From travel to work: How accessibility helps rebuild confidence

Having an accident that injures the spinal cord is a traumatic experience. One day, you’re walking around, and the next, you’re in hospital, facing the fact that you need to use a wheelchair. It’s suddenly a different world—not only for you but also for your family. 

The first holiday after an accident is essential for gaining the confidence to navigate this new reality. The holiday usually occurs after a year of rehabilitation and family adjustments, and how it unfolds can profoundly affect self-efficacy and outlook on life with a disability. 

The first holiday after my accident was to Kinsale, Ireland, with my family. I was 20, and I did silly things, as everyone does when they’re young. My siblings and I went to some amusements, and my brother helped me hook myself into a bumper car. Of course, the first thing we did was drive full force into another car. I went flying under the seat. The operator stopped the ride and made us get off.

Navigating new experiences doesn’t always come naturally. There’s a learning curve–but you learn to adapt.

Since then, I’ve travelled extensively, visiting countries around the world and participating in many activities. I swim regularly. I love sea-kayaking. I’ve been skiing (the sit-ski is super). I even scuba dive. Each new activity reinforced the idea that having a disability doesn’t mean an end to adventure—it simply means approaching it differently.

There are many things that you can still do after acquiring a disability. Initially, many people don’t believe those things are possible, but having someone else share their experiences can cause them to think, “Maybe I can try that, too”, and each successful experience builds confidence. 

Finding confidence

In his book How Confidence Works, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Ian Robertson defines confidence as the belief in one’s ability to take action toward achieving a desired outcome. Robertson explains that confidence isn’t innate: it’s  a skill developed through practice. He identifies two core components: “can-do” beliefs—your belief that you possess the necessary skills or capability—and “can-happen” beliefs—your expectation that taking action will lead to your desired outcome. In other words, confidence is the combined result of believing in one’s abilities and the conviction that these abilities can produce the desired outcome.

Past positive experiences are critical to building confidence. They strengthen the neural pathways linking expectation and reward, reinforcing the belief that future actions will also lead to positive outcomes and providing evidence of capability and success which strengthens the internal narrative of “I can do this.”

Repeated successful experiences, therefore, play a role in gaining confidence. Dopamine released during positive experiences reinforces motivation and embeds “can-happen” beliefs deeply in the brain while simultaneously instilling internalised confidence in one’s ability. 

As a result, confidence grows cumulatively: each successful experience makes future successes feel increasingly likely.  This is one of the reasons why initial experiences after acquiring a disability—like the first holiday—are so important. They form the foundation of a positive feedback loop, nurturing long-term confidence.

Getting away for the first time

During my time at Spinal Injuries Ireland, I helped individuals with disabilities and their families plan that first holiday after an accident. 

The greatest fear for many was being far from home because, if something went wrong, they wouldn’t have the support they needed. It’s a nerve-wracking experience, made worse by not knowing in advance what a place will be like. Will the transportation be accessible? What about bathrooms or hotel showers?

To assuage those fears, we advised them on where to go, provided as much information as possible, and shared helpful tricks for travelling with a disability. 

Fortunately, standards and regulations in much of the world mean that new buildings must be accessible. When travelling, however, many of the buildings and sites people want to visit are old. Individuals with disabilities sometimes fear being a burden on their friends and family, worrying if the building isn’t accessible, the whole group might forgo a visit. This fear can be another reason people with mobility impairments are hesitant to travel. Yet while the facades of many old buildings aren’t accessible, there is often another wheelchair-accessible entrance. 

These entrances can actually be quite interesting. When our family visited Versailles, the queue outside was a mile long. Guides spotted me waiting, and brought us to a back door. On the way inside, we saw rooms that no one else gets to see since they’re not open to the general public. 

At Spinal Injuries Ireland, we’d ask for feedback about the trips, wanting to know what went right and what went wrong. We’d build up files on various destinations to serve as guides for future travellers with disabilities. After a good experience, people returned buzzing, wanting to show photos and share their stories. Their confidence would grow, and they’d start thinking, “Okay, well, what else can I do?” 

Back to work, back to normal

Holidays are great. Everyone should be able to travel, but most of us don’t spend the majority of our time roaming the world. Reestablishing everyday routines is essential for rebuilding confidence, making the first day back to work a pivotal part of the journey.

Returning to work helps individuals who have acquired a disability reclaim normalcy in their lives; but it comes with its own unique set of fears, particularly the worry of being treated differently—which you often are.

Employers might question your abilities in ways that they didn’t before. Colleagues may feel uncertain about how to act, worried that they’ll say the wrong thing, making it difficult to regain a sense of normalcy at work. 

This awkwardness likely stems from colleagues' uncertainty about how to handle the permanence of a disability. If someone breaks their leg and needs crutches, people typically don't treat them differently. Crutches are a temporary mobility device, similar in function to a wheelchair, which is simply a means of getting around. People don't fundamentally change because they become wheelchair users. It’s just life, and it can happen to anyone, but often the person who experienced the injury must actively put others at ease by leading normal conversations.

Training around disability awareness helps enormously. Colleagues learn not to fear saying or doing the wrong thing, and wheelchair users learn to be understanding if mistakes occur. When colleagues are equipped with knowledge and sensitivity training, they become more comfortable and natural in their interactions.

Accessibility is also important. When adapting to new social dynamics, the last thing people need is to be worried about navigating their physical surroundings. They shouldn’t have to waste energy worrying about whether the front door is too heavy or if the bathroom is accessible. They don’t want to spend time fretting that they’ll have to ask someone for assistance every day because the ramp is too steep. 

Having an accessible built environment at the office is a gamechanger because it allows individuals to maintain their independence, which in turn builds self-efficacy and belief.

These days, new buildings must meet accessibility standards to get certified. Universal design is increasingly embedded in new buildings in ways such that people don’t even notice it, though everybody uses and benefits from it. When universal design is considered from the outset of building or refurbishment, accessibility doesn’t cost extra.

Creating accessible built environments is also a smart way for businesses to futureproof operations and retain talent. A disability can happen to anyone at any stage in their life. People are also living and working longer, and, as they age, their vision, hearing, and mobility decline. An accessible built environment enables everyone to perform at their best and maintain confidence, regardless of age or ability.