Accessibility Tips for Disabled Travelers

(Dive Travel Business News - Sept 12, 2010) -- Accessible travel -- travel by people with disabilities -- is an adventure enjoyed on a global scale. Yet too often this adventure is sidelined or delayed by inadequate facilities, higher prices and general hassles. Thankfully, the travel community is generating more and more solutions to these needs, creating a growing network of travel options for disabled people worldwide and broadening the access of accessible travel. The American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA, offers a series of tips to make the next trip memorable for all the right reasons.

ASTA recommends studying the country you will be visiting. Word-of-mouth from other disabled travelers is a great resource, and the Internet can provide some details, but no source is more valuable than a travel agent, especially one who specializes in disabled travel. It advises travelers to ask their travel agent detailed questions about the customs of the country and the services provided at each destination you plan to visit. Travel agents should also provide information on transfers while advising you of the types of terrain you can expect to encounter, be they cobblestone streets or smooth pavement. Find out about leash laws (some countries have restrictions on service dogs arriving or simply traveling through their countries).

Some large planes have a space to put a manual wheelchair in the cabin, though most wheelchairs and scooters are placed in cargo. Have your travel agent try to book a nonstop flight if possible to alleviate the hassle of getting your chair out of cargo. For more information, visit www.travelsense.org.

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