Washington Dulles Airport, VA, USA - Hotel (Hilton)

Hilton Washington Dulles Airport,  13869 Park Centre Road, Herndon, VA 20171, USA

This entry describes my experiences at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport, and is intended to assist wheelchair users or disabled travelers considering this hotel.
This hotel is just a few minutes from Dulles International Airport (IAD) and offers a wheelchair accessible shuttle bus. But only one of their shuttles is accessible so it has to be booked. On the night I stayed here, the accessible shuttle was "in the shop" and unavailable which is frustrating in the extreme. Perhaps having two accessible shuttles would be a good idea? the hotel staff were very apologetic, and booked a taxi for the morning which the hotel paid for. 

Flat entrance to the hotel with automatic doors. There is level access throughout the lobby, bar and restaurant area.

I stayed in a two double bed room with tub (kudos to Hilton website that allows you to select a room to this level of detail). Room was on ground floor, a bit of a haul to get there from the lobby over thick carpet and a short ramp.  The room is large and spacious, not over crammed with furniture.  There is enough room between the beds to fit a wheelchair comfortably, access to either bed is no problem. The work desk is a little low and I was unable to wheel under it. The desk lamp has two easily accessed electric sockets. No wired internet that I could find, but the wifi worked well. 

It took me a while to find the closet - unusually it is located in the bathroom.  Closet has a bar at a comfortable height for hanging shirts etc. There are three light switches between the beds that allow you to turn off certain room lights from the bed. Experiment to find what which ones!

The bed is at a reasonable height for transfer, not too high.  

Air conditioning unit has an easily accessed wall mounted temperature control (old style analog slider) but the on/off control is high on the wall and blocked by the armchair.

The bathroom is large with plenty of turn space. Ample knee room under sink. Large mirror gives a decent view.  Toilet is easily accessible for transfer. Grab rails well positioned. The towels are stored on a shelf above the bath tub that is totally inaccessible from a wheelchair. 

The tub is easy to access but the grab rails are badly positioned and too high to assist in a transfer they are fine for ambulant disabled.   This is a common problem in hotels. It seems that a rom with a tub is assumed to be for ambulant disabled, and a rool-in shower for wheelchairs.  But, of course, many wheelchair users prefer a tub as it is often safer than a shower seat. Once on the tub, the water controls are easy to reach.  However, the hand held shower rose is mounted on a rail but even at its lowest point is too high for a wheelie to reach.   There is no temperature cut-off so you need to be careful  when adjusting the temperature to avoid scalding de-sensitized areas of your body.

Overall, the room is a bit tired and in need of a refurb. It's acceptable, but the recently redone rooms in the Marriott are nicer.  But the Marriott only offers king size beds in the handicapped rooms which makes it useless if you are travelling with young kids.  I would use the Hilton again if the price was right, or I needed to have two beds in the room.

JFK airport, New York - AirTrain (SkyTrain)

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!!

Dulles Airport, VA - Aerotrain

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.

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

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).

Wheelchair Accessible Taxis at Montreal International Airport

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.

London, England - Heathrow Airport

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.

Dublin, Ireland - Getting there

Dublin, Ireland - Getting There

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

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

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

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

Guarulhos Airport (GRU), Sao Paulo, Brazil

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

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

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

Dulles Airport (IAD) - Washington DC

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.