Wheelchair Travel Notes

Newport, RI, USA - Hotel (Marriott)

2010-06-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

These notes refer to the Marriott, Newport Rhode Island. They are intended as guidance to wheelchair users or disabled travellers thinking of using this hotel. They do not address general service issues which are more than adequately covered in reviews on other sites such as this one.

There is level access from street level to a front lobby. Reception is up one floor, and there is a long ramp to the elevator from the front door. (It is actually easy to enter from the parking lot, as that door brings you directly to the elevators). Once at reception, there is level access to the restaurant, bar and shop. I was directed to a room on the same level as reception, down a long corridor with a carpet that had a pile that was difficult to roll-on.

My room (double, accessible, bath) had a bit too much furniture for the size but it was still possible to get around. The work desk was a good size, easy to access, and all plugs were at desk height and easily reached. Wired Internet (extra charge) did not work at first but a visit from a service person determined that the plug at the desk level was not working, and he plugged directly to the difficult to access wall point instead. Closet was a high and difficult to hang and remove clothes. Air conditioning controls were on the wall and could be reached from a chair. TV controls were by the TV and easy to reach. Room light switches were easy to reach, but not from the bed. The bed was a good height and easy to transfer in and out of.

The bathroom was a comfortable size. Plenty of knee room under the sink. Mirror was not tilted and was ok for viewing head and shoulders but not much else. Toilet was standard height (not raised) with well positioned grab-rails. My room had a bath. Grab rails were well positioned. Shower hose was fixed to the wall and directed at a very poor angle. I was unable to adjust it. Water controls were easy to reach while sitting in bath. Towels were left at an easy height to reach.

All in all, the room was an average ADA accessible room with some annoyances (e.g. the closet). Access into and out of the hotel, including the long trip to the room, would make me avoid this hotel on future visits. Service, staff and restaurant were excellent.

Hamburg, Germany - Hotel (IBIS Hamburg Alster)

2010-05-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

These notes refer to the IBIS Hamburg Alster and are intended to assist other wheelchair users or handicapped travelers considering staying at this hotel. This review addresses only issues related to access. For general information and reviews about this hotel go to tripadvisor.

The hotel is situated close to the centre of Hamburg, a few meters from the Alster river. Access to the hotel is level from the street pavement through automatic doors. There is no curb cut in the pavement outside the hotel, so if you arrive by taxi you will need some assistance to mount the curb. Inside, the lobby, bar and restaurant are all on one level and access is easy. There is a handicapped toilet off the lobby.

The lift (elevator) is too narrow to turn in, but quite deep so there is plenty of room. My room was close to the elevator on the first floor (one above ground floor). The room itself was very small and compact and just about big enough to get around. There was really only access to one side of the bed. The workdesk was small but usable. The electric sockets could not be reached easily. Wifi Ethernet (extra charge) worked well. The window was open when I arrived, letting in a lot of noise from the train tracks behind. It is not possible to close and secure the window from a wheelchair.

The bed was a double, and at a comfortable height for transfers. All lights in the room could be controlled from a switch by the bed. The TV controls were left on the bed, and the A/C controls were at a comfortable height. The closet was perfectly positioned for access and use, although it had no door.

The bathroom was large enough to maneuver in – just! Sink was a good size with plenty of knee room underneath. The toilet was beside the sink making transfers on and off a little difficult. A well positioned fold-up handrail provided good support while on the toilet. The shower was a roll-in type with a small plastic fold-up seat attached to the wall. A fold-down grab rail provided stability in the shower. The handrail and shower controls could be reached easily from the shower seat. The shower hose was a hand-held mounted on a rail at a good height. The towels in the bathroom were a little high, but two extra towels were left in the bedroom in an easily accessible location.

IBIS rooms tend to be basic, no-frills type accommodation and some I have stayed in were smaller than this. I would recommend this hotel to wheelchair users, and would stay there again if visiting Hamburg.

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland - Hotel (Mount Errigal Hotel)

2010-04-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

This entry describes my experiences at the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny and is intended to assist wheelchair users or disabled travelers considering this hotel. I do not address general features of the hotel - you can find plenty of those reviews here.

Entry to the hotel is via a very steep ramp from the car park. This is more than 1:12, maybe 1:10, and a hefty push to get up it. Once up, entry to the lobby is via automatic doors. Access to the reception desk is up two sets of steps, each set has a ramp to one side for us wheelies. These ramps feel like regulation 1:12 or perhaps slightly less and are manageable. The bar and restaurant area is off to the left. This also has several levels and each one can be accessed through doors from the reception. There is no ramp between levels within the bar/restaurant area itself - you need to go into the reception area to use the ramps to move between levels. The hotel seems to have many levels and all seem to be accessible, but the frequent ramps can be exhausting especially with luggage although staff will help you if you ask.

My room was a handicapped accessible family room. The reason we stayed at the Mount Errigal was because it was the only hotel that has a room available that was both wheelchair accessible and could sleep two adults and two children. The room was large and easy to get around. The two double beds were both accessible with adequate room between them to get the chair between. The workdesk was comfortable and easy to use. Electric sockets were easy to reach in the wall behind at desk height. The closet made no concession to wheelies and was awkward to use. It contained a fold-out ironing board that I've never come across before, and I was able to use it to iron a couple of shirts with ease (or as much ease as ironing can be!). Bedside light switches were well positioned, but main room lights could not be controlled from the bed. There is no air-conditioning (not really needed in Ireland!) but a heater could be turned on or off easily. The TV controls were easy to reach.

The bathroom was very spacious with plenty of turning space. It had a bath, and was more suited to an ambulant disabled rather than a wheelie. The main thing lacking was appropriately placed grab bars. However, it was usable. The shower hose was handheld, and the rail was fixed to the wall and very high. The sink was tiny - this is a common feature in Irish handicapped rooms and is due to some daft regulation laid down by the authorities. Clearly the people who write the regulations are not actual users. This sink was slightly larger than the usual but still barely bog enough to wash hands or equipment. The toilet was easy to get to with well positioned grab rails. Towels were left at a low level and easy to reach.

To get to my room from reception involved going through a heavy set of doors, a short steep ramp (very steep) to a small lift (elevator). Up to the next floor, up two more ramps (regulation - not too steep) and around two corners over deep carpet. Good for exercise but certainly not conducive to running down to reception to ask a question!

The hotel staff were warm and friendly and the atmosphere was family oriented and relaxed - more genuine than the US chain hotels I'm used to, if quirkier. I would stay there again, although if I was travelling without the kids I would probably check out one of the more modern hotels in Letterkenny.

JFK airport, New York - AirTrain (SkyTrain)

2010-03-24T03:08:00.000-07:00

I defy anyone in a wheelchair to get from Terminal 6 in JFK to any other terminal using the AirTrain (sometime called the SkyTrain), without asking for assistance. There are absolutely no signs indicating where to go. You arrive off your plane and head towards the exits. There are signs for baggage claim (don't want that, my bags are checked through), taxis (don't want those, I'm just changing terminals), ground transport (nope, not renting a car or getting a bus) and parking (no - no car here). But for the AirTrain or other terminals? Not a hint. The map is no good either, it is just a map of terminal 6.

If you do ask someone who looks official, they will point you to a door discreetly located past some restaurants, down a narrow corridor and suddenly you are through a double door (locked - but there is a TSA official who will open it for you) into the ticketing area on the land side of security. There you turn right and spot the very tiny sign pointing to elevators to the AirTrain.

Apart from the difficulty in finding it, the AirTrain is very accessible and easy to use. Easy to roll on, plenty of space on-board. The only challenge is trying to figure out which platform to use to get to the terminal you want. The secret is to listen carefully to the announcements as the train enters the station. Be careful. Boarding the wrong train will lose you a lot of time. Once who have boarded, look at the map on board and pay attention to the announcements to reassure yourself you are going the right way.

Sure beats the old JFK where I was once manually carried on some shoulders to get from one terminal to the other, while another person carried my chair!!

LaGuardia, NY - Hotel (Lexington Marco LaGuardia)

2010-03-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

This entry describes my experiences at the Lexington Marco LaGuardia Hotel and is intended to assist wheelchair users or disabled travelers considering this hotel.

Entry to the hotel is via a very steep ramp from street level. This is more than 1:12, maybe 1:10, and a hefty push to get up it. Once up, entry to the lobby is via automatic doors. There is a restaurant adjacent to the hotel (the Magna) that is accessible direct from the hotel.

My room (Accessible, two doubles, bath) was large and easy to get around, although the two double beds took up some space. The workdesk was comfortable and spacious. Electric sockets were easy to reach. Closet was easy to access and use. All lights, with the exception of the work-desk lamp could be turned on or off from the bed - a rare touch that I like.

The bathroom was very spacious with plenty of turning space. It had a bath, and was more suited to an ambulant disabled rather than a wheelie. The main thing lacking was appropriately placed grab bars. However, I found it very usable. The sink had knee room underneath, the toilet was easy to get to and not too high. The shower hose was fixed to the wall and very high. Towels were left at a low level and easy to reach.

All in all a decent, comfortable, accessible room located in Chinatown in Queens. I'd stay there again.

Dulles Airport, VA - Aerotrain

2010-03-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

Dulles International Airport (IAD), serving Washington D.C., recently unveiled its new Aerotrain for ferrying passengers between terminals. These notes reflect my experience using the train and are intended to assist wheelchair users using IAD. In summary, the train is accessible to wheelchair users, but you need to be careful to get off on the correct side of the train for elevator access. Details below.

The Aerotrain replaces the "moving lounges" that used to be used to go between terminals. These were essentially busses that you could board direct from the terminal. The moving lounge is still used going to and from terminal D and for international arrivals to go to the immigration hall. Terminals A, B and C are served by the Aerotrain.

The Aerotrain runs underground - one line from the main terminal services A and C and another line services B. (You can still walk from the main terminal to terminal B through an underground tunnel).

Access to the train is via elevator. After ticketing you get an elevator to the security area. After passing through security, you take a further elevator to the train platform. Signage is not good, and it can be frustrating trying to find the elevators.

The train is fully accessible, getting on is easy. The train is level with the platform and the gap is small (a few cm, 1.5"). There is plenty of room on-board to park your chair and the ride is comfortable and fast. Where the designers get you is in disembarking at the terminal. You must disembark onto the central platform when you arrive at the terminal. If you don't do this you will find yourself either at a dead end with no way out except an escalator, or facing a long steep ramp which is very difficult to wheel up - especially with luggage. Only the central platform has elevator access. To trick you into disembarking on the wrong side, the doors to the non-central platform open first. You have to wait, hanging grimly to your spot against the tide of frantic humanity that presses off the train, until the doors on the other side of the train open, allowing access to the central platform and the elevators. This is not signed anywhere and I found out only by trial and error and several visits. (If you do end up in a dead end, your only option is to wait for another train and then pass through once both sets of doors are open).

There are significant distances to wheel to and from the Aerotrain so give yourself plenty of time if transferring at IAD.

The Flying Circus 7 - Coping with jet-lag

2010-03-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

There is no easy solution for jet lag with the kids. I have read that it takes roughly one day to adjust to a one hour shift in time, and my experience backs this up. As an adult you can do various things (ensure you sleep and wake in the new times as fast as possible, get plenty of sunshine and fresh air during the day in you r new time zone etc.) but your kids won’t do this. They will go to slepp when they are tired (their old bed times) and wake when they’re not (they’re old wake times) and this can really screw up your day. All you can do is try to work them into the new time zone a little bit every day, putting them to bed as close as possible to an appropriate time for your new time zone and insisting they stay there (even if they don’t sleep). Get them into the fresh air and outside as much as possible during the day in your new time zone. Try to maintain a routine as much as possible. It definitely helps if you are staying at the same location (hotel or friends’ house) for the first 3 or 4 nights to establish a routine. Make sure you bring some night-time stuff from home – a favorite teddy, or blanket, or pajamas, and try to keep the same night time routine as you use at home.

Frequently, my wife and I end up staying in the same hotel room as the kids. We learned quickly that they simply will not go to sleep if we are in the room. This has led to several unromantic evenings spent in the bathroom of the hotel room with the lights off waiting for slumber to settle in the bedroom. Nothing like sitting on the toilet sharing a glass of wine with your beloved! If you can afford a suite take it!

The Flying Circus 6 - Landing

2010-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

A good trick is to give the kids lollipops when descending. This helps the pressur eon their ears and may reduce the discomfort. I have constantly tried to make landing exciting by telling them to prepare for the “bumpity-bumps” and talking about what we can see through thee windows. The result is that this is now the favorite part of the journey for my tiny tots and they laugh themselves silly during landing and decelerating.

As a wheelchair user who needs an aisle chair to dis-embark, you are going to be last off the plane. So just sit back, relax and let everyone else get off first. My wife and the kids usually get off ahead of me and wait on the air-bridge or in the lounge.

Disembarking is the reverse of boarding. The ground staff come with an aisle chair and you have to transfer into it. Again, it’s great if you can do that yourself. If not you need to depend on the sometimes poorly trained ground staff. In Europe it is usually no problem – in the US it is usually a scary and dangerous moment. If you need assistance, insist that at least two people are available. Very often they send just one person with the aisle chair, and they may or may not know what they are doing.

They wheel you off the aircraft and with luck your wheelchair will be waiting for you on the airbridge. Once you are in that you are home and dry and back in control of your destiny. I usually ask for a push to the top of the airbridge (it can be steep) and then dismiss the ground staff as I have found it easier and faster to get through the airport myself. But in a strange airport it can be useful to have someone guide you.

Another circumstance where having a guide is very useful, is if you need to go through passport control at your destination. The guide can usually fast-track you and your family through the lines.

The Flying Circus 5 - Boarding the plane

2010-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is how boarding works when you are traveling in your own wheelchair. Firstly, and most importantly, be at the gate early. Domestic or local flights usually start boarding 20 or 30 minutes before departure time. Long haul usually starts 45 minutes before departure time. Be at the gate ten minutes before boarding starts – at least. As soon as you reach the gate, talk to the personnel on the podium and tell them you need an aisle chair to get on board the plane, and any other assistance you may require. This is essential. It doesn’t matter if the check-in said it would be okay, or if it is written on your ticket. The only person who needs to know is the gate manager, and invariably they never do. I don’t know why. It helps if you can let them know at least 30 or 45 minutes in advance. The other thing you need from the gate agent is a “gate tag” for your wheelchair. This should ensure that you get it on arrival – doesn’t always happen.

The guys with the aisle chair eventually turn up. Airlines like to board the wheelies first, but this is not always possible. If the plane is re-fueling, or if the ground guys are late, they will start boarding the walkies first. The important thing is to stay close to the gate and ask questions. Once they are ready to board you, you can take your own chair all the way down to the aircraft door. At that point, you transfer from your own chair to the aisle chair (sometimes called a “straight-back”). The aisle chair is a very narrow chair that fits down the aisle of the aircraft. If you need assistance you will need to direct operations and give very clear instructions about what you want to happen. You kiss your wheelchair goodbye. Make sure there is nothing left on the chair that may fall off – side guards, cushion, back-pack etc. Take everything removable with you onto the aircraft. I just pull everything off and throw it in a heap on the ground and tell the guys that all of that needs to get on-board. At this point you are at the mercy of the handlers. You have no control over the aisle chair as they man handle you on-board. My experience has been that European airports do this really well, and US airports are terrible. It helps if you can make your own transfers. If not, ensure there are two people and that they are trained – ask them. IN the US the invariably are not trained and treat you like a piece of baggage. In Europe they are usually para-medics that know how to safely transfer you from the aisle chair to your seat and vice versa.

It would be really nice if airlines always assigned wheelies to a seat that was easy to get to – near the front, with an arm rest that went up. They don’t. You just have to kind of go with the flow and try to remember that your goal is to get into a seat – any seat – safely.

Now, add some children into the mix. The good news is that, if the airline is properly organized, they will invite wheelies and their companions to board first. My wife and kids go on board ahead of me, giving them time to get settled and get all the bags organized while I’m transferring to the aisle chair and dismantling my wheelchair. Like going through security, it is better to act as two separate groups at this point. Otherwise, staff will stand back and expect your spouse to carry your bags – and they have enough on their plates with the kids’ paraphernalia.

A notable exception to all this palaver is the domestic US airline Southwest Airlines. They fly Boeing 737s exclusively, and the particular configuration they use means that I can get to the first row of seats in my own chair (680mm/27.2" wide). You have to do a near 180 degree transfer to get onto the seat but if you can mange that then Southwest is by far the fastest and most efficient boarding system I know.

The Flying Circus 4 - Going through security

2010-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Just assume that this is going to be a nightmare and you will not be disappointed.

Plan it out in advance. Discuss it with your partner. Who is going to carry what, who is going to go first etc. etc. Review the plan twice before you get to the line to ensure you both understand what you are going to do. This is how we do it:

- Spouse walks behind me, with kids in between. Wheelchairs get priority (usually) at security lines, so this allows us to move quickly to the security area as a family.

- Once at the x-ray scanners, I assist my wife with getting the kids ready: shoes off, coats off, carry-on bags on the belt. She folds the buggy, gets it on the belt, pulls out the little 1-quart baggie with liquids, gels etc. (tow of these – I have one and she has one) until finally my wife and the kids are ready to go through.

- My wife walks through the x-ray first (and again and again until she no longer beeps). I hold the kids back until she is ready at the other side. Then the kids walk through to her, one by one. Then, and only then, I start getting myself through security.

- Often, when going through, security will ask if you are travelling alone. I always say yes. If you don’t, they expect your wife to capture and look after all your stuff after it has gone through the x-ray belt. She has enough to do with her own mountain of stuff (see the section on packing!) and the kids!

For a wheelie, going through security always involves a body search. So the routine is to prepare all my bags, remove laptops etc. just like anyone else. I cannot easily remove my shoes and this is usually okay. Although security will ask, and sometimes try to insist, if you are firm about your needs and abilities they will let you keep your shoes on. I don’t use a back-pack on my chair as it wrecks the upholstery, so instead I use a bag that hangs under the chair to carry bits and pieces. My one (from Adaptable®) can be quickly un-clipped and I bought it specifically for security purposes. I have never had any problem bringing medical necessities through such as catheters (even the pre-lubricated type sealed with their own liquid) or urine bottles (I use standard Rubbermaid® 1-litre liquid “serving saver” bottles).

So once you have all your stuff on the belt, it goes through just like everyone else’s. Then you wait until a security person opens a little gate beside the scanner and waves you through. The body search is pretty thorough and you will be asked to put your arms out to each side, lean forward in your chair, lift yourself if that is possible. Training of personnel varies from place to place, but by and large I have found that the staff are considerate and sensitive to my needs while still doing a thorough job. You are entitled to a private screening if you want one, but I never bother. The staff will also swab your chair, hands, and shoes for traces of explosives. Sometimes they “wand’ you and may ask permission to lift your legs off the foot-rests to do this.

We have had some horrendous experiences. One horrible incident where my toddler fell off my lap because I was trying to get my bags done (without assistance) and no one would help him or let my wife back out to pick him up and tend to his bleeding lip. Only fellow passengers came to our assistance. That’s what I mean when I say assume the worst. Staff in some locations are notoriously rude and unhelpful (Dulles International for example, although it seems to be improving over the last six months) while in other locations they are a pleasure to deal with (Baltimore/Washington International for example). My advice about all this is to just do what you can to make their job easier. It is no fun for anyone, and the person you are dealing with doesn’t make the rules. Your goal is to get safely through with minimum stress.

The Flying Circus 3 - The airport

2010-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

We live too far from the airport to get a taxi, so we usually drive. I drop off the family at the departures door, then park the car and return to meet them. We always give ourselves plenty of time – aim to be at check-in no later than two hours before the flight. Sure you can cut it finer than that, but is the stress and risk of delays worth it?

We do not hang around. We go straight to check-in and then straight to security. The aim is to get “air-side” as fast as possible.

When you check-in tell the check-in person your needs. If you can walk a few steps onto the airplane, say so. If you need an aisle chair (carry-on, straight-back or lift-on are other terms that are used) then say so. If your chair is an electric chair you will need to tell them so that they can follow the appropriate procedures.

When you get your boarding passes, check them to make sure you are all actually seated together. You would be amazed at how often the kids end up seated elsewhere! Pleasant and all as that would be, I don’t recommend it.

If you booked your infant as a lap child, ask the check-in agent if they can block a seat beside you. If the flight is not full they may oblige and you end up getting a free seat for your infant. They will still need to be on your lap for take-off and landing.

Some airlines offer bassinets or cots. Ask at check-in if this is an option and see if you can get one for your baby. This means that the airline will seat you at a bulkhead where the cot can be mounted. This is a mixed blessing. Bulkheads are not great unless you really need them. Because the armrests don’t go up, transferring in and out of the seat can be very difficult. In addition, the extra space allows toddlers to “escape” easily. Our littlest was an active crawler before he could walk. One unfortunate passenger spent most of a transatlantic flight stopping his escapes with a judiciously placed leg as he took advantage of every time we were distracted by the other to slide away and make a break for freedom.

The Flying Circus 2 - Packing

2010-02-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

I'm talking here about what you bring onto the plane - not what you pack for your trip. Diapers (nappies), wipes, a change of clothes snacks, sandwiches, drink, books, crayons, small silent toys, a favorite teddy and a blanket or cardigan. And that’s just for the kids! They will get too cold, or too hot.

I used to scoff at my wife for packing enough snacks and sandwiches to feed a small army for every flight, saying that we could get food on-board. I changed my mind after we were stuck on the ground for two plus hours after boarding – not once, but twice. In this limbo between boarding and take-off the airline staff cannot serve food or drink. Two hours in an eternity for a toddler or baby. Had we not had our rations, the children would have gone off the deep end with hunger and frustration. So now I smile benignly as she stuffs her carry-on bag to its limit.

Be alert to the likelihood that whatever book or toy or teddy is brought aboard stands a good chance of being lost unless you are exceptionally vigilant. So if it’s the favorite teddy tie it onto something!

Also, be aware that you cannot bring drinks through security – so plan to buy them on the other side. Other things subject to confiscation are yogurts (the tubes seem to be okay) and play-doh.

The Flying Circus 1 - Booking your flight

2010-02-26T12:00:00.001-08:00

Planning for a successful trip begins right at the earliest stage - booking the flights. Don't just go by price. You may save a few dollars up front but believe me, when you have missed your connection in some ice-bound airport at 2am you would happily pay hundreds of dollars to be somewhere else! I book based on connections, airports and times - price has the least input.

Usually I use a search site like www.sidestep.com to find out what airlines fly to where I want to go and to get a feel for the prices. Then I go directly to the airline sites and search by schedule to find the best flights. What I'm looking for is:

Connections:
Preferably none. In fact, always none. Unless there is no direct flight, the risks of taking a connection are too high. I have arrived at one airport while my wheelchair went to another. I have arrived at airports and been left waiting for forty-five minutes before the staff turned up to lift me off the plane. I have had to wheel from one end of an airport to another in an effort to make my gate for the connecting flight. None of this is pleasant when you are travelling alone, but with children the stress levels are just not worth it.

If you do need to make a connection then leave at least two and a half hours between flights. I know that hanging around an airport for two plus hours is no fun, especially with little ones, but anything shorter is really too risky. Consider this – a lot of flights these days take off late (although this trend seems to be improving as airlines cut back on flights and capacity during this downturn). An "on-time departure" to an airline is anything less than fifteen minutes late. Many flights I have been on are between 15 and 45 minutes late leaving the gate. So, assume you will be thirty minutes late taking off. The pilot may or may not make up time so assume you are thirty minutes late landing. Now, everyone on the plane has to get off before you do. I have noticed that, if there are 180 people on the plane, 177 of them will disembark within a few minutes of landing. Two will take another ten minutes. And then there's you. So, about twenty-five minutes after landing you are finally able to transfer to your chair (assuming they deliver it to the gate. I have also had the chair arrive at the right airport, but then get delivered to the baggage hall!) You are now 55 minutes behind schedule, you need to be at the next gate forty minutes before they take off. So you pat yourself on the back for leaving two and a half hours between flights because you now have just under an hour to find your gate, go to the restroom, change diapers, and so on. To be fair, this is the worst case. But I prefer the buffer of time to the rush of adrenalin as you race for a connection with screaming kids in tow.

And all of this planning goes to pieces if your flight is significantly delayed or, worse, cancelled. Really - you don't want to connect if you can possibly avoid it. I will pay a few hundred dollars more to avoid a connection.

Airports:
Small is good. If you want to go to LA, consider Orange county airport. If flying to the Washington D.C. area consider Ronald Reagan (DCA) instead of Dulles. I find the staff are better trained and the airport easier to navigate when it is small. If you are connecting then avoid Northern airports (Chicago, JFK) in winter and Southern airports (Atlanta, Dallas) in Summer - both because of weather delays. Be aware that large sprawling airports (such as ORD) can be very difficult to transfer through quickly if you are in a wheelchair.

Times:
Try to think through the kids' schedule. The important thing is to try to keep the food and nap schedule as close to normal as possible. You will board the plane possibly as much as forty minutes before the scheduled take-off, and the "fasten safety belt" light will be turned off about ten minutes after take-off, which could be about thirty minutes after the plane has left the gate in a busy airport. So that 60 or 90 min period is one in which the kids won't get uninterrupted sleep and you will be unable to feed them properly or change diapers. So try to plan the flights so that these are normal "awake times". This is really difficult to do, but you will be rewarded if you can manage it by kids that are minutely less grumpy than they would be otherwise.

If you can't get ideal times (and who can with schedules?) then think through the consequences of the times. If you are due to take off right at dinner time, arrive early at the airport, go through security and give yourself time to have an early dinner before you board.

If your child is under 2 years old, he can be booked as a “lap child”. This means they don’t get their own seat, but travel on one or the other parents lap. This is worth it as ti saves a significant amount of money – but you have to decide if you can deal with an infant on your lap for the flight. If you do book a seat, remember that you will need a flight approved child-seat for an under two.

Most airlines ask you to call in advance and inform them that you are in a wheelchair and what you requirements are. This is a good idea – although frankly I never do it. But my requirements are minimal as I have a manual chair and can do most of my own transfers. However, if you do call, do not assume that the information you provide will get imparted to the check-in staff, or ground- or air- staff on your flight. It might – but it might not. Incompetence is rife in the airline industry.

The Flying Circus - Introduction

2010-02-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

This series of entries is a summary of the lessons learned while flying with a wheelchair, a patient walkie (my wife) and two kids under three. Getting this whole show through an airport and onto an airplane is definitely a circus but we have flown internationally many times with (reasonable) success. And it definitely gets easier the older the kids get! If you use a wheelchair and plan to fly, with or without kids, hopefully these notes will help you!

In 1969 the BBC first broadcast Monty Python's Flying Circus. It exemplified an off-beat, surrealistic sense of humor. Such a sense of the absurd is a valuable skill to have if you are contemplating air travel with two tots and a wheelchair. Anyone who travels in a wheelchair knows that it is no joke. And anyone who has traveled with tiny children knows that it too is no joke. But combine these and you get a true Flying Circus, complete with performing animals and a clown!

We have made the journey from Washington, D.C. to Dublin, Ireland several times with the kids. We have also flown to San Diego and Aruba. This entry is an attempt to share the (little) advice I can offer after these experiences. I'm not saying that you will be guaranteed a pleasurable and stress free journey if you follow these steps - such a thing is impossible - but they may help ease the pain a little. The following entries cover booking your flight, packing for the flight, dealing with the airport, going through security, boarding the plane, landing and finally dealing with jet-lag. Note that these notes assume a long-haul flight, possibly over night. Short haul is definitely easier!

El Segundo (Los Angeles, LAX), CA, USA - Hotel (Hilton Garden Inn)

2010-02-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

The Hilton Garden Inn LAX/El Segunda is located almost two miles from LAX (Los Angeles International airport) in the business district of El Segunda. These notes are intended to assist wheelchair users considering using the hotel. I do not review hotel facilities except where they impact wheelchair users since there are plenty of sites on-line (e.g.www.tripadvisor.com) that cover that stuff! This hotel is within easy striking distance of LAX and has free self-parking which is a big advantage in this area.

Level access from parking lot through automatic doors. The lobby and restaurant are fully accessible.

My room on this occasion was a king bed, ADA accessible, with bath. The room was very large with plenty of space to maneuver and just enough furniture. Very comfortable to move around. The workdesk was of a good size and height and easily reached by wheelchair. Two sockets were mounted on the wall at table height and easy to use. Wired Ethernet in the room worked well (free).

The bed was slightly higher than the wheelchair but still relatively easy to transfer in and out of. Bedroom closet was fine - split into two, one section for wheelies and one for walkies. A/C controls were at a comfortable height. The TV control was left by the TV and easily accessible. Coffee maker, microwave and fridge were all easily accessible.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The sink was easy to use, and the toilet was low. Grab bars were well positioned. A plastic seat was left in the bathroom for use if necessary. The bath was low and easy to get in and out of, although the grab bars are positioned high - more for ambulant disabled than for wheelies. The shower was a hand-held rose, on a sliding bar. This was a little high for reaching from the bath but the controls are easy to reach. The towels were placed on a low towel rack and easy to reach.

All in all this room was extremely comfortable and strongly recommended for wheelchair users visiting the area. It is worth noting that there is a Green Line metro station right by the hotel, with an elevator although I did not use the metro myself.

San Diego, CA, USA - Hotel (Holiday Inn, Rancho Bernardo)

2010-02-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Inn Rancho Bernardo is located in Rancho Bernardo in the suburbs of San Diego. These notes are intended to assist wheelchair users considering using the hotel. I reviewed the hotel before, here. At that time I gave it 2 out of 5 and it made the "worst three hotels" list - with the dubious honor of being the worst in the United States in terms of a comfortable, wheelchair accessible room. However, it is one of the cheaper hotels in the area so I ended up staying here again. On this occasion I was given a different room, and had a better experience. So this time it gets 3 and a half out of five giving it an average rating of 2.5 points and, to be fair, lifting it out of the "three worst" list.

The property is in two parts. The accessible rooms seem to be in the main part where reception is located. The lobby and breakfast area are fully accessible and there is level access from outside through automatic doors - no ramp necessary.

My room on this occasion was a king bed, ADA accessible, roll-in shower. Having just one king bed instead of the two queens of the last visit made all the difference in terms of space to move around. The workdesk was of a good size and height with one easily reached socket in the desk lamp. Wifi in the room worked well (free).

The bed was slightly lower than the wheelchair and relatively easy to transfer in and out of. Bedroom closet was fine. A/C controls were reachable but a little high. The TV control was left by the bed and easily accessible. Coffee maker, microwave and fridge were all usable.

The bathroom was a comfortable size with good turning space (unlike the last time). The sink was easy to use, and the toilet was low. Grab bars were well positioned. The shower had a large plastic shower seat which was tricky to transfer in and out of. The shower also had two hoses. One was a hand-held rose, on a sliding bar with it's own water controls. This was ideally placed for use from the shower seat. Unfortunately the water control had a heat regulator that was set too low so the water never got warm. Since I'm not too keen on cold showers I was unable to use this rose. The other rose is a fixed, wall mounted rose high in the shower. To use it involved dragging the shower seat to the other end of the shower and transferring there was a lot more difficult. Towels were placed on a rack above the toilet and were extremely difficult to reach.

It was a pity about the shower as otherwise this room was not bad - about middle of the road for accessible American hotels (and, to be fair, American hotels tend to be a lot more accessible than elsewhere in the world!). I've removed the hotel from the "three worst" list and recommend that if you are planning to stay here you insist on a King bed, accessible room and avoid the two doubles.

Dublin, ireland - Pub (Shebeen Chic)

2010-01-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

The Shebeen on Georges St. in Dublin (http://www.shebeenchic.ie) features live music and bar menu. Access to the pub is level from the street and there is plenty of room to move around. The tables are low and comfortable to sit at. Although the walkie toilets are downstairs, there is an unmarked door on the ground floor which is actually a handicapped toilet. Unfortunately, the establishment stores all the floor-cleaning equipment (mops, buckets etc.) in this toilet making it almost impossible to use if you are in a wheelchair as there is no room to turn.

It could be a great pub but unfortunately I can only say - Avoid!

San Antonio, TX, USA - Riverwalk

2009-12-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have written about San Antonio and the Riverwalk before (see here) so this is just an update on two particular points.

Firstly, I found an elevator just by the junction of St. Mary's St. and Houston St. I have rolled past this point at least twenty times before and never noticed this elevator (lift) so I thought I'd mention it!

Secondly, on this occasion I took a barge ride on the river. These barges have fairly level access (you might need to negotiate a level difference of a few inches) and there is space at the back by the guide to sit in your wheelchair. (Getting out of the chair into the main seating area is not really an option unless you can walk a little or are very dexterous). The downside is that you are sitting right by the diesel motor and the noise can drown out the guide's information. I found it a pleasant enough way to pass 30mins though and would recommend it. It is a good way to get oriented with the riverwalk also. I had the pleasure of doing it at Christmas time which, although cold, was well worth it for the lights!

San Antonio, TX, USA - Hotel (Holiday Inn Express, Nt Riverwalk)

2009-12-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Holiday Inn Express, North Riverwalk, 120 Camaron St., San Antonio (http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/satcm). This hotel is centrally located, about two block from the Market Square and about 4 blocks from the Riverwalk. It's actually occupies an historic building, formerly a prison, that makes it's access a little awkward.

Parking for the hotel is about a block away, but there is a single handicapped parking space at the front of the hotel. Since this was occupied, hotel staff allowed me to park in the 15-min registration space but the parking situation is far from ideal. (Although, at $10/day, it is a lot cheaper than other local options). There are many steps into the hotel, so the handicapped entrance is down the right hand side. You go up a long and treacherously slippy ramp to a door. You need a room key to open the door, but there is a bell that will alert the reception staff to your presence. Once inside everything is level. There is an elevator to upper floors, although this is at the back of the hotel so you have a bit of wheeling to do! Being a Holiday Inn Express there is no restaurant or bar, but the breakfast area is by the lobby and fully accessible.

My room (tow double beds, accessible, bath) was large and comfortable with adequate circulation space. I could just fit between the two beds in my chair but there was plenty of space at the end of the beds. The workdesk was a comfortable size. There was an electric socket in the desk lamp that was easy to reach. Wired Ethernet (free) was available and worked well. The TV controls were left in front of the TV and easy to reach. The coffeemaker easy to reach also. There was a fridge and microwave, all conveniently positioned for a wheelchair user. The air-conditioning controls were located at a comfortable height. When we arrived the A/C unit was unplugged which would have required a call to housekeeping had I been on my own, but my walkie partner was able to stand on a chair and plug it in.

The bed was about wheelchair height and transfers in and out were easy. Bedside light could be reached (not easily) from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet was easy to use.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were well positioned. The toilet at a comfortabe height. The sink was comfortable with plenty of knee space underneath. My room had a bath. The grab rails were not in the best position - being a little high for me. However it was usable. There was a shower seat supplied although I don't use them. The shower rose was hand-held type and mounted on a rail that could just be reached from the chair. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, the access levels and comfort in this hotel are acceptable. As an economic place to stay close to the San Antonio Riverwalk it is not a bad option. You can find some wheelchair and disabled access notes about the San Antonio riverwalk itself here.

Austin, TX - Hotel (Hilton Garden Inn Downtown)

2009-12-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown, Austin TX. These notes reflect my observations during a recent visit and are intended as a guide for other disabled or handicapped travelers. This review is actually of a non-ADA approved room. Due to a mess-up in the booking they had given my reserved handicapped room away. I had no option but to take what they had as my kids were beyond exhaustion when we got there. They moved me to an ADA approved room the next day and I was also able to review that.

The hotel is situated on 5th St so it is very close to the heart of Austin. There is valet and self parking (half the hotel's 18 floors are reserved for parking). There is level access from the street level to reception. Bar and restaurant space is on the 18th floor and is accessible. Although I should mention that these were closed for private functions during the two nights I was there. I think it is outrageous that a hotel that claims to have on-site bar and restaurant does not provide access to these for regular paying guests. But that's another argument, off-topic for this blog, and more suited to the general travel reviews on a site like travelocity.

My room (two doubles, non ADA accessible, bath) was moderately sized. There was enough room to navigate around in the chair, and the beds could be accessed. There was a lot of furniture but circulation space was ok. The work desk was a comfortable size. There were two electric sockets in the desk lamp that were easy to reach. Wifi Ethernet (free) worked great. The TV controls wereeasy to reach. Fridge and coffeemaker were easy to reach, but the microwave was too high to use. The air-conditioning controls were reachable.

The bed was high making transfers in and out a little difficult. The bedside light could be reached from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so, as always, remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet hang space was too high to reach.

The bathroom door was too narrow for the chair to get in so the bathroom was completely out of bounds for me.

Since this was not an adapted room, it is not surprising that it lacked most of the facilities that one would expect. If you are able to stand or walk short distances (enough to get into the bathroom) then this might work for you, but not for me.

On paying grumpy taxi drivers who don't want to take a wheelchair

2009-12-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

I needed to take a taxi from Bradley International Airport (Hartford, CT) to a local hotel (Holiday Inn Express) since they don't have an accessible shuttle. The taxi controller offered to call a handicapped accessible taxi but I opted for a car that was already there. Boy - did that guy not want to take me! He made every excuse, insisting that the chair would not fit etc. etc. But I forced the issue and off we went on a short, grumpy ride to the hotel. But then I had a dilemma - do I pay him well to show him that us wheelies reward service, or do I give him the fare and no tip because of his grumpy attitude and unpleasant manner?

I paid him well in the hope that he would change the next time he was faced with a chair. But did I do right?

Windsor Lock (Hartford), Connecticut - Hotel (Holiday Inn Express, Bradley Airport)

2009-12-02T13:14:00.001-08:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Holiday Inn Express, Bradley International Airport , 600 Spring St., Windsor Locks, Connecticut. These notes reflect my observations during a recent visit and are intended as a guide for other disabled or handicapped travelers.

The hotel is situated close to the airport (airport code BDL) but there is no handicapped accessible shuttle. You need to get a taxi from the airport (the usher offered to call a handicapped accessible taxi but I declined) for the short run - $14 fixed charge and a grumpy taxi driver.

The hotel is fine - level access from the parking lot, breakfast area accessible. The "business center" (computer and printer) is on a high counter and not accessible.

My room (king bed, accessible, bath) was large and comfortable, with a sofa area. There was a lot of furniture but circulation space was ok. The work desk was a comfortable size. There were two electric sockets in the desk lamp that were easy to reach. Wifi Ethernet (free) worked great. The TV controls were left by the sofa and easy to reach. Fridge and coffeemaker were easy to reach, but the microwave was too high to use. The air-conditioning unit was the standard one mounted below the window, and the controls were located on it at a comfortable height.

The bed was high making transfers in and out a little difficult. The bedside light could be reached from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so, as always, remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet was easy to use.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were too high, but there was a fold up grab-rail which offered an option of grab-rails on both sides of the toilet. The toilet itself was low - perfect for those with dodgy balance. The sink had plenty of knee space underneath but was easy to use. My room had a bath. The bath was a little high and the grab rails were not in the best position. However it was usable although some might need assistance. There was a shower seat, although if sitting on the seat you cannot reach the shower controls. The shower rose was handheld and mounted just about reachable from the chair but not when in the bath. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all this was a fine room although the hotel is in need of updating.

Utah, USA - Zion National Park

2009-11-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

These wheelchair access travel notes refer to Zion Canyon National Park, Utah and my experience visiting the park as a wheelchair user. Hopefully, they will be of some use to any other disabled traveler interested in visiting the park.

The US Parks service is generally pretty good at providing information about their parks and accessibility. Before visiting any national park I recommend checking out their web site (and gleaning as much information as you can).

Route 9 runs right through Zion National Park and there are two entrances - a South Entrance at Springdale and an East entrance. You can drive into the park ($25 charge per car) but traffic is controlled and during summer months only shuttle busses are allowed to take the Zion Canyon scenic drive. There is a lodge in the park with handicapped accessible rooms although I did not stay there myself, and there are accessible camping sites. There are also many accommodation options outside the park.

The visitor center is at the South Entrance and is fully accessible with accessible rest rooms. The shuttle busses run through peak season and are all fully accessible. Most of the trails are not wheelchair accessible. The Pa'rus trail runs from the Visitor Centre and is listed as accessible, although I did not try it myself. I was running low in energy having spent the previous day beating around Bryce Canyon Park! I did take the shuttle to the Riverside walk which is also listed as accessible. The Riverside walk takes you right into the canyon and is really beautiful. The path is fully paved but there are many inclines, some of them quite steep. A fit young wheeler could navigate the path without assistance, but I depended on the kindness of strangers to get me over the steepest gradients! It is no problem at all with a walkie for occasional assistance and is very worthwhile. It's about a 2mile (3.2km) round trip so give yourself plenty of time.

The restaurant in the lodge is fully accessible and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Definitely worth a day trip although once you have done the two trails there are really not many other options left to you as a wheelie.

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Riviera Hotel and Casino

2009-11-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Riviera Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is one of the most wheelchair accommodating cities in the US - I guess our money is as good as anyone else's when it comes to giving it away to the Casino! The hotel door personnel are fully au fait with wheelchair needs, and seem capable of getting a handicapped accessible taxi within minutes at any time of the day or night. I would feel confident booking any major hotel in Vegas. The Riviera is okay, but I would guess there is a lot better. The hotel is situated some blocks down from the main cluster of activity, not far from the Stratosphere. This is one of the older hotels on the strip, and it shows.

Like most Las Vegas Casinos, you end up wheeling long distances from the door to the registration to your room, over thick pile carpet. My room was in the Monte Carlo tower.

The room (king bed, accessible, bath) was not very big, with large furniture, and circulation space was tight. I could operaste only in a small track from the door, squeeze past the over-size cabinet with the TV on it, past the work desk and to one side of the bed, after moving an easy chair. The work desk was a comfortable size. There was an electric socket in the desk lamp that was easy to reach. I was unable to get the Wifi Ethernet to work. The TV controls were left in front of the TV and easy to reach. There was no coffeemaker - the hotel doesn't want you lounging around in the room having fun, you're supposed to be out on the floor giving them your money! The air-conditioning unit was the standard one mounted below the window, and the controls were located on it at a comfortable height.

The bed was height was fine and transfers in and out were no problem. The bedside light could be reached from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so, as always, remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet was easy to use - no door, but comfortable rack height.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were well positioned. The toilet itself was of the raised ADA type, a little high for me to sit comfortable balanced. The sink had plenty of knee space underneath but was set back a bit which made it a little awkward for washing. My room had a bath. The bath was a little high and the grab rails were not in the best position. However it was usable although some might need assistance. There was no shower seat, although one is available from house-keeping if required. The shower rose was too high to be reached from the chair or when in the bath. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

Although my room had been recently refurbished, this is an older hotel and feels like it. My only other experience in Las Vegas is with the Hard Rock Hotel, and that is far superior. However, the prices are also radically different - you get what you pay for I guess. The Riviera is fine, but if you can get somewhere newer, take it!

Bryce Canyon City, UT. USA - Hotel (Best Western Bryce Canyon)

2009-10-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Best Western Grand Hotel at Bryce Canyon, just outside the gates of Bryce Canyon National Park. The park is just a mile from here, and during summer months an accessible shuttle runs to the park from nearby (charge).

The entrance to the hotel is level, as is access to the breakfast area.

My room (two queen beds, accessible, bath) was very large with excellent circulation space. However, the room had a coffee-maker, fridge and microwave that were all easily accessible. The work desk was large and easy to use, with easily accessible electric sockets in the desk lamp. Wi-fi (free) internet access was good. The air-conditioning controls were located on the wall, and also on the a/c unit itself. TV controls were left by the TV and easily accessible.

The bed was a little high making transfers in and out difficult. (Is it my imagination, but have all chain hotels raised the height of their beds over the last two years? Difficult transfers seem to be the norm now, or maybe I'm abnormal!). The bedside light was awkward to reach without hauling yourself up from the bed (or throwing a water bottle at it, which is what I did) but conversely, and easily reached switch on the wall turns off the door entrance light which saves you getting out of bed when you forget to turn it off (as I inevitably do). The closet space is designed for walkies and not usable for a wheelchair person.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were well positioned. The toilet itself was low and very comfortable to use. My room had a bath. The shower hose was hand-held and mounted on a rail that was too high to be reached from a wheelchair or while sitting in the bath. The shower controls could be easily reached. Towels were placed at a perfect height. There was plenty of knee space underneath the sink and it was easy to use.

All in all a comfortable room, with a few niggles (e.g. closet, shower rail). Not a bad option if you are in the area. For further notes on Bryce Canyon National Park, see my review here.

Utah, USA - Bryce Canyon National Park

2009-10-25T09:20:00.001-07:00

These wheelchair access travel notes refer to Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah and my experience visiting the park as a wheelchair user. Hopefully, they will be of some use to any other disabled traveler interested in visiting the park.

The US Parks service is generally pretty good at providing information about their parks and accessibility. Before visiting any national park I recommend checking out their web site (and gleaning as much information as you can).

For Bryce, you can drive into the park ($25 charge per car). I stayed in the park lodge accommodation run by Xanterra (see this review). There are also many accommodation options outside the park (for example, the Best Western Bryce Canyon, see review here).

The park is set on the edge of a plateau, and an 18-mile road stretches along the edge with many lookouts to see the incredible scenery. Most of the main action takes place in and around the park lodge location.

The visitors center (at the entrance gate) and the lodge are both handicapped accessible and have accessible restrooms. There are also accessible restrooms at Sunset Point lookout. There are accessible campsite locations also.

There are not a whole lot of options for hiking (wheeling). There is a paved path between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point lookouts by the lodge. Unfortunately, unlike the Grand Canyon rim trail, this rim trail is raised at both ends and drops in the middle so there is no way of avoiding a climb. (The Grand Canyon rim trail falls from East to West, so if you are in a chair, start at the Eastern end of the trail). Sunrise point has a very steep incline to tech viewing platform that cannot be managed in a chair without assistance. This includes coming down as the path surface is gravelly and very slippy!

The rest of the viewpoints are accessible to wheelchairs only by car or shuttle. All are accessible to some degree although Sunrise, Bryce and Inspiration all have steep inclines that may need assistance. If you have time, see them all as each gives a different perspective on the park. However, if you don't want to haul yourself in an out of a car at every point, then the "must see" lookouts that are fully accessible to a lone wheeler are Rainbow (at the very end of the road), Natural Bridge (don't miss this if you visit!) and Sunset. If you have time for only one, then do Sunset point - it will give you a sense of the magic of this place.

There is a short paved path at Paria point that is also worth looking at.

During the summer season a shuttle runs through the park. I am told this is fully accessible although it was not running when I visited. If so, this is a good option for getting around.

The restaurant in the lodge is fully accessible and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (reservations required for dinner).

AS an aside, contrary to what you might expect, Sunrise Point is not the best place to watch the sunrise, and Sunset Point is not the best place to watch the sun set! (Try Bryce point for sunrise, although Sunset Point would be pretty good too, and Inspiration point for sun set. The sun set isn't such a big deal in this Eastward facing park).

There are various ranger led activities. I had a geology talk at Sunset Point, a ranger led rim walk and a night sky presentation by the "Dark Rangers". (Bryce has very little light pollution so it's a good place for star gazing). All of these are accessible although some may have problems looking into the telescopes for the star gazing session if you are small, or unable to lift yourself in the chair. If you are interested in this I would recommend doing what I did not do, and talk to the rangers in advance about your needs.

If you are one of the lucky ones who can ride a horse then a horse ride into the park would be spectacular (I imagine). Personally, I have tried horse riding but with my dodgy balance and lack of sensation I found the experience nerve-racking. I would definitely not recommend trying horse riding for the first time in this park - experienced riders only need apply!

Check out the park web site here, and prepare for a lot of hauling yourself in and out of your car and up and down rough paved paths, and wear old clothes because you are going to get covered in dust! And have fun!

Strongly recommended.

Bryce Canyon City, UT, USA - Hotel (Bryce Canyon Lodge)

2009-10-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Xanterra operated Bryce Canyon Lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park. This is the only accomodation within the park itself. The advantage of staying here compared to one of the numerous hotels and motels outside the park is that once you're here, you're here! You can park you car and never touch it again until you are ready to leave. Against that, it is pricey for what you get, and there is an additional $25 charge to bring your car into the park.

Arriving at the lodge, there is a sign for 15 minute registration parking. Don't park here if you use a wheelchair, as the accessible entrance is actually on the other side of the building from this parking area! I arrived in the dark and stumbled around for 15 minutes trying to get in. Park instead in the lot on the other side.

The lodge itself is accessible via ramp, The restaurant and shop by registration are all accessible and there are handicapped toilets. The lodge has four wheelchair accessible rooms. My room was located in Sunrise Lodge, and you will need to get back in the car and drive to it after checking in.

My room (two queen beds, accessible, roll-in shower) was a large with good circulation space. However, I could not get the wheelchair between the beds, and had to move the table to get access to any bed. These rooms are pitched at travellers interested in hiking and viewing nature so they lack some of the things you might expect such as a TV or internet access. However, the room had a coffee-maker that was easily accessible. The room had heating and the controls were located at a comfortable height, and a fan that was accessible. A small balcony off the room was also accessible (the small step was ramped) and offered a very pleasant vista of trees and quite nature ( though not of the canyon itself).

The bed was a perfect height and transfers in and out were easy. Bedside light could not be reached without hauling yourself up from the bed, and the room lights could not be turned off from in bed. The open closet space was easy to use.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were well positioned. The toilet itself was of the raised ADA type, a little high but transferring on and off was easy enough. My room had a roll-in shower. There was a wall mounted shower seat (fold up type) and grab rails. The shower hose was hand-held and mounted on a rail that was easily reached from a wheelchair and from the shower seat. The shower controls could be easily reached. The shower should have been good, even perfect, except for a design flaw that I have seen in many places and infuriates me. One grab rail was mounted on the wall, running along behind the shower seat. So when you are sitting in the seat, the grab rail is driving into your back and constantly pushing you off. For those of us whose condition leads to impaired balance, it makes the whole showering experience an uncomfortable one, with the constant impression that you are about to topple off the seat.

Towels were placed a little high for comfort but I was able to reach them at a push.

The sink was located outside the shower/toilet room. There was plenty of knee space underneath the sink and it was easy to use with towels conveniently located beside it.

The lodge is located just a short distance from the rim walk. However, the shortest path there is rough and difficult ot negotiate by chair (see other notes about Bryce Canyon Park here).

Bryce Canyon Lodge does offer usable accomodation for the lone wheelchair user. However the room (and the park itself) would be a lot more enjoyable and easy to use if you are travelling with a wlkie that can assist you.

Salt Lake City, Utah - Hotel (Hilton Garden Inn)

2009-10-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Hilton Garden Inn, Salt Lake City.
The hotel is located in downtown Salt Lake City - about 10 minutes drive from the airport.

There are two handicapped parking spaces at the front and a few more around the back. However, you cannot enter the back of the hotel until you have checked in and have a room key. The front entrance to the hotel is level. Lobby is level and fully accessible, as is the restaurant and bar. (Be aware that Utah law mandates that you must order food if you want to have a drink!)

My room (king bed, accessible, bath) was large and comfortable with plenty of circulation space. The workdesk was a comfortable size. There were two electric sockets in the desk lamp that were easy to reach and a further two on the wall just above the work desk. Wired Ethernet (free) was available and worked well. The TV controls were left in front of the TV and easy to reach. The coffeemaker easy to reach also. There was a fridge and microwave, all conveniently positioned for a wheelchair user. The air-conditioning controls were located at a comfortable height.

The bed was a little high and transfers in and out were difficult. Bedside light could be reached (not easily) from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet was easy to use.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were well positioned. The toilet itself was of the raised ADA type, a little high for me to sit comfortable balanced, but these are now everywhere so I guess I'll just have to learn to live with them. The sink was comfortable with plenty of knee space underneath. My room had a bath. The bath was a little high and the grab rails were not in the best position. However it was usable although some might need assistance. There was no shower seat, although one is available from house-keeping if required. The shower rose was hand-held type and mounted on a rail too high to be reached from the chair.Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, the access levels and comfort in this hotel are very good. Recommended.

Wichita, Kansas - Hotel (Hilton Wichita Airport)

2009-10-08T03:24:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Hilton Hotel at Wichita Airport.

The hotel is located very close to the airport. The shuttle bus is not handicapped accessible. the hotel offered to send an accessible vehicle and perhaps they did. However, we got tired of waiting and realized that the hotel is literally a 300m (350 yd) walk across a car park area - so we walked (rolled) it. No problem if you don't mind negotiating a maze of parked cars. (Direction: Stand at hotel shuttle stop and look out across car park, you will see the Hilton. Go left, follow the footpath (sidewalk) to and through the car park, over as far as you can do. Turn left and follow the boundary of the car park, you will find a pedestrian path to teh road just opposite the entrance to the Hilton. Easy!) The location - being walking distance from the airport - is a big plus for this hotel.

The front entrance to the hotel is level. Lobby is level and fully accessible, as is the restaurant and bar.

My room (two double beds, accessible, bath) was large and comfortable. There was plenty of circulation space. The workdesk was a comfortable size. There was a single electric sockets in the desk lamp that was easy to reach. Wifi Ethernet (free) was available and worked well. The TV controls were left in front of the TV and easy to reach. The coffeemaker easy to reach also. The air-conditioning controls were located at a comfortable height.

The bed was a little high and transfers in and out were difficult. Bedside light could be reached (not easily) from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet was easy to use once I found it. I wandered around the room several times before finding it in the bathroom, cleverly placed so you could not see it with the bathroom door open. However, it was fine and had a rack at a comfortable height for hanging clothes.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were a little too high for comfort. The sink was comfortable with plenty of knee space underneath. My room had a bath. The bath was a little high and the grab rails were not in the best position. However it was usable although some might need assistance. There was no shower seat, although one is available from house-keeping if required. There were two shower roses - one hand-held and one wall-mounted. The hand-held was positioned quite high although it could be positioned lower. You might need to call a walkie to set it up for you. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, the access levels and comfort in this hotel are very good. Recommended.

Laguardia, NY - Hotel (Marriott Laguardia Airport)

2009-10-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Marriott New York La Guardia Airport.

The hotel is located very close to La Guardia and offers a handicapped accessible hotel shuttle to and from the airport. Not all the shuttle busses are handicapped accessible. If arriving at the airport, you need to call the hotel and request that they send a handicapped shuttle. If at the hotel, going to the airport, give them 30 minutes notice so they can make sure it is available for you.

Front entrance to the hotel is level. Lobby is level and fully accesible, as is the restaurant and bar.

My room (single king bed, accessible, roll-in shower) was large and comfortable. There was plenty of circulation space. The workdesk was a little small but usable. Electric sockets in the wall (4) were easy to reach. Behind the work desk is a break-out panel with plugs for electricity, Ethernet, phone, video, audio etc. (that I presume connect to the large flat-panel TV in teh room). Very convenient. Wired Ethernet (additional charge) was available and easy to reach. TV controls were on a low table and easy to reach. Coffeemaker easy to reach also. Easy to reach sockets located by the bed also.

The air-conditioning controls were located at a comfortable height - but completely inaccessible behind a table, an easy chair and a lamp!

The bed was a little high but transfers in and out were not difficult. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). The closet was easy to use and had a rack at a comfortable height for hanging clothes.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were a little too high for comfort and I found transferring on and off to be a bit difficult as a result. The sink was comfortable with plenty of knee space underneath. My room had a roll-in shower. The shower seat was one of the wall-mounted, foldaway types. Grab rails could have been better positioned for transfers but it was usable nevertheless. The shower rose was hand-held and wall-mounted. It was easy to reach when seated on the shower seat. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, the access levels and comfort in this hotel are very good. Recommended.

Dulles Airport, VA - Hotel (Marriott Washington Dulles Airport)

2009-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Marriott Rooms and Suites at Dulles Airport, serving Washington D.C.

The hotel is the closest to Dulles Airport - you could walk (or wheel) from the hotel to the terminal if it was not for the American penchant for ignoring pedestrians when laying out roads and walkways. I'm not sure there is a footpath (sidewalk) that would bring you all the way. However, the hotel offers handicapped accessible hotel shuttle to the airport so you can swap independence for comfort.

Front entrance is level. Lobby is level and fully accesible, as is the restaurant. The bar is off the lobby and accessible via a ramp. The hotel is low (2 floors) but large which means you may have a long wheel to your room through thick pile carpet which can be exhausting.

My room (single king bed, accessible, bath) was large and comfortable. There was plenty of circulation space. The workdesk was a little small but usable. It had a pull out table that offered plenty of room for a computer at a comfortable work height. Electric sockets in the desk lamp (2) were easy to reach. Wired Ethernet (additional charge) was available and easy to reach. TV controls were left on the bed in easy reach. Coffeemaker easy to reach also.

The air-conditioning controls were perfectly located at a comfortable height.

The bed was a little high but transfers in and out were not difficult. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). There were two closets. Both usable, and a comfortable height for hanging clothes.

The bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. The grab-rails by the toilet were a little too high for comfort and I found transferring on and off to be a bit difficult as a result. The sink was located outside the bathroom, sort of in an alcove off the bedroom. Sink was comfortable with plenty of knee space underneath. My room had a bath rather than a roll-in shower. The shower rose was hand-held and wall-mounted too high to reach when seated in the bath, or even when seated in your chair outside the bath. The grab rails around bath were fine, with different height bars at each end of the bath according to your preference. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible. The closet in the bedroom had a shower seat stored in it which saves having to ask reception for one - I liked that touch.

Not all the shuttle busses are handicapped accessible. If arriving at the airport, you need to call the hotel and request that they send a handicapped shuttle. If at the hotel, going to the airport, give them 30 minutes notice so they can make sure it is available for you.

Note that if you plan to stay in DC, Dulles airport is a good distance from downtown and poorly served by public transport. I would not recommend this Marriott for a stay in DC. However, although it can be pricey depending on time of week and year, this Marriott offers great convenience for handicapped travellers flying to or/from Dulles.

(Note: the hotel also offers park and fly rates including up to two weeks parking).

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Bang Cafe)

2009-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Bang Cafe is located at 11 Merrion Row, just a short distance from Stephen's Green in the centre of Dublin. it is sleek, modern and fashionable and almost totally inaccessible to wheelchair users.

Access from the street is level, but the eating areas are either down a flight of stairs to basement level, or up about seven shallow, curving steps to the "street" level. Once in this area, space is very tight to manouvre a wheelchair. The toilets are up stairs and not accessible.

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (Legends at the Arlington Hotel, Temple Bar)

2009-10-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Arlington Hotel Temple bar is located a few minutes walk from Trinity College down Dame street. Legends is the bar attached to the hotel, and it hosts a "traditional Irish night" of song and dance most every night of the week. This is one of a half dozen or so such shows that have popped up since Riverdance made Irish dancing cool (and sexy) again. The better ones are out of town (for example, Johnnie Foxes) but the Arlington Temple Bar (and it's sister hotel, the Arlington on Bachelor's walk) offer an opportunity to catch some vaguely traditional stuff at the very convenient location of centre city and just a few steps from the tourist hotbed of Temple Bar (see The Temple Bar Pub access here).

Legends offers a dinner and dance deal. The night I was there the band were good, very professional and the dancers talented although the dance show was very short and the choreography un-inspired. Or maybe I've seen too many of these shows. In any case, this entry is supposed to be about the wheelchair access, not the show so...

The bar has several levels. To get to the level where the dinner is served you need to enter via the middle door off Dame St. This door is normally closed, so you may need to go through the Legends main door and notify a member of staff.

The tables normally used for dinner are tall and too high to eat without a difficult transfer from the chair to a high stool. If you inform the management when making your reservation, they will provide a regular height table for you to eat at.

The handicapped toilet is downstairs and accessed by a lift (elevator). The night I was there the lift was bust, so the manager and a staff member carried me down the flight of stairs in my chair. The toilet (once I got there) was fine - a large, unisex, accessible toilet.

(As an aside, I can assure you that the toilet in the suite is not accessible as this was an option we tried due to the broken lift. The hotel has at least one accessible bedroom, but it was occupied so I did not get to see it!)

The staff went out of their way to meet my requirements so for that reason I give it a thumbs up despite the "difficult" nature of the access. It's not the best "Oirish" show out there, but in terms of convenience it is one of the handiest.

Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil - Restaurant (Mad Jack Steakhouse)

2009-09-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mad Jack (Avenida Eduardo Cury, 100 – Colinas – São José dos Campos (SP)) is a large pub and restaurant on a sort of American theme - pizzas, steaks, burgers etc. It is within rolling distance of the IBIS Colinas and just across the road from Colinas shopping center.

Access from the car park is via a gentle ramp. There are several levels inside, but the door level has plenty of space and quite a few tables so there should be no problem. Toilets are accessible.

Montreal, Quebec - Restaurant (Bistro L'Aromate)

2009-09-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

These notes refer to the wheelchair access for the restaurant Bistro L'Aromate, 1410 Rue Peel, Montreal. If you want a food review there are plenty of websites where you can find them.

Access from the street is level. The restaurant has small, intimate tables on many levels. Only about 4-5 two seaters and maybe 1 four seater are on street level. It might be advisable to call ahead to explain you need one of these if you are a wheelie.

Space in the restaurant is a little tight, but okay. There is a large restroom on the ground floor. There are no grab bars, but the toilet is easy to manage and the hand-basin is at a good height. Should be no problem for most wheelies.

The food was truly excellent (ok - that's not a review, just an observation). Strongly recommended.

Montreal, Quebec - Hotel (Marriott Chateau Champlain)

2009-09-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Marriott Chateau Champlain, located in central Montreal just a few blocks from Rue St. Catherine. This is an older building and the rooms have a certain charm as a result.

The hotel is situated in an area with some fairly steep hills so be careful if you plan to do a lot of walking. But it is uphill to the main shopping/dining area so at least you have a downhill ride home!

There are many step to the front entrance. The wheelchair ramp is hard to spot, hidden off to the left and leading to a second door. Inside, the bar, restaurant and shopping mall are all on the ground floor and have level access. There is an elevator straight from the lobby to the metro - but that's not a whole lot of use since the metro is not wheelchair accessible (with the exception of 5-6 stations).

My room was medium sized, not large. Being older, it lacked some of the custom wheelchair touches you would expect, but it was perfectly adequate for me and rated 3.5 stars out of 5 for wheelchair friendliness.

There was plenty of circulation space.

The workdesk was a little small but usable. Electric sockets in the desk lamp (2) were easy to reach. In room wifi (free) was good. TV controls were left in easy reach. Coffeemaker and mini-bar easy to reach also.

The air-conditioning controls were difficult to reach because they were set high on the wall, but were usable.

The bed was a little high but transfers in and out were not difficult. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). Closet was a good size and a comfortable height for hanging clothes.

Bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. Toilet was of the raised ADA compliant type. The grab-rails were a little too high and far away for comfort. Sink was also high but with plenty of knee space underneath and it was comfortable to use. My room had a bath rather than a roll-in shower. The shower rose was hand-held and mounted on a rail that was too high to reach when seated in the bath (although would be okay with a shower seat). The bell-boy who .brought my bags up offered me a shower seat without being asked - the first time that's ever happened to me. I declined as I prefer to operate without one. The grab rails around bath are too high for comfort. Towels were placed at a comfortable height and easily accessible. A nice touch is that the bath had an old-fashioned circular thermometer to tell you what temperature the water was at!

The hotel is a full-service hotel and welcoming. Definitely an option for a wheelchair user in Montreal.

Palmdale, California - Hotel (Holiday Inn) - revisit

2009-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Holiday Inn in Palmdale, CA, a mid-range, fairly decent hotel which was previously reviewed here. On this occasion I was given a very different and slightly better room (ground floor - 107) which merits a new review. read the previous post though to get a feel for what options you may have.

This room was medium sized, not large. The furniture layout made it easy to move around although the bed was a little close to the far wall. Not a problem as there was plenty of room at one side for getting in and out.

The workdesk was small. This was better than the previous room where the large workdesk actually cut circulation space at the end of the bed. The desk was still usable though and comfortable to sit at. The electric sockets were in the wall below the desk and difficult to reach from a chair. There was no desk lamp. In room wifi was great. TV controls were left in easy reach. Coffeemaker was on work desk and easy to reach also.

Air-conditioning unit was in the corner, set low and the controls were easy to reach.

The single queen bed was very high and transfers in and out were difficult. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). Closet was open (no door) and a comfortable height.

Bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. Toilet was of the raised ADA compliant type. The grab-rails were a little too high and far away for comfort. The sink was not in the bathroom but in the bedroom area. Some may find this a little unusual. The under sink space was tight and almost touched my knees. I know for sure I would not have fit under the sink had I been using my spare chair which is slightly higher than my normal chair. Also the sink was set back making it a little awkward for washing. This room had a roll-in shower with a large wooden permanent shower seat. The seat positioning relative to the grab bars made transfers a little difficult. There were two shower roses - one fixed to the wall and one hand-held. Both were easy to reach from the shower seat. The handheld was on a wall bar and at a good height. Towel rack was at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, this room would be perfect for an ambulant disabled and better then the previous room for a wheelie travelling without a companion.

Staff at this hotel are exceptionally friendly and do make an effort to make you feel welcome.

Wheelchair Accessible Taxis at Montreal International Airport

2009-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

On this visit to Montreal, I decided to find out if there really were wheelchair accessible taxis available at airport. I asked the guy marshaling the taxi line. He brought me outside at the front of the queue (saved at least 30mins waiting right there!). After a few minutes a van pulled up. This had a ramp installed and access was easy. The van is fully configurable internally, all seats could be removed and it had tie-downs for chairs. It seemed to me it could carry three wheelchairs easily. The charge was the same as for a normal taxi. This particular driver was with co-op taxi (www.cooptaxi.com - 514-636-6666). He siad call and ask for "Van adaptee" or an adapted van.

I stayed once again at the Hilton Garden Inn, previously reviewed here.

San Diego, California - Hotel (Holiday Inn Rancho)

2009-07-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Inn Rancho is located in Rancho Bernardo in the suburbs of San Diego. These notes are intended to assist wheelchair users considering using the hotel.

The property is in two parts. Access to the second block is up a long ramp and difficult to climb in a manual chair with luggage. I was sent there initially but the room I was assigned was not accessible. On returning to reception I was assigned an "accessible" room in the main block.

The room was a reasonable size for its two queen size beds. Workdesk was of a good size and height with one easily reached socket in the desk lamp. Wifi in the room.

The beds were of differing heights so I chose the one slightly lower than the wheelchair for ease of transfer (the other bed was slightly higher). Bedroom closet was usable but the rack was a little high. A/C controls were reachable but very high. The TV control was left on a high shelf and was barely reachable. The ice bucket and glasses were out of reach.

While the bedroom was fine, the bathroom was bordering on unusable. It was very small with no turning circle. The sink unit had a grab bar at the front which made it impossible to use the sink easily. The toilet had no room to place a chair beside it, forcing a tricky 180 degree transfer to use it. There was a grab rail mounted directly behind the toilet, above the cistern, which was utterly useless for anyone. The bath had one badly positioned grab bar. The shower was a hand held hose mounted too high on a rail.

Although not related to access, the room had a general unpleasant smell which made me nervous about cleanliness.

Not recommended, this hotel made it to my "3 worst hotels" list!

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (Paddy Cullens, Ballsbridge)

2009-07-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Paddy Cullens pub in Ballsbridge, Dublin, is a small, cost, very traditional style pub. There is level access from the street to the bar area. The bar area itself and the snug are wheelchair accessible. There is a back area that is up two steps.

There is a handicapped accessible toilet at the rear of the bar (between the bar and the associated lounge - Mary Macs). Although this is a large restroom with toilet, sink and grab-bars, the door opens inwards which makes it almost impossible to get a wheelchair in, and then close the door. It can be done but it may require assistance from a walkie. A pity, because otherwise this bar could be a great place to experience a real dublin bar.

London, England - Heathrow Airport

2009-07-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Heathrow airport is a famously unpleasant airport to transfer through. However, it is unavoidable for many.

From a wheelchair point of view the biggest problem is the distances between terminals and the crowds. The airport itself is reasonably well supplied with handicapped restrooms, ramps, elevators (lifts) and the other paraphernalia required for us wheelies to get around comfortably. In addition, the airport staff engaged in transferring wheelchair passengers are, as a rule, well trained and professional. There is just not enough of them and I have been left waiting over 45 minutes to be taken from an aircraft, or to be placed on a shuttle bus to the transfer passenger area. Here are some hints to make your life easier if you need to transfer or arrive and leave through Heathrow.

Give yourself plenty of time. At least 2 hours for a transfer connection. Less and you will almost certainly miss your flight.
Do your homework. Know which terminal you arrive at and which you leave from. Terminals 1 and 2 are reasonably close and you can wheel from one to the other (it's still along wheel). Terminal 3 is further and you may need a transfer bus - but see my note below.
Terminal 4 is out on its own and you will always need a transfer bus or train.
Terminal 5 (I have not been through it yet) is also on it's own and you will need a transfer bus or train. It's brand new so one hopes it is well thought out for wheelchair passengers but I have no personal experience of it.
- If transferring from terminal 1 or 2 to 3 (or vice versa) I have found that it is often better to exit from airside, walk to the other terminal through the underground tunnels and go through security again! This means you are in control of your own destiny as opposed to sitting waiting for an air-side transfer bus with no idea when or if it will arrive. The staff are really over-worked and with the best will in the world, they are unable to efficiently transfer you from one place to another.
There is an underground rail link between the terminals (free). Be very careful when using this, as it is very easy to take the wrong train and end up heading in for London! Baggage trolleys are not allowed on the trains, the the barriers to prevent this also prevent wheelchairs from going through. You need to find a staff member to open them for you. Near each barrier you will find an assistance booth with a button to press to talk to someone. It's a hassle but I have never been left more than a few minutes waiting to get through (frustrating though, when you can see your train pulling away from the platform as you wait!)
The Hoppa hotel shuttle operates from all terminals except terminal 4.

Heathrow, England - Hotel (Holiday Inn Arial)

2009-07-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

There are (at least) two Holiday Inn hotels adjacent to Heathrow Airport. This review refers to the Holiday Inn Arial and is intended to address only aspects of the hotel related to wheelchair accessibility and services for disabled travellers.

The hotel is very close to Heathrow and is serviced by the Hoppa shuttle bus system (if the previsou link does not work try the National Express website). All of these buses are wheelchair accessible and I have found the drivers to be extremely helpful and accommodating. A one way ride to the hotel from the airport costs about 4 pounds. Note that the shuttle runs only from terminals 1, 2 and 3, with a different numbered shuttle running from terminal 5. Terminal 4 is not serviced by the Hoppa buses - despite signs to the contrary in certain parts of the airport. If arriving in Terminal 4 you will need to transfer to one of the other terminals - which is an adventure in itself. See my notes elsewhere.

Access to the hotel itself is level, with level access to reception, the restaurant and the bar. The hotel provides hot food 24-hours, although the main restaurant closes at about 22:00. Elevators (lifts) are small but adequate.

The room I was given was large and sparsely furnished which made it near perfect for a wheelchair to get around. The work desk was large and easy to use. Sockets were easy to reach, although I had to choose to unplug either a desklamp or the TV to make room for my laptop. There is Wifi (extra charge). A/C controls were at an easily accessible height, but the TV remote controls were left in an unreachable location. I did not bother calling for someone to get them for me as I didn't need the TV. Clothes closet was easy to get to and clothes hung at a comfortable height for a wheelchair.

The bed was a little lower than the chair seat and easy to get in and out of. No ceiling hooks for a lift. All the lights in the room could be controlled by bedside switches.

The bathroom was very large. In my case I had a bath. There was a large platform at the end of the bath which could be handy for some as a transfer assist to getting in. Plenty of well positioned grab bars. The shower was hand-held with a slider bar mounting. Toilet was at wheelchair seat level with well positioned grab bars. The sink was at a perfect wheelchair height with plenty of knee space underneath.

All in all, because of the space and low, modern furnishings as well as the thoughtfully positioned light switches, this hotel jumped into my top three favorite hotels for wheelchair access.

Washington DC - Hotel (Capitol Hilton)

2009-07-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

The Hilton Capitol Hotel is a full service, pricey, hotel located just a couple of blocks from the Whitehouse in Washington D.C. Indeed, you have a pretty clear view of the Whitehouse from the street in front of the hotel giving you a great sense of being in the nation's capitol! These notes refer to wheelchair accessibility in this hotel.

The hotel offers (very expensive) valet parking only. There is a narrow kerb cut in one location in front of the hotel. Access from the pavement to the lobby is level. The lobby is large and level. The bar and restaurant are up two steps. There is a ramp.

Elevators are large. The room was a comfortable size and slightly over furnished. The web site states that the accessible rooms have a pull-out sofa. This is not true.

The work desk was a comfortable height, and sockets easily reached. Room lights could not be controlled from the bed. The bed was quite high but getting into it was not too difficult.

Bathroom was a comfortable size. Toilet was at wheelchair cushion height. Sink was acceptable, with plenty of knee room underneath. The bath had some badly positioned grab bars (better for ambulant disabled than a wheelchair user). The shower hose was of the hand-held type with the option of placing it on a rail or on a fixed mounting that was too high for a wheelie to reach. (Of course, the cleaning staff placed it on the high fixed mounting!)

A/C controls were at a reasonable height and TV controls in easy reach.

I felt the hotel was over-priced for the quality of accomodations but I guess you pay for location, location, location!

Toulouse, France - Restaurant (Michel Sarran)

2009-06-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Michel Sarran (21, Bd Armand Duportal - 31000 Toulouse)

This is currently considered one of the best restaurants in Toulouse. These notes are intended as a guide to a wheelchair user or disabled person who plans to visit (and I recommend you do!).

The restaurant is situated about halfway along Blvd Armand Duportal. Be careful wheeling along this route. Like most streets in Toulouse, it lulls you into a false sense of security as you wheel along well maintained and smooth path only to be ambushed by a trench bug across the way just big enough to trap the front casters, or a pothole, or a stretch of unfinished paving. Just keep one eye fixed on the road and you'll be fine!

Access to the restaurant from the street is completely level. The restaurant itself is spacious enough to move comfortably between tables. There is a courtyard at the back that is down four steps. Staff will carry you down if need be, but you can just as easily eat at street level.

There is no accessible toilet. However, the toilets are on the same level as the dining room and have sliding (pocket) doors which open to about 28" (70cm) or a little more. Although maneuvering was tight I was able to get my chair into the toilet enough to have access to the toilet and the sink which was sufficient for my needs. A power chair, or a wide or long manual, would have more difficulty.

The food was outstanding - an epic meal so I recommend you give it a try if you are in the area.

Toulouse, France - Hotel (Novotel Toulouse Centre Compans Caffarelli)

2009-06-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Novotel Toulouse Centre Compans Caffarelli is convenient to the conference centre in Toulouse, and about a 20min wheel from Place Wilson in the centre. The hotel is set in pleasant surroundings with a nice urban park just behind it. These notes are intended to assist wheelchair users or handicapped travellers considering it as a place to stay while in Toulouse.

Entrance to the lobby is almost level with a short, steep ramp apparently retro-fitted to remove a small (100mm, 4") step. The ramp is no problem for wheelers.

The bar is not accessible, up two steps, but there are tables on the lobby level for drinks etc. The restaurant and pool areas are accessible from the lobby area, and there is a large fully accessible restroom (toilet) off the lobby.

My room was on the first floor. The lifts (elevators) are quite small but should be adequate even for a power chair. The door to the room was exceptionally heavy and difficult to push and this, coupled with a high threshold, made entering the room more difficult than it should be.

The room itself was reasonably spacious. The gap between the end of the bed and the workdesk was a little tight, but I could reach all areas of the room with no great difficulty.

The work desk was a good size and easy to sit at. Sockets were easy to access. There is Wifi (extra charge). Desk light was easy to reach and could be turned on or off from the bed also.

The bed was slightly below wheelchair cushion height so transferring was very easy. The bedside lights and room lights had switches by the bed.

Air conditioning controls were too high to reach comfortably, but I was able to reach them. The TV controls were left by the TV within easy reach. The closet was an open one with hang-rail at a comfortable height.

The bathroom was spacious. The toilet was very high, higher than my wheelchair seat. It was so high that my feet did not sit firmly on the ground which made balancing in the toilet seat a little precarious. The handrail was well positioned. The bath had very high sides. I did not request a bath-seat. The high sides would make getting in and out of the bath challenging for someone with impaired upper body strength. The shower hose was of the handheld type, held on a movable rail mounting at a comfortable height for use. The water temperature control had a setting to fix it at a safe 38C although you could over-ride this if you wanted. Sink was easy to use with plenty of knee room underneath.

IN summary, this hotel offers a reasonable option for strong paras or ambulant disabled on their own. If you have reduced upper body strength then you will need a companion to be comfortable.

Los Angeles, CA - Hotel (Crowne Plaza LAX)

2009-06-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

The Crowne Plaza LAX is located just by LAX airport. They can arrange a handicapped accessible shuttle from the airport. Since not all the shuttle busses are accessible, you need to call the hotel from the airport to let them know you need an accessible one. In my case it took about 15mins for one to arrive.

Access from the street is level. There is no "low counter" at reception. There is level access to the bar, restaurant, a Starbucks and a Sushi bar. Toilets on ground floor are accessible.

My room (single king size bed) was large and easy to move around.

Workdesk was not very big, but very usable and a perfect height for me. Sockets (two) in the base of the desk lamp were easily accessible. There is wifi internet access.

The bed was slightly above wheelchair cushion height, but easy to transfer onto. There is a hook in the ceiling to attach a transfer harness. The main lights cannot be controlled from the bed, but the bedside light is easy to reach. Controls for the A/C and the TV were easily accessible.

Closet was easy to access and had a low rack for hanging clothes.

The bathroom was very large with plenty of turning space. Toilet is at wheelchair cushion height, grab bars well positioned. There is a hook in the ceiling above the toilet to attach a transfer harness if required. The sink has plenty of knee room underneath. Towel rack is at wheelchair height and easily reached.

My room had a tub with well-positioned grab rails. The shower hose is a hand-held but the bar on which it slides is too high to reach when sitting in the tub. Controls for water are easy to reach. However, for many people the shower would need the assistance of a walkie to use.

Overall, the room decor and fitting were a little "tired" and in need of a refurbishment. However, it was a perfectly comfortable room and functionally fine from a wheelchair access point of view.

Montreal, Canada - Hotel (Hilton Garden, Montreal Airport)

2009-06-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

The Hilton Garden Inn at Montreal Airport is located just a few km from the airport. The airport shuttle is not wheelchair accessible so you will need to take a taxi (there is a minimum charge as this is a very short journey and you will have an unhappy taxi driver!). Although wheelchair taxis are available (I am told) I did not see any and took a regular car.

Access is level to lobby. I was given a free glass of champagne at check-in for some reason. Not complaining! THe restaurant and bar are off the lobby - also level access.

My room was on the ground (first) floor. It was a comfortable size with plenty of room to move around. The work desk was very comfortable to work at. Sockets were at a perfect height and position for accessibility. There is free wired and wireless internet. A nice touch is that there is a wired internet connection by the bed, so you can sit in bed and work on your computer if you so desire.

The bed itself wsas a little too high to transfer easily, but not a big problem. The lights were not particulalry well thought out or positioned. You can reach the bedside light with some difficulty, and cannot control the room lights from the bed.

The A/C controls are at a comfortable height, and the TV controls were left by the bed in easy reach.

There was a fridge, coffee maker and microwave in the room. The coffee-maker was difficult to reach and use and the micro-wave was out of the question (for me at least). You need a walkie with you if you want to zap something!

The bathroom was a comfortable size with a good turning circle for the wheelchair. Toilet seat is about wheelchair cushion height. Grab bars are well positioned. The sink had plenty of knee space and was easy to use. My room had a bath tub, low, well positioned grab bars. The shower hose was fixed to the wall and the spray control mounted on it could not be reached. You are at the mercy of whatever the previous guest left the setting at. Soap holder too high to use.

All in all a usable, even comfortable, room but a few details overlooked that would have made it perfect.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Fire)

2009-06-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

Fire restaurant is located by the historic mansion house on Dawson Street, Dublin 2 - just off Stephen's Green. Access from the street is level, through some gates (use the pavement on the left hand side facing the building to avoid the cobblestones). There is a long but fairly gentle ramp to the entrance itself. One of the two doors is ramped. Inside, the restaurant is spacious and easy to get around. The toilets have a fully accessible cubicle.

This restaurant is very comfortable for wheelchair users. The service is excellent and the food is good. Recommended.

San Antonio, Texas - Nightlife (Drink, Club Rive)

2009-05-25T19:43:00.001-07:00

These notes are intended for wheelchair users visiting San Antonio Riverwalk district. They supplement more detailed notes recorded previously here.

Drink Cocktail Bar (200 Navarro St.)
A small, comfortable, contemporary bar serving wines, beers and cocktails. Friendly staff and clientele and (at least the night I was there) more locals than tourists.

There is a very large step from the street into the bar. However, there is an accessible side entrance. You may need to attract the attention of the bar staff to get someone to open the side gate for you (it is open only on some nights). Large, fully accessible toilet available.

Club Rive (245 E. Commerce St.)
The only barrier to entry here are the tough looking bouncers at the door.

This is a dance bar, a very popular spot at weekends. Fully accessible with fully accessible toilets. Loud, popular, and can be crowded.

San Antonio, Texas - Hotel (Crowne Plaza Riverwalk)

2009-05-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

This entry addresses the handicapped (wheelchair) accessibility of the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.

Access to the hotel from the street is level. Note that the self parking garage is in a different block from the hotel itself. If using the self-parking, take the elevator from the parking garage to lower level (LL) and connect to the hotel via an underground corridor. There is a handicapped parking area at street level (seperate from the "normal" entry to the garage). To access the elevator from this, wheel towards the corner of Soledad and Martin, and go throuh the pedestrian door to the parking garage (it's a heavy door!). Like all city centre hotels in San Antonio the Crowne Plaza charges an exorbitant daily parking fee (about $24/day at time of writing, and add $10 for valet parking). Another point about location is that this hotle is a block or two off the beaten path for the heart of the riverwalk action.

Breakfast and dining area is on the same level as reception. There are two step to the bar area, there is a ramp near the front door.

Hotel corridors have deep pile carpet that is tough to wheel through.

The room I had was large with two double beds. There is too much furniture, but the room is easy enough to get around. Work desk was a little low. Electric sockets and wired ethernet were very easily accessed (electrical sockets in desk lamp). There was wireless ethernet also.

Beds were at a comfortable height for transferring and bedside lights were easy to reach. It is not possible to control main room lights from bed.

TV controls were left by bed, and air conditioning controls were at a comfortable height.

Room closet had clothes hangers at a good height for wheelchair users.

Bathroom was large. Toilet was easily accessed and grab bars well placed. My room had a roll-in shower with large shower seat (floor-standing, not attached to the wall, adjustable height). The shower was hand-held with a mounting bar at perfect height. Shower controls and grab bars were well placed. Sink had plenty of room underneath, mirror was at a good height. Towels were stored at an easily accessible height.

One of the better rooms I have stayed in.

Hermosa Beach, CA - Hotel (Holiday Inn Express)

2009-05-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Holiday Inn Express in Hermosa Beach, CA, about 15 minutes from LAX airport.

There is level access to the main lobby. The reception desk has a low level surface at one end for easy check-in.

My room was large with plenty of space to manoeuvre.

Good workdesk. Comfortable to sit at. Electric sockets in the desk lamp (2) were easy to reach. I room wifi and wired Ethernet is free and worked well. TV controls were left on top of TV, a little high, but could still be reached.

Air-conditioning unit was below the window and easy to reach.

The bed was about wheelchair cushion height and easy to transfer on and off. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed. Closet had sliding door and was a little difficult to get at.

Bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. Toilet was easily accessible. The grab-rails were a little too high and far away for comfort. Sink was a comfortable height. This room had a bath rather than a roll-in shower. Hand held shower rose could be fixed to a wall mounting or on a rail. Two sets of grab rails around bath suitable for both a wheelie and ambulant disabled.

Recommended.

Lancaster, CA - Restaurant (Fresco II)

2009-05-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

Fresco II is a Greek/Italian restaurant in the Palmdale/Lancaster conurbation in California. These notes address the wheelchair access to the restaurant.

Level access from the street. Table furniture is quite close so navigating around the dining room is a little difficult. Large accessible toilet down a corridor, but the corridor is used for storage of chairs and so on so access is a little tight. Staff will move items if necessary.

Recommended.

Palmdale, California - Hotel (Holiday Inn)

2009-05-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Holiday Inn in Palmdale, CA, a mid-range, fairly decent hotel.

There is level access to the main lobby. The bar and restaurant are just off the lobby, easily accessible. Restaurant furniture is comfortably spaced, no trouble navigating with a wheelchair.

The reception desk has a low level surface at one end for easy check-in, which is a nice touch.

My room was medium sized, not large. The space between the end of the bed and the TV furniture was a bit tight - about 36" (900mm). Past that bottleneck though, there was plenty of room.

Good workdesk. Comfortable to sit at. Electric sockets in the desk lamp (2) were easy to reach. IN room wifi was very weak and effectively unusable. TV controls were left in easy reach. Coffeemaker was easy to reach also.

Air-conditioning unit was in the corner and, although low, the controls were difficult to reach because they were partially blocked by the workdesk.

The bed was very high and transfers in and out were difficult. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). Closet was open (no door) and a comfortable height.

Bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. Toilet was of the raised ADA compliant type. The grab-rails were a little too high and far away for comfort. Sink was also high and set back making it a little awkward for washing. This room had a bath rather than a roll-in shower. There were two shower roses - one fixed to the wall and one hand-held. Unfortunately, the switch to direct water from one to the other is at the wall mounting and therefore out of reach for wheelies. Handheld on a wall bar and at a good height. Grab rails around bath too high for comfort. Towel rack was at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, this room would be perfect for an ambulant disabled but is not great for a wheelie unless travelling with a companion.

Las Vegas, Nevada - Hotel (The Hard Rock Hotel)

2009-05-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Revisited this hotel lately (first visit report is here).

Glad to report that not much has changed and this is still one of the most comfortable handicapped rooms I have stayed in.

Still recommended.

The risks of air travel

2009-04-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Over my years of travel I have had several disasters. In one incident (with an airline, Sabena, now defunct) my chair was returned to me with the camber "reversed". In other words, due to a bent axle, the wheels were closer together at the bottom than they were at the top, the opposite of the way they are supposed to be! The unfortunate truth is that once you say goodbye to your chair and it heads for the hold, anything can happen. It is not practical to expect the staff to be able to bring it on board (especially a rigid chair like mine,which only partially folds) so it is a risk that comes with the territory once you decide to fly.

Recently I had a similarly devastating event on a flight from Dublin, Ireland to Dulles (Washington D.C.) with Aer Lingus. Although traumatic, the whole event was handled very well by Aer Lingus and certainly would give me confidence to fly with them again. Having said that, things would have been a lot worse had I not had access to a spare chair!

My wheelchair was taken, as usual, at the door of the aircraft in Dublin and carried in the hold. On being returned to me at the door in Dulles, the wheelchair was damaged beyond use. Although it looked normal, when I sat into it the left wheel collapsed. Upon examination it was clear that over half the spokes on that wheel had snapped. Furthermore, the axle of the wheelchair itself was cracked, as was the bracket used to mount the wheel to the axle. My chair is a Quickie and is pretty solid. The forces required to do this amount of damage are very high. I have no idea what event on loading or unloading could cause this. I transferred back into an airport supplied chair.

For a wheelie, being in any other chair than one's own is a very trying and unhappy experience. For someone used to independent transport, being in a chair which cannot be pushed independently is frustrating and unpleasant. However there was no option at this time other than to use the airport wheelchair and permit myself to be pushed to the terminal.

After passing through immigration I was met in the baggage hall by the Aer Lingus manager on duty. She was very apologetic and re-assured me that Aer Lingus would do everything possible to assist me. I was impressed that she already had a plan in place (not a very good one, but a plan nevertheless). Her offer was to put me up in a local hotel for the night, and then rent a wheelchair for me the next day until my own could be repaired. For the record, the flaws in this plan were that I was not able to independently operate in the airport wheelchair, so staying alone in a hotel would be difficult. Also, from previous experience, I know that finding a chair to rent in an emergency is not easy. However - I was impressed with the sincerity of her efforts to assist and I was impressed by the fact that she had thought about it and had a plan. I have previously (with other airlines - the Sabena incident comes to mind) been left to fend for myself completely when things have gone wrong in travel.

Luckily, I was staying within two hours of Dulles airport and have a spare wheelchair at my destination. All I needed was assistance to pick-up my rental car, and I could contact a friend to meet me at my destination and bring the spare chair to me. I explained this to the ground staff and they immediately offered to provide whatever assistance I needed. In the event, two people came with me on the Hertz bus. One pushing me in my borrowed chair. One bringing the remains of my own chair and my luggage. They came with me all the way to the Hertz lot, wheeled me to the car, packed my luggage in the trunk and saw me on my way. Of course, I made sure to have all the details ofthe incident logged and filed a damage report before leaving the baggage hall.

Later that evening I received a message on my answering machine from the ground service manager at Dulles reassuring my that Aer Lingus would pay for any damages to the chair. I admit to being a bit sceptical about this but nevertheless I took the information at face value. I repaired the chair myself, using parts purchased at discount prices on line. Even still, the parts cost more than $800. I sent the invoices and a short letter describing the incident to your customer service address. Within a few days I received a letter of apology and a check for the full amount. I was impressed with the speed of service, and the way it was delivered without a quibble.

I mentioned Hertz in here as they are my car rental agency of choice. This is a loyalty thing. Thirteen years ago, when I first travelled to the US, they were the only agency who offered me a car with hand controls. Even today they make life easy with hand controls offered explicitly on their website when making a reservation. The controls they install are also good quality - not the "thumb and grip" type offered by some budget rentals. I know Hertz cost more, but they have almost never let me down. (Okay - they let me down once in maybe fifty rentals with them, and I'll report it here if I have a problem with them in the future).

For the record, I have no connection with either Aer Lingus or Hertz (other than being a customer) and I will be as quick to complain about them as I am to praise them if the need arises!

Solomons, Maryland - Restaurant (CD cafe)

2009-04-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

CD cafe is one of the better restaurants on Solomons Island, that small village in Southern Maryland - about an hour and a half from Washington D.C. It's easy to miss, situated in a non-descript building called Avonmore, on the left hand side as you approach the town.

Wheelchair access is from the rear of the building (there is a parking lot with two handicapped spots at the rear also) since the front has a fairly large step. The rear is ramped. There is level access into the restaurant proper. The room is small, and it is difficult to navigate around between tables, so a table near the door is best. It is not possible to make a reservation - they operate on a first come first served basis. At peak times the wait can be an hour or more since the restaurant is small (I would guess about 30 places). If a walkie goes in to put your name down for a table, be sure to mention the wheelchair. It's a big help for the staff when deciding where to locate you. The food is good - the specials are usually very good - with interesting appeteizers and desserts.

There is a bar next door (appropriately enough called the Next Door Lounge) where you can have an appetizer or a drink while you wait. They also serve light food. Access to the bar is completely level although space is again tight.

Both restaurant and bar have a large accessible toilet.

Recommended

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (Smyths of Haddington Road)

2009-04-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

I last wrote about this pub last year - here.

On a recent visit I found the place changed. Thankfully, the refurbishment is very minor, more a botox injection than a facelift, and the old world feel is the same. The main difference in the bar area is the addition of a snug with wooden walls. Although this increases the homely atmosphere of the place, it makes it less friendly to wheelchairs as it very much limits the turning space at the front. No change to the access, or the toilets.

Still worth a visit - but maybe the lounge would be easier.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Mangetu)

2009-04-13T08:40:00.001-07:00

Mangetu (Unit 1 Victoria House, Haddington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland) is a modern looking, asian fusion restaurant seating about 90 people. There is level access from the street. The interior is modern and minimalist.There is plenty of space between the tables so it is very comfortable to manuvre around in a wheelchair. Tables are comfortable height, and easy to pull in to. There is a large unisex handicapped toilet, seperate from the ladies and gents restrooms. Food is very good. Apparently the restaurant name is pronounced - man-get-tu.

Recommended.

Hong Kong - from 2002

2009-03-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

This listing is getting a bit dated now, but if you are interested in handicapped and wheelchair access in Hong Kong you will find an early report I did at www.geocities.com/Paris/1502/hongkongmacau.htm back in the days before I had this blog!

Arlington, Virginia - Hotel (Crowne Plaza Washington National Airport)

2009-03-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Crowne Plaza, Washington National Airport (1480 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia)

Level access from street. There is also parking available underground. The handicapped spots are right by the elevator (lift).

large lobby, level access to the bar/restaurant.

I stayed in a room on the 10th floor. Large room, plenty of space to move around. Sofa and coffee table in the room as well as a work desk. The workdesk was large, with a movable lower desk that fitted under it. Both were at a good height and could be comfortably used from a wheelchair. Socket in the desk light was easily accessible. Wired Internet, cable easily accessible from work desk.

TV controls were left by bed in easy reach. The A/C unit is under the window and the controls can be reached easily. The bed is a little high making transfers slightly difficult, but not a real problem.

Bathroom was a good size. The toilet was low. There was adequate room to position chair for a 90 degree transfer to the toilet. Sink had space for knees underneath. This room had a bath-tub. Water controls were easy to reach when in the bath. Shower rose is fixed to the wall and is high so the angle cannot be adjusted by a wheelie. There were no grab rails either by the toilet or in the bath. Towel racks were above the toilet and quite high although I could reach them from my chair.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Cornucopia)

2009-03-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Cornucopia on 19 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 is a small popular vegetarian restaurant/cafe. It is located to the main shopping area of Grafton Street, and not far from popular Temple bar area for nightlife.

This is a small place - 48 seats or so, and the tables are tightly packed. Access from the street is over a small, slightly ramped step. There is another step into the cafe area, again this has a small ramp. Neither should be a problem for wheelchairs.

Moving around inside the cafe is nearly impossible in a wheelchair. The staff are friendly and helpful but it's better if you have a walkie friend who can go to the self-serve counter for you.

At the time of writing there is a plan to expand into the adjoining building which might add some space.

There are no accessible toilets.

Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil - Restaurant (Villa d'Aldeia)

2009-01-30T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Villa d'Aldeia is an upmarket churrascaria by Colinas shopping centre in Sao Jose dos Campos, about 90km North East of Sao Paulo. It is a food lovers paradise, and offers rodizio service complete with a little dial on the table with a green side and a red side.

There is valet parking. A ramp leads from street level to the doors. Access from there is completely level. There are accessible toilets. The restaruant is large with plenty of space to move between the tables. The salad is a buffet. The staff will help you get your salad plate if required. My only advice is to avoid filling up on salad (hard to do as the selections and quiality is superb) to save room for the vast selection of meats that will be offered to you during the meal.

Strongly recommended.

Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil - Hotel (IBIS Colinas)

2009-01-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

IBIS Colinas - Av. Dr. Jorge Zarur, 81, torre I, Jd. Apolo, São José dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

There are steps up to the front door, with a steep ramp. It is easier to go to the entrance of the adjacent Mercure hotel and wheel the 20m or so back to the door of the IBIS.

There is level access throughout the lobby and breakfast area of the IBIS with large handicapped toilet off the lobby.

Handicapped room is on the first floor (the lift/elevator is of adequate size). Like all IBIS hotels, the room is compact with little space for maneuver but it is fine. There is enough room (~1m/3.3ft) between bed and wall and bed and built in furniture. Workdesk is at a comfortable height. Sockets are at chest height (sitting) but slightly difficult to reach. Closet has a bar at a comfortable height for hanging shirts etc. Light switches are by the bed and easy to reach.

The bed (queen size) is at a perfect height for transfers and is comfortable.

Air conditioning unit is operated by a remote control, but it is stored in a hanger that may be too high on the wall for some wheelies to reach. Once removed from the clip, of course, they can be used with ease. TV remote control stored by TV at comfortable height.

Bathroom is large with plenty of turn space. Ample knee room under sink. Slanted mirrors make for easy viewing when seated. Toilet is on a raised plinth and easily accessible for a 90° transfer. Grab rails well positioned.

The shower is a three-walled cubicle with a fold up, sturdy, shower seat mounted on the right hand wall as you face into the cubicle for a 90° transfer. Shower controls are easy to reach. The shower rose is mounted directly on the ceiling and cannot be adjusted for direction. The grab rails are placed in completely the wrong location, also on the right hand wall. This means that when you are sitting on the seat, the grab rail presses into your back making it very difficult to balance and move. When sitting on the seat it is difficult to position your body to capture the main flow of water from the shower. Unless you have a companion to assist, showering is a difficult affair. I found I had to sit at an angle on the seat and hang on to the grab rail with one hand at all times. Transferring to and from the chair is easy enough.

Buffet breakfast is fine, and the staff are very friendly and will help with carrying trays etc. There is no lunch or dinner service (although there is an accessible restaurant in the next door Mercure) but there is a bar and snacks and limited range of sandwiches are served all day. The nearby Colinas shopping centre has shopping, food and an excellent chascurria, all with good wheelchair access. It is possible to walk to the shopping centre although you have to cross a few busy roads to get there (pedestrian crossings are plentiful).

Despite the difficulty of showering this IBIS is more comfortable from a wheelchair access point of view than the alternative IBIS in SJC. If you are ambulant disabled then it is fine.

The IBIS hotels are the only hotels I know of in SJC with handicapped rooms available. If anyone knows otherwise please leave a comment to let me know!

Dublin, Ireland - restaurant (L'Ecrivain)

2009-01-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

L'Ecrivain is one of the top Dublin restaurants. Unfortunately, if you are in a wheelchair you will not get to enjoy it. Although the front entrance is ramped, the main dining room is up a flight of stairs. The staff have offered to carry me up but this is the 21st century and I'm really kind of past that level of risk and embarrassment. with so many other dining options available.

Dublin, Ireland - Restaurant (Mint)

2009-01-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

Update (June 3 2009):
This restaurant is now gone out of business. Not surprising given it's high costs and the economic downturn. A pity though!

Mint is widely recognized as one of the finest restaurants in Dublin in 2008 and earned a Michelin star in that year.

It is located in Ranelagh, Dublin, in a simple small room. Access from the street is level, with a gentle internal ramp to the dining room. The small dining room has tables closely positioned with a wide walk way in the middle so negotiating to your table is not difficult. There is a fully accessible, large unisex toilet. However, getting to the toilet may involve negotiating an obstacle course of chairs and miscellaneous item of furniture placed in the corridor. The helpful staff will move anything that needs moving however.

Normally I confine my notes to the wheelchair accessibility of a restaurant - I am not a food critic after all. However, I feel compelled to add that the meal we had there was exceptional. An epic culinary masterpiece that I can still taste. The prices are astronomical (but you can visit their website and view the menu so you don't get too much of a shock) but this is theater, art and first class food all in one. We had the tasting menu with wine and were blown away by each course. Prior to this the best meal I had ever eaten was in Petrus in Hong Kong in 2001 (see here for my access notes from that trip) but Mint has surpassed it.

Accessible and fabulous - highly recommended.

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (The Temple Bar)

2009-01-05T03:54:00.001-08:00

The Temple Bar Pub is located, not surprisingly, in Temple Bar in Dublin city centre.

The Temple Bar area is difficult to get around in a wheelchair. The streets are old and mostly cobbled, and the sidewalks are broken and have many lob-sided and ill fitting slabs. Although this is all part of the charm, it means that us wheelchair users have to travel slowly and take great care.

The Temple Bar Pub is centrally located and is a good venue for fine Guinness and live music. It is immensely popular with both locals and tourists so is usually crowded. There are three doors from the street and each one is accessible. Getting around inside the pub is fine if there are not too many people but on a Friday night it is near impossible. If you have not experienced an Irish pub in full swing then you should consider visiting at off-peak times.

There is a large handicapped accessible toilet but it is not well marked and is separate from the other toilets (which are downstairs). In addition, the handicapped toilet is sometimes locked to prevent abuse. So the best bet is to ask a staff member to point it our to you.

Recommended.

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (Leeson Lounge)

2009-01-03T05:50:00.001-08:00

Located next door to O'Briens, this bar has a fairly unusual interior, probably dating from the 1970s. Roomier and slightly more plush than its more traditional neighbour, it is a little more comfortable for the wheelchair user. There is a small step from the door on Upper Leeson Street. There are no accessible toilets. The Gents toilet is "accidentally accessible". The door is wide enough for a chair to get through. There is a sharp right turn just inside the door into a narrow room with access to the urinal and sink for handwashing. The cubicle is not accessible.

This is a popular local bar and very busy for sports events.

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (O'Briens of Leeson Street)

2009-01-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

Located at the corner of Upper Leeson Street and Sussex Terrace, this is an old world Irish bar that has not changed in decades. Thankfully, the owners resisted any temptation to "upgrade" during the booming first years of the 21st century and it retains all the original charm and idiosyncrasies of a genuine Irish bar. Unfortunately, this means no wheelchair accessible toilets. There is a small (50cm/2") step at one double door. The other doors are not accessible. Turn right after going through this door and you will enter the bar. Roomy, but the tables are high. Turn left and you enter the lounge. Tighter and difficult to get around, but the tables are lower. Both sides serve one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin and it is worth a visit although you will need to restrict yourself to one or two pints because there is no accessible toilet. And long may it remain so.

San Antonio, Texas - places bars and hotels

2008-12-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

These brief notes are intended to help anyone in a wheelchair travelling to San Antonio, Texas. They are based purely on my own observations so they encompass only places I have been myself. Hopefully if you are a disabled traveler or wheelchair user you will find them useful.

Riverwalk

The Riverwalk area is one of the main tourist attractions of San Antonio (along with The Alamo - which is pleasingly close). It consists of over 2 miles of pleasant water side walking (rolling) with numerous bars and restaurants.

The City of San Antonio has done a pretty good job of making the Riverwalk area wheelchair accessible. However, you do need to plan your route with a little care to ensure you start and end near a ramp or elevator to access the riverwalk. There is a good website with a map ( http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/maps/index.asp ) that indicates where the ramps and elevators are situated. There is one section (just East of the South Presa bridge) where the water level path comes to an abrupt halt at a gate. However, there is a ramp (some 50yds behind the point where you reach the halt) to a higher level that leads you past this obstruction and down to the river level again. The path can be rough in places, and there is one location where there are water comduits cut through the path whihc makes navigation very difficult (West of the Hyatt Regency on the Northern side of the river).

Most restaurants at the water level have access - again the Riverwalk map will help out here.

Worth a visit and a pleasant way to spend an evening.

The Cove (606 W. Cypress Av)

Eclectic and entertaining bar set behind a laundry and car wash. A great antitode to the tourist traps around the Riverwalk. Roughly finished, wide selection of beer, good food and live music. This place is rough and ready - don't expect white linen! But it is clean and has easy level access. The toilets are accessible with a large cubicle (no grab rails). The only issue might be getting to the toilets between the closely packed lines of tables. Arrive early and sit near the band.

Highly recommended.

Swig Martini Bar (111 W. Crockett St.)

Upmarket bar just by the Riverwalk. There are steps at the Crockett St. entrance, but if you turn into N. Presa there is another alley on your right with level access to the bar. The restroom is large and accessible.

Howl at the Moon (111 W. Crockett St.)

Just beside Swig is the entrance to Howl at the Moon (www.howlatthemoon.com ). There is an elevator up to the first floor (the main bar and entertainment is up here). The table area is difficult to move around in as the tables and chairs are very close together. The restrooms are accessible.

Coyote Ugly (409 E. Commerce St.)

Access to Coyote Ugly is possible from E. Commerce St. There are six or seven steps into the bar, but they do have wheelchair lift although it is not always operational. Better to walk a few step down E. Commerce St, turn right into N. Presa and walk about half a block. There is a small shopping mall on the right, and a path through here to the Riverwalk area behind. (There is a small step and you have to look for the curb cut - but it's there!). Go through the mall and turn right again. This brings you to the back door of Coyote Ugly which has level access. Restrooms are accessible.

Mi Tierra (218 Produce Row)

This mexican restaurant is located in Market Square. there is level access from both front and back, and the restrooms are accessible. The restaurant is large and colorful, and navigating between tables is reasonably straightforward.

Recommended.

Mela (4987 NW Loop 410)

Indian restaurant - excellent food. Easy level access and large accessible restrooms. Large tables, easy to navigate and sit at.

Recommended.

San Antonio, Texas - Hotel (Hampton Inn Northwest/Seaworld))

2008-12-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

These notes reflect my experience at a recent stay in this hotel and are intended as notes to assist someone looking for wheelchair or handicapped accessible accommodation and hotels in the San Antonio area.

Hampton Inn San Antonio Northwest/SeaWorld Area

Level access to hotel from parking lot. Lobby area is accessible. The breakfast food area is accessible but there are a few steps down to the seating area. There is one small table near the reception that is on the same level as the food service area and the staff will reserve this for you if you are in a wheelchair.

There is an elevator and a handicapped accessible room on each of the five floors.

The accessible room is barely functional from an access point of view. The main problem is that the bedroom itself is a little small. The space between the end of the bed and the TV stand and furniture is barely wide enough to squeeze through with my wheelchair (27"/68cm wide), scraping the push-rims along both the bed and the chest of drawers. There is no option but to squeeze through this as there is not enough room to stay only on one side of the bed. Once through, the heater/air conditioning presents a problem for turning. Once you have navigated all that, the space on the opposite side of the bed is adequate. The work table is accessible with an easily accessible power socket in the base of the desk lamp. Internet is by wireless (free).

The bed is a comfortable height. The TV controls were left on the bed along with a lap-desk tray.

The bathroom (you have to squeeze back through that narrow corridor between the bed and the TV to get there) is large. Toilet is raised and the grab rails are well positioned. My room had a bath with well positioned grab rails. The shower hose was hand held, but locked onto a wall mounted holder that was way too high to reach. Towels rack is at a comfortable height for a wheelchair user.

The sink is very odd. Although there is plenty of knee room, but the sink is set very far back from the front which makes simple tasks like brushing your teeth or washing your hands pretty difficult.

The bottom line is this hotel is not very welcoming for us wheelchair users and is best avoided if int eh San Antonio area.

I should clarify that it is the hotel architecture that is not welcoming. The staff are very friendly and helpful!

Aruba - Hotel (Marriott Hotel and Stellaris Casino)

2008-11-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

Marriott Hotel and Stellaris Casino

We had an unexpected extra night in Aruba and ended up at the Marriott Hotel Resort and Stellaris Casino. This was due to a flight cancellation, and we arrived late in the evening and left early in the morning so did not experience much of the resort.

The Marriott is considered one of the finest hotels on the island and is located on Palm Beach on the west of the island and North of the Westin where we had stayed (see here). Access from the front is level and there is no problem moving around the large lobby.

The Room

We were assigned a handicapped adapted room with two queen beds. The room was reasonably sized, with a large balcony and a partial ocean view. Once we had added a crib into the room, moving around in the chair became tricky - there was just too much furniture. The Queen bed was slightly higher than the wheelchair cushion but presented no real difficulty in transfer. The work desk was easy to sit at and had a panel within easy reach for power, network, and connections to the TV monitor if you wanted to use that for your computer. You need to supply the necessary cables yourself, but this is a nice touch as it allows you to play DVDs on your computer or whatever.

The bathroom was a comfortable size with knee space under the sink. The toilet seemed to be lightly raised compared to a normal toilet and grab rails were well positioned. Towels were hung on the grab rails within easy reach of a wheelie. Our room had an awkwardly designed roll-in shower. It was located in a walled cubby hole off the main bathroom. The shower hose is a hand-held with wall-mounted rail at the correct height. There was a fold up sturdy wooden shower seat permanently attached to the wall. The shower controls were easy to reach from the seat. Getting on to the seat could be a bit of a challenge though, as it is impossible to get your chair to 90 degrees to it. However, I was able to angle my chair up beside it at 45 degrees or so and slide onto the seat. Not the easiest transfer. There is nowhere in the shower to place shampoo and soap and so on.

Other Notes

The pool area has many steps and in a very brief reconassaince I could not see how to access it. We ate breakfast in the restaurant by the pool which is accessible, although the ramp is located a long way from the door and I wheeled right past it without noticing. Toilets by the pool were accessible and had a handicapped cubicle.

We were at the Marriott for such a short time, and under such stressful conditions, that I did not have time to research any other aspects of the resort.

Aruba - Hotel (Westin Hotel and Resort)

2008-11-15T05:22:00.000-08:00

These notes aim to private guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to Aruba or intend to stay in the Westin there. These informal notes are from a trip I took there with my wife adn kids.

Westin Hotel and Resort - Aruba

This is a fine beachside resort hotel in Aruba. We were there on an all-inclusive package deal with the family; me, my wheelchair, my wife and two kids, three years old and under.

Hotel

The hotel has not been specifically designed for wheelchair access and there is a surprising lack of such things as designated rest-rooms in the public areas. Nevertheless, access is good throughout the hotel and I found my stay there very comfortable. Taxis will drive up a steep ramp to the lobby level. There are two ramps in the curb outside the hotel and level access thereafter. In side the hotel all areas have a ramp or lift (elevator). To leave the hotel on foot you can take an elevator to the lower level and exit there (level, no steps, no steep ramps).

Room

We were upgraded from the regular room that we had booked to a single bedroom Ocean view

suite - nice! The hotel website clearly states for each room type whether or not a handicapped version is available. In the case of the one bedroom suites, no such statement is made. Indeed, our suite was not specifically designed to accommodate wheelchairs. However, I had no trouble using it. The door is a regular door (no spy-hole at wheelchair level) and quite heavy. It led to a narrow entrance corridor which led to the living room of the suite. Spacious, with room to move around although there was a little too much furniture for comfort in a wheelchair, especially with the sofa bed made up for the three your old and a crib for the baby. The bedroom was through a double door and again was spacious.

There is no proper work desk and electric sockets were hard to find and down low in the wall. The airconditioning controls are too high for a wheelie to reach.

The bathroom is huge - bigger than some hotel rooms I've been in in Europe. One end has a rack for hanging clothes (at walkie height). There is plenty of space to move about. The sink has room to roll under and is nicely designed. There is a huge roll-in 'double shower". Two shower hoses, one at each end, and grab-rails diagonally mounted on the walls. There is no built in shower seat - a standard plastic shower seat was delivered to the room within minutes of calling house-keeping. The shower hoses are both hand-held versions.

The toilet is unusually low with well positioned grab rails. Getting a chair in at 90 degrees to the toilet for transfer is a bit tricky and perhaps impossible for a power chair.

Towel rails are high - good for walkies but not good for me.

The Weston chain push their "heavenly beds" and, sure enough, they are very very comfortable. However, they

could also be described as heavenly because they are closer to the heavens than most, a good 8 inches (20cm)

above the level of my

wheelchair seat. Getting in and out of bed unassisted is a tricky and precarious task for a T4 para, and near impossible when drunk!

However, any concerns or irritations with the room are completely compensated for by the view. Both the living room and bedroom have a balcony accessed through large sliding doors. The large balcony has plenty of room for a wheelchair and the ocean view is just stunning. We could lie in bed and watch the sunset or sit on the balcony after the kids had gone to bed and drink the outrageously expensive champagne and look out over the ocean.

Prior to this, my top ranked hotel room was the one we stayed in in the Crowne Plaza, Madiera (now called the CS Madiera Atlantic Resort and Spa). See here for my account of that hotel). That room still wins in terms of wonderfully designed handicapped facilities. But the Ocean View Suite in the Westin, Aruba is now my top room for a place that is usably handicapped friendly but with a fantastic view and set of hotel facilities.

The Resort

Let me begin by saying I have no interest in gambling so I spent no time in the casino. I wheeled in to take a look but the smell of smoke drove me out (the rest of the hotel is non-smoking). However the main floor is wheelchair accessible.

The hotel and grounds back right onto Palm Beach. All areas of the hotel are wheelchair accessible. There are three indoor restaurants plus a fourth restaurant that is in the hotel but run independently. The pool area is accessible. There is no easy way to get into the pool although hotel staff are quick to provide assistance. I spent most of my time in the shallow end with my toddler and did some significant damage to the skin on my legs as a result. Be careful!

There is an accessible pool-side bar and outdoor terrace for breakfast and lunch. The toilets near the terrace are not designed for access but the doors are large enough for a wheelchair to get in, and the cubicle is big enough to get a chair into face first. However there are no restrooms specifically designed for handicapped use in any of the public areas that I could find. I was able to use the regular toilets because the cubicles are much larger than normal (at least 30" (75cm) doors), but this might be an issue for some folk.

A wide paved path leads to the beach (very close to the hotel). The beach is deep white dry sand and is impossible to navigate with a regular wheelchair. There are sun shades on the beach (called Palapas) which are given out on a first come first served basis or can be reserved for a hefty fee. Most of these are not accessible by wheelchair, however one or two are near the path and are usable. It is best to scout around on day one and determine which palapa is most accessible for you. If you then talk to the staff in charge of managing the Palapas and explain that you need a particular one because of your disability they will reserve it for you free of charge for the length of your stay. To be fair, let them know any day you do not plan to use it so others can use it as these things are in high demand. The staff will supply loungers, towels, buckets and spades and so on. The beach is lovely and the water looks stunning although I did not make it into it myself. Staff from the poolside bar patrol the beach and you can order food and drink right from your lounger.

Most evenings the hotel sets up a temporary restaurant on the beach for romantic (no children!) meals watching the sun set. They will position a table close to the path and assist (i.e. drag your chair through the sand) you to get there if need be.

As an aside, the staff at this hotel are exceptionally helpful and pleasant and always willing to help - sometimes appearing by your side before you have decided that you need help! I felt very comfortable during my whole time there.

The Island

I'm afraid we were very unadventurous on this trip. With two very young children it suited us much more to stay in the hotel and enjoy the facilities there. So I have little to add about access outside of the hotel itself. See here for more details.

Aruba - General Notes

2008-11-08T05:20:00.000-08:00

Getting There

All flights to Aruba will land at the international airport (AUA ). Coming is is a rush as it appears that the aircraft is about to land in the ocean. At the last second the runway appears underneath you and you touch down.

The staff that arrive to take you off the plane are friendly and appear to be well trained. We had no problems, and our aircraft used an airbridge although I noticed some that did not.

The airport is modern. The toilets use the American approach of having one accessible cubicle. Works fine.

Ask the people who take you off the plane to escort you through immigration because they can then use the "express" lane. Otherwise you will spend a long time in line as all US aircraft seem to arrive at roughly the same time of the day!

Once through immigration you exit into a small baggage terminal. There seemed to be plenty of staff to assist. The arrivals hall is also small and outside the airport are plenty of guys hustling for a taxi fare. Taxis come in all shapes and sizes from Vans to SUVs to beat up old cars. I did not spot any taxis that were wheelchair accessible, however there is a service offered by Lite Life Medicab (Hooiberg kavel E 2, Santa Cruz, Aruba. Tel: +297-585-9764). This is a van with a wheelchair ramp at the back. We pre-booked this for transfer to the hotel, and they met us in the arrivals hall. More expensive than a taxi ($50 from the airport to the Westin Hotel versus maybe $25 for a taxi) it is probably worth it for the peace of mind. They take cash only and do not carry change. Having said that, we used a station-wagon for our second hotel trip (the Marriott) and all fitted comfortably. It depends on what your transfer abilities are and how much luggage you have!

When leaving Aruba to go to the US things are a bit complicated. You clear US customs and immigration in Aruba. There can be very long lines here, so the best thing is to ask for assistance to the gate when checking in. Elevators are clearly marked so it is possible to make your own way but can be difficult in the crowds. It appears that all US bound flights leave at roughly the same time! You check-in your bags and then line up outside to go through Aruban passport control. Then you pass through security (usual stuff - shoes off, laptops out of bag etc.) and then enter a shopping and food hall (the food is breath-takingly over-priced). Then (US passengers only) you pick up your luggage again in a small luggage hall and pass through US immigration and customs. You then place your luggage back on a belt (careful - easy to put it on the wrong one!) and pass through security again! Finally you are in a small departures area. This has a few shops and sandwich stalls but is not as comfortable as the hall before US immigration. All this pulling and dragging makes it difficult for us wheelies, hence the recommendation to seek assistance. There are enough restrooms and all have handicapped accessible cubicles.

The Island

The Westin (where we stayed, see here for details) is located on Palm Beach on the west of the island, at one end of the high rise hotel strip. From the hotel a paved path leads all along the beach. Going south leads you to fairly tranquil areas, past a public beach, and a few spots for stunning sunset views. However, it looks like there is more construction planned so it won't be tranquil for long! Going North leads you past the main hotel strip so it can be noisy and crowded although there are many options for activities and food and drink. I did notice that two places (The Radisson and Playa Linda) had palapas (semi-permanent beach shades built of wood and palm leaves) specifically reserved for handicapped use.

The paved path runs by the beach all the way to the Holiday Inn resort in the North and the Divi Pheonix Resort to the South.

Opposite the Holiday Inn resort is the Paseo Herencia shopping Mall which is modern and accessible. It contains a movie theatre and a selection of shops and restaurants.

I was unable to find a car rental company that would issue hand controls so exploring the rest of the island involves renting a taxi – something we did not do.

The Aruba Tourism board has a good website (www.aruba.com) and, unusually for such things, has a page dedicated to advice for disabled travellers (http://www.aruba.com/about/disability.php)

We also went for a walk on the island side of the hotel. The pavement surface is very variable, sometime smooth concrete and sometimes gravel. There are a lot fo curb cuts to mount the pavement, but they are not everywhere. However, it seems possible to get access to most of the restaurants and shops that I saw. The island infrastructure is a bit beaten up, but is generally good and shows at least some consideration of the needs of wheelies. We did not go to any of the city/town centers so I cannot speak for those.

The Butterfly Farm

We took the five minute walk from the Westin to the Butterfly farm. The original building was not wheelchair accessible but they retro-fitted very steep concrete ramps. These are really too steep to be negotiated unaided, but with a walkie pushing it is possible to get into the Butterfly Farm shop and garden. Our 3 year old loved it as there are butterflies everywhere. The garden path is hard sand and can be wheeled on with some difficulty.

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

2008-10-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

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!

Hilton Hotel, LAX, Los Angeles

2008-09-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hilton Hotel, LAX, Los Angeles, CA

Entrance is up a hill from the street, but level access. Check in was fast and friendly. No options offered on room (in fact they said they had only one handicapped accessible room available. As it turned out it had direct access to the pool so I wasn't complaining!). All areas of the hotel are accessible. The bar is up 4 or 5 steps, and the wheelchair access is retrofitted. there is a very steep ramp (about 1:6) which I (foolishly) tried to wheel up. Almost impossible for a manual self-propelled chair. However, there is also a chair lift that the staff can operate if the ramp proves impossible. Once at the bar level, there are further ADA compliant ramps to the various levels of the bar. One very pleasant side effect of the split levels in the bar is that at one end, the bar is a comfortable height to sit at with a wheelchair. So it is one of the few bars I have ever been at where I could actually belly up to the bar and have a beer! The food is pretty good too.

Room was extra large, King bed, plenty of room to wheel around it. Bed about 2" (5cm) above wheelchair cushion height and I found it tricky to transfer in on and off. Good size work desk, electric socket in the lamp and the desk within easy reach. WiFi Ethernet. The clothes closet was in an awkward to reach place, and the clothes hangers were too high and out of reach.

Accessible tub, wall mounted shower hose. Plenty of grab rails in the right places, but the inner wall of the tub was almost flush with the bathroom wall making it difficult to use the tub itself as a leaning place. Wall mounted sink with legroom underneath.

TV controls left by the bed within easy reach.

John Jay best Western - Palmdale, CA

2008-09-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

John Jay Best Western - Palmdale, CA

An overnight visit. Level access into the lobby. I was given a handicapped room - no options with respect to shower, bath etc. The room was reasonably sized, enough space to wheel around. The King Size bed was way too high - about 4" (10cm) above wheelchair cushion height. I was able to transfer in and out but it was not easy and would be troublesome for many.
The work desk was large, but electric sockets were underneath the desk, on the wall, and well-nigh impossible to reach. The wired Ethernet was easy to reach. TV controls were left on top of the TV, I was able to find them by scrabbling about blindly.

Bath was an accessible tub, and they could have done with an extra grabrail at the end of the path. The shower rose is fixed to the wall and out of reach. It was angled in such a way that it was impossible to get water to hit your body - it was aimed at the wall. Towels were on mid-height shelf, not difficult to reach. Sink unit is separate from the bathroom and had plenty of leg room underneath.

This is an older, lower budget hotel. It could do with a makeover, but it is clean and the staff are friendly. Okay for a reasonably strong, independent wheelie, but could be problematic for power chair users or quads.

Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas

2008-09-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas

I was here for just a quick business meeting. Excellent hotel, off strip. There is level access from the taxi/drop-off doors. Valets took my baggage at the door and were very helpful. Check-in was fast and pleasant. They asked if I wanted roll-in shower or accessible tub. I took the tub as that is my preference, but was glad to note that they had the option. In the event, they gave me a roll-in shower but i did not bother to rectify the error.

The room was spacious and well fitted out. Water and a mini-bar was provided (watch the prices!!). The bed was about wheelchair cushion height. Large bathroom, with grab rails in all the right places. The roll-in shower was spacious, with a fold-up seat by the shower controls. Hand held or wall mounted shower rose - selectable by a wall mounted control. Easy to operate and transfer to and from the seat. Bathroom sink had plenty of legroom underneath.

The business area was well laid out, with electric plugs and wired Ethernet at table height. Controls for the large flat screen TV were left within easy reach for a wheelie. All in all no problems.

Like all Vegas casino/hotels, the establishment is large, and wheeling across those deep pile carpets takes it out of you. But all areas seemed accessible. I had no opportunity to check access to the pool, but the spa is accessible and they have a handicapped accessible shower (with shower seat) in the changing area. I had to use the spa to get a massage for an extremely painful shoulder which is still in a bad way as I write this. The massage was great, but its effects, alas, were temporary. The only fault in the spa was the lack of a changing bench or somewhere a wheelie could lie to dress and undress.

All in all, very impressive. Recommended.

(Note: The theme here, not surprisingly, is Rock. So public areas are noisy and energetic. If this is not your thing, then avoid! The rooms are quiet.)

Dulles Airport (IAD) - Washington DC

2008-09-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

On the list of the many things I dislike, I keep a special spot for Dulles Airport (Washington D.C.) At least it gets on the list – there are a few airports that no sane wheelchair user should consider, even for transfers, and they don’t get on my list because they are below wasting the emotional energy on them. (For the record: JFK, New York; CDG, Paris; PHL, Philadelphia – until they sort out the baggage handling and stop losing wheelchairs) To be fair to Dulles (IAD on the airport code list) it makes an effort to be accessible. The problem is that it was designed in the 60s and they had no idea of how it would be used in the 21^stcentury. Principle problems are:

No mass transit public transport access. So you have to take a taxi or your car (the buses are not accessible)
If you can afford to leave your car in the Daily (as opposed to the Economy) parking lot you have a huge walk to the terminal
Once you get to the terminal you have to wheel up a tremendously long slope. There is no elevator.
The TSA (security) staff is by far the worst that I deal with on the many airports I travel through. Actually, that’s a little unfair. It’s a lottery. Some days they are pleasant, efficient, and effective. Other days it’s the complete opposite. No other airport that I know of has the same bi-polar personality.
The stupid little “moving lounges” that you have to take to get to the gates.

Okay, ranting aside, and to be fair the airport is pretty accessible. There are accessible buses running from the car parks to the terminal. If you park in the handicapped spots in Daily Car park 1, you can take an elevator to an underground walkway to the terminal. It is, as noted earlier, a hefty walk but there are moving travelators to help you along. Access to the terminal is up a long slope. There are elevators to every floor, and all public toilets have accessible cubicles. The public restrooms in the ticketing/boarding concourse are small and difficult to find. Much better are the ones in the arrival hall located near each entrance. In addition, in the arrivals hall, there are "family restrooms" which are large and accessible. These are located between the entrance to the ladies and gents restrooms. The elevators are sometimes tucked away in odd places, but they are there. From the arrivals they are usually directly opposite the entrance as you wheel yourself up that long ramp. You have to negotiate around the escalators to the departures level to see them. The moving lounges are accessible, and each has two spots specifically dedicated for wheelchairs.

I’m in Dulles as I write this – having kissed goodbye to my beloved family earlier to day and left my wife at the mercy of our children for four whole days…

I will shortly board a United flight to Las Vegas. United, in general, has been pretty good for flying, with just the occasional mess. But nothing terrible (not like US Airways who forgot to load my wheelchair in PHL, or Sabena – now defunct – who crushed it in the baggage gate). We’ll see how things go…

The saving grace of Dulles? Vino Volo.

Southern Outer Banks, North Carolina

2005-05-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

These notes aim to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to the southern outer banks, North Carolina. These informal notes are from a trip I took there with my wife.

Outer Banks
The outer banks are a thin strip of islands off the East Coast of North Carolina (Note: it would be kind of difficult to have islands off the West coast - since there isn't a West Coast!). The northern end is fairly developed with hundreds of condos for rent and a few hotels and restaurants. The southern end is primarily a National Seashore Reserve and development and residency is restricted to a handful of villages.

We stayed at the southern tip in Ocracoke, then drove up the banks to Kill Devil Hills.

Getting There
You need to drive. The outer banks are joined to the mainland at the northern end by a causeway. Most of the islands are linked by bridges, the exception being Ocracoke Island on the southern end which is accessible only by ferry.

We took the ferry from Cedar Island, a two hour ride. Timetables and ferry information is available at www.ncferry.org. Tell the ferry staff that you use a wheelchair when you arrive, they will try to load you close to the door to the café area. You drive on-board. It is possible to stay in your vehicle, but the door to the café area is ramped and there is an accessible toilet on-board. There are vending machines, but apart from that facilities are pretty basic. The ferry deposits you in Ocracoke.

Coming from the north, you get a ferry from Hatteras. This is a short (30min) journey and you can stay in your vehicle.

Places to Stay and Eat
Ocracoke is a small community (pop. 750) with a lot of rental property available. Unfortunately, most of this is hopelessly inaccessible since the building technique here is to place all living area at least one floor above ground level (presumably because of flooding during storms).

The Ocracoke Harbor Inn (www.ocracokeharborinn.com ) has two accessible bedrooms. These are up a long ramp and have a very steep short ramp to get over the threshold (4” rise in 6”). The room is compact with a spacious bathroom. The breakfast room is beside the reception area across the road and is accessible via a steep ramp. My research turned up no other accessible accommodation in Ocracoke.

The Flying Melon in Ocracoke serves great food and is accessible, although the path leading to the restaurant is unpaved and very rough. They do not have accessible toilets.

Further north the only real option is one of the chain hotels. We stayed in a Comfort Inn in Kill Devil Hills and it was acceptable in terms of access.

Things to do
The National Seashore Park (www.nps.gov/caha) is the main attraction here. Miles of wonderful beach and plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting. There are several access points to the beach via boardwalks, but the beach itself is not wheelable. A beach chair is available (www.nps.gov/caha/pphtml/accessibility.html for details).

The nature trail on island is not officially accessible but I gave it a shot anyway. I think that it is doable with assistance from a strong walkie. I was on my own (in a street chair ill-suited to off-road travels) and managed to cover over half of it. The early stages are boardwalk which makes traveling easy. After that, I went anti-clockwise around the trail loop for a period before a steep sandy hill defeated me. In the clockwise direction I got further, although areas of the trail were under an inch of water and the mud threatened to bog me down. The effort was worth it for the birds, frogs and snakes that I encountered, but mosquito spray is an absolute must!

Further north is Hatteras Lighthouse. For obvious reasons the look-out post at the top is not accessible! The information centre is.

Further north again, the wildlife trail is partly accessible. It is a loop. The southern end has been paved and provides superb views over the banks and a breathtaking array of birds. There are various viewing platforms and each one has a wheelchair accessible magnifying viewer (Good for kids also!). The information centre is accessible. The Northern end is paved for a shorter stretch and I did not explore it.

Savannah, Georgia

2005-05-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

These notes aim to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to Savannah, Georgia. These informal notes are from a trip I took there with my wife.

Savannah
Savannah is a beautiful and gentile town in Northern Georgia. Many of the original colonial homes still exist in the 2 mile square city center, giving Savannah the reputation for the most beautiful town center in the US.

We arrived by car – a short detour off I-95.

The pavements are old, many are cobbled, and there are trees and other barriers frequently blocking the way. Very few junctions have dished curbs. Wheeling around is a challenge and you have to keep a weather eye on the pavement to avoid being pitched out of your chair by an errant stone. Because many of the buildings are old, access is not guaranteed. You need to call ahead for most places to check.

A word of warning – the waterfront is down several very steep cobbled streets many with steps. If you want to get there, go to the Hyatt hotel and take the elevator down to the waterfront level. Any other route will put you in hospital.

The chamber of commerce run tourist office in Savannah seems to be dedicated to discouraging tourists rather than the opposite. Access is awkward – you need to enter from the car park and then take an open lift up a series of steps. Don’t bother though, because the staff know absolutely nothing about access in the city and care even less. We inquired about accessible tours and were told to call each operator to find out. Well, yes of course, we could do that but I thought the point of a tourist information centre was to provide a central source of information for tourists. However, the staff was disinterested and discourteous so we gave up.

Things to do
The town center is beautiful, and the best way to see it is be walking (wheeling). You can hire experienced guides to walk with you, but the weather was so hot when we were there that walking was not really a comfortable option.

Trolley Tours
There are a few different companies offering trolley tours. Our experience with these companies was less than ideal.

Old Savannah tours have no accessible trolleys. Forget it.

Grayline Tours claim to have one accessible trolley but, unfortunately, it was out of service for repair on the day we wanted to do the tour. I was somewhat suspicious - I wonder when it was last in service.

Old Town Trolley tours claim to have one accessible trolley, but amazingly it was also out of commission on the day we were there. Excuse me for my cynicism, but that two companies just happen to have their only accessible trolley out of action on the day we wanted it beggars belief.

Oglethorpe Tours (http://www.oglethorpetours.com) are the smallest and most recent company. They have very few trolleys, but one of these is accessible. Unfortunately, on the day we wanted to go (I’m not making this up) that trolley was rented by a private company for the full day. However, Adam (one of the owners) was extremely apologetic and did pull out all the stops and we got our tour at the end of the day when the trolley was returned. The tour was excellent and the company deserves to be successful for their efforts to make this customer happy. Ignore the others, go for the Oglethorpe Tour.

Boat Tours
A couple of companies offer boat trips on the Savannah river. The River Street Riverboat Co. boats (departures from River St. directly behind City Hall – (912) 232-6404) are accessible, although you will be quite restricted on where you can go on board. We took a standard one hour trip and it was a total waste of time and money. Unless you have a particular fascination for looking at modern working docks and ugly cranes give this tour a miss. Dinner time cruises are offered also, and this might be more worthwhile.

Places to Stay
The usual chain hotels are in Savannah, but they cluster near the I-95 and far from the interesting town center. The Hyatt and Marriott are near the waterfront and offer accessible rooms. However, the real heart of Savannah is the old town, and this is peppered with expensive but plush B&Bs. None are accessible by design (due to the age of the buildings) but some have just one step and may be manageable for some.

Joan’s On Jones
17 West Jone’s Street
Savannah
Georgia, 31401
Tel: (912) 234-3863
http://joansonjones.home.comcast.net/

This beautiful building has their “Jones Street suite” which is wheelchair accessible by accident rather than design, and the owners do not claim to be ADA compliant. Nevertheless, we found it perfectly usable and a comfortable and pleasant place to stay. If you want a feel for the old town Savannah you could not do better. It has it’s own separate entrance with a low (2”) threshold. The living room is spacious and leads through double doors into an equally spacious bedroom. The old fashioned four poster bed is very comfortable, but very high. The mattress is about four feet off the ground. I am a T4 paraplegic with good upper body strength but it still took all my ingenuity and strength to get myself into the bed unassisted. If the bed defeats you, there is a sofa bed in the living room that might work. From the living room there is a small kitchenette (1” step) with a fridge and microwave and so on. This leads to a generously proportioned bathroom with an inward opening 28” door. There is a bath with a fixed shower head. The toilet bowl is a little lower than even a standard toilet. There are no grab rails.

The B&B is located a little bit away from the main shopping and restaurant areas, in quiet and beautifully tree lined Jones St. Note that they do not accept credit cards – check or cash only please.

Places to Eat
Alligator Soul
114 Bernard St.
Savannah, GA, 31401
http://www.alligatorsoul.com/

Access to this experimental southern style restaurant looks unpromising at first since it is set in a basement. However, if you call them from the street (or have a walkie you can send down the steps) they will come up and let you into the office building in whose basement they live, and let you down via an elevator. It’s definitely worth the effort! The food is a mix of traditional and modern Southern dishes with unusual twists, and a superb wine list. We had possibly the best meal we’ve had in the USA – an epic culinary experience. Not cheap but worth it.

Charleston - South Carolina

2005-05-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

This brief note aims to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to Charleston.

Charleston
We stopped for a few hours in Charleston after leaving Savannah. The tourist information center is modern, accessible and staffed by friendly and informative staff. I was extremely disappointed to learn that none of the Southern Mansion tours were accessible. So, no lounging in a fine garden sipping Mint Julips for me then...

There are no (count them – exactly zero!) accessible trolley tours in Charlston. None, zip, nada. Our feeling that southern cities do not welcome wheelies was getting stronger until we discovered that Palmetto Carriage Tours (1-843-723-8145) offer accessible horse drawn carriage tours. The “loading deck” is ramped, and two assistant will lift you from your wheelchair onto the carriage. Since I had never taken a carriage tour, I leapt at this opportunity and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with a very entertaining and professional guide. Highly recommended.

Be aware that there is very limited handicapped parking in Charleston. We noticed only one space down by the public market where the tours depart from – and this was of course taken. Parking in city car parks is free to handicapped – but that does not make it any easier to find a space!

The Everglades National Park

2005-05-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

These notes aim to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to the Everglades National Park, Florida. These informal notes are from a trip I took there with my wife.

Getting There
The Everglades National Park is located in southern Florida. There are two entrances – east and west. The East entrance is about an hour’s drive from Miami (at Homestead/Florida City), the West entrance is accessible from Tampa (via Everglades City). Note that there are no roads through the park from one gate to the other. You choose whichever one you want.

Getting Around
The Everglades is a very big park, and only a small fraction is accessible to humans – and an even smaller fraction to wheeling humans. Nevertheless, we found it an immensely satisfying experience and a great place to get away from it all.

The National Park Service provide good information on all aspects of the park, including accessibility, try www.nps.gov/ever.

We stayed on the east side of the park. There is one good paved road and few roads that might be okay for 4WD. The best way to get around is by car – drive to one of the accessible walks and get out and experience the park.

Things to do
By far the most satisfying trail is the Anhinga trail at the Royal Palm Visitor Centre. This is just a mile or two from the East gate entrance, so you can make it a day trip from Miami if you want.

The trail itself is a combination of boardwalk and pavement with no significant slopes. Although you could wheel it in 30 minutes, there is so much wildlife to see that I took several hours to complete the circuit.

The visitor center has an excellent accessible toilet and a small and pokey shop.

Other accessible trails are listed on the NPS web-site, The ones I tried were less exciting in terms of wildlife but a pleasant way to get into nature. The Gumbo-Limbo trail is rougher than the Anhinga, but gives you the feeling of being deep in the woods – a nice feeling for those of us who are normally confined to pavements and “civilization”. The Payahokee Overlook trail gives views over the sawgrass plains. It is important to enter it from the opening at the end of the car-park (with the big wheelchair sign – so that you go around the trail clockwise) as the viewing platform is not accessible from the other direction.

Heat and mosquitoes prevented me from trying the others. Speaking of which, winter is the best time to visit. We visited in May and the mosquitoes were pretty bad – although the guides told us that they hadn’t really got up for the summer yet!

The boat rides from Flamingo Lodge are accessible and well-worth it. The boats are large flat, barge-like designs. Wheeling on was no problem with just a step of an inch or so between the dock and the boat. Once on board you don’t have to move – just enjoy the wildlife! The toilets (or heads) are not accessible.

The shop and toilets at Flamingo visitor centre are accessible.

Places to Stay
Some campsites are accessible, details are provided on the National Park Services website. However, we stayed in a cottage at Flamingo. The cottages and lodge are managed by Xanterra (www.beautiful-places-on-earth.com). They have two accessible cottages and advance reservation is strongly recommended.

Our cottage had a large living room (with a sofa-bed) and a bedroom with a queen sized bed. There was a small step (1” – 25mm) into the living room from outside. Everywhere else had level access. The bathroom was roomy, but it had a very strange shower with a molded plastic seat in one corner and a 4” lip that was difficult to get a wheelchair over. Due to the awkward positioning of the grab rails, it is not possible to sit on the seat comfortably if you have balance problems. Nor is it possible to reach the controls for the shower from the seat once you are there. The shower head is fixed. Between grabbing onto the handrails that are trying to push you out of the seat, and trying to balance, only a dexterous octopus could succeed in showering himself without aid. Luckily my wife stepped in to ensure that I smelled presentable for the duration of our stay.

It should be noted that this is the Everglades, and there is a profusion of wildlife attempting to occupy the same place as the cottages. Our cottage had an infestation of carpenter ants when we arrived. These were dealt with quickly by the staff once we mentioned it to them. However, you should be prepared to share your living space with various creatures. Apart from the carpenter ants, we had a lizard that lived under the bed, and an enormous spider that lived over the bed. (I chose not to point out the latter to my wife – she had enough to deal with between the ants and the lizard!). On the plus side you get the same profusion of wildlife outside, and rabbits, egrets and ospreys were common sights through the window over breakfast.

Places to eat
There is a restaurant at the Flamingo centre. Although I believe it is accessible, we did not eat there, preferring to cook our own food in the cottage.

Daytona Beach, Florida

2005-05-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

These notes aim to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to Daytona Beach, Florida. These informal notes are from a trip I took there with my wife.We stopped overnight en-route from the Everglades National Park to Savannah, Georgia.

Daytona Beach
Daytona beach is a long and beautiful beach, famous for car racing amongst other things. It is of great interest to a wheelchair user since it is the only beach, in my experience, that is hard enough to support an ordinary street wheelchair with only a moderate pushing effort. My chair is has narrow high pressure wheels (20mm) with a 3˚ camber and I was able to navigate the sand easily enough. I did need help from time to time. Especially beware of the occasional stream of water that flows down the beach into the sea – if you stop for even a second the sand will be swept from beneath your wheels and you will be embedded. However, this just adds to the fun of a day by the sea if you’ve got someone to haul you out!

Access to the beach is easy, with several streets leading straight onto the sand. These are well signposted as many people like to take their cars onto the sand for a drive.

There are beach wheelchairs available from the life guards. You will have to go to one of the lifeguard centers to get one. They are free, but I think they take a deposit when you take one out. We did not try them, since it was too far to go to the life guard centre and we are lazy!

Places to stay and eat
This is a popular holiday resort and the usual selection of chain hotels are here. We stayed in a Holiday Inn which, although old and in need of refurbishment, was perfectly fine in terms of accessibility.

There are several million food places along the strip by the ocean and although you might be disappointed if you are looking for gourmet food, you won’t starve.

Near the Holiday Inn is a drive-in worship centre where you can partake of Sunday service without leaving your car – the first time I have ever seen such a place!

Miami - Restaurant (Ocean's Ten)

2005-05-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

This brief note aims to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to Miami Art Deco district.

Miami – Art Deco Historic District
We did not stay in Miami, instead we just briefly visited the art deco historic district while on our way from Key West to the Everglades National Park. The information centre and museum (1001 Ocean Drive) is accessible via a steep ramp. The district itself stretches over several miles of road so a car tour is probably more feasible than walking. Walking tours are offered, leaving at 10:30am wed-sun and are accessible.

We had lunch in Oceans Ten (960 Ocean Drive). Non-descript food, appallingly slow and grumpy service and outrageous prices with a fixed service charge left a bad taste in our mouths. The toilets are accessible, not only to wheelchairs but also to passers by in the street. I had a very unpleasant experience there and felt generally unsafe. Avoid.

Key West - Information, Accomodation and Bars

2005-05-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

These notes aim to provide guidance for handicapped, disabled or wheelchair users who travel to Key West. These informal notes are from a trip I took there with my wife.

Getting There
Key West is situated at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. We drove there from Sanford – an easy enough drive that took us 8 hours including several stops to look at the beauty of the keys. There is also a small international airport on the island.

Getting Around
The island itself is small, just a few miles square. You don’t really need a car once you are there, and indeed, because parking is difficult a car can be a distinct dis-advantage.

The sidewalks in some places are old and rough and you need to be alert to avoid catching your wheels in unexpected holes. Many also have trees growing out of the middle without enough room to get around them on a chair. Not every corner has a curb-cut. On Duval St. (the main strip) most corners do, but once you get off Duval you need to look ahead carefully to plan your route. I found it easier to abandon the sidewalks and go on the road once I was on the side streets.

Things to do
Key West is a noisy, friendly, chaotic party town with plenty to keep you occupied. Out of the myriad of things on offer, we took a train tour ride, a snorkel trip, a glass bottomed boat trip and spent a lot of time eating!

Beware of the hustlers at various stands in the streets. They will try to sell you tickets for boat rides, tours, anything they can. While they are official, and the prices are the same as you would pay at the main ticket office, they do not know their elbow from any other part of their anatomy when it comes to handicapped access. They just want to sell you a ticket so they will tell you whatever it takes to get you to buy. Every single thing we were told by these guys relating to handicapped access was wrong. Go to the main ticket office for each ride or trip you want to go on and get the information there.

Island Tours
There is a tram (or trolley tour) and a train (The “World Famous” Conch Train Tour) which offer narrated tours. Both are accessible, The trolley does the whole island and offers hop-on, hop-off to walkies but not to wheelies. The train does just old-town. On the advice of some friends we took the train. You need to go to the main ticket office at Duval and Front St. and tell them you want to go. Not ever train is accessible, but given an hour or two notice they will put one on for you. The same applies to the trolleys – not all are accessible and they need an hour or two to get one ready.

Boat trips
There are so many boat trips on offer that it gets confusing! A favorite trip is a day trip to the Dry Tortugas – islands off the coast with a fort and a national park. We did not do this in the end, but we did make some inquiries. We were told that the islands were of limited accessibility due to sand. The sea-plane that flies out there is not accessible unless you can walk up steps. Of the boats that go out there, the Yankee Freedom (www.yankeefreedom.com ) was accessible, the Sunny Days catamaran (www.sunnydayskeywest.com) was not.

Many boats offer snorkel trips to the barrier reef. We went with Seabago Catamarans (200 William Street * (305) 294-5687) who run two large catamarans. The larger one is more accessible but as luck would have it, they were running the smaller one the day we went out. Getting on and off required a couple of strong men to lift the chair onto a ramp and wheel me up it. Once on board I could get around the main seating area okay. To actually get into the water meant that I had to get out of the chair and drag myself to the front of the boat. They have steps there that the lower to the water, so it was fairly easy to slip down the steps into the water itself. The staff were friendly and helpful but had no experience with handicapped snorkeling, and since I had never done it before I was happy to just hang onto a few ropes at the back of the boat and peer into the water below. Not as exciting as the reef itself, but I was happy!

On the return journey we watched the sun set and drank complimentary beer, wine and champagne. There is no accessible toilet on board so be careful with those drinks!

There are at least two glass-bottomed boats. We took the Pride of Key West Glass Bottom boat (at 0 Duval St. – just walk down Duval until you can go no more and it’s there in front of you). The dock area was ramped, and again two crew members lifted me onto the ramp to board. Once on-board, there was plenty of space to maneuver in the main cabin. I could position myself to get a good view through the glass bottomed viewing areas. The boat goes out to the barrier reef or other areas near the island where fish are abundant and can be clearly seen through the bottom.

Honda Bahia State Park
Okay – this is not in Key West. It’s about an hours drive east of it on the way back towards Miami. We stopped there for a picnic on our way home. Note that it is a Florida State Park so no alcohol is allowed. There is a $6 charge per car for entrance. The park has a lovely beach (very calm waters, excellent for kids) with easily accessible picnic areas and accessible restrooms. It also offers a beach wheelchair for rent (free – but you need to leave a deposit). Inquire at the concession shop. I could not figure out how I would get onto it, and even if I got onto it I could not figure out how my wife would push me, but it might work for you! At least it’s there.

Places to Stay
There are quite a few chain hotels on the island. These tend to be on the Eastern end and are therefore a little bit away from Old Town. We wanted to stay close to the action and that proved a bit more difficult. The only B&B in old town that we could find that claimed handicapped access was the Angelina (www.angelinaguesthouse.com - on the corner of Angela St. and Thomas St., about two short blocks from Duval).

You need to have a walkie with you when you arrive (or call them) as the office and key-drop are not accessible. They have one handicapped room which is only accessible through a locked gate off Thomas St. When we arrived the room contained two queen beds which took up so much space that we had to move one to enable me to get to the bathroom. The management say they are swapping those out and replacing with a single King at the end of May 2005. The bathroom had a small lip (about 1” or 25mm). The door is a “pocket” (or sliding) door so it does not reduce maneuver space. The bathroom is spacious with a wash-basin, toilet with grab-bars and a roll-in shower. There is no shower seat so I took a plastic garden seat from outdoors and used that. The showerhead is fixed (they used to have a hand-held one but someone ripped it out! You can see where the fittings were).

The breakfast area is down one large (10” – 250mm) step, although there is a table on the same level as the room so if you have a walkie to get your breakfast for you, you do not need to negotiate the step. That single step leads you to the breakfast “fixin’s” area and two tables by the pool. The pool itself is down another two steps.

Eatin’, Drinkin’ and Makin’ Merry
Key West is a town for doing all three. It is impossible to cover all restaurants and bars and still maintain a liver in a usable condition but here are my observations.

Firstly, much of Old Town is (unsurprisingly) old. So the building are not accessible and have steps and small restrooms. However, many establishments have recently begun to make efforts to accommodate us. If there are steps look for signs pointing you to a ramped entrance at the side or back. Many places have this. Even if it looks inaccessible, ask as there may very well be a way in. The following is a list of the places I visited that are, to some degree or other, accessible:

Pepe's Cafe & Steak House
806 Caroline Street, Key West, Florida
Phone: (305) 294-7192
Café style restaurant/bar. Very popular. Serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Straightforward menu. Oysters are the specialty. Ramped entrance from Caroline St. In fact, the ramp is brand new. After I was seated at a garden table the manager came over to inform me that I was the very first wheelchair to use it. Didn’t get a free bottle of champagne to crack open though! The ramp leads into a garden seating area. There is a single step (about 8” – 200mm) into an indoor dining room. There is also a single step to the toilets and the doors are narrow. I did not attempt to use them.

Sunset Pier, Ocean Key Resort
Zero Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040
www.oceankey.com
American style food. Level access from Duval St. Outdoor seating on Pier. No accessible toilets.

Alonzos Oyster Bar (Raw Bar and Seafood)
Old Historic Seaport
700 Front Street, Key West, Florida
Phone: (305) 294-5880
www.alonzosoysterbar.com
Good seafood, large menu. Level access from seafront boardwalk to both outdoor and indoor dining. Accessible restrooms. Recommended.

El Meson de Pepe on Mallory Square,
410 Wall Street, Mallory Square
(305) 295-2620
Website: http://www.elmesondepepe.com/
Interesting menu of Cuban food. Locals consider it over-priced but it seemed okay to me. Great sandwiches and I loved the fried Plaintain. Level access from the Mallory Square end of the restaurant. Accessible toilets.

Blue Heaven Restaurant
729 Thomas Street, Key West , Florida
Phone: (305) 296-8666
www.blueheavenkw.com
A little off the beaten track this is a delightful restaurant. Although there may be an indoor part we ate in the outdoor area. Level access from Petronia St. The surface of the garden is a mixture of pavement, dirt, grass and sand and is a bit rough but I was able to get to my table without assistance. The staff toilet is accessible, but you will need to ask a member of staff to lead you there as it is a bit hidden away (and may be storing bottles of water!). Best meal we had in Key West although my opinion may be slightly colored by the 93 year old Madiera I splashed out on as a post-prandial!

Sloppy Joes
201 DUVAL ST, KEY WEST, FL 33040
www.sloppyjoes.com
Many, many establishments describe themselves as World Famous. In the case if Sloppy Joe’s it might actually be true. And they are accessible. Live music, food, drink, great bar atmosphere. I just had a few drinks and enjoyed the music.

Geckoes…?
Now this is a little embarrassing! This bar is between Sloppy Joes and Irish Kevins, but I can’t make out the name in my notes (in the interests of research I was hitting a lot of bars in a short time!). It looks like “Geckoes” but it could be anything – and I can’t find a Geckoes on the web! In any case, it’s accessible with accessible restrooms, had great music (not live) and a lovely bartender.

Irish Kevin’s
211 Duval St, Key West, Florida
www.irishkevins.com
Another great bar. The night I was there there was just one guy with guitar on stage – a genuine Irishman judging from his accent. To hear someone doing a U2 cover with an acoustic guitar and no backing is very impressive. No doubt my judgement was helped by the (by now Nth) Margarita! Accessible, but I did not try the restroom.

Bear Assets (or Bear Bottoms Beach Club)
281 Duval St., Key West, Florida
It was getting late so this was my last stop. Accessible from the street. I did not try the rest room. Good bar, live music. There is an “exotic dance” club upstairs but there is no elevator. If you are into that kind of thing I’m sure the bouncers will carry you up! (If you really are into that kind of thing, the similarly named “Bare Assets” club on Truman Road is a one story building that looked accessible. I did not try it!).

Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville
424A Fleming St, Key West, FL 33040
Office: 305.296.9089 Fax: 305.296.1084
www.margaritaville.com
Accessible and accessible restroom. A little anti-septic and touristy although the live band was good.

The Auto-Train - Washington D.C. to Orlando with Amtrak

2005-05-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) run a train they call the Auto Train from Virginia to Florida. It departs Lorton VA (about 45mins south of Washington D.C.) every day at 16:00 (4pm) and arrives at Sanford FL (about 40 minutes North of Orlando) at 08:30 the next morning. The reverse journey is the same – departs Sanford at 16:00 and arrives Lorton at 08:30. On the face of it it looks like a good way of covering a lot of ground. And that was how it turned out.

They offer seats or sleepers (for an extra charge) and handicapped accessible units are available. However, if you want handicapped accessible they must be booked by telephone (1-800-skip i95) – they cannot be booked on-line.

They request that you turn up about 2 hours before departure, so we did. We showed our tickets to the lady in the booth and she gave us a handicapped sign to hang on the rear-view mirror. We then left the car in the hands of the Amtrak staff and went into the station. In the station you get your boarding pass at the desk. Note that the dining car and lounge car on the train are not wheelchair accessible so you will need to request that you get meal service at your seat or in your cabin. It is also a good idea to request pre-boarding.

There’s not much in the station – a small and very expensive café and accessible toilets. About an hour before departure we were invited to pre-board. Getting on the train was easy, with a smooth and strong ramp provided by the staff.

We had reserved a sleeper. It was a very compact design consisting of a small room (6’9” x 9’5” or 2m x 2.9m) with a WC, a hand-basin and two seats facing each other across a small fold-away table. For sleeping, the two seats converted into a narrow berth (2’4” x 6’6” or 72cm x 2m) while an upper berth (2’0” x 6’2” or 61cm x 1.9m) could be folded down. We made the mistake of bringing four briefcase sized bags on board. There was barely room for them. It is advisable to stick to just one night bag for the journey. With the four bags squashed against one wall I was still unable to turn completely in the room. It is possible to pull a curtain across to separate the toilet from the seating/sleeping area, but nevertheless you need to be good friends with the person you are sharing with – it is a bit intimate!

Each car has an assigned staff member and in our case a very friendly lady called Priscilla looked after our every need. She brought us dinner, turned down the beds, and woke us with breakfast in the morning.

If you want to stay in your chair, there is a simple wheel lock that can lock the chair down. However, I found the rocking motion somewhat nauseating when in my chair and preferred to sit on one of the seats. The bed was comfortable and we slept well. It was pleasant to half-wake up during the night and hear the song of the wheels on the track and know that we were heading South and cutting hours off our driving time!

We reached Sanford about 15 minutes late/ Disembarking was as easy as getting on. The Sanford station has no more to offer than Lorton had, but it has accessible toilets. There is a wait while the Amtrak staff get your car and we did not get on the road until about 10:20.

All in all, the Auto Train was a very satisfactory experience and I would do it again without hesitation. But with just one bag the next time…