One of my classmates has a sister who was in an accident that left her paralyzed. She has been checking out my blog and was curious to know about the actual transportation factors that you come across when traveling with a person with a disability. I had found vacation spots and some accommodations for when you get there but what about how to get there? I googled transportation for persons with disabilities for vacation and came across some interesting things. One website was very helpful but needs some work on the layout, some links were covering the page...The main website was entitled Disabled Travelers. On the left were Accessible Travel links that led you to specific areas depending on the type of transportation. The home page introduced you to what sort of information you could find. Just like on the other website I found, this one also offered a list of travel agents and broke it down by region and type of disability. There was also a link for Airline Travel Info which took you to the crazy, link covered page. The links covering the page were hard to see but they were the various airlines. If you clicked on any airline name, it took you directly to the airlines disability information page. I clicked on Delta's link and explored a bit fo what they had to offer. They had a list of accommodations ranging from service animals, pregnant travelers, peanut allergies and oxygen users. Back to the Disabled Travelers website there was a hyperlink to Mobility Air Transport which is a non-profit organization working to better airline travel for persons with disabilities.
Something very interesting that I found on the website was a link for Travel Companions. I just assumed that this was advice or information for those traveling with the person with the disability. I was mistaken. This link offered you hyperlinks to websites that offered the option of taking a companion with you on your vacation to assist you and offer company. One of the websites I explored, offered profiles of the various companions. Most of them were in the healthcare industry, not surprising. What an interesting idea!
Below are the links to the various websites I have discussed.
Disabled Traveler: http://www.disabledtravelers.com/
Delta Information page: http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/special_travel_needs/services_travelers_disabilities/index.jsp
Travel Companions: http://www.disabilitytravel.com/companions.htm
The idea of a "travel companion" is really interesting. If I was a person with a disability whose friends and/or family members wouldn't or couldn't come on vacation with me, I think I would really like to have someone come along with me and share my vacation. Being that most of the travel companions are in the healthcare field is another added bonus; if anything were to happen medically I would feel that my loved one was in capable and competent hands. However, I wonder if these people have background checks or special training for such things. I know that as a parent or family member, especially to a person with special needs- some of which cannot protect themselves, I would be very protective and skeptical about sending my loved one away with a stranger. I also wonder how much a service such as this would cost. Traveling with a disability can definitely add additional challenges, but also make a successful vacation all the more meaningful and rewarding. Were you able to find any accommodations (either on planes, trains, buses/boats, etc) that are geared toward people with physical disabilities?
ReplyDeleteOn the website, there's a huge list of airline companies and the links take you directly to that specific airlines travel accommodations. They discuss wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, etc. I also checked out Amtrak's website to find their accommodations and they discuss how to go about making a reservation for passengers with disabilities. Something that stuck out to me in the description was that they did not require you to tell them the exact nature of your disability. I thought that was a nice touch because some people may be embarrassed or not want to disclose that information.
ReplyDeleteAs for background checks on the travel companions, I was wondering that myself as well. On the website, it discusses what credentials the companions have. It does not mention background checks but they have references, a valid professional license, etc. It also mentions that they help you set up interviews and create a written agreement between you and your companion. If you want to explore this more on your own here's the link: http://www.disabilitytravel.com/companions/comtail.htm