Travelling with a Disability
As a disabled person, perhaps you feel a little anxious at the thought of travelling as of course everyday tasks are harder to accomplish and being thousands of miles away from a heathcare provider you trust seems daunting.
Whatever problems people face in life, many say travelling is an incredibly valuable experience and the experiences, lessons and memories acquired whilst away will stay with you for life. Everyone is able to travel and disability should never hold you back. Here are a few simple tips to help make life easier travelling with a disability.
When travelling with a disability, ensure you know everything you are going to encounter. Disability should not come in the way of your travelling and seeing places. Careful planning is key for any person travelling with a disability. Below are tips on how to make the most out of your next venture.
Getting proper advice from a professional
Before planning to travel with a disability, one of the best pieces of advice is to go see your regular healthcare practitioner and seek advice from them. They are the ones who know your medical history the best and will therefore be able to give you the best advice as to where you should travel and the requirements and precautions you should take before jetting off.
Choosing the Right Destination
As globalization increases, countries get richer and air travel cheaper, the travel industry in common travelling locations are become more and more developed meaning they are much more accommodating for those with disabilities and therefore it will be much easier to travel. For example, a number of countries in Europe and elsewhere are launching accessibility certification and standards programmes. However, be aware that some popular travel destinations are still very undeveloped and there tourism industry is only just forming. These destinations, however beautiful they may be, if it is your first trip, it is advisable you avoid them and stick to the more common travel routes. The lonelyplanet.com has some great content on the most accessible tourist destinations.
Taking out special insurance
Travel insurance is not quite as straight forward as it seems. There are lots of different types of cover to suit you and what you will be doing. So, for example if you are going on a skiing trip then you will need winter sports travel insurance. One of the most important tips for buying travel insurance if you have a disability is buying travel insurance which takes into consideration your pre-existing medical conditions. This can be bought from companies who specialise in this form of insurance such as medicaltravelinsurance.co.uk. Medical expenses are one of the most expensive claims people can make as they can run well into the thousands if not millions! The downside therefore is that pre-existing travel insurance will cost more than normal travel insurance
Preparing for Air Travel
Flying is one big hurdle for people with disabilities. Maneuvering big airports carrying heavy medical equipment and navigating the airport’s security can be quite exhausting. If you need extra assistance, inform the airline during booking and when you arrive at the airport. Most airlines will board the disabled first, but they are usually the last to exit upon landing. It is therefore important that you allow enough time if you need to catch a connecting flight. Purpleparking.com offer lots of useful tips for flying with a disability.
Booking Hotels Wisely
You need to make your room reservations early. It would be convenient for you to choose hotels that are near major sights and located near the sites and places you wish to travel. You don’t want to get into a situation where everywhere is booked up and your having to travel around in the blistering heat (or cold) looking for somewhere available.
Travelling with a disability can be quite a challenge for many people. However following these simple tips should make it much easier. With the above tips, your next adventure trip will surely be an amazing one.
