Through a partnership between Travel Oregon and Wheel the World, Oregon has been named the first state to be “accessibility verified,” a Wheel the World designation that recognizes the state as an accessible travel destination.
Wheel the World, a travel platform for people with disabilities, was founded in 2018 by a wheelchair user to identify and promote accessible places to explore.
“So not a travel agency, but more an Expedia for people with disabilities,” said Joy Burns, communication and partnership manager for the company. “We wanted to offer verified information on accessibility, details of hotels, attractions and also transportation options.”
The company vets destinations by sending specialized mappers to verify accessibility details of hotels and other locations. They collect over 200 specific data points. At hotels, for instance, those data points include bed height, bathroom features and doorway measurements.
“They visited in Oregon in 43 communities across the state,” said Allie Gardner, industry communications manager at Travel Oregon. “They have assessed now over 750 tourism businesses, so hotels, restaurants, other types of businesses.”
The partnership with Travel Oregon began incrementally. Initially, Wheel the World started working with the Oregon Coast tourism agency. Recognizing the statewide potential, Travel Oregon formally launched the partnership with Wheel the World in 2024 with a $400,000 investment.
The Oregon verification process lasted over two and a half years. Using the results, Travel Oregon and Wheel the World then created accessible vacation itineraries for seven Oregon regions: the Willamette Valley, central Oregon, Portland, Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge, southern Oregon, eastern Oregon and the Oregon coast.
Each itinerary includes detailed accessibility information for hotels, restaurants and activities in each region, giving would-be-travelers a step-by-step plan to visit Oregon cities such as Bend, Ashland and Crater Lake and Cannon Beach.
In addition to the verification initiative, Travel Oregon has supported accessibility improvements through its statewide grants program over the past two years, which funds projects that make travel experiences more inclusive.
“We have, over the past few years, given out more than $8 million in grants towards projects and programs that either promote, maintain or improve accessibility across the state,” Gardner said, of Travel Oregon.
Through one such grant funded by Experience Mt. Hood and the Gorge in partnership with Travel Oregon, Randy and Rebecca Kiyokawa, owners of Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Mount Hood, were able to install over 600 feet of Mobi-Mats, creating wheelchair-accessible pathways through the orchard.
Randy Kiyokawa said the mats benefit many of the orchard’s visitors.
“Not only people in wheelchairs, but people with baby strollers, it’s just improving the experience for everybody,” he said. “It’s almost like the yellow brick road. It shows people where to go and where we laid out the flow of traffic.”
The $27,000 project is the first in Oregon to feature Mobi-Mats in a u-pick farm setting, according to Experience Mt. Hood and the Gorge. Previously known for improving beach access for wheelchair users, the mats provide stable, nonslip pathways across soft or uneven ground and can be used in all weather conditions. Randy Kiyokawa expects the new Mobi-Mats will improve tourism in the Columbia Gorge.
“It’s going to be huge once word gets out that the gorge and Oregon are friendly for people that have accessibility issues,” he said.
He explained that the mats were placed to make navigation easier in key areas, including the parking lot, near the farm stand, throughout the u-pick blocks and around spaces used for entertainment and picnics. The Mobi-Mats will remain in place through the end of the u-pick season in late October, and Kiyokawa said he plans to expand the accessible pathways in future seasons.
According to Burns and Gardner, the accessibility improvements across the state have already yielded positive responses from travelers with disabilities.
“We invited travelers with disabilities to come experience these itineraries that we’re creating,” Gardner said. “They had really positive feedback. Some of them were doing activities that they never thought they would be able to do or be able to be part of.”
Both organizations say they plan to continue adding destinations and activities to their travel itineraries.
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A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday at 11:39 p.m. until Sunday at 4 a.m. for North Central Oregon and Central Oregon.
“Patchy dense fog will reduce visibilities to one quarter of a mile or less in the city of Bend and portions of US-97, US-197, and US-20. If you are driving, slow down, use low beam headlights and allow for extra space between your vehicle and those around you,” according to the weather service.
When Emily Purry casually asked her surf guide how far off she might be from competing, she never expected his answer would catapult her onto Team USA within weeks. On a recent episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, Purry shared the whirlwind journey that transformed her from a beginner blind adaptive surfer to an international competitor representing Oregon on the world stage.
“It was quite the whirlwind. Honestly, nothing that I expected or really even thought could happen,” Purry, who goes by “Strong Sightless Surfer” on Instagram, told host Chiara Profenna. “I’ve been surfing for a very short time. I’m very new to the sport.”
That conversation with her guide quickly escalated from hypothetical to actionable. When he suggested she could compete immediately, Purry discovered she needed to enter a competition before Team USA tryouts, leaving her with just two options: Hawaii the following week or Japan in three weeks.
Despite being a novice surfer who had progressively lost her sight to Stargardt’s macular degeneration, she made a decision that would intimidate even seasoned travelers: “As weird as it sounds, I think I can pull off Japan. And so, I flew to Japan independently. It was my first time flying internationally by myself.”
The logistics were daunting. In rapid succession, Purry had to purchase her first surfboard, navigate international travel alone, and trust strangers in a foreign country where communication was difficult. “I had to meet people I’d never seen before in my life. I talked to one of them on the phone once,” she explained, detailing how she was picked up by a Japanese man whose English was limited.
Despite these challenges, Purry not only competed in Japan but returned home and, just eight days later, successfully tried out for Team USA.
For Purry, this journey represents far more than athletic achievement.
“It started to bring my confidence back as far as who was I, who I used to be, and how much I missed me as a human being,” Purry shared, highlighting the deep connection between physical activity and sense of self.
Purry spoke on the podcast as she was preparing for the ISA (International Surfing Association) World Competition in Oceanside, California, held Nov. 2–7.
“I definitely want to win,” she shared on the podcast, revealing the competitive spirit that propelled her from that first casual conversation to the international stage in mere weeks. In Oceanside, Purry went on to help Team USA secure the silver medal at the ISA World Championships.
Listen to the full episode here:
Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive’s travel and outdoors podcast Peak Northwest on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Hosts Jamie Hale and Chiara Profenna take you to some of the greatest destinations in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Check out more Peak Northwest episodes below.
We’re at the final week of Oregon high school football and the Class 3A state tournament all comes down to No. 1 Cascade Christian (12-0) and No. 3 Burns (11-1).
Here is a breakdown of Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. at Summit High School in Bend.
Last meeting: Burns won 46-19 in Week 3 of the 2014 season.
Quick fact: Cascade Christian is vying to become the first team to give up zero points en route to a state title since Regis won the Class A championship in 1973.
Road to the final: Def. Phoenix 54-7 (first round), Vale 32-20 (quarterfinals), Banks 36-31 (semifinals)
Last state championship: 2024 (second)
Last state final: 2024 (fifth appearance)
Coach: Matt Bruck, third season (28-14)
Offensive leaders: QB Jack Wright, sr. (144-246-3-2445, 40 TDs pass; 88-491-12 rush); RB Tommy Winn, sr. (139-943-9); WR Coltin Miller, sr. (79-1505-21); WR Preston Hill, sr. (31-471-7); TE Cannon Kemper, jr. (19-342-8)
Defensive leaders: LB Jasper SkunkCap, jr. (73 tackles, 15 for loss); DL Joe Weil, sr. (68 tackles, 28 for loss, 11.5 sacks); LB Kemper (69 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks); LB Colter Handley, soph. (56 tackles, 5 for loss); DL Ben Chamberlain, jr. (13 tackles for loss)
Lighthearted moment: Several weeks ago, the team played a game of “blob tag,” which requires teammates to remain attached by holding hands or interlocking arms, and as they tag players and attach them to the blob, it breaks off to form new blobs. Who started as the blob? Two of their biggest linemen — Weil and classmate Wesley Graham — trying to chase down their quicker teammates, which Bruck said was a funny sight.
Secret weapon: Weil also rated a mention as the leader of the Hilanders’ offensive and defensive lines.
“On the offensive side of the ball, they create gaps for Tommy and Jack to run through as well as protect Jack,” Challengers coach Jon Gettman said. “On defense, they just shut down a Banks team that had run the ball really well all season. They are a very physical, well-coached team that puts a lot of pressure on you.”
Road to the final: Def. Pleasant Hill 68-0 (first round), North Valley 48-0 (quarterfinals), Gervais 36-0 (semifinals)
Last state championship: 2023 (fifth)
Last state final: 2023 (eighth appearance)
Coach: Jon Gettman, 16th season (155-32)
Offensive leaders: QB Deryk Farmer, sr. (89-147-4-1556, 16 TDs pass; 64-682-11 rush); RB Bryson Walker, jr. (89-986-27); WR Caleb Scaglione, sr. (38-563-7); WR Mikey Covey, soph. (11-353-2); WR Caleb Parker, sr. (15-335-3)
Defensive leaders: LB Covey (63 tackles, 14 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 11 hurries); LB Wyatt Hurley, jr. (59 tackles, 6 for loss); LB Walker (58 tackles); DE Alex Fiannaca, sr. (53 tackles, 11.5 for loss); LB Seth Scaglione, jr. (44 tackles, 10 for loss, 4.5 sacks); DE Austin Cook, jr. (9.5 tackles for loss)
Lighthearted moment: One night before the season kicked off, Gettman invited all the players and their fathers to gather for a night of worship and prayer along with a talk from guest speaker Brandon Boice, a former Oregon State player. It was such a success that Gettman held another session during their Week 7 bye.
“We spend so much time and effort on the gridiron,” Gettman said. “But the greatest blessing is seeing these young men grow up and be leaders in the community. So, taking a break from the season and just being able to speak to the weightier things of life is what I’m thankful for.”
Secret weapon: Bruck pointed to their big three of Farmer, Walker and Caleb Scaglione, “but everything has to run through their quarterback,” he said. “But really, you have to pay equal attention to their trio.”
— René Ferrán is a freelance reporter for The Oregonian/Oregon Live. René grew up in Portland and has written about high school sports in the Pacific Northwest since 1993, with his work featured at the Idaho Press Tribune, Tri-City Herald, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, The Columbian and High School on SI. He can be reached at rferran.oregonianhssports@gmail.com
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