Selma Blair on Traveling With MS, Accessibility, and Inclusive Travel Experiences

If anybody is aware of the transformative energy of a great journey, it is actor Selma Blair. 

As Blair not too long ago defined whereas on stage at Journey + Leisure‘s 2025 World’s Greatest Summit, she was formally identified with a number of sclerosis in 2018, although she probably lived with it undiagnosed for 25 to 30 years, together with as a baby residing with optical neuritis. However all through all of it, she’s maintained her signature grace, gentle, and humor. 

“The one factor that bought me by means of childhood was nice holidays,” Blair mentioned with fun. “Everybody simply feels higher on a trip. So at the same time as a sickly little one, that was at all times the beacon, the north star for me.”

Now, Blair defined, she’s residing relapse-free and again to touring the world, albeit in a really totally different trend together with her sidekick, Scout. “Fortunately, inns are actually canine pleasant, which is a plus and minus,” she mentioned. “As a result of I do permit my service canine to be fairly pleasant to individuals. He thinks my job, now that I am rather a lot higher, is to exit and be a service canine for anybody else that desires him. And he is proud of that. And he nonetheless does his job for me.” 

Blair famous that due to Scout, she travels with one relatively uncommon however helpful merchandise in her carry-on: a squeegee. “I do carry a squeegee to get the canine hair off the bottom,” she defined, so she’s at all times prepared to scrub up any fur from the ground of an Uber or a airplane. 

As for the duo’s must-have for any journey, Blair defined she merely will need to have a ravishing room, ideally one with a view. “I [do] be sure to have a room with a view,” she mentioned, explaining that whereas she could not be capable of discover like she used to, she will be able to nonetheless get pleasure from new locations this fashion. ” I at all times guarantee that I’ve a ravishing room.” 

She additionally famous that inns might higher serve their shoppers with accessibility wants by making certain they, too, get a terrific view.

“It could be beautiful if there may be room and also you see somebody with a incapacity coming, and ask your self, ‘Is there a view, is there a solution to make this just a little extra pleasing?’ As a result of this is likely to be their trip,” she mentioned. 

Blair was additionally fast to reward inns that get it proper in relation to accessibility. “I used to be in a lodge in Washington, D.C. that had probably the most unbelievable ADA room,” she defined, noting that it had added touches like high-end railings within the showers that had been removed from the common, low-budget chrome railings in most inns. “Disabled individuals like just a little stylish too.” 

She additionally emphasised the influence of small touches like flowers, blackout curtains, and even a easy deck of playing cards, which she at all times has in her bag in case the lodge would not present them. “Easy issues that may be completed for a visitor to make them really feel seen and never like they’re an issue that nobody is aware of the right way to take care of.”

Regardless of the added work that comes with seeing the world with a incapacity, Blair retains touring, and encourages others to do the identical, noting it is key to “hit a milestone of one thing you did not suppose you possibly can do.” 

And whereas, certain, Blair, like the remainder of us, loves just a little high-end second, however for her, journey isn’t about luxurious for luxurious’s sake. It’s about each survival and pleasure. “Journey to me symbolized vibrance and hope and journey,” she mentioned. “That’s value rather a lot.”