Contents:
However, people are generally getting more adventurous in their travels, and the accessible tourism sector is no exception. It should be a living document, being updated all the time. The VisitEngland website has superb free guidance on creating an access statement. In order to save the guest a vast amount of time in phone calls or emails, having videos and photos of adapted bedrooms, bathrooms, restaurant access, leisure facilities, local activities, and so on, is invaluable. It means the difference between someone smiling when they see the website, already feeling welcome, and then booking.
Making websites accessible is a great step in removing barriers and showing that all guests are welcome. There are many simple ways to adapt websites to help people with mobility issues too. From pools to parking facilities, toilets to TVs, spas to sunbeds, having adapted and inclusive facilities makes all the difference between an OK holiday and a wonderfully welcoming one. Simple things like a unisex family changing room by the pool solves lots of issues. A disabled toilet sounds like it is out of order! Tourists with access needs have too many sorry tales about their travels.
The list is too long. Businesses with customer care at their core get training, get switched on and get with the programme. It is not enough for a travel company to say that it is accessible. It needs to give full details of door measurements, bathroom facilities, parking, assistance for visually impaired and so on.
Ok, so they have had the resources to adapt buildings for people with access needs, and so traditionally they are the first port of call for guests. However, there is a whole world of accommodation out there that might suit your needs, from yurts to yachts, riverside cabins to riverboats. The more you ask them to cater for your needs, the more they will see how easy it can be to do so.
Apart from the fact that, in the UK, wheelchair users account for only 4 percent of the accessible tourism market, that is never enough information. Businesses need training and advice on catering for all access needs. See the Responsible Tourism page of this guide for more details. Accessible holidays guide This accessible holiday guide wears several different hats. An accessible holiday is It just has special trimmings. An accessible holiday isn't Small ship cruise holidays Giant cruise ships have long been the quick and easy holiday option for people with access needs.
Safaris Many safaris are making attempts to be more accessible, particularly in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. Accessible websites Making websites accessible is a great step in removing barriers and showing that all guests are welcome. Facilities for all From pools to parking facilities, toilets to TVs, spas to sunbeds, having adapted and inclusive facilities makes all the difference between an OK holiday and a wonderfully welcoming one. We will help you. Getting on it is an adventure in itself- Hundreds of tourists, already on the Wall, their camera flash bulbs popping, video equipment recording, watched as our guide, driver, two Red Army officers and their rifles helped us achieve this travel dream.
Read how we did it here. We spent several days tracking, then watching this daughter and her dad devour their kill while we were on safari in South Africa. If you plan to join them for lunch or dinner, make sure leopards are in a good mood first. Also, don't complain there isn't much left at least not to the leopards. We visited several studios, even took part in a TV soap opera.
Living it is even better! While on photo safari in Kenya, Nancy was having a glass of orange juice when this brash young fellow stuck his head in and "asked" her for some.
All of us in the boat were amazed when one of the guides jumped into the water to swim, showing us piranha do not eat people - except under extreme circumstances. He asked everyone to join him in the water. Look what you can do! If we can get to all these places, you can, too. Live your own dreams. People need to know if we can do these things, they can, too.
Nancy and I feel blessed to share what we have learned with you. It honors the Human Spirit, and, simply put, it's just the right thing to do. Remember, we are a disabled couple, in a wheelchair, with lots of "special needs" If we can travel the world, you can, too. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions, suggestions, comments or just some friend words by clicking on our contact form. Travel Q and A. How to Decide, Plan, And Travel the World Even With Disabilities If you have "special needs", attention to detail and critical pre-planning are the keys to wonderful trips.
You might think this impossible, but here is how you can do it: Looking down from a hilltop, I got this photo: Nancy needs help bathing, dressing, toiletting, transferring and eating. She must use a wheelchair every place we go.
An insider's guide with handy tips for accessible travel – and for those accompanying a friend or family member with a disability. Before my brush with a spinal cord injury earlier this year, the worst travel mistake I'd ever made was to think Girona airport was anywhere near.
If we can do these things, you can, too. If you really want to travel, you can turn your dreams into reality by planning properly. Determine your overall budget before you start to plan.
You will be sorry if you don't get this right at the beginning. Decide as exactly as you can where you want to go. Make a list of places, then narrow it down by prioritizing. Are there specific things you dream of seeing? The Great Wall of China? Sunrise over Ayers Rock? Write these dreams down in order of their interest to you. Carefully list out what you can and cannot do physically.
Anyone who helps you will need to know if you cannot walk far or climb stairs. Being out of your usual environment, having to adjust to new circumstances is quite fatiguing just by itself.
Avoid over planning your activities. Don't over estimate your stamina. Decide will you stay just in the cities- or will you be traveling to small villages?
Costs, services, availability of supplies vary widely. Where will you sleep? One star hotels or a pensione with a common bathroom at the end of a dimly lit hallway may not work for you. Take with you what you can.
Renting scooters or walkers, buying disposable paper goods, replacing medicines- much of this is not possible other than in larger Westernized cities. There is little to no opportunity if you need technical services or parts. It is nearly impossible to rent heavy equipment, such as hoists or lift-equipped vans.
Yes, we do- if that's what it takes. To help you plan better, here are ten very special Travel Tips. With these, you can guarantee any trip you plan will be a success! Concerned about taking medicines or special needs equipment?
There are special ways to insure your medicines and adaptive equipment are not seized at customs. Don't try to slip anything by inspectors. Read airlines and learn how to avoid hassles- whether you are going to fly or not. Planning for a cruise? Here are the critical things you need to do to make make the right cruise choices.
Read this even if you are not planning to board ship. If you are a disabled traveler, if you have special needs, click here hotels to learn how to get what you need- not just the first room that comes up on the computer. Have to get organized?