Carrie-Ann Lightley

12/01/2026

Liverpool will always hold mixed memories for me. My earliest visits were to Alder Hay Hospital, long days in waiting rooms as a little girl who just wanted to be anywhere else.

As an adult I’ve been able to rewrite that story. I’ve worked, stayed and explored this brilliant city, from the waterfront to its music scene to the friendliest locals.

My highlight was a stay at last summer, a place where thoughtful access and good design come together and every guest feels like a VIP!

My latest piece for The Independent is an accessible guide to Liverpool. It covers step free culture spots, places to eat, hotels that actually work for wheelchair users, and a few real talk moments about the barriers that still get in the way. 🌆

Read in full on The Independent’s website at this link: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/england/liverpool/liverpool-wheelchair-accessible-guide-restaurants-hotels-b2897713.html

Thank you to for commissioning this one. It means a lot to me. 🩷

23/12/2025

That’s me wrapping up 2025. ✨

This year has been full in so many ways. Big work moments, quiet wobbles, joy I worked hard for, and days where getting through was enough. If you’ve read my work, commissioned me, shared something, sent a message, or just followed along quietly, thank you. It really does mean a lot.

2026 is already looking busy with some exciting accessible travel plans taking shape, which I can’t wait to share with you all. For now though, I’m taking a break from posting.

The festive season can be complicated. You don’t owe anyone cheer or explanations. Be kind to your body and your brain. Do what gets you through.

If you can, check in on someone who might be having a hard time. Being thought of matters.

Thank you for being here this year. See you in 2026. 🩷

19/12/2025

Some of my favourite moments of 2025 ✨ as a disabled travel writer and speaker.

From cruise ships 🚢 to the Cotswolds, keynotes 🎤 to panel sessions, press trips, awards nights, and a few moments that still don’t quite feel real.

My first year as a freelancer has been full of joy, connection, and opportunities I worked hard for. But these are just the highlights.

Behind them were:
- One month where I earned a grand total of £150.
- Many, many pitch rejections.
- Speaking opportunities I had to turn down because no fee, or even expenses, were offered.
- Days when my pain, and my brain, simply would not cooperate.

And that is all part of building something sustainable.

Most of all, this year has been about travelling, working, and living on my terms, alongside the people I love most.

What a first year. And I’m just getting started. 🩷

Image credits 📸

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for

16/12/2025

A love letter to the Lake District 🩷 the place I am lucky enough to call home.

My latest piece for The Independent is a local guide shaped by lived experience, from step free walks and inclusive outdoor adventures to accessible places to eat, stay and unwind. It also doesn’t shy away from where barriers still exist for wheelchair users exploring the Lakes.

If you’re disabled and have ever wondered whether the Lake District is “for you”, I hope this helps you picture yourself there. 🏞️

Read in full on The Independent’s website: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/england/lake-district/lake-district-wheelchair-accessible-guide-b2883592.html

Thank you to for making this story possible - a very special one for me 🥰

Images: Chris Steindorff 📸

11/12/2025

OutThere magazine asked me what I want from travel in 2026, so of course, I had thoughts. Plenty of them.

If you have ever rolled up to a hotel only to find the one ramp hidden around the back, or booked a trip that turned into a full-time scavenger hunt for dropped kerbs, this one is for you.

I talk about the wins, the frustrations, and the things that would make travel feel smoother and more joyful for all of us next year.

Have a read and tell me what you would add. I love hearing your stories and ideas.

After her appearance at OutThere's Icons of Inclusion event, Carrie-Ann Lightley explains how and why the travel industry must do better for disabled travellers.

10/12/2025

Some of my favourite moments in this job are the quiet ones. A message from a reader. A comment that says a story made them curious about a place they had never considered before. A reminder that inclusive travel writing can shift what feels possible.

That is why I do this. 🩷✨

Not to paint a perfect picture, but to show what real access looks like on the ground. The small wins. The barriers that still exist. The emotional ease that comes when a destination gets it right.

Lived experience brings a different lens. It helps travellers feel seen and it helps destinations understand what inclusion feels like, not just what it looks like on a checklist.

If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d love to know: which destination has made you feel welcome? 🌍

Your story might spark someone else’s next trip.

07/12/2025

A gorgeous accessible Highland escape! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Staying at the Grant Arms Hotel was a wonderful experience, and I'm thrilled to share my accessible hotel review with you all. From a stylish accessible room to delicious hearty food, it’s the perfect base for a calming break. There’s something very special about seeing a historic building made inclusive, with clever adaptions that retain its beautiful heritage.

My latest blog post has a review of the Grant Arms Hotel, must see accessible spots including Cairngorm Mountain Resort, The Kelpies, and The House of Bruar. Check out the full review and start planning your next accessible adventure!

📖 Read my full wheelchair accessible Highlands review: https://www.carrieannlightley.com/post/grant-arms-hotel-highlands-wheelchair-accessible

Have you been to the Highlands or is it on your bucket list? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[Gifted stay]

VisitScotland

Tucked away in the heart of Grantown-on-Spey, the Grant Arms Hotel is full of surprises. The biggest one? Just how accessible this historic building is. Dating back to 1765, the Grant Arms looks exactly as you’d expect a Highland hotel to look – grand, elegant, traditional. You’d never guess w...

03/12/2025

Check out VisitScotland’s new video! 📹 I LOVED working on this project.

Giving the perspective of a disabled traveller, sharing my experience of staying at the Grant Arms Hotel and visiting Cairngorm Mountain Resort.

Fantastic to see so many businesses that have all worked to be accessible and inclusive to as many customers as possible, including RSPB Loch Leven and Camera Obscura and World of Illusions.

Watch the full video at this link: https://youtu.be/Ct1e82APWVc?si=ZC0lHtrBdJwhkq-5

Thank you VisitScotland. Filming this was such a joy! 🩷

It’s important to see your business from the customer’s perspective – even more so if that customer has accessibility needs.We spoke to a number of customers...

02/12/2025

Saying ‘yes’ 18 years ago changed the course of my life. ✨

Before social media, blogging, or mainstream coverage of accessible travel. Before I even knew what a press trip was.

The trip was Edinburgh and Glasgow in 72 hours, via train and bus. Long enough ago that the resulting article, one of the first I’d written, was published in a print (!) newsletter and mailed out to subscribers.

And then came the trickle of feedback. Emails and phone calls from disabled people, telling me how much they’d enjoyed my writing. That it had shown them possibly and given them confidence. That my words had power.

My purpose was born out of that trip and article: connecting people with places by telling authentic stories. Showing disabled people that they belong in travel. It’s still my driving force to this day.

20 year old Carrie-Ann would be utterly mind blown that this is my job now. I’m so grateful that she said yes. 🙏

Video description - a clip of Carrie-Ann being interviewed by a film crew at the top of Cairngorm Mountain, with a bright blue sky above. Text on screen reads: In your 20s you’ll be invited on a trip to Scotland, and asked to write about your experience as a disabled traveller. It is very important that you say yes.

28/11/2025

New article from me for World of Cruising Magazine! 🛳️

My experience cruising with P&O Cruises as a wheelchair user.

My fifth published article from my press trip with Limitless Travel. When I was originally approached about this cruise, I was nervous about even getting one commission. To get FIVE is beyond anything I could have dreamed of.

I hope these articles help other disabled travellers to see that accessible cruising is possible, and supported cruising is magical. ✨

Read the piece on the World of Cruising website at this link: https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/advice/personal-experience-cruising-with-po-cruises-wheelchair-user