Disabled Travelers Deaf Travel Series: August Edition
Posted August 17th, 2010 in Accessible Travel, general news and helpful information
Villa on the Amalfi coast of Italy
Photo by: Owen Tosh (Stock Exchange)
Welcome one and all to our August edition of Disabled Travelers for the Deaf.
Today, more great tour operators, news, articles, information, and handicapped travel resources just for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
I’m excited to get right down to it, so let’s dig in! And, as always, if there’s something I missed or you have a story to share, don’t be shy!
Drop me a line and let me know what you’re thinking! For now, onward …
I’m always mining the internet for great deaf tour operators, and though there aren’t as many as I’d like, the ones that are out there are highly regarded – and sometimes it’s a good idea to check in and see what’s new. Deaf World Travel UK, for example, has some amazing trips planned in September and October to cover Brazil and Tunisia. Past trips have included Egypt, Cuba, Thailand, and the Amalfi Coast of Italy.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, famed accessible scuba diving outfit Worldwide Dive and Sail is embarking on a ten-day trip to the Visaya Islands. The trip is going on as you read this, so needless to say it’s a touch late to get involved. But the Worldwide crew is specially trained in creating diving experiences for the deaf, and there are fully interpreted training sessions and trips all the time, so keep an eye out!
Fresh on our ever-growing roster of tour operators is Deaf Travel With Joy. Joy has a unique roster of destinations, including the Canadian coast, Norway, Romania, and Bulgaria. A professional interpreter with over thirty years of tour experience, she has visits to most of her signature destinations planned for mid-2011. There’s plenty of time to get involved, and the itineraries and full-color brochures are super convenient! Note that Joy has also done Israel and U.S. national park tours in the past.
Considering how long the Disabled Travelers blog spent in Australia, it’s high time I mentioned Deaf Planet, which focuses on Australian travelers and visitors. Of course, not everyone is headed to the Land Down Under, but you really don’t have to be to benefit from this great, and well-established, website. For example, take this fully signed and subtitled video on deaf traveling tips. There are lots of gems like this scattered around the site that anybody can use!
For those who are interested in the great outdoors and travel within the U.S., you can now enjoy fully interpreted bicycle tours throughout the beautiful coast of Maine. If you happen to be up north, there’s still time to get involved in the first trip for 2010 later this month, which will lead bicyclists around Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. The second scheduled excursion is to Camden and its vicinity, and doesn’t take place until the end of September. The tours are provided by Summer Feet, a local company that specializes in coastal cycling tours through the state of Maine.
Wrapping things up for today is the National Association of the Deaf’s Transportation and Travel page. NAD is one of the best-regarded handicapped organizations, and no surprise considering their history of effective advocacy and great resources that they provide. They’ll give you the inside track on all the latest developments in deaf rights and how you, too, can get involved and make the world a better place.
That’s all for today! See you next time, and adventure on!
Si
