Traveling With a Disability

Plan ahead and do your research

If you do decide to plan your own trip, depending on its length and complexity, it’s a good idea to begin planning several months or even a year in advance. As fun as it is to be spontaneous, the less time you leave to plan out the details of your trip, the more snags you’re likely to run into.

Make a list of the top places or things you’d like to see. Have you always dreamed of seeing the Great Wall of China or would you rather visit the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey? Research your desired destinations and cross reference them with your capabilities. The Great Wall of China recently became wheelchair accessible after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but Istanbul with its cobblestone streets and sharp inclines is notoriously difficult to navigate if you use a cane, walker or wheelchair.

Make a list of the equipment that you require in your daily life and determine what can be taken with you and what, if anything can be acquired at your destination. Some items such as medicine or assistive devices might be difficult to find in non-westernized cities. Once you have a destination in mind, research what sort of facilities or accommodations are available to you there. How accessible is the public transportation? Is it easy to find wheelchair-friendly cabs or vans there? Do they have a good support system in place for local people who share your disability?

There are plenty of resources written about disabled travel by disabled adventurers who can provide a firsthand account of their own experiences with barrier-free holidays. Nancy Berger of Disabled Travelers Guide is a stroke survivor, a wheelchair user and an avid explorer who hasn’t let her condition stop her from seeing the world. Nancy recounts her trip to Uganda to see the “Gorillas in the Mist” firsthand, saying she began planning her trip over a year in advance. Amazingly and without her knowledge, her future hosts also began to prepare for her visit by constructing a special sedan chair and by cutting a path into the forest to allow her access.  Although you can’t assume that everyone will be so accommodating, planning in advance will give your future hosts the chance to update their facilities if it is necessary and if they are willing.

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