Enabled Traveler

Photography: Capturing the memories of your travels

2007-03-08T09:00:00Z

Greetings fellow travelers.

It's cold outside and you're probably planning to go to the slopes or to the beach. Either place provides great opportunities for picture taking. When I was trying to decide what to write for this column I thought of my father, who passed away six years ago this month. My father loved photography. Mostly, he loved composing the scene he wanted to capture. He lived during the film era, but I think that he would have loved this digital era. I often heard him say he didn't need to print the image. He just loved composing and framing it. Toward the end of his life he stopped taking pictures. Parkinson's made holding the camera and snapping the shutter difficult. I wish he had known about the many pieces of adaptive photo equipment.

I sit in a wheelchair. I know that sometimes it is difficult for me to keep the camera steady while framing a shot. My father must have gone through similar problems. Fortunately, finding ways to cope have been easier for me than they were for him. Several companies have developed devices that clamp tight onto the frame of the chair and allow a camera to be positioned for a clear, steady image. Some of these devices are the Laird VGO, Symmetric Designs’ Camera Mount, and Orcca Technology Incorporated’s Camera Mounting System.

Today's cameras are smaller than my father’s were. So too are their control buttons. If you have poor dexterity or gripping ability these cameras can be a problem. There are solutions. The Gentle-ed IR Remote Control is a shutter release extension that uses the Infra-red wireless control found on many newer cameras to trigger the shutter. Conceptus, an Arizona-based company, makes switches for skydiving photographers. The best of these is called the Bite Switch and it is perfect for those with limited arm/hand mobility. As its name implies users bite down on it to operate the camera shutter.

Finally, and this may be a surprise to you, even those who have very poor or no eyesight, can be photographers. I remember when I was a staff writer for a disability style magazine. One of the frequent contributors was a blind photographer. One advantage of today's digital cameras is their large LED viewscreens. For someone with low vision the larger the screen the better. But for those people who are completely blind and still want to take photographs the best advice I can give you is to rely on your intact senses. For instance, taking a picture of a sunrise one would face the East and let the rays of the sun warm your face while pointing the camera in that direction. If you want a candid picture of people listen to the direction of their voices. If your ears are sharp enough you can even tell how far away from you they are, and then a flick of your finger can adjust the camera’s zoom.

If you have questions about becoming an amateur of professional photographer, and you have a disability, the best place to ask questions and receive valuable information is a worldwide organization logically called The Disabled Photographers Society.

Well, that’s it for this entry. I hope that I have been helpful in presenting you with ways to capture the memories of your travels. Till, next time…happy traveling!

Plane Frustration

2007-03-01T15:25:00Z

Hello fellow travelers.

Today I'm going to tell you a story. This is the story of a man having to surmount many obstacles in order to take a trip. A few months ago, I was invited to speak at a writer's convention in Boise, Idaho. Now, you might think that traveling from New York to Boise wouldn't present many challenges. That's what I thought also. But, like me, you would be wrong. Arranging the trip has been difficult from the very beginning. First, no airline goes directly from New York to Boise. Short, in-direct flights from point A to point B have become more and more the norm. That means the weary traveler has to change planes. For someone with a motor impairment, like myself, changing planes can be a major pain. You don't want to have so little time at the interim airport that you have to rush like a madman to catch a connecting flight, especially if you have adaptive mobility equipment that needs to be unloaded from the first plane. But, you also don't want to have so much time between flights that you go stir crazy. This was my problem. Almost all the flights, on all the major airlines, had waiting periods of at least three hours in the interim airport. I only found one flight that had an acceptable interim waiting period. I decided to book it, but that presented a second problem.

All the airlines seem to be pushing customers to use their Internet website to make travel arrangements. Those websites are easier and cheaper for the airlines. But, for a traveler with special needs the websites are often insufficient. You can purchase a ticket, but selecting a seat is a challenge. As I've told you in previous entries of this blog, I like a seat next to the bulkhead. The bulkheads make transfer from a wheelchair easier. Even when the website does include a diagram of the plane you are going to be on, and not all of them do, that diagram does not show where the bulkheads are. Nor does it show which aisle seats have movable armrests. So, you end up having to make a phone call.

If you try to call an airline on the telephone you first come in contact with their automated service. You’re told to push one button after another. That process can take upwards of 10 minutes. Then, if you're lucky enough to get past the machine, you're treated to service announcements and music which can drive you mad for as long as several hours. When a human does finally answer, customers are often told that purchasing a ticket over the phone carries an extra charge. To be fair, having a human deal with customers is more expensive than automating the ticketing process. But, because the websites are insufficient, travelers with special needs sometimes require the service of a human in order to complete their travel arrangements. The question is this, should someone be penalized for their special needs?

It seems to me the solutions are simple. Connecting with an airline needs to be made simpler and quicker. Hiring extra telephone staff is expensive, but doing so would alleviate customer frustration and make travelers more likely to choose one airline over another. Furthermore, the websites need to be updated. Seating chart diagrams need to include icons to show where accessible seats are. In this way customers with special seating needs can arrange their own travel over the Internet, just as most other people do, and avoid the extra fee.

MP3 Land

2007-01-19T11:00:00Z

Hello fellow travelers. How many of you have done this? When preparing to take a trip you go to the library or bookstore to pick up a travel guide for your destination then pack the book into your suitcase for reference when you arrive at your destination. I’ve done it on many occasions. For my trip to Paris a few years ago I packed two of these books then, when I arrived, decided they were too heavy to lug around in my backpack and too awkward to use while I was exploring the city. And how about those city and museum tours where the guide either goes too fast or too slow, or is difficult to understand?

Now, with the growing use of Ipods and other MP3 devices, those heavy guide books are becoming anachronistic and being replaced by travel-content podcasts. Let’s say you were going to Paris and you wanted a walking guide of the Louvre Museum. When you arrived there you could thumb through the pages of a guide book, or hook up with a tour group, or even rent one of those CD players with museum information. But each of these options has its own limitation. Now let’s say you are already carrying an MP3 player to listen to your favorite music while you meander. Now you have a walking guide of the museum in your pocket. You don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules or directions. You don’t have to struggle to hear a docent. You don’t even have to follow a pre-determined path of exhibits, as is the case with many of the CD-based tours.

Several companies have begun to record travel guides specifically to be used in these devices. One of these, iJourneys, was created by Elyse Weiner, an Emmy Award-winning network news executive who has extensively traveled the world for both business and pleasure. According to the company website, for a fee of $14.95, travelers can download guides from nine cities from around the globe. Many more are scheduled to be added to the library. The iJourneys tours don’t just encompass major attractions. Weiner’s descriptions include “the most interesting places, the best local texture. You'll get history, art, ice cream, gondolas, Julius Caesar's assassination and wine bars.”

“Do you want to tap into the essence of a city? Delve into the spirit of a community? Grasp the magic of a particular street? Comprehend the legacy of a specific structure? Do you wish to return from your travels with the opulence of a destination etched on your soul?” This is the opening message on the iToors website. The company creates mp3 podcast tours of cities world-wide and bills itself as ‘your personal escort.’ Each downloadable (and free) tour focuses on the lifestyle and attractions within a particular city.

The world is changing and the tools travelers use has to change with it. One of those tools is the beloved travel guide. There are many websites that offer travelers the opportunity to download itinerary guides that can be played at one’s own pace on an mp3-compatible device. With these in hand travelers can avoid the strain, aggravation and awkwardness of carrying those antiquated paper-based travel guides.

All Aboard: Train Travel

2007-01-18T19:10:00Z

Hello fellow travelers. Over the past several months I’ve talked to you about access to various types of transportation. We’ve looked at planes, buses, and cruise ships. Now, let us explore train travel.

Several years ago I began experiencing severe headaches. Often the pain was so great that driving became dangerous, especially on long trips. For these longer journeys, at least, traveling by train became my only option. However, I quickly learned that the laws regarding accessible train travel were murky and their goals sometimes unachievable.

The Americans with Disabilities Act public requires that wherever public transportation is provided it has to be made accessible to people with disabilities. Rail carriers, for example, have to provide one common wheelchair space and one common wheelchair storage space per car. Section 37.3 of the Department of Transportation regulations defines a ‘common’ wheelchair as a three or four-wheeled device that does not exceed 30 inches in width and 48 inches in length and does not weigh more than 600 pounds when occupied. Furthermore, rail stations must make accommodations to patrons with physical disabilities and include such features as ramps/elevators, large-print and tactile-Braille signs, audio-visual information systems, platform-edge warning strips, platform gap modifications or bridge plates, accessible telephones with volume control, and text telephones (TTYs), and, accessible restrooms at commuter rail stations with restrooms. Rail carriers are mandated to be totally compliant in their architecture, products, and signs by 2010. Several states, most notably New York, Michigan, Illinois and Vermont, have been trying to find ways to rebuild their fleets and railway stations but those efforts have been thwarted by uncertainty over applicable regulations. Surprisingly, the Department of Transportation itself is responsible for at least some of the problem.

For example, Department of Transportation regulations require stations to have a level platform running the full length of the passenger boarding area. This platform is supposed to have a horizontal gap of no more than three inches and a vertical gap of no more than 5/8 inches. The problem is that even DOT officials are not convinced that these requirements can be met. They recognize that many stations are constructed in such a way that they can not accommodate full-length, level boarding platforms. Furthermore, passenger cars from different eras and different manufacturers are not standard in their dimensions. The ADA does allow for a work-around to the gap-span problem however. Gap-cover ramps are installed on an as-needed basis by individual train conductors. The trouble with this solution is two-fold. First, according to a conductor in Philadelphia I recently spoke with, many stations do not have enough of these ramps to adequately meet their passenger needs. Second, the need to have a train official place the ramps interferes with the independence of passengers with disabilities. I've almost missed a train because I couldn't readily find a conductor to place the needed ramp in order for me to board.

Potential riders must take some responsibility as well. My local commuter station has two platforms, with elevators on both sides. Several times I have been able to take the train to my destination only to later find out that the elevator on the return platform is out of order. I’ve learned that it is important to call ahead to the individual stations in order to find out about current status of elevators on both arrival and departure tracks. Also, riders need to know about the availability of accessible local transportation (taxicabs, transferring to other subways, etc.) once reaching their destination station.

One final thought : I remember when people could tour the inside of a plane before it took off. That was a long time ago and, because of heightened security measures, you can’t do it now. But, on a most trains you still can. For the “fun” of it, when planning a train trip, it might be helpful to make a dry run. Go to a local train station. See if it’s accessibility features are up to code and, more importantly, meet your needs. Then check out one of the trains, not necessarily to take an impromptu ride but to see how easily you can get onboard and into a seat. If you don’t want that impromptu ride just make sure you have enough time to get off the train.

Access To Airlines

2006-11-29T20:18:00Z

Hello fellow travelers.

Recently I took a trip to California for Thanksgiving. As you may know, I'm a wheelchair user. When I take a trip by air I need extra room for my legs to transfer into and out of the plane's seat. So, I make sure to get assigned a bulkhead seat. When I made the reservations I was told the flights would be on planes without bulkhead seating. After an hour of haggling with the reservations clerk, I rearranged the reservation, not realizing that the new flights had long layovers. I don't know about other wheelchair users, but for me having to change planes and having long layovers can lead to serious health problems. It was back to the drawing board, and back on the phone with a supervisor at Delta. After another half hour of haggling I finally got the flights I wanted. When I asked the supervisor why the new flights weren't offered to me in the first place, I was told the agent simply gave me what the computer spit out first.

Upon checking in at the airport, I discovered there was no bulkhead on the plane. That was the first of many deceptions I would face on this trip. Fortunately the agent took pity on my situation and bumped me up to first class. Before making the trip back home I called the airline to check in and was told that, because of my problems with the earlier trip, a notice had been placed in the computer that my family and I had been bumped up to first class. That was the second deception. When we arrived at the airport we were informed that our seats had not been changed. However, three seats in first class were available. That was the third deception. At the gate I was told there were bulkhead seats, but they were in an emergency exit row. I could not help if a problem occurred so was not allowed to sit there. After a bit of discussion with one of the supervisors, I was also told that the first-class seats were sold, but that I would be put on standby for those seats in case somebody did not show up. I ended up getting one of the seats, but my mother and brother sat in economy compartment.

As a paraplegic I’ve always had problems transferring into an airplane seat. Most of the seats on an airplane do not have movable armrests. On this trip I learned something new. The seat of the aisle chairs that bring me onboard can be raised to the level of the plane seat’s armrest. This allows for a much easier transfer.

Allow me to make a few suggestions for the next time you fly.

First, check your reservation many times before actually getting on any plane.
Clearly define to the ticketing agent what you need and why.
If you are a paraplegic or quadriplegic make sure that the attendants know that they need to raise the seat of the aisle chair to allow for easier transfers.
Finally, it is important to note that each of the airlines has its problems. For instance, in my experience, American’s planes are usually late and Delta almost always screws up seat assignments. So, be prepared for disappointments and frustration!

Access To The Sea: Accessibility on cruise ships

2006-11-29T20:14:00Z

Hello fellow travelers.

Cruising is a ‘canned’ vacation, and therefore perfect for someone with a mobility impairment. Access to hotels, restaurants or entertainment is not an issue. Picking a destination is. For my first cruise I chose Alaska. People I trusted told me this was the most scenic cruise. I was not disappointed. Alaska is, without doubt, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. After talking to my travel agent about accessibility on cruise ships I was convinced that the Princess line had the newest ships and were, therefore, probably the most ADA compliant.

I flew to Vancouver, B.C to pick up the Princess Ocean. This particular ship had only been christened a few months before. When the cab stopped at the dock I sat there in awe. I was told that cruise ships are huge, but that is an understatement. This ship was eight hundred and fifty-six feet long, weighed seventy-seven thousand tons, and had fourteen decks. When my travel agent and I were comparing cruise lines her sources told her that this particular ship had been designed with disabled passengers in mind. In hindsight I have my doubts.

At first glance Princess seemed to have made an effort to make this ship wheelchair friendly. My stateroom was the size of a standard hotel, not the tiny cabin that most people who take cruises often talk about. The cabin had all the amenities and very little of the annoying clutter that normally gets in the way of a wheelchair. The bathroom, which is almost always a problem when I travel, was great, once I got over the narrow, steep ramp that preceded its door. The vanity had enough clearance for my legs to fit under it. That was a rarity. The roll-in shower was perfectly suited for me. The peephole on the cabin’s door, though, was too high for someone in a wheelchair.

The accessibility problems that existed on the Ocean were relatively small compared to other places I’ve been, but they were glaring. The doors onto the deck were spring-loaded and very heavy. I was told this was done to avoid flooding in case of rough seas. I found it difficult to roll myself up the short, steep ramps while trying to open the doors. Around each deck was a rail for passengers to lean on and look over, but the top of the rail was just at my eye level. Viewing the landscape and taking pictures was somewhat of a challenge. I was constantly forced to find places where the rail was out of the way. I’m sure that a taller person wouldn’t have had this problem even from a seated position. In the casino all the gaming tables were standard height. None were geared toward wheelchair users. The Disco was set up very well, with plenty of space to roll around, but the dance floor had a single step leading up to it. There was no reason I could see for these minor, easily correctable problems. Whenever I ran into one of these problems on this otherwise accessible ship I had to ask myself ‘Why?’

I haven’t taken another cruise since 2001, but I have to think that the ships have become more accessible. The lawsuits against the various cruise lines, discussed in my last entry, go a long way toward standardizing the accessibility features of cruise ships. My advice is to compare each cruise line to see which best meets your needs. If you use a wheelchair take measurements of its width and compare that to the widths of doorways, if they are known. Ask about ramps and steps. I’m sure you’ll find a ship that suits your needs.

Stay tuned to this blog. Next time I will talk about access to the air. Till then, happy traveling.

Traveling the High Seas

2006-10-24T17:16:00Z

Hello fellow travelers. In my last entry I talked to you about traveling by bus. Now, I like to discuss the law related to traveling on the high seas.

For many people with disabilities traveling can be a difficult venture. You have to find an accessible destination, hotel, restaurant, and mode of transportation. Taking a cruise eliminates most of that work. Taking a cruise is truly a canned vacation. Once you are on the ship you don't have to worry about accommodations, food or entertainment. You don't even have to get off the ship if you don't want to, which eliminates the need to worry about accessible destinations.

However, for years there has been a question about whether foreign-flag cruise ships that dock in American ports are bound by the public accommodation section (Title III) of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That question has been addressed in several class action lawsuits launched against the cruise lines.

In 2000 the 11^th circuit court heard the case of Stevens v. Premier Cruises. In that case Tammy Stevens sued Premier because they charged her an extra fee for a wheelchair accessible cabin and because, contrary to what she had been told, neither her cabin nor many of the public areas of the ship were accessible. The court found that the Americans with Disabilities Act applied to all places of public accommodation, even foreign-flagged cruise ships which dock in U.S. ports. However in the 2005 case of Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came down with the opposite opinion. Finally, in an effort to resolve the conflict created by the two lower courts, the Supreme Court ruled, in a split decision, that foreign cruise lines that dock at U.S. ports must provide “better” access to handicapped people. They did not, however, define what better access meant nor did they give specific modifications that the cruise lines had to make in order to become compliant with the ADA. So it would seem that the problem will have to be resolved by future generations.

The question of accessibility on cruise ships raises several issues. The first, of course, is whether the cruise line should be permitted to discriminate against a segment of the general population. This is an important issue, if you consider that, according to a survey conducted by the travel industry in 2002, 12% of people with disabilities had taken a cruise within the past five years, as compared with 8% of the able-bodied population.

But, discrimination aside, the courts are really contending with two opposing legal viewpoints. The first, called "the law of the flag," basically says that domestic laws do not apply to foreign flagged ships. This is a matter of sovereignty and treaty. The second, called "peace of the port" says is that a ship that docks in a foreign port is bound to adhere to that country's laws. Up until now there has been no way to bridge the gap between the two points of view, leaving travelers with disabilities caught in the middle.

Next time I will look at the various cruise lines to help you decide which of them has the most accessible accommodations. Until then, happy traveling.

Travel By Bus

2006-10-24T17:15:00Z

Welcome fellow travelers. Up until this point we have been knee-deep in the planning of a trip. We’ve taken virtual trips. We’ve talked about travel insurance and travel agents. Now I want to start looking at actually getting someplace. To do that we first have to explore the different modes of transportation in terms of accessibility. Let’s begin by looking at travel by bus.

For years bus companies have been promoting the use of their services as the best way to get from point A to point B. The trouble is that buses have never been very accessible, and, depending who you ask, may still not be.

On March 25, 1998 the Department of Transportation published the first draft of a rule covering accessibility of buses. The proposed rule would have forced companies like Greyhound, the nation’s largest interstate bus company, to install built-in lifts and replace several seats with ones that could be folded to allow wheelchairs to have more room onboard. But, after a great deal of wrangling by Greyhound, a final draft of the regulation required that, as of October 1, 2001, companies must provide accessible bus service at every location that they serve, but only if they receive 48 hours notice by a consumer. According to the document passengers would no longer have to provide 48 hours' notice once new, accessible buses were bought and entire fleets became lift-equipped.

But, not everyone has been happy with the way the new rule was written or with the way individual companies are implementing it. For example, in 2004 the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition sued the city of Colorado Springs over its new commuter bus service to downtown Denver. According to the coalition, the buses don't have wheelchair lifts, they pass wheelchair users by, and the drivers don't have proper training to board passengers using wheelchairs. The coalition also claimed that the need for disabled passengers to call 48 hours ahead while able-bodied riders simply show up at bus stops to wait was unfair.

In some states there is no need for the advanced notice clause. Officials in Seattle, Washington, for example, began installing wheelchair lifts in the Metro buses in 1978. Now their entire fleet of commuter buses is fully accessible. The buses are air-conditioned, have lowered floors, have ramps for wheelchair users, and are devoid of steps at the doors.

For more information contact the Department of Transportation at 1-866-377-8642 (www.dot.gov). Customers with Disabilities can also contact Greyhound’s Travel Assistance Line at 1-800-752-4841 (www.greyhound.com).

House Trading

2006-09-15T14:41:00Z

Greetings fellow travelers. When we last got together we spoke about accessibility in hotels. I told you about guidelines that have been set up to afford guests with a wide range of disabilities the features they need to make their stays comfortable. Now I would like to talk to you about a different kind of accommodation, house trading. For many years avenues have been open that allow able-bodied people to exchange their homes with travelers around the world, granting them an alternative to high priced hotels. Up until recently that option was not available to people with disabilities. Fortunately, several agencies have come into existence, which match accessible homes and their owners with travelers with disabilities. Typically the listings these agencies provide include descriptions of the accessibility and disabled-friendly features of member’s homes. The benefit of these programs is a higher degree of comfort for the disabled traveler than might be found in a standard hotel. Even though the ADA requires hotels and motels to make accessible accommodation for their guests with disabilities, those accommodations are often not at a comfort level equal to that which is found in a private home.

As a wheelchair user I often find that hotels are not truly set up for my needs. Sometimes the physical plant includes steps, as I found while trying to get my free breakfast in a hotel in Amsterdam. At other times the doorways, particularly for bathrooms, are too narrow. And, almost always the light switches or thermostat controls are in some way out of my reach. Presumably these problems would not exist in a house that was owned and modified by a wheelchair user. Such a person would have made the changes in his living space that would make daily living less of a challenge. If this person lived in a place I wanted to visit, and offered his home in an exchange program, I would jump at the opportunity.

One of the agencies working to help disabled travelers find accessible homes to trade is UK-based MatchingHouses.com. According to its president, Theo Blackmore, the agency was set up because “it seemed like a really good idea. I am a disabled man myself and access is always an issue.” MatchingHouses has only been in business since 2004 but has already acquired 511 members in 34 countries. Their philosophy is simple, “If my accessibility needs match yours, our houses will be accessible to one another.”

Another agency that offers homes to disabled travelers is the Independent Living Institute. Founded in 1993 in Sweden, the purpose of the agency is to promote the growth of the independent living movement within Sweden and internationally. Their website includes a worldwide listing of disability-friendly tradable homes.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about the information in this article please feel free to send me an email. When next we meet I will be discussing alternative ways of getting from here to there, including bus and train travel.

Until then, happy traveling.

Hotels...Part 3 - Welcome to the ADA

2006-09-15T14:38:00Z

Hello fellow travelers. When last we met we talked about airport shuttles. Now I’d like to talk to you about the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) provisions that shape accessibility in the hotels themselves, and how various agencies and hotels are rising to the challenge.

In the USA, according to ADA, hotels, motels and inns are supposed to provide reasonable accommodation for a wide range of disabilities. Title III of the law, which defines hotels and motels as public accommodations, generally ‘forbids discrimination on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases or operates a place of public accommodation.’ But, because the law does not specify accessibility guidelines (i.e., building regulations, equipment, appropriate communication devices, hiring procedures, and service delivery recommendation), hotel owners or operators had to rely on other sources in complying with ADA. That changed in 1991 when the U.S. Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board published ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Buildings and Facilities.

Section 4 of the ADAAG guidelines deals in general terms with the space requirements in all places of public accommodation, and address all the things you might expect; the height and width of hallways and doorways (80 inches in height and 36 inches in width), and the dimensions of bathroom stalls (a minimum width of 60" and a length that allows using a wheelchair to approach the toilet either from the front or side).

Section 9, on the other hand, specifically addresses accessible transient lodging and outlines the requirements for things like the ratio of accessible to non-accessible rooms a hotel must provide and the size of the maneuvering space around the bed (36 inches). This section also outlines the required usage of adaptive technology devices that make hotel stays easier for people with a wide range of disabilities. Examples of the types of technology the ADAAG recommends are: visual alarm clocks and smoke alarms, telephone signalers, closed-caption decoders, and doorbell notifiers.

That’s it for now. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share them. I’m always open to chatting with my readers. In my next entry I will discuss lodging alternatives, specifically accessible home exchanges. I hope you will join me.

Until then, happy traveling.

Hotels...Part 2 – Airport shuttles

2006-08-17T15:15:00Z

Hello fellow travelers. When I am looking for a hotel in which to hang my hat one of the things I check is whether the property has an accessible airport shuttle. In my experience most of the smaller ones don’t, but it’s a good thing to check out. After all, why spend good money on a cab ride from the airport if you don’t have to?

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if a hotel provides free shuttle service to able-bodied guests, they also have to provide accessible shuttle service to disabled guests free of charge. If they don't own an accessible vehicle, they either have to contract out the service through another company, or they can opt to share an accessible vehicle with another hotel.

The transportation rules of the ADA protect people with disabilities from discrimination in public transportation by organizations covered under Titles II and III of the Act. This includes both publicly-and privately-owned transportation operations. It includes the transportation operations of organizations whose primary function is providing transportation services, as well as those that provide transportation services as an incidental part of their other business functions.

As you can imagine, when the accessibility law was applied to airport shuttles hotel owners across the country were not happy. Modifying existing shuttles or buying new ones that have accessibility features costs the hotels a lot of money.

Travelers with disabilities, upon learning that several hotel chains were not complying, began to sue. In one example, in November of 1998, a federal judge issued an injunction requiring the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas to replace or modify its two shuttle buses because they violated the law by failing to provide access to wheelchair users.

The larger chain hotels are more likely to offer airport shuttles than are the small, independent properties. Some of the chains that offer airport shuttles are the Hilton Group, The Marriot, and the Sheraton.

Once you know that you can get to the hotel it is time to learn about the accessibility features of the property itself. That will be the topic for my next entry…

The term “accessible” hotel does not necessarily mean accessible for you

2006-08-17T15:07:00Z

Hello fellow travelers. Over the next few entries I am going to talk about hotels. It’s just too big a topic to cover in one sitting.

Once you’ve decided where you will be going on vacation, and you’ve explored transportation options, you’re going to need to book a hotel. You’ll probably find several that sound interesting, but you’ll need to learn a bunch of details about each of them before making a decision about where to stay.

The first thing you should know is that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act covers access to places of public accommodation. As you might have guessed, hotels, motels and inns fall into that category. There are strict guidelines that these places have to abide by in order to meet the law’s requirements. Sometimes they follow these guidelines, but sometimes they think they can do better than the code, and they often fail in their attempt. In either case it is important for the traveler with a disability to realize that just because a place is listed as “accessible” does not necessarily mean that it is accessible for you. It is important to consider your own disability and its limitations when you are making arrangements for hotel accommodations.

Some years ago I went to Florida to attend a wedding. I had booked what I thought was an accessible room. When I arrived I found that, while the room was large and relatively free of obstacles, the bathroom was not set up for a wheelchair user. In particular, there was a shower stall with a glass enclosure, but the door was at a funny angle in respect to the room and it was set up high on a pedestal.

More recently I ran into a problem when trying to book a room in Spain from a world-wide hotel chain. I called the toll free phone number and made my request. The operator told me that the main office could put in a request for an accessible room with the specific property I wanted to stay, but could not guarantee that I’d get one.

These two incidents taught me valuable lessons. First, no matter where you are traveling, if the hotel you’re interested in booking is part of a chain, it is far better to directly contact the specific hotel property rather than going through the main office. Second, if you are unsure about the ability of the hotel to accommodate your specific needs, it is perfectly acceptable to ask about the dimensions and layout of “accessible” rooms.

In my next entry I’ll discuss airport to hotel shuttle services.

Needed: Knowledgeable Travel Agents

2006-07-07T18:34:00Z

Disabled travel is becoming one of the fastest growing niche markets

Welcome, fellow travelers. When last we met I told you that there were a few details we had to take care of before we could actually visit anywhere. The first detail we talked about was travel insurance. I told you where to get it and what to look for in the policies that the different agencies sell. Now I want to talk to you about travel agents. While there are hundreds if not thousands of agents that help able-bodied travelers arrange their vacations, there are relatively few of these agents that know how to help the disabled traveler. Truth be told there is a lot of information that needs to be known in order to provide effective assistance to the disabled community. A good place for agents to begin is to have some basic knowledge of disability issues and the limitations those disabilities can present. Many agents simply don’t have the time or the resources to collect that kind of information.

Let’s say, for example, that you have mobility impairment and you want to visit Paris. Whether you’re traveling alone or with a companion you’re going to want information not only about accessible accommodations in the city, but also about access to public transportation to get from one place to another. You’re going to want to know which, if any, of the most famous tourist attractions are set up to accommodate people with your kind of mobility impairment. Are there steps? Are there elevators? Is there access to a restroom? These are a few of the things that most travel agents won’t be able to tell you.

Fortunately there is help available. With the advent of the Internet and on-line booking, and the lowering of commissions by the airlines; travel agents are looking to new markets in order to maintain or increase their current earnings. Disabled travel has become one of the newest and fastest growing niche markets. The downside is that there is still no certification program or licensing for agents who say they deal in disability travel. Agents can opt to take courses but they don’t have to. No matter which agent you talk to ask for references, and call up those references. Ask the people you call about their travel experiences with specific travel agents. Ask the agent if they have personally visited the spot you wish to travel to, and if they have checked out both accessible and inaccessible attractions. Ask them if they have taken courses dealing with niche market travel such as the courses offered by The American Society of Travel Agents and The Travel Institute. A few of the agencies that specialize in making arrangements for travelers with disabilities are: Neverland Adventures; The Guided Tour; Access to Travel; Access Travel.

Next time we’ll look at one of the problems with air travel and I’ll discuss the law that covers travel for people with disabilities.

Travel Insurance

2006-07-07T18:33:00Z

Keep your wheels and yourself covered

Welcome, fellow travelers. When last we met we talked about travel in the virtual world. Now I bet you are anxious to take a trip in the real world. Before we do that, however, there are some details we have to discuss. The first of these is travel insurance.

Whenever you are thinking of traveling it’s a good idea to take into consideration the possibility that the trip might not happen as you expect it to. For able-bodied travelers a wide range of problems can occur that can make travel impossible. When you add disability into the mix, the possibility that travel plans might need alteration or cancellation increases. This is why it’s especially important to purchase travel insurance if you’re disabled.

Travel insurance usually covers things like illness that occurs while traveling, delayed flights, or lost luggage. For most people these coverages are sufficient, but some travelers with disabilities require more.

Travel-related policies from all insurance companies cover illness that arises while traveling. However, they do not cover claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions. People with disabilities almost always have pre-existing conditions. They need that extra coverage and it is important to look for a policy that doesn’t exclude them.

Protection from loss or damage to adaptive mobility equipment is another component not typically covered by standard travel policies. This is why, when looking to see how to protect your equipment, one area of investigation should be your homeowner’s policy. Under some conditions, items such as wheelchairs are covered even when those items are taken abroad.

Able-bodied people don’t need to worry about whether the form of transportation they plan to take is physically capable of carrying them. But, for the disabled traveler, accessible accommodations are a very real concern. Standard insurance policies do not cover you if an airline decides to use a plane type that is not accessible.

Finally, though not many insurance companies offer policies that cover the needs of disabled travelers, here are some that do: AllClear Insurance; Free Spirit Insurance; HTH Worldwide; Travel X.

Next time I’ll talk to you about travel agents. Some can meet your needs; while others don’t have the experience dealing with clients with disabilities. I’ll give you tips on the important things to look for in a travel agency.

Google Earth

2006-07-07T18:32:00Z

The world is on your desktop

Welcome, fellow travelers. What if I told you that you could travel without leaving the comfort of your home? What if I told you that you could experience the world’s wonders no matter what kind of disability you might have? As a wheelchair user and avid traveler that kind of flexibility is important to me. I always worry about whether someplace I want to visit will be accessible when I get there - I’m sure you do too. Travel agents don’t usually have information about accessibility for any specific place.

In my last entry I showed you how virtual reality (VR) technology was being used as a travel training tool. Now I want to show you how that same technology can whisk you away to far off and exotic places.

Let’s start off with something relatively simple - finding where you are in the world. Some time ago my brother showed me a new application created by the people who brought you the Google search engine. This program, called Google Earth, literally brings the world to your desktop by allowing your computer to have access to real-time satellite images from around the world. Type a location into the search string and up pops a bird’s eye view of that location. Hit the “zoom in” tool and you can see individual buildings, cars, and trees, whatever. I was amazed when I tried it out myself and found how easy and fun it was. With a few clicks of the mouse I found my neighborhood and then I zoomed in on my house. I could even see my car in the driveway!

Once you’ve seen what Google Earth can show you, it’s time to get a real feel for those different locations. Let’s say, for example, that you’ve always wanted to visit Italy but heard that it didn’t have the most wheelchair-friendly terrain. Not a problem. By logging on the website for Italy Guides you can feel as if you are seeing the sites in Rome, Venice, Pisa and Florence. Want to explore Alaska but can’t get there? I was there a few years ago and I can tell you that there are several websites that bring its beauty to your desktop. One site in particular, Juneaualaska.com, can practically make you feel the cold air biting your nose while you’re visiting Mendenhall Glacier.

Now that you know where you can go in the virtual world, next time I’ll start preparing you to visit places in the real world.