The Disabled Traveler, a non-profit, is managed by Ron and Kay Wilmers. Ron has been in a wheelchair since 1977. He has experienced the many changes that have occurred for people with disabilities. They raised their three sons on a small farm setting in Lapeer, Michigan, and now their grandchildren. Ron has a degree in Mortuary Science from Wayne State University, a Biology degree from University
of Michigan–Flint and completed one year towards a master's program in Medical Science from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Kay Wilmers is a registered nurse with both hospital and home health care experience. For many years she was involved in the daily lives of people in health recovery. Ron & Kay decided to pursue the exciting concept of travel for people with disabilities. Their family has traveled throughout the United States, with overnight stays in some very unique places. Their lodgings have ranged from hotels to tents in a campsite in the national parks. Through the years they saw changes regarding accessibility; new laws were being implemented to meet the travel needs of people with disabilities. But they discovered that much of this information was not getting into the hands of the people who could benefit from it the most—travelers with disabilities. They found that researching trips and telephone calls to travel locations never gave enough information about whether Ron's functional needs would be met. To address this issue, Ron & Kay started The Disabled Traveler, a web site company geared toward providing specific information for people with disabilities so they may go where everyone else has gone before.
