stop holiday shop that takes away all the stress of booking flights and accommodation, at affordable prices, and that provides total reassurance from start to finish – whether it’s a budget trip or a bucket list trip of a lifetime.
“We’re so busy now that we’re already having to take on extra staff to help,” says Paula, revealing plans to employ a partially sighted intern and enhance the experience of booking a holiday, and acquiring knowledge from someone with lived experience.
Longer term, Paula and Steve plan to sell their Cardiff home when Evan goes to university so that they can work while travelling to the destinations their website offers to road-test them. A talented wheelchair tennis player for Wales, Evan hopes to study in the US while progressing in his sport and has set his sights on winning a Grand Slam.
“The big dream is to live the experiences we’re providing and to launch into other countries,” says Paula. “In five years, we’d love to franchise this model to anyone with a disability or a lived experience of disability, so that they can run their own business – and we can ensure that this mission to open up the world to disabled travellers continues at pace.”
