San Diego, California - Hotel (Town and Country Resort)

Town & Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108

The hotel is a large (45 acre) site with different buildings. They offer little golf cart like shuttles to get around, but you can't really get on and off one of these very easily if you cannot stand or walk. There are handicapped parking spaces located all over the property so if you have a car you will be able to park close to your room. If you don't, be prepared to wheel long distances! All areas of the resort are accessible, although sometimes you have to look for the ramp. The property map clearly shows the location of all parking spots, accessible restrooms and access routes.

In general, a lot of thought and attention to detail has been spent on making this hotel wheelchair friendly and it deserves praise for this.

This resort has several different types of room. The one I stayed in is in the tower block. This is one of the best ADA compliant rooms that I have stayed in. There are two key slots - one on the door like a regular room, and one in the wall beside the door. If you insert your key in the wall-mounted slot, the door will open automatically. Inside the room, a switch on the wall will open the door from the inside.

The room is spacious although there was too much furniture in it when I arrived. An unnecessary table was removed immediately upon request. My room had a balcony which was accessible. All wall mounted controls (light switches, air-conditioning) are at an accessible height and easy to reach. The bedside light control is on a lead that reaches to the bed so you can turn on and off the light without moving. TV controls were left within reach. The clothes closet has one side for walkies and one side for wheelies with a lower hanging bar.

The bathroom is fully accessible. Mine had a tub with handrails although roll-in showers are also available. All rails were in good locations. Towel rails were low and accessible. Sink had plenty of knee-room. Shower uses a hand-held hose with a wall mounting that was low and could be reached from within the bath (very unusual - mostly they are mounted way too high).

The bed was slightly high but transferring was straight-forward enough.

All in all, the accommodations here, although by no means brand new, set a standard against which all others should be judged.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Skyview)

Skyview Restaurant, Weston Aerodrome, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland

This surprising restaurant is situated up one level in Weston aerodrome. There is a single step at the front door. A wooden temporary ramp is available to get up this if required. Lift (elevator) in lobby on left. Level access from lift to restaurant which has a fine view of the airfield and the Dublin mountains.

Accessible toilet on ground floor near entrance.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Canalettos) and Pub (Smyths)

Canalettos, 71 Mespil Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland

Mid-price Italian restaurant. Level access from street. Toilets are up stairs, no accessible toilet.

Smyths, 10 Haddington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland

A genuine old pub that hasn’t changed too much in at least 30 years. As such it retains the grimy charm of the old school Irish pub. Popular with young and old, it has a great mix of people. No food here other than crisps and peanuts!

There are no concessions for wheelchair access. There is “accidental” access. Level access to both bar and lounge from street. Toilets on ground level. Door about 700mm/28”. No accessible cubicle but enough space to get around. Cubicle doors are about 680mm/27.2”.

Worth a visit for the ‘old time” atmosphere. Check out if the toilets work for you before you have too many pints!

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Langkawi) and Pub (Searsons)

Langkawi, 46 Upper Baggot St., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mid-to-upper price Malaysian restaurant. Great food. Level access from street. A tight turn into the dining room would be difficult for some wheelchairs. Several tables in the front section of the restaurant are up one step. Tables in the back section are on one level.

Toilets are downstairs and are not accessible.

Searsons, 44 Upper Baggot St., Dublin 4, Ireland

Large bar serving lunch and dinner food. Popular bar. Level access from street. Accessible unisex toilet located in middle section. You may need to ask a staff member for keys.

Dublin, Ireland - Pubs (Johnnie Fox's)

Johnnie Fox’s, Glencullen, Co. Dublin, Ireland

This is a popular tourist destination and claims to be the highest pub in Ireland. They serve good seafood meals, has a pub section and also a “Hooley” – a special section which features music and dance and dinner for a fixed cost.

The pub is an old traditional building so access is not easy. However, all doors have level access. Inside there are several rooms and moving between them is not easy due to the amount of furniture (and people). The Hooley room is not accessible from the inside (corridors are too narrow) but there is access from the outside. You will need to ask a member of staff to open the door.

There are no accessible toilets. The normal toilets may be usable for some. Level access through a door (about 725mm/29”) leads to a tight corner. Access to the cubicle is through a narrow walk way (about 700mm/28”). The cubicle is not accessible although the door is wide enough to let a chair in. Urinals and sinks can be reached from a chair.

This location is really not very accommodating, but if you can handle some obstacles is worth a visit if you are short of time in Ireland. It provides some sense of Irish music and drinking culture.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Siam Thai)

Siam Thai Restaurant, Dundrum shopping centre, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland

It’s not obvious how to get to this first floor restaurant but there is a lift (elevator) accessible from the “town square” open area. Level access throughout.

Dublin, Ireland - The Waterloo

The Waterloo, 36 Upper Baggot St., Dublin 4, Ireland

Formerly a wonderful old style Dublin pub, the Waterloo was refurbished in the mid-90s into a huge drinking barn. Serves a wide range of beers and stouts, and typical (pretty good quality) pub food and wine. Level access from street. The bar, and many of the tables are too high to sit at comfortably in a wheelchair. However, if you carry on straight through to the back of the pub there is a circular room with tables perfect for the disabled drunk. Dedicated handicapped toilet is just behind this room. If the pub is very crowded a staff member can let you into the back from the back alley (a bit of a hike).

If you go, check out the wonderful ceiling just inside the front door. It’s all that’s left of the original pub!

Recommended.

Dublin, Ireland - Milano

Milano, Baggot Street Bridge, Baggot Street, Dublin 4, Ireland

10th June 2008

Mid-priced pizza/pasta place. Milano’s is actually a chain with several branches city wide. The Baggot Street bridge branch has level access from the street and a handicapped toilet. There is enough space to negotiate between tables.

Recommended.

Update: 23 December 2008

It is probably worth adding that this is a very child-friendly restaurant. Dublin restaurants as a rule are not very child friendly, certainly when compared to US restaurants. However Milano's is very welcoming with a great kids menu, coloring pencils, warm staff and so on. 

Dublin, Ireland - Getting there

Dublin, Ireland - Getting There

The vast majority of people who fly into Ireland arrive at Dublin Airport. (A small number also arrive at Shannon or Cork airports). Dublin Airport is, by and large, a third world airport that accidentally relocated to a first world country and certainly is a contender for the worst managed, worst designed airport in the Europe if not the world. Oddly though, it’s not too bad at handling “special needs” passengers and the wheelchair traveler.

The staff that operates aisle chairs and the lift-on/lift-off functions at the airport is well trained and friendly. There is one special vehicle for loading and unloading wheelchair passengers in the event that the aircraft is not at an air bridge. Facilities within the terminal are okay – there are handicapped toilets in the baggage hall and at frequent locations in the gate areas. Lifts (elevators) are tiny, and the route to/from baggage can be torturous and long.

Almost all public busses in Dublin are wheelchair accessible. The privately run AirCoach that services the airport and most major hotels is not. So to get into the city from the airport means taking the public bus (slow but cheap) or a taxi. Handicapped accessible taxis are fairly common and if you need one the taxi rank operator will get one for you.

The center of Dublin is fairly easy to roll around, although not all street junctions have curb cuts. Modern hotels are usually accessible – pubs, shops and older buildings are frequently not. Always call ahead for restaurants and pubs to see if they can accommodate a wheelchair.

Sao Jose dos Campos - Hotel (IBIS Dutra)

Arriving
See previous posts on arriving at GRU.

Hotel IBIS - Av. Cidade Jardim, 101 - Jd. Satélite São José dos Campos - SP Phone number: 12-2139-5950 Brazil. Tel: +55-11-3393-7300

There are two IBIS Hotels in Sao Jose Dos Campos (SJC) referred to as Dutra (this one) and Colinas. If you are in a wheelchair go to the Colinas one!

The hotel is bright and clean. There is a steep curb cut at the entrance, then level entrance after that.

Handicapped room is on the ground floor. The room is small and tight, with European style in-built furnishings. Wooden floor, open shelves, low bench, small curved worktop. The room is too small for most wheelchairs. The space between the bed and the wall is exactly 680mm (27.2") which is very tight. You can't avoid squeezing through since there is not enough room between the bed and the wall to stay on one side of the room. If you can squeeze through you are in a narrow area by the work desk that is usable. Not large, but big enough to get around. Power sockets are at worktop level and easily accessible.Wifi Internet. Flat screen TV with controls left on a low shelf. Bed is a Queen size at the same height as a wheelchair seat, so it's an easy transfer. Open wardrobe has low bar for hanging shirts etc. Bathroom door is about 80cm (32in), with a sliding door to maximize space. The door was broken (unable to close it) when I visited. The sink is high but has space for knees underneath.

The roll-in shower has walls on three sides and the wall mounted seat is facing you as you sit in the chair. It is not possible to get "sideways on" to the seat, resulting in a difficult and dangerous 180 degree transfer to the shower seat. This is made more difficult by the hand-rails which are at the wrong height. The shower is a fixed nozzle in the ceiling.

Toilet is accessible but again, the grab bar (which doubles as a towel rail) is at an awkward height and position.

All in all, not a comfortable place to stay.

Staff were courteous and friendly, and the breakfast is good!

IBIS Hotel, Barro Funda, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Hotel IBIS - Rua Eduardo Viana 163, Barra Funda, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Tel: +55-11-3393-7300

The hotel is bright and clean. There is a steep curb cut at the entrance, then level entrance after that.

Handicapped room is on the second floor - lift (elevator) is small but there is enough space even for a large wheelchair. Room is right beside the lift.

The room is neat with European style in-built furnishings. Wooden floor, open shelves, low bench, small curved worktop. Not large, but big enough to get around. Power sockets are at worktop level and easily accessible. Wifi Internet. Flat screen TV with controls left on a low shelf. Bed is a Queen size at the same height as a wheelchair seat, so it's an easy transfer. Open wardrobe has low bar for hanging shirts etc. Bathroom door is about 80cm (32in), with a sliding door to maximize space. The sink is high but has space for knees underneath. Roll-in shower with a permanent hard (fake marble) bench running along one wall. Grab rails for transfer and balance when on bench. Hand held shower rose with wall mounting. Badly positioned grab-rails by toilet, but everything is usable and there is plenty of space to turn around.

Or at least everything was usable when I arrived. On transferring to the toilet there was an ominous crack, then a groan, then toilet, cistern and myself cam crashing to the ground in a cascade of water and shattered porcelain. Although a little heavier than I should be, I am not that big! The toilet appears to have been cracked previously. The hotel were very nice about it, and since I was not injured and was checking out that morning there was little that could be done.

All areas of the hotel are accessible including the restaurant on the first floor (second floor for Americans). Staff were extremely helpful and friendly.

Recommended.

Guarulhos Airport (GRU), Sao Paulo, Brazil

Arriving
Most international flights arrive at Guarulhos (GRU) International Airport. Although looking a bit dated it is clean and well serviced. Ground staff handling the aisle chair were well trained. I was taken off the plane quickly, and transferred to my own chair which had been brought to the air bridge. I flew United from Washington D.C. but on previous trips I have flown KLM from Amsterdam and received the same efficient treatment.

The ground assistant walked me through Immigration (no queues - I was last off the aircraft and everyone had been processed before I got through! I wish US Customs and Immigration were as efficient!), picked my bag off the carousel and walked me out to the taxi rank. The official taxi service for GRU is GuaruCoop (http://www.guarucoop.com.br - there are some pages in English). They do not have adapted taxis - just a range of regular taxis (sedans, station-wagons, people carriers). There is a stand just outside the airport doors where you can buy a ticket with a credit card. You then just hand the ticket to the driver. (You can pay the driver directly with cash also, but it is very reassuring getting a fixed price ticket for your destination in a strange city). The girl at the desk spoke perfect English and there were no problems. For this trip I was staying in a region of Sao Paulo for the first night called Barro Funda. This was about 35mins from the airport and cost BRL82.

I do not know if it is possible to rent cars with hand controls in Sao Paulo (certainly Hertz don't do it) but even if it was I'm not sure that I would drive there. Traffic is chaotic and driving style is exhilarating to say the least. You also have to cope with unexpected hazards such as someone cycling along the median of the freeway!