About Cory

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Hey there! I’m Cory Lee.

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Welcome to my travel blog, Curb Free with Cory Lee. Here on the site, I hope to share my experiences as a disabled traveler with you and many tips as well. Have you ever wondered:

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How can I fly as a wheelchair user?
Which hotels are the most accessible?
What beaches have powered beach wheelchairs?
How do I charge my wheelchair in a foreign country?
What cities are the most wheelchair friendly around the world?

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If any of these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, you’re in the right place. On Curb Free with Cory Lee, my goal is to show you how to travel, where to travel, and most importantly, why travel as a person with a disability.

Why should you trust what I have to say?

At the age of two I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (type 2), but that certainly never diminished my desire to explore the world.

When I was four years old, I got my first powered wheelchair and took my first trip. It was just to Walt Disney World, but then at the age of 15 I went to the Bahamas. This was my first time ever traveling internationally. Seeing the culture and trying the new foods sparked something inside of me that made me want to see so much more of this big, wild, beautiful world of ours.

With Mickey Mouse at Disney World.

With Mickey Mouse at Disney World.

From then on, travel wasn’t something that I wanted to do, it was something I needed to do. I’m a big believer that travel is the best teacher, so throughout college I traveled to places like Germany, England, and I even went down under in Australia.

In the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

In the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

At times, traveling wasn’t easy. My wheelchair charger blew up (literally – sparks were flying) in Europe, I got trapped on a burning bus once, and I’ve even been attacked by a hippo in South Africa. Despite these crazy travel experiences, I have learned a lot and had the time of my life along the way.

Close encounter with a hippo in South Africa!

Close encounter with a hippo in South Africa!

Just before I graduated from the University of West Georgia with a degree in Marketing, I launched Curb Free with Cory Lee because I wanted to share what I’ve learned on the road with you. Since starting this blog in December 2013, I have gained more than 100,000 engaged and supportive followers, traversed all 7 continents, and became the leading travel blogger focusing on accessibility.

I am a 2-time Lowell Thomas Award winner for Best Travel Blog, I was named the 2018 Person of the Year by New Mobility Magazine, and I have won 3 Webby Awards for Best Personal Blog/Website. Over the years, I’ve also been featured on Travel Channel, CBS News, National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, in the Los Angeles Times, and many more (to see the full list of where I’ve been featured, click here). I also frequently speak about accessible travel at conferences around the world. Needless to say, it’s been a whirlwind past few years and more than I could have ever imagined.

Hot air ballooning over Israel with my mom.

Hot air ballooning over Israel with my mom.

I hope that you enjoy this blog and if you have any questions for me, feel free to get in touch via the Contact page or send me a message on Facebook.

Safe travels,

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wheelchair travel wheelchair travel wheelchair travel wheelchair travel 

44 Comments

  • I Cory,

    Just learned from your blog today from another blog article.

    I’m a freelance writer and life coach traveling Europe right now while taking my work on the road.

    Congratulations on your success. You’re a real inspiration.

    ~Sylviane
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted…How Do You Know What Type Of Life Coach You Need?My Profile

    • vicki girardin says:

      I don’t know when these blog entries were made or whether you will get this but you have made these places come alive. Of course more importantly showed the possibility of travel to places I only would have dreamed of. And like you have said “If you don’t go. you’ll never know. So here goes nothin’ see ya!

    • D Hostettler says:

      Cory, you are amazing! I feel my heart extends with people with barriers that prohibit them from enjoying a wonderful life for beautiful places that uplift their spirits and enrich their souls. I proposely created a family retreat in honor of my Mother who could no longer come to our lake home as she was wheelchair bound . We were able to buy a blighted property next to our small cabin for the cost of the land. I have worked for the last 4 years to make this beautiful lake front home accessible for those in wheelchairs including Alluminum ramps, thresholds and other special wheelchair bound people need .I recently found my Mothers bracelet with angels on it. She is still with me and knows I will be able to start my business that houses 16- 18 guests. Please do not share my info yet as I personally want to talk with you.

  • agirlbythesea says:

    beautiful…

  • Came across your website today from Twitter and all I have to say is wow Cory, what an inspiration! Keep rocking on

  • I’ve just started traveling around Australia in a motorhome and I’ve got a couple chronic illnesses (chiari 1 malformation and an autoimmune condition the effects my joints), and my bad days are becoming more frequent and making the possibility of needing help getting around a reality and I thought we’d have to turn around and stop traveling. You’ve made me see that no, I wouldn’t need to! That my Bed With a View (mums theory of if I’m unable to get out of bed she’ll take the bed around the country) can continue even if I need the extra help. Thank you for your posts, I know where I’ll be coming if I do need to make the step to wheels

  • Jocelyn Richards says:

    Hi Cory…I’m 58, wheelchair bound with Ms,love to travel;miss the beach. Your web site is fantastic. I can’t wait to travel to ALL of your beach hot spots..
    You’re an inspiration…
    Jocelyn

    • Georgette Lundquist says:

      My daughter has had MS since 1998 and will be 54 in July. She is in an electric wheelchair like Cory but doesn’t think of the travel life like he does. She can’t move her legs or walk at all and now has a handicapped accessible van which has made a world of difference for her. No more lifting in and put of cars and she can just drive into the van and lock her wheelchair in the front passenger seat. I am trying to find a place for our family to travel this summer for my husband’s 80th, our son’s 55th and our daughter’s 30th anniversary. I tried a cruise but wanted to go out of Baltimore but with the virus scare some of family won’t go. Any ideas of places on east coast of US with handicap accessibilty for any resorts? Thanks for any help.

  • Renee Thompson says:

    Great website!!!

  • Love your website and all the informative posts. You are truly an inspiration to anyone who faces a mobility challenge. Bless you!!

  • renald claessens says:

    Thank you for your travel to Iceland.
    So I will also go to that island in my wheelchair.

  • Theresa Doherty says:

    Hi Cory, I came across your website and I am amazed. I am a C5 quadriplegic. I live in Massachusetts, and as you may have heard winters here can be tough. Although last winter wasn’t bad at all. I’ve been a quad since 2002 and I have not traveled since. I do have my own wheelchair van which I was thinking of driving to Florida in January 2017 for a couple of weeks. I sleep on an air mattress and I use the hospital bed. I have done some research and I have found many homes in Florida that are handicapped accessible. I would like to possibly go away for a weekend, but I was wondering how you transfer from chair to bed and vice versa. I would have 2 PCA that I would take with me but I do worry about the transfer. I am in awe of all that you do. I love your beach experience and I also liked your airplane video. Do you take your shower chair with you on your trips and is it a special chair? Thanks Cory I hope to hear back from you. Theresa

  • Nichi says:

    Hi Cory!

    You are such an inspiration! Keep trekking!

  • David zeitzer says:

    Cory
    My name is Dave z and I became wheelchair bound 2 yrs ago. I am traveling to vegas with my wife in 3 months. I am leaving my motorized chair home and taking a manual chair. This is my first trip and my wife and I are planning out how we are going to get around. Can you give me some tips.

  • Donna says:

    I would like to follow your blog. Best, Donna

  • Tugcem Kocadal says:

    How amazing you are! Such an inspiration, love your website, Cory. Keep going 🙂

  • Jed says:

    Cory, this blog is excellent. Loads of great advice and tips for travel junkies. I work for a company that supplies disabled and infirm persons with assistive equipment for the home, items such as electric beds and riser chairs. I contribute to the company blog (https://alpinehc.co.uk/engage/positively-caring/) and will be sharing this site with my fellow authors and hopefully write a post on your work soon. Our audience always receives referrals to blogs like these well, they can make such a difference to life.

  • Jan & Matt Worsham says:

    I’m a 69-year-old mom with a 30-year-old son with acquired brain injury. He is re-learning many things and loves to travel, but I’ve been afraid to spend money on a trip only to get there & find that it’s not equipped to handle handicapped people. I will be following your blog with him and looking for places that pique his interest. Your site & others like it are a great service! Thank you!

  • Lora says:

    One of the highlights of my trip to Israel was meeting you, your wonderful family and the time we spent together. Simply put. You rock. I’m so impressed and inspired by your blog and your beautiful energy. Looking forward to seeing you again sometime soon on the road!

  • Sammy Sawyers Jr says:

    Hello, my name is Sammy Sawyers Jr. I am a disabled veteran and a caregiver for my wife who is also a disabled veteran. My wife has multiple sclerosis ( M. S. ) and we wish to make more happy memories by starting to travel. We will be traveling to Disney World in July and hopefully after that going on cruise. I never been on a cruise and she hasn’t while disabled so it’s going to be a first and hopefully great experience for us. Keep inspiring and providing help because you give people like me encouragement to go on.

  • Amira says:

    Hi Cory, i like your website and you should think to visit Hurghada, Red Sea Egypt one day 🙂
    we are working to make it accessible destination for all

  • Armen says:

    Hi
    I have sma too. I like tourism! I’m YouTube blogger.

  • Madis Mark says:

    You are a true inspiration! I have also been disabled since 9 years old and can confirm that it is totally possible to travel around the world with a wheelchair. My biggest accomplishment related to this is probably living in Portugal for 5 months while being totally independent. I even went surfing there! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMGHcOC5QfQ)

    In the future I would like to travel much more, doing public speaking and inspiring people all around the world 🙂

    Best wishes,
    Madis

  • Daniel says:

    Hi Cory,
    Love your site, thanks for sharing your story! I have a daughter the same age as you. She has multiple disabilities and we love to travel too. Your posts are very inspiring, and I wish you well with your future travel adventures. Daniel, from Australia.

  • Found you as my first inspiration Cory, I am started a blog for all mobility lives there. It will be an honor to me if, i can feature you at my blog.

    With Best Regards
    Matthew
    Matthew Phelps recently posted…Best Dog Wheelchairs in 2018 – Reviews & Buyer’s GuidesMy Profile

  • Marianne says:

    Hi Cory! I love your site and I’m on my way to following you on Instagram! Thank you for the post on accessible places to visit in the Caribbean. My dad suffered from a major stroke 4 years ago and although the recovery process has been slow, the need to utilize a wheelchair is still high. Since then, I’ve probable developed a 6th sense during my travels and can count the endless amount of places that are NOT wheelchair accessible. Anyway, thanks again. You’re a tremendous inspiration to me and others!

  • Carlos C. Collantes-Carpio says:

    Hi Cory,

    Great site, thanks for sharing. You rock man!

  • We absolutely love your blog, Cory! We often recommend your blog to our customers. It’s such an amazing way to inspire and empower others to experience travel.

  • Timothy L. Smalls says:

    Cory, My old host agency boss, the queen of Social Media, Margie Jordan, shared you with me as she is attending TBEX as we speak/type. Am I to understand you’re from my hometown of Philadelphia as well? YO! The Wheelin Traveler (my little piece of the pie in the industry) is just now getting into social media exposure, and Margie suggested I look you up. LETS TALK!

  • I have followed you for a while now and I’m so excited that I came across your amazing experience at Discovery Cove because we will be there on Monday Sept 24. My husband is a c567 incomplete quad who functions like a paraplegic and has great upper body strength with his arms and hands. Your amazing experience gave us more of an insight of what type of experience we will have on top of already speaking with the amazing staff that have assisted us through the process of making reservations and securing the beach wheelchairs.

  • Julie Hill says:

    Thank you Cory for this information. I will be sharing it with my disability networks here in Sydney Australia.I’m glad to read that you have visited Australia too!
    Cheers,
    Julie

  • Roberta says:

    I was moved by the article in “New Mobility” about your trip to Israel. After a spinal cord injury nearly 3 years ago, I get around in my Quantum 6 Edge power-chair. With the chair, I regained some form of independence. My husband, also my caregiver, received a wedding invitation to a wedding in his family in Israel. At first, I felt that traveling that far is not do-able. Then, I remembered reading about your trip to Israel. We decided to go. We flew Business Class on Air Canada. The flight staff was very attentive and carried my chair in the belly of the plane. I can’t say it was an easy trip, but it was so worth going. Although we didn’t do much touring, we did visit a lot of family. We arranged for a driver with a wheelchair van to transport us. We found a wonderful hotel in Rehovot, Israel that was fully accessible. The hotel staff made sure that we were well taken care of. I brought a portable charger (24v 8A) that could run on 110 or 240 Volts. It worked perfectly for us. Wishing you success in your future travels.

  • Virginia Nelson says:

    Hi Cory , today’s the first time I’ve ever seen this much traveling information that’s handicap friendly places my husband has Parkinson’s so he uses the wheelchair alot we thought it was the end of our traveling because we didn’t know very many places that is handicap friendly now we are planning to go to Amsterdam after seeing your trip my husband has been wanting to go there since we were young we been together for 38 years I love all the info that you give us on (curbfreewithcorylee.com)
    Thank You very much.
    Virginia. P.S we will definitely stop at one of those coffee shops and have a slice of their cake .🙋🏻

  • Ellen Coe says:

    I recently discovered your blog. My daughter is a ventilator dependent incomplete quad and we love to travel. We have been traveling internationally for almost 20 years and have now been on 6 of the 7 continents. We just returned from our most difficult trip to China and the orient. Even though it was well planned, we could not have dreamed of the problems that occurred due to the narrow minded thinking in China. They had never seen anyone on a ventilator, and at the airport, the batteries that run the ventilator would not pass security. We were told to either throw the batteries away, or not fly. Period. They did not care that she will die if the ventilator stops. After 7 hours and no progress, we ended up taking the train from Beijing to Xian. Then again the train to Shanghai where we boarded a ship for the rest of our trip. Will we still travel? YES. Our needs are more than some, but I think that seeing the world is worth it.

  • Barbara Kester says:

    Cory, i can’t wait to share will my son. He has had his power chair for about 4 years and we are still learning ins and outs of best places. I think he will be encouraged reading your stuff.

  • You’re such an inspiration!

  • Maria says:

    You inspire me a lot, you overcame every difficulty which could easily stall any person. Great Work keep it up

  • Shofey says:

    Hey Corey, great work, I read your blog for the first time and it is really inspiring. Keep traveling and sharing.

  • Carolin says:

    Great blog!!! My husband uses an electric wheelchair and we’re always on the lookout for accessible places. He’s quite savvy but this blog helps and is very reassuring! Keep up the good work 😊

  • Nicoletta says:

    Hello,

    Would love to get your emails. My daughter is in a wheelchair and we are anyways looking for good resources.

  • Andrew says:

    Love your blog. I have sent your blog to my Brother-N-Law who is battling MS and mobility issues. Thanks again for what you do.

  • Aca Baranton says:

    Cory, you are so inspiring, to say this is an understatement. Thank You!

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