The Spoon in the Sand: Cripping the Adventure Narrative to Reclaim Autonomy

Disabled and chronically ill adventure travel - and the digital storytelling that accompanies it - can act as both a deeply personal and a political statement that resides at the intersection of empowerment, rebellion, and performative pressure. Platforms like Instagram amplify the narrative of overcoming, while shifting perceptions of what disabled adventure looks like. These narratives simultaneously have the potential to challenge stereotypes or reinforce unrealistic expectations of disabled bodies. This paper explores the value of adventure and its portrayal as a means of asserting independence, pushing limits, and reclaiming agency in an ableist world.