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Taking a Trip on Your Own Terms:
Navigating the Handicap Travel Maze
by Mary Z. McGrath, Ph.D.
“Make sure your suitcases are placed outside your room by 4:30 A. M.!”
“We just have a little walk down this cobblestone street in order to see the fountain.” “This restaurant is a vintage building and I have booked our group on the second floor balcony overlooking the ocean.” “Today we will visit three museums and one historic mansion.” These words of a fictitious tour guide may have a great deal of appeal to many travelers, but for a handicapped vacationer they signal trouble.
Individuals with disabilities certainly appreciate seeing historic and beautiful places, enjoy the ocean and love to dine out for sure. However, access and feasibility are issues that must be addressed. Some individuals also benefit from routine and the continuance of certain schedules and supports that help things go more smoothly at home. Not only do people with disabilities like to travel, but they may choose to bring along some of their regular lives to ensure that the time in new places goes smoothly.
Making plans on your own for travel on your terms is the answer for many. Following are some suggestions to ease the travel challenge and help navigate through the maze of handicap travel.
Plan ahead! There is work up front for any vacation. Traveling with a disabled person is no exception. Before the trip draft a list of items to bring along that make a typical day at home go efficiently . Keep the list in your computer and modify it as needed based on what you learned on the first outing. Pack any necessary equipment such as a special clock or pillow, motion detector, CD-cassette player and restful tapes, night light as well as ice and heat packs. Bring essential medical information and keep it in a ready spot in case of an emergency. Call ahead to get directions to special spots that you plan to visit. Ask about handicap parking and other supports. The more prepared you are the more likely you can make a seamless transition from your home to your days at your destination.
Working with the Airlines - Planning Transportation: Inform them about your needs for assistance with boarding, help with wheelchairs and luggage. Ask about a travelers lounge and the location of the gates so you can anticipate time it will take to transition between flights. Ask about unisex and handicapped bathroom facilities. In anticipation of flight times and current food service trends, pack a lunch and snacks to ensure the energy of both caregiver and care recipient.
Rent a vehicle for convenience. Even consider asking for the exact same make and model that works well for you at home. When there are many things going on and you are in a new environment it is helpful to find the buttons on the dash board easily and quickly. Access is a consideration as well. Make sure the rental car is high and spacious enough for easy entry and utilization. Remember to bring your handicap parking card for easy access to monuments and public places.
Working with Hotels and Motels: Definitely reserve handicapped rooms preferably with the same lodging chain for familiarity. The benefit of a handheld shower, grab bars, toilet and bed rails are worth gold when away from these familiar adapted supports used at home. Ask for a small refrigerator and microwave. Eating some meals in the room can be more efficient and easier than dealing with restaurants in a strange city. Accept staff help. Lifeguards, waiters, cleaning staff and the concierge are happy to help in any way they can.
Structuring the Days: Consider your current routine and set up the vacation room as closely to the way it is done at home. For example, set up medication, meal supplement beverages and give them in the same manner as at home. Allow time for any physical therapy or special exercises. Pace yourselves. Perhaps choose to do one or two activities each day. Allow for rest periods as needed. Cut yourselves some slack for mishaps. Allow for regrouping and fresh starts.
Make Friends: Good people are everywhere. Generally an extra hand to open a door, carry a package or pick up a dropped item appears when it is needed. People everywhere seem to “come out of the woodwork” when assistance is needed. Also, other travelers often enjoy a tip on where to go and what to do. Exchanges with other visitors will enhance the experience for both the caregiver and recipient. Another way to avoid the sense of isolation is to bring the cell phone and laptop computer. That way either can communicate beyond the present circumstance.
Find Break Time: Such travel is not without stress. When caregivers build in breaks they allow themselves the rest and time to recharge, so vital both at home and on a trip. Pre-planning for a health aide or a spontaneous haircut or massage for the care recipient gives both travelers time for renewal.
Do Typical Activities and Notice What is Around You: Shopping at the same chain or going to church and hearing the familiar prayers provides continuity with life at home and grounding in an unfamiliar environment. Be alert for different birds, animals and plants. Watch the sky and experience weather changes. Compare and contrast what you see with what is typical at home.
Back Home: When the vacation is over, review your photos and travel journal. Share
stories with friends and family. Be grateful that travel is an opportunity that you chose to take. Give yourselves credit for being adventurous and willing to live life to the fullest!
Handicaps do not necessarily rule out the chance to enjoy the interesting world in which we live. There are always new places to discover and you can do it on your own terms. Pack your bags!
Mary Z. McGrath, Ph.D., speaker, writer and caregiver, works with schools, organizations and parents who support wellness and the family’s potential. Check www.maryzmcgrath.com for more information.
As seen in Stressfree Living Magazine, December, 2004.
Article cannot be reproduced without written permission from Stressfree Living Magazine.
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