This was emailed to me to share with everyone – Thank you Robert Craig!

TWO MONTH TOUR OF NORTH THAILAND IN A WHEELCHAIR—INCLUDING EXCURSIONS INTO BURMA, AND TWO SEPARATE VISITS TO LAOS.

22 February 2009

Here we are, just home from an experience of a lifetime. It all started with myself, age 82 (and disabled), my Wife 76 and Brother 77, booking deluxe, flat-bed, return business class ETIHAD (the Abu Dhabi airline) flights from Manchester to Bangkok and leaving everything else to Randy and his Team at http://www.all-thailand-exp.com.

Over the years, we have traveled the 5 Continents extensively and in some style, generally staying in the best hotels—such as the Danielli in Venice—sailing on the most exclusive ships—such as Hebridean International (the Queen’s favorite)—or riding on the most luxurious of trains—such as The Captain’s Choice (4,000 miles across Tibet and China).

So it was with a sense of considerable adventure that we placed ourselves wholly in the hands of http://www.all-thailand-exp.com, particularly since their quotation was relatively modest, compared to the pro rata cost of our other recent travels.

We needn’t have worried a jot. Indeed the motto of the trip, jokingly, became DON’T WORRY. From the moment of our arrival to the moment of departure we were looked after on a 24/7 basis, even being loaned a local Thai mobile phone with the local staff numbers programmed in. [more]

Some California soldiers wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are getting much more than a purple heart. They’re also getting some new wheels. They’ll now by riding around in an iBOT wheelchair. It’s made by the same guy who makes Segways. It’s like most powered wheelchairs except it can climb stairs, travel through thick terrain, and best of all, rise up on two wheels.

“Why couldn’t we use the 21st century that we use to make auto pilot and gyro stabilized equipment, put it in a device to help a disabled person regain the capability to stand up, look people in the eye and essentially be able to walk around, go up and down stairs and have their independence back, and we did it,” says iBOT designer Dean Kamen.

The iBOT costs $26,000 each. But they were free for the veterans since the money was donated by a group of California business owners.

Story from wifr.com

Exclusive Services Provided by Scootaround Inc.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) March 4, 2009 — Scootaround Inc. recently signed two multi-year contracts to become the exclusive provider of accessible services at both the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the addition of these two facilities, Scootaround now directly supports the nation’s five largest convention facilities.

“Enhancing the convention experience for all attendees is our goal,” said Tim Scott, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We service dozens of large events each month, many with 50 to 100,000 attendees each. It’s rewarding that convention center managers have recognized the need to partner with us, the industry leader in mobility rental solutions.”

Along with the LVCC and the Sands Expo, Scootaround also services Chicago’s McCormick Place (the largest U.S. center), the Orange Country Convention Center (America’s 2nd largest) and the Georgia World Congress Center. Scootaround’s onsite services include customized rentals programs that provide scooters that reside at each facility on a permanent basis along with qualified staff to run rental programs at larger events. [more]

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – For the 40 million Americas with limited mobility, oxygen requirements or other form of disability, who want to travel, Special Needs at Sea, (www.specialneedsatsea.com) can help make any trip easier and more hassle-free.

Now entering its third year, Special Needs at Sea delivers a full range of special needs equipment and services to hotels, resorts and cruise ships around the world, so that it’s waiting and ready to go when you are.

Special Needs at Sea has delivery and pick-up capability within most of the world’s travel destinations and can even accommodate “one-way” travel. According to company spokespersons, the most frequently requested items are motorized scooters, power chairs, oxygen equipment—including battery-powered concentrators—however, the company also provides audio aides, patient lifts, relief materials for companion dogs and hospital beds and cribs.

Andrew Garnett, company founder and president points out that… [more]

A follow up on the man behind the accessible.travel site:

Craig Grimes broke his back 12 years ago. From Nicaragua, he launches the first online booking engine for disabled travelers.

Matagalpa, Nicaragua – The winding turns, potholes, open sewers, and stray dogs make the streets of this northern Nicaraguan town tough to negotiate – let alone in a wheelchair.

“It’s the worst ever, without a doubt,” says Craig Grimes, with a laugh, as he grasps a signpost to pull his wheelchair up onto a street curb. “A lot of people in Matagalpa don’t know how to use their wheelchairs, because no one has ever taught them. I’ve been showing people in wheelchairs how to get around their own city, and they’ve lived here their whole lives.”

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