Ashley Olson became a T12 paraplegic at age 14 after a car accident that also took her father’s life. Refusing to let her injury define her limits, she enrolled at the University of Southern California and earned dual degrees in Communications and Music Industry in 2005.

In 2006, she founded WheelchairTraveling.com, which has grown into the world’s most comprehensive resource for accessible travel. With more than 1,000 destination guides and contributors from around the globe, the platform empowers people with mobility impairments to explore the world with confidence and ease.

Ashley also launched the Access 2 Parks Project, partnering with public land agencies to assess and improve accessibility in U.S. national and state parks. Her work was featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s “Our Places: Connecting People and Nature” exhibit, which ran from July 2023 through July 2024.

Her advocacy has been recognized in major media, including Lonely Planet, National Geographic, AAA, New Mobility, and the Hindustan Times. She was also selected for The RAW Beauty Project and honored with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Award.

Ashley is an experienced speaker and educator, having shared her story and expertise at events such as the Abilities Expo, SATH World Congress, ATRA Annual Conference, ICAT, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and USC’s Keck School of Medicine - some of which she continues to support on an ongoing basis.

In addition to her advocacy work, Ashley is a published author of two books:

Confined to Align: A Journey to Wellbeing – a memoir chronicling her emotional and physical healing while recovering from pressure sores.

Thoreau’s Cabin: Reflections In and Of Nature – a contemplative poetry collection rooted in solitude, travel, and the natural world.

Today, Ashley continues to grow WheelchairTraveling.com, mentor others in accessible living, and promote inclusion through storytelling, public speaking, and partnership with global travel and recreation networks. Her work opens doors for travelers of all abilities and inspires people everywhere to move forward with strength, resilience, and wonder.