How I've explored 13 countries in a wheelchair

A Vietnamese security guard shook his head as I approached the entrance to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on my blue mobility scooter. I knew what was coming next.

"You can't take a motorised vehicle in," our guide translated.

After negotiating for a few minutes, we ditched the scooter, and my dad scooped me on to his shoulders.

I have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare, progressive neuromuscular disorder that causes the weakening of muscle cells, which makes it difficult to walk and nearly impossible to do most physical activity. As a result, I've had plenty of limitations travelling.

Travelling with a disability is not easy, but it should be enjoyed by everyone. This includes Americans who have trouble walking or are unable to walk, who make up 7 per cent of the population, according to a 2017 report by the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire.

I've managed to see 13 countries, 23 states and Puerto Rico, largely thanks to my dad. He has literally carried me through situations any able-bodied person would have difficulty with, whether it was down a waterfall in Argentina or up to the Great Wall of China. We started when I was 6 in Russia and haven't stopped. I just turned 23.

Travelling is "a basic human right for inclusion and diversity", says Brett Heising, founder of Brettapproved, a website that uses user-generated content to rate locations based on accessibility.

Still, travelling with a physical disability is a challenge. I've ridden a small, irritable donkey with no saddle up the cliffs of the Greek island of Santorini, persuaded Argentina's government not to disassemble my mobility device, and navigated rough cobblestone in Italy and slippery rock stairs at Iguazu Falls, in Argentina. An elevator and low-grade ramp would have helped immensely. Unfortunately, you don't always get what you need while travelling.