This disability website, Disability Travel and Resources,  is one of the best sites for disabled persons who need information for flights, regulatory information, toll free hotline numbers and DOT contact information when your travel plans don’t go as expected   .  Knowing your rights regarding travel and disability helps you get where you want to travel much easier than being uninformed.  The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality can help you hook up with others who are traveling in groups or specific destinations.

On a recent cruise, there was a port where we were tendered from ship to dock.  Those small vessels were difficult for me as well as some other seniors I saw needing assistance down into the seating area.  I don’t remember seeing anyone with a wheelchair present.  I’m sure it would have been very difficult to get onboard and then to transfer to the dock.  It is not that cruise lines don’t have wheelchair accessibility; just that when not directly in port at the dock, the transport medium for your destination is sometimes not wheelchair compatible.  Disability Travel and Resources gives the traveler great insight into destinations, accessible accommodations, as well as information related to those with special needs such as children.

Accessible Journeys,, is a website which provides travel agent, medical equipment rental, travel companions, group tours, independent travel, airfares, and other access needed travel information.  Their motto is “making the world accessible.”

Disability Travel Resources is another excellent site for disability travel.  Here you’ll find seven countries specifically designated for world travel with many accessible sites.  Whether you are in the United States or worldwide, sites such as these have made travel better and gives the traveler much needed information in one location without having to spend precious time trying to pin down each minute detail. 

The key to successful accessible travel is early contact and notification, looking for the best hotel, airline, railway, or cruise line which best suites your needs.  Visit cities with public transportation to save your much needed energy.  Many of the US federal laws require hotels, airlines, and rental car agencies to provide full access to their services.  Advance notice is key and follow-up prior to departure will help you avoid any problems.  Some countries may not be as standardized as the US is on regulating accessibility.  If you plan a trip out of the United States, make sure you communicate your needs and of those traveling with you.  It is better to rearrange a vacation, rather than arrive and be limited to the indoors or streets and not get to see the splendors of the landscapes and architecture.

Braille guidebooks, audio cassette tapes or cd’s make travel much more interesting.  New guides are being programmed as this is being written to enable travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves into the heritage and custom of a destination.  Since the advent of the electric wheelchair, the jazzy, the hover round,  and electric scooters, just to name a few, the world is opening up to all those interested in travel who may have not considered it before due to a disability. African safaris can be done by accessible vehicles now, cruises are always a good way to see the world with accessible bathrooms and suites, as well as detailed itineraries of shore excursions with codes for the activities either accessible, walkable, moderate exertion, or highly physical.   All terrain vehicles (ATV’s) are now being equipped so the wheelchair bound person can slide onto the ATV and drive into otherwise non-accessible rugged areas.  Skiers with disabilities have long since been able to be equipped with special skis or snowboards which allow them freedom to ski almost any slope.  With a little creativity and imagination you can have a great vacation in almost any place you desire to go.   So don’t get discouraged if disability comes your way.  Life is not finished – there is a whole world to discover.  Someone told me, “plan ahead – get the best available, then live the vacation one day at a time!”    Happy Traveling.

(photos courtesy of www.stock.nxchng, )