Having a disability makes it a
little more difficult to get away. It’s necessary to plan more and cater to
your specific needs (every disability is different) to make the trip a smoother
one.
Here are 5 tips for ways to
make traveling with a disability less challenging than it would otherwise be.
Select
Your Luggage Well
Traveling light is a sensible
choice as a wheelchair user. Trying to pack too much will only slow you down
and make navigating narrow airport hallways more difficult than necessary.
Some luggage can attach
directly to a wheelchair (if you use one). Look for this type to avoid needing
to wheel it along beside you.
Whatever your disability, aim
to be as svelte as you can to ease your way through travel logjams. It makes
life so much easier.
Verify
Your Wheelchair is Undamaged Post-travel
For wheelchair users, when your
wheelchair is given to the airline and stowed while you are on the plane, it’s
under their care. As happens with other pieces of luggage, sometimes a
wheelchair can get banged up or damaged mechanically as a result of how it’s
treated during the transit process.
It’s important to visibly
inspect and test your wheelchair’s functionality to ensure it’s not been
returned damaged. They’re expensive to fix, and it will make you immobile while
a repair is performed - unless you have a spare one. Do err on the side of
caution to verify its condition, rather than trust its all good.
Ask
for Wheelchair or Other Assistance at Check-in
At the check-in desk, ask for
their support if you’re a wheelchair user. There may also be a way to notify
the airline when booking the ticket, and if so, ensure you do so at that time
too.
The Air Carrier Access Act supports wheelchair users by allowing for priority pre-boarding
the plane ahead of other passengers, including those in first class. Special
seating is provided to support the needs of wheelchair users, too, as part of
an airline adhering to the requirements of the act.
Contacting the T.S.A. before
flying (up to 3 days prior) is useful to get more information. Their passenger
support page is here.
Make your needs known because it provides the airline and staff with the best
opportunity to offer the assistance required to make your travel easier and
more pleasant.
Ask
for a conveniently located Room at the Hotel
Not all rooms are
well-positioned when you have a disability.
If you are ambulatory but
require a cane to get around, then walking down long hotel hallways isn’t
ideal.
Ask for a room nearest to the
elevator (but the opposite side to the busy road) to avoid putting your body
through too much strain. You’ll probably be sightseeing anyway, so don’t make
yourself walk farther than necessary inside the hotel.
Also, bring some earplugs with
you to block out any elevator “ping” noises when staying in a room near to it.
You’ll be glad you did!
Don’t
Forget About Travel Recovery Time
If you find that travel wears
you out, then be sure to set your home up to give you some R&R upon your
return.
When sleeping in another bed
doesn’t suit you well, you’ll be sleep deprived once you get home. You’ll need
a mattress that allows you to get a perfect night’s sleep to recover from the
travel and jetlag as quickly as possible.
It’s good to know that bed
producers now provide different levels of firmness for their mattresses. Therefore, you can pick
the firmness that supports your body properly and won’t aggravate any
disability.
Whatever you do, don’t let a
disability prevent you from getting out and about. Travel can be an enriching
and mind-expanding experience. It can also give you a new perspective on your
day-to-day life too.
