TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

First Person: Meet Amar Latif, the Adventurer Making Adventure Travel More Accessible For The Blind

by

photo of the legs of a person with a white cane

Our Takeaway: This is a tutorial about how a blind seeker of travel exhilaration is able to visualize what he’s missing through the use of his other senses and adroitly crafted descriptions from his colleagues

I lost my sight at 18 due to an eye condition. By the third year of my college degree, I’d decided that enough was enough — I wasn’t going to tiptoe through life wrapped up in cotton wool. Against the wishes of my lecturers and parents, I headed off to Canada to study in Kingston. I went there alone — just me and my blindness. That taught me your world becomes bigger when you push your limits.

In 2005, I took part in a 220-mile trek across Nicaragua alongside 10 other people with disabilities for a BBC documentary series called Beyond Boundaries. We had to work as a team to go across tropical rainforests and a shark-infested lake, as well as up a 5,000ft volcano. I was pushing a wheelchair through dense jungle; no amount of exercise could have prepared me for it — it became all about mental resilience. Each time you push yourself, it helps you get ready for your next challenge. You begin to crave that feeling of uneasiness; when it’s tough, when it feels awkward — that’s when you know you’re growing. Read More.

British Columbia To Underwrite Costs To Maintain 400 Wheelchair-Accessible Taxis

by

photo or a person sitting in a wheelchair as they are about roll off the accessibility ramp from a taxi

Our Takeaway: With transportation being one of the primary barriers to accessibility, the Canadian Accessibility Directive is funding several creative incentives that help existing transportation companies, especially taxis, to level up their inclusiveness.

Provincial grants worth $2.6 million promise to improve transportation for British Columbians with accessibility challenges.

Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming said the grants will help 51 taxi companies across the province reduce maintenance costs for nearly 400 wheelchair-accessible taxis.

“Reducing the costs of maintaining wheelchair-accessible taxis will keep existing vehicles on the road in good condition and encourage more supply,” Fleming said. “It will also make it easier for companies to recruit and retain drivers for these vehicles, making sure more people will have access to these specialized taxis Province-wide.” Read More.

Conde Nast Magazine announces, “Beyond Barriers” Monthly Column Celebrating Accessible Travel

by

photo of a disabled skier on top of the mountain

Tom D Morgan-Courtesy Sophie Morgan

Our Takeaway: In some ways, the UK media is light years ahead of their American counterparts when it comes to inclusive values.  Will others follow?

I would like to share a photograph. In it, a smiling 18-year-old girl wearing a faded sleeveless vest and ragged jeans leans forwards to counterbalance a backpack. She is embarking on her first intrepid adventure, standing on the precipice of a journey, but also of girlhood. She’s at that giddy time when everything seems to offer the promise of potential opportunity. The world is her oyster, and she knows it. When I look at this picture, nostalgia twists gently in my stomach. Then the feeling tightens with foreboding. In just a few weeks, that girl—her wanderlust tickled from a trip around southern India—will be paralyzed in a car crash. Read More.

Greece Ramps Up Accessibility By Retrofitting Over 200 Beaches With Ramps That Fully Submerge Wheelchair Users Into The Sea

by

picture o a beach in Greece with Thatched umbrellas

Our Takeaway: Here’s an example of a country drawing a line in the sand, so to speak. They are spending tens of millions of dollars to make Greece the most preferred beach destination in the world for beach lovers.

Describing access to the sea as an inalienable human right, Greek tourism authorities are retrofitting 287 beaches across the country with self-operating wheelchair ramps.

Self-operating means that wheelchair users can operate it by themselves without assistance from a friend or employee, offering a flexible freedom rarely found in difficult terrain such as beach sand.

So far, work crews have already installed the Seatrac system on 147 beaches, where disabled people can enjoy swimming in the country’s famous blue waters. Read More.

Tips and Tricks to Traveling Safely With Someone That Has Epilepsy

by

image of an open suitcase with a woman packing it

Our Takeaway: Please share these hard-to-find insightful tips with anyone you know that has a family member with epilepsy and fears traveling this summer.

People with epilepsy can and do travel using every mode of transportation. However, it may require extra planning, such as ensuring you have enough medication and requesting accommodations if needed. This article will discuss the challenges of traveling with epilepsy, how to prepare, and how to make your trip go smoothly. Read More.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to third parties.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Your name and email will never be sold to 3rd parties.