The wellness industry implies that you can take control of your health (aka self-healing), by eating well, remaining active and reading self-help books. While this may be beneficial, it does not consider anyone with a medical condition, or those who are living with chronic pain or fatigue. This kind of rhetoric can also be harmful.
There's the intersection of disability and poverty to consider, too, which may prevent some people participating in the kind of active lifestyle we tend to associate with peak wellness, which isn't always cheap the health and healing-focused industry is worth $5.61 trillion globally.
It's hard to deny the ableism within the wellness culture. But this doesn't mean that disabled people can't achieve wellness, it's just that the wellness industry needs to adapt. Here are some feel-good treatments and activities you can do that are accessible and inclusive...
Massage matters
One of the most vital wellness activities to bring physical and mental wellbeing to those with disabilities has to be massage, which soothes both body and mind.
Charlie Lovell runs Accessible Massage, in London, and specialises in treating people with disabilities. "With a background in care, I knew I wanted to integrate disability and massage, but I had no idea that very few people were doing this," she says. "The massage diploma I did was really comprehensive with incredible teachers, but every time I asked how to adapt or adjust for a disabled person, they just didn't know.
"It annoyed me, but I don't think it's anyone's fault. People are uncomfortable with what they don't know. Lack of knowledge and integration is the biggest thing."
Bath-based massage therapist Sarah Luddington agrees: "There isn't enough understanding of disability in the industry. There aren't any dedicated courses and people worry they need special training, so lots of places just don't cater for everyone.
"I used to be a carer so I'm not fazed by anything, I can offer help in positioning and changing in a fully professional way. I can work around oxygen and stats monitors. It's important to me to be able to offer a different sort of touch to carer's hands for those with complex needs.
"I can see how massage physically and mentally benefits my clients, many of whom are non-verbal. They relax into their own little bubble.
"Massage is so helpful for everyone, and many people need some kind of adaptation to be comfortable," adds Sarah. "Some people with autism like to know what's happening next to feel safe and calm. I always make a point of saying what's happening or how long something might last, but other therapists might feel awkward about that."
While it's wonderful that there are therapists like Charlie and Sarah, they are in the minority. Charlie is passionate about changing that. "I have a lot of fire in my belly - and it goes deeper than just massage. Society is obsessed with healing, but why can't we just accept ourselves as we are? My goal is to change the way we perceive disability and how we approach wellness in terms of the body, because it's inherently ableist. We're trained to fix a body rather than accept it just as it is."
Just say spa
It's somewhat ironic that those who could benefit most from hydro pools with bubbles and jets, massages to help with tight muscles and quiet spaces to calm a stressed nervous system, are the very people who are least able to visit a spa. With 16 million disabled people in the UK, that's a huge under-served market.
The vast majority of spas are not set up for wheelchair users. There are literal issues - stairs, tight changing rooms, lack of adequate space, facilities, and hoists - and less obvious ones like the price points of treatments, or therapists and trainers, who often have no idea how to work with disability. But there are definite signs of change.
Maison des Landes in Jersey is an accessible hotel and community hub that combines modern style and accessible spaces. Following a multimillion-pound refurbishment, it reopened in 2023 as a trailblazer in the industry.
Offering stylish accommodation, a thoughtful programme of activities and all the practical adaptations needed for disabled people and their carers to have a true holiday, it's the kind of place you want to see in every major city. As well as on-site facilities like a fully accessible pool, the hotel partners with other operators on the island such as Wet Wheels and Healing Waves to widen the wellness activities on offer to guests.
Other major players in the tourism industry are upping their game, too. Center Parcs has a long-standing commitment to disabled guests and when upgrades happen on site, they have accessibility in mind.
Sophie Bradbury-Cox (a full-time wheelchair user and fashion influencer known as @fashionbelleeon Instagram), recently visited an updated Aqua Sana spa. "I have always wanted to go to a spa but they are never accessible," she says.
"I was so excited to learn the Elveden Aqua Sanahas a pool hoist! There's no changing room with a hoist so I brought my own mobile one, so it's not perfect, but overall it was a really positive experience.
"The staff were lovely and helped me stay warm on a chilly day, covering me with towels once I was out of the pool and being responsive with assistance. It was amazing being able to swim in a warm pool in such a lovely environment. I even had a facial sitting in my wheelchair in a bigger treatment room with more space to be comfortable. I finally understand how it feels to have a spa day."
It seems that a fully accessible spa hotel, with adequate changing, hoisting, pool access and treatments facilities is rare, but not impossible to find (a gold star to the New Forest's Chewton Glen for ticking all these boxes). Many hotels are being much clearer on their websites about facilities and accessibility, and are making in-roads into improving access for all.
Cultivating a welcoming environment for all seems firmly on the agenda and, depending on a person's needs, the likelihood of finding somewhere to suit them is increasing. There's still a long way to go, but wellness does seem to be on the right road to inclusion.
