Posted December 18th, 2009 in access guides, general news, helpful information, hotel reviews and Wheelchair Accessible Attractions

Brooklyn Bridge, New York
Photo by: Fabio Arangio

Hello, everyone! Since we explored London just a little while ago, I thought it would be great if we turned our attention toward America’s most cosmopolitan city, New York. Naturally, digging through all the great sights, accommodations, and tours that you’d need for a full New York City access guide will take more than one post! So consider this the first in an ongoing series all about handicapped travelers in the Big Apple. We’ll be revisiting it throughout the coming months and offering a big wrap-up sometime in the future. For now, let’s get started on disabled travel in NYC! [more]

no comments

Posted December 16th, 2009 in access guides, helpful information and Wheelchair Accessible Attractions

Chirck Gardens, Wales, UK
Photo by: rinhtaray (Stock Exchange)

Hello, everyone! I’m back, and that means it’s time to finish up our guide to disabled travel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Over the last few posts we’ve covered the best in access guides and handicapped travel in Britain, Ireland, and Scotland. This time, it’s on to Wales – one of the most unique and captivating destinations that’s right across the pond. A country of three million and the only place where you can find the beautiful Welsh language spoken by natives, it benefits from its close ties with Britain, but has a flavor all its own. [more]

no comments

Posted December 9th, 2009 in access guides, Bus Accessible Travel, helpful information and Train Accessible Travel

Dundee Steeple Church
Photo by: Colin Brough

Hello, everyone, and once again, happy holidays from the Disabled Travelers blog! Today I’ll be continuing on with my access guide for the United Kingdom by discussing disabled travel resources in Scotland. This is a great destination that no tour through the UK should be without. So without further ado, here we go … [more]

no comments

Posted December 7th, 2009 in helpful information and Wheelchair Accessible Attractions
The docks of Dublin City

The docks of Dublin City

Hello and welcome! If you’ve been keeping up with the Disabled Travelers blog lately, you know that I’ve been offering disabled traveling tips throughout the United Kingdom. Last time was London; today we’ll continue the trend with accessibility guides and mobility impaired access information on another wonderful destination, the Emerald Isle … specifically, Dublin! Even flying in to Dublin provides amazing sights: the countryside is amazingly green and beautiful, and it only gets better when you land.

Many trips into Dublin from London, Glasgow, and other cities throughout the UK will involve a short flight on Aer Lingus, the main airline serving destinations in the Republic of Ireland. According to their disabled travel page, Aer Lingus will actually notify your departure and arrival airports if you need any wheelchair access assistance, including transport through the airport itself and to the wheelchairs Aer Lingus provides. However, you’re required to contact Aer Lingus special assistance 48 hours in advance.

[more]

no comments

Posted December 3rd, 2009 in Bus Accessible Travel and Charter Accessible Travel

One of London’s famous underground tube stations

One of London’s famous underground tube stations

I don’t know about you, but the holiday season always makes me think of my favorite spot in winter – Oxford, England. If you’ve never been to Europe (not that most Brits would consider the UK to be Europe precisely) then it’s a great place to start, and December is a great time to go. The weather tends to be fairly mild by comparison with much of the U.S., and accumulation of snow is very rare. Besides that, and more importantly, England is the gateway to a whole new world of disabled travel and wheelchair travel. [more]

2 comments

Posted December 1st, 2009 in Bus Accessible Travel, Charter Accessible Travel, general news and Train Accessible Travel
12-1 Blog

The skyline of Boston, a city known for its many wonderful transportation options

Welcome back to the Disabled Travelers blog! Don’t look now, but this could be shaping up as an especially hectic year for those planning to travel for winter holidays or New Years. Airlines are often backed up, and inclement weather might be a nuisance. But remember that disabled travel doesn’t have to be limited to air and sea. Plenty of handicapped travelers are finding ways to get around with accessibility-enhanced trains, buses, and charters. In the U.S., these can sometimes be the “forgotten” travel options, so I’d like to talk about the latest in wheelchair travel “on wheels.” [more]

5 comments

Posted November 23rd, 2009 in general news and helpful information

West O'ahu Sunset
Photo by: Matt Copps (Stock Exchange)

As the weather gets colder, tropical destinations are all the more enticing, especially for those of us in the north. Hawaii is one of the United States’ greatest natural treasures, and with most folks cutting back on vacations – disabled travelers included – it’s never been a better time to visit this little slice of paradise. Of course, accessibility can suffer a little bit when there are big crowds, but I have it on good authority that beaches that used to be crowded through much of the year are all but empty lately. That’s why I’m devoting most of today’s installment to Hawaii, and all the disability travel information about it. There’s a little more in this post than usual, since there’s so much valuable stuff to cover! [more]

6 comments

Posted November 18th, 2009 in general news and helpful information

Photo by: Laura Schreck

Pristine wilderness in Harriman Lake Park, Colorado.

Hello all, and welcome back to the Disabled Travelers blog, your source for the latest in disabled travel knowledge. This week it’s all about accessibility in outdoor adventures. Disability travel shouldn’t be limited to tourist destinations; there are plenty of beautiful sights out there in nature that disabled travelers have every right to enjoy. Luckily, there’s a slew of reliable disabled travel resources for those who want to see natural beauty with as little interference as possible from “civilization.” Among these are tour operators and travel agents devoted to disabled accessible camping in a variety of places.

[more]

1 comment

Posted November 11th, 2009 in accessible crusies, helpful information and reviews
Photo by: strakplan (Stock Exchange)

A cruise ship at the harbor of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands

Hello, everyone! I’m back and it’s time for more news from Disabled Travelers. Since the debacle I described last week about accessible travel problems with Canadian airlines, I’ve been thinking a lot about cruises. Cruises are a great way to get from place to place without the hassle of air travel; you get to explore at your leisure and enjoy luxury, wonderful scenery, and a whole slew of activities. So I’d like to spend some time in today’s post talking about wheelchair accessible cruises and disabled travel on the sea. I’ve had the good fortune to make a transatlantic journey on the Queen Mary II, and it’s an experience I wouldn’t trade in for any airplane, no matter how nice it was!

To start with, know that though most major cruise lines are very proactive about making accessibility easy for handicapped travelers, many ports of call outside the United States are not known for much in the way of mobility impaired access. It’s always a good idea to check with cruise companies and find out about individual stops on the itinerary before booking a cruise. The AARP’s Peter Greenberg has a huge assortment of great articles on accessibility in cruises. Peter covers transatlantic cruises and visits to plenty of exotic locales, including Alaska, China, and many more. Definitely worth a look. On top of that, Cruise Critic has a detailed piece on Top Ships for Cruisers with Disabilities. [more]

no comments

Posted November 5th, 2009 in access guides, airlines, general news and helpful information
Photo by: jnystrom (Stock Exchange)

Photo by: jnystrom (Stock Exchange)

Beautiful Niagara Falls

Hello, everyone! My name is Simos and I’ll be contributing to the Disabled Travelers blog from now on. I’ve been writing for the web here and there for over six years and I’ve journeyed around Europe and the world. It’ll be my pleasure to help you find the latest information on disabled travel and accessibility. And remember, you can always contact me through the blog if you want to share your own disabled travel experiences!

I’m on my way to New York City for New Year’s Day, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the region lately. I’ll be back later with a disability access report on Times Square, but for now, let’s start a little bit further north. Earlier in this blog, we reported that attendants for disabled passengers would travel free on the airlines Air Canada and West Jet. This would apply to handicapped travelers needing medical or mobility assistance, and obese passengers whose mobility is impaired by their condition.

Unfortunately, it’s gotten a little more complicated since then. Sources are reporting that passengers on Canadian airlines are to be tested to qualify for the free seat. Canadian doctors are up in arms – and rightly so – about all the implications of this. Requiring extensive medical documentation is a huge inconvenience to handicapped travelers and requires time and effort from doctors who already have a full roster of patients to attend to. As someone who’s suffered from reduced mobility and obesity problems at different times (you can see how one could be related to the other!) I’m alarmed. [more]

3 comments