Going Global

For many of us, planning a holiday involves a little organisation. But for those with disabilities, there can be extra hurdles. When Lisa Glassey realised this, she founded travel company, Travel Prefab, to make dream trips become a reality

- Monique Mckenzie

It was taking care of her friend’s severely disabled son one afternoon, that Lisa Glassey had a thought: ‘How does this family cope when travelling?’ Having worked in travel her entire career, and in search of “something a little bit more meaningful”, the realisation that there were so many would-be travellers out there with mobility issues was the start of a new chapter for Lisa. Now the 41-year-old is the director of Travel Prefab, a Wellington-based travel agency that specialises in accessible travel and aims to be New Zealand’s first fully accessible travel agent. It’s for anyone who requires a little bit more assistance in planning their holidays – wheelchair users, people who can’t walk long distances, a parent travelling with multiple children in tow, and those with limited sight or hearing.

DREAM COME TRUE

When she set up Travel Prefab in April 2016, Lisa started from scratch with no clients and zero business and now her work makes a healthy profit.