Avoiding the many potential disability travel disasters requires a little forethought and planning that you might not expect. Those who have dealt with a disability all of their life tend to have different expectations that those who are dealing with a new or temporary disability. Simply put, the more information you have about certain procedures and the locations of special access the less you are going to experience hang ups and delays.
Before you book your trip, make sure you ask some pertinent questions regarding all of the travel arrangements. Almost every travel destination in the United States and many other countries are required to have specific accommodations for the disabled. However you will have to make sure that those accommodations are available at the time that you are planning to travel on vacation. You will not have the same needs as another disabled person, so it will always be better to talk to an actual person about your specific needs.
Starting with the airport, make sure you understand their rules and regulations regarding special needs individuals. If you will end up being mobile in an inside establishment, like a hotel or casino, and do not have an electronic scooter you may find that they have a majority of carpeted areas that an older wheelchair will have a harder time navigating.
Scheduling three hours or more between connecting flights can help make up for the slow airline response to wheelchair needs. If you must move through various doorways or rooms, you might want to find out how hard it is to push the doors open or if they have easy access push plates to open doors.
Most of the time you will simply have to go through the individual scan. Airport security personnel are required to ask you if there are areas of your body that are painful or sensitive to touch. Be sure to let them know if you are feeling violated in any way.
Shuttles that take you and your party to car rental or hotel destinations from the airport are actually the best when it comes to dealing with people with special needs. If you need to deal with a cab company or car service, talk to them in advance to let them know what your needs will be and find out how to make sure those needs are met. Often, you can get a direct line to a dispatcher in order to call in your cab ride and you won’t have to wait long for a ride.
Travel to and from your hotel should be simple. While not all cab companies are willing or able to go out of their way to make sure your needs are well met, your hotel or inn should be able to connect you with the best transportation choice possible. Well planned disability travel should not mean extra complications, and planning in advance can help prevent such complications.
Tags: disability travel, vacation travel