Avoiding Prospective Disability Travel Disasters
Avoiding the many potential disability travel disasters requires a little forethought and planning that you might not expect. There are several resources out there that are dedicated to disability travel planning and accommodations. Anyone that has a disability or that is planning to travel with someone that has a disability must make their arrangements with a little more care than other travelers.
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. Some airlines will have you check your wheelchair and then offer you one that belongs to the airport.
Of course, this can significantly shorten the time you have to get from one terminal to the next in the event of a connecting flight. Scheduling three hours or more between connecting flights can help make up for the slow airline response to wheelchair needs.
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.
There are many aspects of traveling that airports, train stations, cab companies, and hotels tend to overlook because they are not familiar with all of the needs of their guests and customers. Able bodied individuals often run into snags, which means anyone with a disability might expect to run into a few snags as well. Planning for additional time is essential to a successful trip.
Hotels can be difficult when it comes to their set up. Disability travel issues often center just as much around the hotel as any other travel issue. Carpeting can make wheeling around difficult while the doorways are often only wide enough to allow the wheelchair through but are often not wide enough to account for hands that are propelling the chair forward via the wheels. Talk to the hotel in advance and be sure to leave them accurate and directive feedback about their disabled accommodations before you leave.