In 2012, I took my second flight with a wheelchair. We were running late, traffic in the D.C. area was a strangle-fest, and getting through airport security took forever. We made it to the gate pop-a-wheelie style, my husband pushing at a run, our eleven-year-old son sprinting along beside us. The woman behind AirTran’s boarding desk took one look at our harried, gasping trio, tapped a few keys on her keyboard, and reassigned our seats. That morning my husband carried me from the plane’s door to row 1, making the first leg of our Walt Disney World trip first class in every possible way.
I love to travel. I always have. In high school, I was a summer exchange student in Scotland. I spent half my junior year in college at a university in England. I explored Europe and continued with North America until my Primary Lateral Sclerosis diagnosis.
After a few adjustment years, learning the ropes of motherhood and life with a disability, I was raring to get back to traveling. But like AirTran, my ability to spontaneously fly—or travel anywhere—had dissolved. I couldn’t pack a weekend bag and just go, but I didn’t have to sit at home. If I did my research, if I planned, the world was, and is still, mine to discover. Preparation is the key.
Start by phoning your hotel. Even if your online reservations state an accessible room with a roll- or walk-in shower, confirm the details with a management-level associate. Make sure the bus tour you’re taking is accessible or the park you’re visiting has a level trail without any stairs. All reservations for air travel or cruises have dedicated sections where you can state your accessibility needs. If you’re undertaking a cross-country car trip, utilize the bathrooms in or adjacent to hotel lobbies. My last tip—work with a travel agent who will do the calling and research for you for free. Yes, they still exist and are fabulous at their jobs.
My top 3 websites for accessible travel research:
WheelchairTravel.org - information on hundreds of destinations, multiple forms of travel, travel agents, and vacation rental equipment from wheelchairs to vehicles.
AccessibleGo.com - confirms a hotel’s accessibility and a place to book accessible rooms.
AccessNow app on iTunes - a worldwide information-sharing app for the accessibility of restaurants, public spaces, bathrooms, and more.
A desire to explore the world doesn’t diminish if you or a family member have a disability. In some ways, it may even intensify. Remember to always pack plenty of patience and have flexibility. Despite my type A preparedness, sometimes trips refuse to go as smoothly as I’d expected. Cue the slideshow of ridiculously high hotel beds, out-of-order elevators, or broom closet-sized bathrooms. In 98% of these cases, calmly discussing your needs with the person at the front desk resolves the problem.
The accessible travel world is spreading out its welcoming arms and calling to their potential consumers with beckoning finger wiggles. Even Airbnb and VRBO have accessible search designations now. Opportunities for travel are becoming as limitless as imagination and preparation can make them. Who knows—on your next flight you may get upgraded to first class!
Tune in next time for in-depth tips for that summer trip to the house of the mouse:
Walt Disney World.
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