After breaking his neck, Shane is on a mission to change global travel
If you had a physical disability, you'd be angry but perhaps not surprised. This sort of customer service fail is common for people with mobility issues.
For those travellers (and 38 per cent of people over 65 identify as having some sort of disability), there are many barriers to getting around, but the most infuriating involve thoughtlessness, selfishness and bureaucratic laziness.
Shane Hryhorec is on a mission to raise awareness of what it's like to travel with a disability – and to challenge airlines, cruise ships, hotels and other travellers to do better.
Seventeen years ago, Shane broke his neck in a swimming accident. Today, he's an entrepreneur and disability advocate, and a finalist in the 2025 Australian of the Year Local Hero Awards. In 2016, he started the charity Accessible Beaches Australia, which increased the number of accessible beaches in the country from five to more than 60, with plans for many more.
He's also the force behind the viral TikTok travel series Wheel Around the World, which has 242,000 followers and has reached more than 100 million views online. His video of travelling in a wheelchair on an MSC cruise had 40 million views. And then there's his Instagram account, @wheelaroundtheworldwithshane, which has 35,000 followers.
You could say he is influential. He's also very, very funny. His brutal honesty and wry humour make him a must-follow. I'm addicted.
You can check the trailer for his latest adventure – 'Can I get around the entire island of Taiwan in a wheelchair?' − on his YouTube channel.
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