Adventures in Scotland!

For those of you who are thinking about traveling to Scotland, and are worried about the level of accessibility, there is no need. Scotland is VERY accessible.  It is so much more accessible than Toronto is.  A few years ago, I went on a vacation to Glasgow and was extremely pleased.  In this article, I will outline all the things that I was impressed with.

First of all, all of the sidewalks are ramped.  You never have to worry about going on the road or popping a wheelie to get onto the sidewalk.  Also on the sidewalk, when you are getting close to the curb there are little bumps.  I asked why they were there.  I was informed that the sidewalk was made like that to let blind people aware that they were getting close to the curb. The only thing people have to be careful of is walking on them in they are wet.  Some of them are brass so they get extremely slippery when they are wet.  Even the wheels on my wheelchair slipped when I went over them.

Secondly, everywhere you go, an accessible washroom is not hard to find. If there is not an accessible stall within the washroom, there is a separate accessible one right next door.  If it is a separate one, it is like a room.  It is very spacious so a person in a wheelchair has plenty of room to get around.  In most washrooms in Glasgow, there is a red cord you can pull in case of emergency.  If a person is by himself or herself in the washroom and something goes wrong (if they fall), they can pull this cord and someone comes to help them.  And when the sign says accessible, it means accessible. The washrooms are not like here when they say they are accessible when in reality they are not. The toilets are at the right height, the toilet paper dispenser is at the perfect height and easy to reach. The sinks and soap dispenser is low so you don’t have to strain yourself to reach it.

Lastly, the transportation is unbelievable.  In Toronto, when you want to go somewhere, you have to call ahead to get a ride, whether it be Wheel-Trans or a cab if need be.  In Scotland, ALL of the taxis are accessible.  Like Toronto, there are mini-vans in Scotland.  However, they have regular sized taxis that are accessible.  That’s right, anyone in a wheelchair can be on the side of the street and hail a taxi and not have to worry.  So, if you have to be somewhere in a hurry, there is no need to panic.  You don’t have to call ahead and order an accessible cab ahead of time. The other form of transportation that is more advanced than Toronto are the buses. Anyone with a mobility issue can get into a bus.  The floor lowers and a ramp comes down.  The only thing I would caution is that there is nothing there to tether you in place.  You are on your own.  The last form of transportation I was extremely impressed with was the train.  I went on a train ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh.  To gain access to the train itself, there is a portable ramp available.  Once you enter the train, there are special places designated for people in wheelchairs. Again, the only thing I would caution is that, like the buses, there is nothing there to tether you in place.  However, unlike the bus, the train ride is extremely smooth so it is unlikely you would move.

So I will say it again, anyone who is thinking about taking a trip to Scotland, there is NO need to worry.  They are very much more ahead of Toronto as far as accessibility goes. I would highly recommend people take a trip there.  Even though I travelled with my family, I would not hesitate to go there by myself!