TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Parks and Public spaces

UK Operator, Ocean Holidays, Redefines “All Inclusive” With Accessible Florida Program

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Following investment in rigorous staff training, customers can now book holidays knowing that every additional need is taken care of – whether at the airport or in resort – by staff with an unrivalled knowledge of accessible options in the Sunshine State, all at no extra cost. The program takes a holistic approach, covering everything from mobility, visual and hearing impairment through to cognitive challenges with accessibility champions in all areas of the business.

The new Ocean Holiday Accessibility program is also designed to be a resource for disabled travelers and their families, with information on everything from accessible restaurants to wheelchair-friendly sightseeing options while abroad. Read More.

Nature: The Most Accessible National Parks in the USA

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Trail in public park with mountain in distance.

When the National Park Service (NPS) was created, disabled visitors were hardly considered. With rough trails, stairs and steep pathways, the great outdoors was largely off-limits to disabled people.

In May 2012, an Accessibility Task Force was created at the NPS with the goal of improving accessibility over a period of 5 years, from 2015 to 2020.

Over that time, many improvements were made, both to the physical infrastructure in America’s parks, but also to the scope of information shared with disabled visitors. A new understanding about what it means to be “accessible” also took root.

“Accessibility means something very different to a person who is in a wheelchair than to a person who is blind,” says Jeremy Buzzell, who manages the National Park Service Accessibility Support Program. “I don’t talk about [accessibility] specifically by saying people with mobility devices can do things at this park. That’s only an aspect of accessibility.”

To read more about the accessibility improvements at national parks and which have the most to offer disabled visitors, see the article from Conde Nast Traveler.

Nature Beckons! Wheelchair Accessible Camping Trips This Summer

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Camping tent against a beautiful blue starlit sky.

Kristin, who was born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, shares the details of some of her adventures on her blog, World on Wheels. Recently, she wrote about the opportunity camping offers to disabled travelers, and how she’s managed to figure it out.

She writes, “I love to travel internationally, but I also enjoy exploring my own country. I mean, there are so many beautiful places in the U.S., who wouldn’t want to see them?”

Hear, hear!

To see the Great Outdoors, Kristin says that “the main way to travel domestically is by camping. It allows you to not only see specific destinations, but also some amazing sights along the way.”

To read Kristin’s guide to camping for the disabled, check out the World on Wheels blog.

Meet ‘Obama the Pony’ Who is Helping Make Glasgow Parks More Accessible

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Man using a wheelchair that is secured to a carriage pulled by a pony.

The English and Scottish countrysides are breathtaking – gorgeous rolling meadows meet grassy hilltops and lead to beautiful beaches. Simon Mulholland, through his Pony Access organization, is working to make Scotland’s public parks and beaches wheelchair accessible through an innovative wheelchair accessible pony-drawn carriage.

He has had a vision of bringing ponies back into mainstream communities since he started building pony-powered vehicles 20 years ago. First trialed in England, he found difficulty in gaining buy-in from the public and local governments. Now, after moving to Scotland, he’s making headway in a community that embraces his vision for pony-driven accessibility.

His vision, he said, “is about access.” He commented, “Oddly enough, this isn’t really a pony activity, it is an accessible activity.”

Mulholland’s pony-drawn carriages open up new vistas to disabled people. In an interview with the Glasgow Times, he remarked, “If somebody wanted to go bird watching or anything, I don’t care, they want to go and do something and they can’t get there. I can get them there and that’s what it is about.”

He emphasized that his pony drawn vehicle is not a “disabled activity” yet an “inclusive activity.” Essentially, it’s an experience that’s open to everyone, with accessibility being a key consideration from the start.

To read more about Pony Access, see the article in the Glasgow Times.

Don’t Drive with the Top Down in Bearizona

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Two people standing next to a large statue of a bear.

Bearizona? What’s that?

According to Marlene from Deafinitely Wanderlust, it’s a wildlife park – in Arizona – that you won’t want to miss.

She writes, “Bearizona Wildlife Park is not one of your typical zoo, they offer people an opportunity to drive through and see animals in their natural, wildlife environment. Yes, you read that right. You can drive in your own vehicle to see these animals up close.”

Sounds exciting!

When Marlene arrived at Bearizona, she had no idea what to expect, but was excited to explore the park and see the animals. As she entered, an employee issued a warning: “When you enter the wolves and bears sections, you must have your windows up”

You probably don’t want to visit Bearizona in a convertible.

To read more about Marlene’s adventure in this unique attraction, check out her article at Deafinitely Wanderlust.