Trip Planning

Mobility…

Read the ‘Mobility Devices‘ article, make sure you have something that will allow you the ability and freedom to go where you want, or at least be able to get the most out of your travels and not be severally restricted because you did not choose one that will allow you the freedom to enjoy more. You actually turn the tables with powered mobility as your able bodied companies will have a hard time keeping up with you.

Do your research…

What our aim is on this website is have people with a disability to give their input and lets build the best informative source of information around. Who among us have read or listened to an able bodied person describing and stating what they believe an mobility limited person can or cannot do, only to find out errors in the description when we actually go there ourselves.. There is often not enough detailed information describing tours and lack of pictures so each of us can decide if something is doable or not. Just like every city planning committee or even the building of a new cruise ship should have some disabled people giving their input on it then and only then will we have full accessibility achieved.

However even if complete information is not there, research as much as possible for clues that may help you decide.

If you use a travel agent do not assume that person knows what you can do and what you cannot, you have to be very clear, and then when they come up with a tentative itinerary, check out each item on it before you ok it.

If you book yourself, send emails if something is unclear, sometimes you may need to make phone calls. I sent an email once to enquire about the accessibility of the tour to Alcatraz island, several days later I got an email back just saying to book within 60 or 90 days of the date of tour, and never answered what I was asking. I ended up finding the answers myself on the internet.

Mobility disabilities comes in all forms, and everyone strength and weaknesses can differ, so you should know what you can and cannot do with or without a mobility device. So you not the travel agent (who is likely fully able bodied) makes the final decision on all aspects of the travel plans. The travel agent may however been to the area where you wish to go and you have to know what questions to ask. The first trip I took was thru a travel agent, the most recent trip I researched and booked entirely on my own.

Read thru all the articles on this website, it will give you helpful information.

Remember..

a) Even in your home town / city there are always some places not fully accessible, perhaps a corner store or a nice shop in the downtown that you would love to take a look inside but no ramp; the same will hold true when you travel, so never expect everything to be 100% accessible but some locations are far more accessible than others. Generally speaking the core tourist areas tend to be more accessible than when your venture out beyond the tourist area. So that is what sets out the difference in countries, in that what is beyond the tourist village at a cruise port for instance, some countries do a fairly good job at general accessibility in the country as a whole, others give the appearance of accessibility around the core tourist locations but not when you venture beyond that.

b) Then you get a perfectly accessible sidewalk and some idiot spoils that by putting a display of clothes on the sidewalk or a sign on the side walk which makes it difficult or impossible to pass. But let us forgive those absent minded able bodied people as they know not what they do.

c) Even with a fully accessible small store or other locations, a large volume of people traffic can make wheelchair navigation more difficult.

d) After a major event such as fireworks / a parade or show, there is always a large volume of people as soon as it is finished, and it will take all your skills as a scooter or wheelchair driver to try and find the opening and pass thru it all. The hardest part in high volume people traffic is not loosing your companions that are with you as it is so easy to get separated. If you all have cell phones you may need them to locate companions that get separated from you, but if you do not then it may take quite some time to locate.

e) Expect when people traffic is high that you will get bumped into several times, just resist the urge to put your powered scooter or wheelchair into full reverse.

f) Also the standard mobility device rather it is powered or not does not do well in sand and usually get stuck quickly so stay off beaches. There is sometimes sand wheelchairs available for rent at some beach resorts but the ones I have seen are push type with large tires on them, I believe powered sand wheelchairs are made but not sure which beaches rent them.

1. Ladies – always have a purse that has a strong strap that goes around you neck the snaps that connect the purse to the strap should be strong and not easy to separate the purse from the strap. Your purse should always be zippered up. You do not want it to be easy to grab and run or to simply distract you long enough for someone to reach in and grab something out the purse, zippered purses take a little more effort than just a snap. Avoid looking at the cute little baby while another person is grabbing something out of the purse. Also try to keep one hand firmly on it as some purse snatchers work in pairs one cuts the strap and the other takes the purse and runs away. A strap that is very difficult to cut may help.
2. Men – it is so easy to take a wallet out of your back pocket, deep pockets with a strong button makes it harder to slip out.
3. On a cruise you always require ID and your ship card on you so that you can get through any ID checkpoint at the port and to re-enter the ship. Never leave anything on the beach unattended, this may mean that at least one person in your group has to be with the personal belongings at all times and alert (not sleeping), and then take turns who goes into the water. You cannot take money into the water with you even if security tied to you on a money belt. Before leaving to go on any trip scan and leave a copy of all ID including passports and credit card information with a trusted person that is not going on the trip with you. This information may be useful in an emergency if your passport is lost or stolen. If you have multiple credit cards, only take one credit card with you and only cash that you feel you may need on that day, lock everything us up in the safe in your room on the ship or in the hotel room safe.
4. When using the safe in your room on the ship or hotel, always test it out first before placing your valuables in the safe itself. Most will allow you to program your own code for opening and locking the safe and you do not want to mess up and lock things in the safe and not be able to open it which means you will need the hotel or ship security to get it opened again.
5. Chances are if staying at a hotel then you may only need to bring a driver’s license and a photocopy of your passport with you and leave the real passport in the room safe. When in doubt what is required check with the hotel desk or ship desk.
6. Anything around the neck is harder to grab than something just being held in your hand.

By: Donald Kerr