Ever since the accident that put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, I have had to make some radical changes in the way that I live. Whilst the last 8 years have been incredible difficult, I have come out of the other side with a great understanding of what I need to do each day so that I can live my life to the fullest.
One of the key learnings which I was forced to make was that there are some things which I simply cannot do and accepting that was the hardest part. I’m reminded of my disability regularly and each year, when the time comes to book a vacation, I am reminded further. With that being said, I have managed to get booking vacation down to a fine craft and I wanted to share some tips with you on how to find the best vacation spot that can accommodate you.
Hotel
The hotel plays the most critical role in deciding where you will go on vacation as it is here that you will spend the majority of your time whilst you are away. You need to ensure that the hotel is fully wheelchair accessible throughout, this is significant because many hotels believe that they are indeed accessible, solely because they have an elevator and wide doors. Make sure that you read plenty of reviews and speak to the hotel directly to ensure that there are more than sufficient options throughout the hotel for you as a wheelchair user.
Landscape
It goes without saying that none of us wheelchair users enjoy a hill or a steady incline and you should make sure that the destination which you choose has a landscape that lends itself to getting around easier. Even if you find the perfect hotel, nobody wants to be stuck there for the duration of the trip and so you need to review the surrounding area and find a place where you can roam around hassle free.
Attractions
It is not just about the beach and the sea for me when I go on vacation, I also like to indulge in as many attractions as possible and you would be stunned at the amount of attractions for disabled people that there are out there. You must spend some time before you go finding out which ones they are however as I have visited several ‘iconic’ attractions which are not fit to accommodate those arriving in wheelchairs.
Transport
Despite the fact that I have my own wheels, I do heavily rely on the motorized variety when I take a vacation. For this reason it is important that you check out what transport options are available in your chosen destination and more importantly, whether they are geared up for a wheelchair user.
You can find much of the information which you are looking for on forums and online communities of wheelchair users who have been there and done it.