Chris Koch’s Travel Stories: Independence, Adaptation and Meeting People

Chris Koch's travel photographs are full of activity: a conversation, a temple visit, a new place to explore. They show someone interested in the world and in the people he meets along the way.

Koch, who was born without arms and legs, has shared his experiences through his If I Can work. Photographer Anna Tenne accompanied him on travels in Asia and helped create the images that introduced many readers to his story.

Start with what he says about himself

On his own website, Koch describes growing up in rural Alberta, working around a farming community and developing his own ways of doing everyday things. Humour and independence are prominent parts of that account.

His travel galleries provide the photographer credits and a wider view of his journeys. The earlier Asia story included Thailand, Cambodia and Nepal. Nepal belongs to South Asia, so grouping every stop under Southeast Asia would be geographically misleading.

The photographs do not need to become a challenge directed at other disabled people. One person's abilities, equipment, support and preferences cannot stand in for everyone else's.

Ask about a particular journey

For a trip with access requirements, broad labels are only a beginning. A hotel described as accessible may still have a room layout or entrance that does not work for a particular traveller.

Ask concrete questions: how wide is the route, are there steps, what does the bathroom look like and how does the transfer vehicle work? Recent photographs or measurements can be more useful than an enthusiastic assurance.

Include the whole day, not just the headline attraction. A usable hotel room is less helpful if the route to breakfast or the booked transport introduces an unexpected barrier.

Make assistance a conversation

When travelling with someone who may want help, ask what is useful and respect the answer. Do not assume that assistance is always needed, or that independence means never accepting it.

Discuss the plan before a busy station or attraction creates pressure. Agreeing on how to communicate and when to pause can make the day more relaxed for everyone.

Our guide to planning an accessible beach visit shows how to turn a general wish into specific questions about routes, facilities and equipment.

Let the person remain bigger than the headline

Tenne's photographs are worth viewing for their settings and encounters as well as for Koch's story. Look at the temple surroundings, the expressions and the different ways people occupy the frame.

Travel writing becomes more useful when it leaves room for that individuality. Koch is a speaker, farmer and traveller with interests and a sense of humour; disability is part of his experience, not the only subject available.

The invitation in these images is to remain curious about a person and a place at the same time. That makes a richer starting point than simply declaring someone inspirational and moving on.

Chris Koch and Anna Tenne’s shared journey

Koch and photographer Anna Tenne met after one of his talks in Australia, then arranged a journey together. The original account describes six weeks of travel through Thailand, Cambodia and Nepal. Nepal is in South Asia, so the whole itinerary should not be labelled Southeast Asian. The old typo “limps” also obscured the intended description of Koch’s limb difference.

His stated interest in history and geography gives the trip a motivation beyond being an inspirational spectacle. Tenne’s photographs document places and shared experiences, while her account of initial uncertainty belongs to her perspective. It should not be used to define his independence for him.

Assistance and independence are not opposites in a travel story: people can make their own decisions while also sharing tasks and support. The photographs do not establish that every route is accessible to everyone with a similar disability. Keeping Koch’s interests, agency and the specific collaboration visible produces a more respectful account than assuming his body alone is the subject of every image.