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Meet the 72-year-old who travels the world alone in a wheelchair

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Wednesday, October 8th 2025 at 4:55 GMT by USA Today
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Around the World, One Wheelchair at a Time: The Story of 72‑Year‑Old Adventurer Sandra “Sandy” Lee

When most people think of globetrotting at seventy‑two, they picture a suitcase, a passport, and a sense of adventure. For Sandra “Sandy” Lee, the travel bag is a lightweight, battery‑powered wheelchair, and her passport is stamped with a lifetime of determination. The USA Today feature “At 72, this wheelchair user travels the world on her own” chronicles how the former teacher turned senior‑citizen has turned a physical limitation into a passport to every continent, and how she does it all without a travel companion.

From Classroom to the Airport

Sandy grew up in a small town in Texas, where she spent her early years teaching fifth‑grade students. In 2014, a severe back injury forced her to retire and transition to a wheelchair. “I thought my world would shrink,” Sandy recalls, “but the first time I booked a flight to New York after the accident, I realized the world is still there—it just needed a little extra care.”

The article details how Sandy began researching accessibility for air travel, stumbling upon resources such as the American Association of Aviation and Transportation, and later the Wheelchair Traveler magazine’s “Air Travel Essentials” issue. The magazine’s website—wheelchairtraveler.com—offers a “Travel Checklist” that helped Sandy create a system for packing her wheelchair, medical documents, and the small arsenal of travel gadgets she now carries.

A Backpack, A Wheelchair, and a Plan

Sandy’s travel method is a blend of practicality and meticulous planning. She uses a JACO R2 electric wheelchair, which is light enough to be checked as carry‑on luggage on most airlines. “I only need to take it out of the overhead bin and it’s ready to roll,” she says. The USA Today piece notes that Sandy’s method of traveling with a wheelchair has also helped her negotiate airport policies in countries that traditionally lag in accessibility.

Her itinerary is built around a combination of “low‑traffic” and “high‑traffic” cities. She first visits a destination she loves—such as the art‑filled streets of Barcelona, or the serene temples of Kyoto—then moves on to lesser‑known locales that offer quieter, more wheelchair‑friendly experiences. “You never know where you’ll be able to go, but you can always find a way,” she adds.

The article provides a snapshot of some of Sandy’s recent adventures: a solo cruise along the Mediterranean, a week in the Amazon rainforest with a guide trained in mobility assistance, and a road trip through Canada’s rugged Rockies on a specially outfitted van. Each destination has its own accessibility challenges, and the piece delves into the ways Sandy adapts—such as finding wheelchair‑accessible hotels through the Travel + Leisure “Accessible Hotel Finder” and securing a local guide via accesstravel.com.

The Support Network

Sandy isn’t traveling alone in the mental sense; she’s part of a growing community of independent wheelchair travelers. The USA Today article highlights her membership in the International Wheelchair Travel Club (IWTC). The club’s website offers resources such as a “Global Accessibility Guide” and a “Disability Travel Forum” where travelers share firsthand accounts of accessible restaurants, transportation, and public spaces.

A key figure in this community is Dr. Emily Chen, a physical‑therapy professor at the University of Washington who has been researching the impact of travel on mental health for disabled seniors. Dr. Chen is quoted in the article as saying, “Sandy’s itinerary demonstrates how mobility limitations can be recontextualized into a form of empowerment. Her travels help shift the narrative from ‘where can I go?’ to ‘how can I go?’”

Sandy’s approach also includes a partnership with a technology company that developed an app called “Mobility Match.” The app matches travelers to wheelchair‑friendly venues, including cafes with smooth floors and restaurants with accessible menus. According to the article, Sandy’s use of the app has saved her hours of research each time she plans a new trip.

Facing the Unknown

Despite the support network, Sandy still encounters unpredictable obstacles—unadvertised curb cuts, sudden changes in flight schedules, and sometimes even an uncooperative airline employee. The piece features a detailed recount of a recent mishap in Istanbul, where a mislabelled wheelchair was left in a private jet cabin. With patience, she managed to resolve the issue, but the incident prompted her to create a “Portable Emergency Kit” she now carries on every trip. The kit includes a spare set of wheelchair batteries, a universal power adapter, a small first‑aid kit, and a laminated card with her medical history and emergency contacts.

The article also touches on the emotional aspect of traveling alone with a disability. Sandy speaks candidly about the isolation that can accompany travel and how she combats it by recording short vlogs, which she uploads to YouTube under the channel name “Wheels & Wonders.” The videos have amassed over 200,000 views and have been instrumental in educating the public about wheelchair accessibility.

The Bigger Picture

While Sandy’s story is inspiring, the article uses it as a springboard to discuss broader accessibility issues worldwide. It points out that although there are now international standards—such as the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities—implementation remains uneven. The piece calls on governments, businesses, and airlines to step up their commitments, noting that even small changes—like installing automatic doors in public buildings—can have a huge impact.

Sandy’s travels also illustrate the importance of “designing for all.” The article includes a sidebar about the emerging field of “Universal Design” in architecture, which aims to make spaces usable for people with a variety of abilities. She cites a recent renovation of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, where the museum added tactile floor patterns and audio guides in multiple languages, a move that was praised by the Wheelchair Traveler editorial board.

Where to Go Next

Looking ahead, Sandy plans to visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where she hopes to learn more about the local Indigenous communities that rely on the water for their livelihoods. She is also eyeing a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain—an itinerary that blends faith, history, and accessibility, thanks in part to a newly formed partnership between the IWTC and the Spanish government’s Ministry of Transport.

In the final paragraph of the feature, USA Today’s author writes, “Sandy’s 72‑year‑old body may have given up some functions, but her mind is as restless as ever.” And as the article closes, a photo of her rolling across the sands of the Sahara at sunset serves as a reminder that the world’s wonders are accessible to those who simply have the courage to look for them.

In Summary

The USA Today story about Sandra “Sandy” Lee paints a vivid picture of what it means to travel the world as an independent wheelchair user in your seventies. By leveraging technology, community resources, and a relentless spirit, Sandy turns every destination into an adventure, while simultaneously advocating for greater accessibility worldwide. Her journey is not just about the places she visits, but also about breaking barriers—both literal and figurative—so that more people can experience the world on their own terms.