There was a slightly unfortunate combination of circumstances involving my domain name not renewing because my bank card had changed, and me being unable to activate the new card and properly sort everything out while I was on a cruise ship in the Norwegian fjords.

In trying to get things working again, a couple of blank notifications escaped into the world. Sorry for the confusion!

Thankfully, everything is now sorted, I’m back home, and normal service has resumed.

The good news is that I have a much more interesting reason for having been difficult to reach. I’ve just returned from my first ever cruise!

It was an experience I’d wanted to try for a while, and I genuinely loved being on the ship. At times it felt like staying in a floating five-star hotel, with amazing food, brilliant entertainment, interesting people to meet, and then the rather extraordinary experience of waking up somewhere completely different.

I also learned a lot about how accessible cruising can work through travelling with Limitless Travel, particularly the support they provide through care and tour managers. I’ve already been sharing videos from different parts of the experience across my social media channels, with plenty more reflections to come.

And then, of course, there were the Norwegian fjords themselves.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful. One of my favourite moments was taking a sky lift high above the fjords and then zooming around at the top in my wheelchair, surrounded by mountains and clouds. Looking back down at our enormous cruise ship and seeing it reduced to what looked like a tiny toy floating on the water really put the scale of the landscape into perspective.

Beautiful water, dramatic mountains, clouds drifting through the scenery, and views that photographs and videos can never quite capture.

So, despite the slightly chaotic communications from my website while I was away, it was a fantastic first experience of cruising and one that has given me plenty to think, write and create content about.

I’m now safely back home, the website and emails should be behaving themselves again, and I’ll be writing again soon with some other updates.

Thanks for bearing with me, and particularly to anyone who opened those blank emails wondering what on earth I was trying to tell you!

For me, and around 250,000 people in the UK who require a hoist for transfers, it often isn’t.

That’s why I’m so excited to share that the Royal Lancaster London now offers a mobile hoist as part of an accessible stay, at no additional cost.

After working with the fantastic team at the Royal Lancaster over the past months, we’ve helped create a simple booking process where guests can reserve one of the accessible rooms, request the hoist during the booking, and have everything prepared before they arrive.

It means people who need a hoist can enjoy an overnight stay in London without the stress, expense and logistical challenge of hiring and transporting specialist equipment themselves.

Whether you’re visiting London for a holiday, a work trip, a hospital appointment, or to spend time with family and friends, this opens up new possibilities for travelling with greater confidence and independence.

I’ve recently stayed at the hotel myself and had a brilliant experience. I’ll be sharing more over the coming weeks, including videos showing the room, the hoist setup and the overall stay.

If you, a family member, friend or colleague could benefit from this; you can find out more, check availability and current room rates via the Royal Lancaster’s new Accessible Stays with Hoist page.

A huge thank you to everyone at the Royal Lancaster who embraced this idea and worked so hard to make it a reality. I hope this is the beginning of many more hotels making overnight stays possible for people who require hoists.

Find out more and book here.

At the same time, through my regular conversations with Ann Hawkins, I’m delighted that Ann has joined me as a director of the Community Interest Company. Together we’re exploring what the Purple Collective can achieve next.

We’re continuing to focus on the Hoists in Hotels campaign and, over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more about the exciting progress we’re making with partners in the hotel industry.

Perhaps even more excitingly, everything we’re learning is beginning to reveal a model for creating social change that feels quite different from many of the traditional approaches. It’s still taking shape, but I’m looking forward to sharing more about that soon as well.

If this journey interests you, I’d love you to subscribe to my newsletter at martynsibley.com.

And if you have connections within hotels, hospitality, businesses that may be interested in sponsoring hoists, or simply ideas that could help move this campaign forward, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

More updates soon.

That’s why I’m really pleased to be part of this upcoming online conversation hosted by the Purple Collective and Our House. We’ll discuss building a Disabled People’s Charter shaped by lived experience, collective discussion and practical ideas for change.

If you’re disabled, working in disability inclusion, interested in policy and systems change, or simply want to contribute to a better future, we’d love you to join us.

June 9th 2026

12pm to 1pm

Online

Full details and free sign-up here

That’s why the conversation in the latest Purple Changemakers podcast with Michael and Shyam, co-founders of Advoca, matters. We dive into how their app is helping people retain key medical information, make sense of what was said, and take confident action after appointments, especially when so much is forgotten.

We also explore the realities of the startup journey, how they’re using AI and social media to grow Advoca, and why this kind of healthcare tech could help millions of people.

Watch on YouTube

Listen on Spotify

Enjoy the conversation!

Massive thanks to Aga for creating Fantasia and capturing the heart of Everything is Possible in the most joyful way.

The book is available on Amazon. No goggles required.

Grab a copy   here

On a personal level, we’ve had four funerals and three weddings. That probably says enough about the emotional highs and lows of the year. It’s been a reminder of how fragile, beautiful, and interconnected life really is, and how important it is to hold close the people we love. Hence the picture here with my wife Kasia and our Sunny by the Christmas tree gives me so much gratitude.

Professionally, my unwavering focus on disability inclusion has felt equally tumultuous. The wider economic and political climate has created strong headwinds, not just for social progress, but for entrepreneurs and businesses across many industries. At times, it’s felt like progress itself was being questioned.

And yet, despite all of that, something important has held firm.

As a community, we’ve pushed back against regressive views of disability inclusion with resilience and clarity. We’ve dusted ourselves off, stayed optimistic, and continued to believe in a better future. Not just for disabled people, but for everyone.

My biggest clarity this year has been this: disability inclusion is not a niche issue, a moral add-on, or a theoretical win-win. It is a practical, cultural, economic solution to many of the challenges society is grappling with. The work ahead is to articulate that truth clearly, so it lands beyond echo chambers and becomes common sense across culture, business, and politics.

Looking ahead to 2026, I’m excited to keep building those bridges. Personally, I’m excited for good health, meaningful travel, joyful time with loved ones, and to keep showing up each day to help drive a better world through the powerful lens of disability inclusion.

Happy New Year all. I’m looking forward to collaborating with many of you very soon!

I’ve been listening to “I’m Still Him” by Lil Man J today. He samples Mozart and raps about being disabled while living a life you probably wish you had.

What hits isn’t just the sound. It’s the message.

This is disability as confidence, creativity, and cultural presence, not something to be fixed, explained, or softened for comfort.

Too often disability only shows up in public conversations through policy, pity, or permission. This is something different. It’s self-authored. It’s playful. It’s powerful.

If we want a more inclusive world, we also need to notice where culture is already moving ahead of systems.

Worth a listen

I’m Still Him – Lil Man J

(https://open.spotify.com/track/0Pt2G1GI1rucYzsaCNcCjA?si=UoLNbbGnT02w2wjpaRKQvA)

#DisabilityCulture #DisabledCreatives #InclusionThroughCulture #PurpleChangemakers #MusicAsPower