This past year has been filled with much joy. I've been able to access more travel than ever before and I'm excited to plan more in the future. But it's not always easy making plans and can require a lot of prep work. As many of you know, I utilize a power wheelchair for mobility and require personal aide care to manage daily living. Without both of these components, I am stranded and unable to access my environment.
So, here are a few questions I ask myself that are necessary before any travel:
1. Who will be with me?
This is extremely important. I need aide care to dress, bath, eat, etc. So, the people I'm with usually take on some or all of these duties. I've been on trips with family, friends, and even aides. Each person has had different roles that have made traveling possible. Planning with these individuals ahead of time is key. My last trip was unique, in that I travelled with family and hired aide care at our destination. This proved to work well and allowed my family some respite time.
2. Can I bring my power wheelchair?
- Yes, if I'm traveling by van. I have an accessible minivan that has opened so many more options for traveling with my power-chair. This gives me the freedom to move in my environment without assistance.
- No, if I'm flying. I've only heard horror stories of chairs breaking because of mishandling during transport. Most power chairs are built specifically for an individual and getting new parts can often take months to fix, so I always leave mine home for the sheer peace of mind. I then choose to use my manual chair but then need to have someone push me at all times. So flying is not always my preferred option of travel.
3. Where will I be lodging?
In the US, most hotels have accessible rooms. The vocabulary of what is considered accessible varies so I rarely book rooms through websites and opt to call reservation in directly. This usually guarantees what I look for in accessibility. A key component is a zero threshold shower, witch allows for my wheelchair to get as close to the shower and eases transferring.
If these three questions are manageable, I'm up for an adventure. Just a bit of planning is required.
- Elizabeth -
Those are some great questions to ask - will write these down for when I go to travel next!
Posted by: Chris Rahimi | 02/17/2015 at 06:37 PM