Special Needs Travel Guide

 

• Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

Courtesy of Demos Health

Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

Barrier-Free Travel, by Candy Harrington, can help reduce those numbers. Harrington’s guide is a solid resource for accessible travel information for people in wheelchairs, on crutches or who are slow walkers. Harrington has been covering accessible travel exclusively for 15 years, and writes the Emerging Horizons newsletter and Web site.

Pros

The new third edition of Barrier-Free Travel, which was first published in 2001, includes updates on new laws and regulations—both domestic and international—that affect special-needs travelers, including updates to the U.S. Air Carrier Access Act just passed in May 2009. Additional new features: a shore excursion chapter for cruisers, extended ground transportation resources, information for traveling with oxygen and updated resources in general.

As in the previous edition, there are extensive chapters on passengers’ rights; air, cruise and ground transportation chapters; tips for how to protect your equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, etc.) and how to get loaner equipment if needed; security issues; myriad resource lists and what to do if something goes wrong; recommendations for best spots for accessible travel; and more.

Great Tips

One of the regular complaints from special-needs travelers I hear and read about is the difficulty in making sure they book accessible hotel rooms. There’s nothing worse than going out of your way to ensure you have one, only to arrive to find out you don’t. Or that the room “technically” meets ADA guidelines, but isn’t really functional. Harrington has dedicated a chapter to this issue, covering what to look for, questions to ask and how to make sure you get what you need upon arrival.

She also notes new legislation affecting online booking of accessible rooms through third-party aggregators that goes into affect in November 2009.

Cons

I honestly couldn’t find many. Harrington does an excellent job of covering key tips and resources for wheelers and slow walkers. While those groups are her specific target, it would be great to see the book expanded eventually to cover other types of special needs travelers.

Worth Buying?

Yes, even if you have a previous edition, because travel rules and regulations have changed significantly, and the book’s new features focus on growing segments of the market, such as cruising.