For most families, a vacation is a luxury. For families with special needs, it is often an obstacle course, if it happens at all.
As many as 87% of special-needs families do not take vacations, not because they lack interest, but because the world was not built for them. Nearly half say they do not travel due to a lack of accessible destinations, even though 95% say they would if proper accommodations existed. Behind these numbers lies a striking economic reality. Families with special needs represent a multi-trillion-dollar market, including an estimated $6.7 trillion in untapped purchasing power and at least $59 billion in annual travel spending by Americans with disabilities alone. Globally, special-needs travel is increasingly recognized as a $1.6 trillion opportunity, yet it remains largely invisible and largely ignored.
For me, this is not theoretical. It is personal. It is my son.
When my special-needs son was seven, he did not walk. He scooted. He did not speak, wore diapers, and quietly entertained himself on an iPad. He was, in many ways, our easiest child. He never complained and never demanded. Yet every resort kids’ program we approached focused only on what he was not. He did not fit the age category, the developmental category, the toileting category, or the communication category. They simply would not take him.
That is the true face of inaccessibility.
The hospitality industry often congratulates itself on ADA checklists and wheelchair ramps, but those measures barely scratch the surface. Narrow doorways, inaccessible pools, and poorly designed layouts remain common. Families haul adaptive equipment from home because properties do not provide it. Staff, though well intentioned, are rarely trained to support medical, behavioral, or sensory needs. Parents often feel more stressed on vacation than they do at home. Activities and dining are built for the “average guest,” which forces families to split up. One parent stays in the room, another stays with the siblings, and the togetherness travel is meant to create never fully materializes.
The consequences are profound. Families who manage to travel report stronger bonds and emotional resilience. Adults who traveled as children show higher life satisfaction. Yet families with special needs face divorce rates estimated as high as 80%. Travel is not a frivolous luxury. It can be a pressure valve and, for some families, a lifeline.
Economically, the disconnect is staggering. These families are ready to spend, often on longer stays, specialized accommodations, adaptive activities, on-demand medical support, and lower-stress experiences. In the United States alone, hundreds of millions of dollars in potential demand go unmet each year. Globally, the special-needs travel segment already represents tens of billions of dollars and is projected to exceed $100 billion as awareness grows.
After serving as a combat veteran, physician, entrepreneur, and business leader, and after building companies worth hundreds of millions, I retired. But confronting this unmet need made retirement feel like a dereliction of duty. I went back to work for one person, my son, and through him, for millions of families like ours.
That is why we are building Saint Charlie Resorts, the world’s first truly all-inclusive resort network designed from the ground up for special-needs families. Founded by parents, built alongside hospitality professionals, staffed by caregiver-trained teams, and priced competitively, it exists to prove a simple truth. When special is the norm, everyone belongs.
This is not charity. It is the future of inclusive hospitality, and it is very good business.
Dr. Charles “Charlie” Powell is a former physician, U.S. Navy combat veteran, and business leader. He is the founder of Saint Charlie Resorts and director of the upcoming documentary Healing Heroes – No Mind Left Behind. His work is inspired by his experiences in service and as the father of a son with special needs.
To learn more about Saint Charlie’s Resort and Dr. Powell’s work please visit solovive.com.
Dr. Charles “Charlie” Powell is a decorated former Naval Lieutenant Commander, war veteran, multiple medical-patent holder, and former owner and Chief Medical Officer of a major medical system in Texas. He is the father of a special needs son, Charlie, who is the inspiration for Saint Charlie ResortsTM. In 2024, Dr. Powell founded Solo ViveTM, meaning “Just live,” as the parent company to Saint Charlie ResortsTM, Vive Scientific™, Solo Vive Studios™, and Healing Heroes: No Mind Left Behind– a treatment program (and documentary) with the aim of helping victims of PTSD (of which he himself has found healing). His passions/projects also include special-needs children/families, and anyone that needs a louder voice for their health and wellbeing.
