Vacationing With A Disability

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.   

My Adventure in Whitehorse

A few weeks ago I took a trip of a lifetime to Whitehorse. I was very excited as well as a little nervous. I was excited at the prospect of seeing a friend I had not seen in many years. I was nervous because this was going to be the first time I flew by myself EVER!

I had to wake up at 4:30 because I had to leave for the airport at 5:00AM. When I got to the airport, my mom accompanied me to the Air Canada desk to help me check-in, and to make sure my luggage was going straight to Whitehorse and I wouldn’t have to get in when I arrived in Vancouver for my layover. After a small glitch with the computer, my luggage was checked in and they put a tag on my wheelchair.  When I was all checked in my mom accompanied me as far as she could. We said goodbye when we got to security. At that time of the morning security was not busy. It only took a few minutes to get through. I was unsure of where to go after I cleared security so I asked one of the guards. He told me I had to take the elevator to where the gates are. I thanked him and was on my way. Once I found my gate, I got a coffee and waited until the time I could board.

Once it was time to board, everyone was extremely helpful. One of the airport employees pushed me down the ramp to the airplane. There, two attendants helped me into the aisle chair. While they were strapping me in, one of the stewardesses took my purse and carry-on bag to my seat. Once I arrived at my seat the stewardess helped me get settled and said if I needed ANYTHING just to let them know. The flight was long and a little turbulent but other than that it was uneventful.

When I arrived in Vancouver, the stewardess took care of my belongings while I was being assisted into the aisle chair. Once I was off the plane, one of the employees of the airport helped me to the gate where I needed to catch my second flight. Once I was there, I found a place where I could get something to eat. Even though I was in Vancouver for almost two hours, the time went very quickly. I was then ready for the last leg of my journey. The flight from Vancouver to Whitehorse was shorter, however there was a little bit of turbulence again.

After almost eight hours of travelling I was FINALLY in Whitehorse. Even from the window of the airplane, I could tell Whitehorse was very picturesque. The very first picture I took was from the airplane. The people there were extremely helpful as well. After I was helped into my wheelchair, there was no indoor walkway from the plane, so we had to walk off the tarmac. I was escorted into the airport and someone helped me to the baggage claim. The airport in Whitehorse is very small so as soon as I got to where the baggage claim was, my friends were waiting there for me. The employee made sure I was okay before they left me. I thanked them for their help. I was exhausted but I was very excited to be in Whitehorse!

Once we left the airport my friends drove me around to show me some of the sights. They knew I was exhausted so they only showed me a few things. Then we went to my hotel, The Edgewater and checked in.  My hotel room was very nice and cozy. There were a couple minor things that needed to be changed to make it more accessible, but the hotel staff was very accommodating and they were rectified quickly. After I rested for a while my friends picked me up and we had a nice dinner.

While travelling though Whitehorse, I could not believe how beautiful it is. I saw breathtaking scenery every day. I couldn’t get enough. I even saw two bears. I was hoping to see more wildlife (bald eagle, moose) but I did not. Oh well, that just means I have to go back. I’ve been trying to put into words how beautiful it is, but that doesn’t do it justice. I am hoping to print out my pictures and make it into a book. If anyone tells me they are thinking about going to Whitehorse, I will tell them to stop thinking about it AND GO!