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| Source: Alaska Air |
Hi this is Connie again. You may remember me from the article I wrote on
this blog about Direct Funding for personal care for people with disabilities. Right now I would like to give you some
information and tips on vacationing and travelling with a disability. First of
all I would like to mention that Direct Funding does allow up to three weeks a
year for vacationing and travelling with an attendant even outside the province
and country.
There are many
organizations and agencies, including, travel agents, out there specializing in
planning and accommodating people with disabilities. There are also many articles written by people
with disabilities on their trips to various locations (for example, Abilities Magazine).
March of Dimes Canada is a great organization for offering holiday packages
(including: transportation, hotel, accommodation, day/night excursions, and
personal care) within the province, country and abroad; camping holidays within
the province; and day trips within the province and city. Access2Entertainment is another program in
which one can obtain a membership card allowing his/her attendants to get free
access to different entertainment venues and theatres throughout the country
while accompanying the person with the disability (for example, the CN Tower).
There are also various
discounts and services available from transportation groups within this
country, like Air Canada, Via Rail, and of course private accessible
transportation vehicles or taxis both for travelling within a province or state
and city. Many boats and cruise ships
are also accessible to people with disabilities. All Canadian airlines offer free airfare to
any destination within Canada to an attendant travelling with a passenger with
a disability. Air Canada also offers a
half price discount to the ticket of an attendant travelling with the person
with a disability outside of the country. Upon completing a medical form Air Canada
offers you total assistance from checking in your luggage, to using the
airplane aisle chair, to being escorted through baggage and out the airport
upon arrival to your destination. Via Rail
which travels to many Canadian cities also offers free travel tickets to an
attendant accompanying a person with a disability. Once within the destination of your choice
para transit or bus or accessible taxi can easily be accessed and often
discounts, like ADA discounts in the
U.S., or discounts for attendants can be given; however, making these
arrangements along with any necessary applications should be done well in
advance of the travel date. You may also
want to consider travelling with a folding manual wheelchair for easier access
to a vehicle without a lift or ramp.
Prior to arriving at your
destination you must ensure that your accommodation, for example, a hotel is
accessible to the standards that you need. In the U.S. major hotels are required by law to
ensure that a wheelchair accessible or ADA room meets all necessary standards,
for example, roll-in showers, elevated toilet seats, grab bars, wide doorways,
etc.; however, in whatever country you are travelling in it is always a good
idea to describe to management what you are looking for before booking the
room. You can also inquire if you can
bring additional items of your own, like portable lifts or bed grab bars, or if
they can be rented out from a place nearby the hotel.
The two most recent trips
I took were to Lake Muskoka and New York City. The Lake Muskoka trip was on a steamship and
was a trip arranged with fully accessible accommodations for all events by
March of Dimes. The day trips and
holiday vacation packages arranged by March of Dimes, although fairly priced,
can be costly because all travel, accommodations, and excursions are arranged
by them to include accessible access and can include attendant care (for the
holiday vacation packages). To be more
cost-effective, you can plan trips as outlined above, as I did for my New York
City trip. You will find that travelling within the U.S. to be very accessible
because of their ADA law and disability discounts for you and your attendant
are often offered in many entertainment venues that you can inquire about. Wherever and however you do decide to travel
you will find it a very worthy endeavour and a chance to learn more about the
accessibility of different societies.
