Monday, May 6, 2019
Traveling with a disability is completely possible. With some planning and organizing, you can take that trip you’ve been dreaming of. The following tips and advice are specifically tailored to handicap travel and travelers with disabilities. The three main areas to focus on are pre-trip preparations, medical preparations, and traveling with medications and medical equipment.
No matter where you’re headed, the most important piece of advice is to keep your needs in mind. You are in charge of your trip or vacation, so make sure you see what you want to see, do what you want to do, and use creativity to make it all possible. A little planning will make the trip easier from start to finish, helping you get the most out of your vacation no matter your handicap or disability.
Disabled Travel Tips
- Consider your physical needs and what you want out of your trip
- Ask yourself these five important questions
- Plan where you’ll be going and what you’d like to do
- Discuss your needs with a transportation representative
- Consider how much time you’ll need at each phase of the trip
- Book each step of your trip with your needs in mind
- Consider options other than airline tickets and a hotel
- Use creativity to save yourself some stress
- Consider renting a mobility device at your destination
- Use public transportation where possible
- Talk to your doctor to ensure you have adequate medication and equipment
- Consider these topics before your medical appointment
- Request a medical statement from your doctor
- Make sure your medication is clearly labelled and in its original packaging
- Make sure your medication includes the manufacturer’s information
- Bring enough medication for your whole stay
- Come prepared for security checks when flying with medication
- Pack your medication with care and keep a record
- Bring the necessary medical proof when packing medical equipment
Consider your physical needs and what you want out of your trip
The biggest way you can make your travel easier is to start by considering your personal needs. This includes physical needs as well as what you want out of your trip. By taking the time to evaluate what you’ll need and the ideal ways you can meet those needs, you will make it easier to tailor your trip to your specific requirements.
Ask yourself these five important questions
To help consider your wants and needs, answer the following questions:
- What is my ideal mode of transportation?
- What will make this trip easier on me and those traveling with me?
- What is the goal of my trip?
- How can I make accommodations to get the most out of my trip?
- What would I like on my trip from my daily life in order to be the most comfortable?
Once you’ve considered your trip as a whole and what you will want, need, and would like to experience, you can then dig into the planning portion of the trip.
Plan where you’ll be going and what you would like to do
Planning is a necessity when it comes to organizing handicap or wheelchair accessible travel. In addition to planning where you’ll be going and what you’ll be doing while you’re there, you’ll also need to plan your transportation and accommodations to ensure your needs are met and your trip runs smoothly.
Discuss your needs with a transportation representative
After you’ve established your personal needs, you will need to talk to a transportation representative, such as an airline, bus, or whoever is driving, to discuss options for your specific disability or handicap. You can create a list of who you need to speak to by considering the trip from beginning to end and answering the following questions:
- How am I getting to my destination?
- Car, bus, airplane, taxi
- How will I move from place to place once I arrive?
- Public transportation, family member or friend driving, taxi, Uber
- Where will I be staying?
- Hotel, Airbnb, family member or friend’s house, cruise ship
- What will I need in my room or on the property?
- Accessible shower, storage space for a scooter or wheelchair
Continue reading by clicking here
Article found on the Scoot around website