As the summer season approaches, Action––the monthly membership magazine of United Spinal Association––is spotlighting travel for wheelchair users in its May issue. With leisure trips and hotel stays by travelers with disabilities up 50% from 2002, Action provides valuable information for this growing population and the travel service industry.

A 2005 study by Harris Interactive, in coordination with the Open Doors Organization (ODO)––a Chicago based nonprofit––and the Travel Industry Association of America found that American adults with disabilities spend $13.6 billion on travel each year. “People with disabilities are traveling more than ever before in quest of fun, adventure, business––and accessibility. And behind every great trip there is often a great travel agent,” said Kleo King, program counsel for United Spinal Association who contributed two articles in the May issue: Air Travel with a Wheelchair: Special Considerations & Guidance for Group Travelers with Disabilities . “So, while airlines are required to accommodate passengers with disabilities, each individual should also be adequately prepared for his/her trip. If you’re traveling with a group of wheelchair users, you and/or your travel agent will need to plan ahead.”

To meet the specific travel needs of United Spinal members––individuals with spinal cord injury or disorders––the Association has created a travel service program called ABLE to Travel, which provides knowledgeable travel agents with experience in all types of situations that a traveler using a wheelchair may encounter. This includes accessible transportation to and from the airport, stowage of mobility equipment on board an aircraft, accessible hotel accommodations and more. There is a small fee to use the services of ABLE to Travel, visit www.abletotravel.org or call 888-211-3635 for more information.

To read more about traveling with a disability, accessible destinations and about the Air Carrier Access Act, please visit: Action Online at www.unitedspinal.org.

Celebrating 60 years of service, United Spinal Association has been a leading organization in advocating for accessible transportation nationwide through its work on the transportation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. United Spinal was also instrumental in drafting portions of the Air Carrier Access Act, and promotes compliance with these laws and educates the public and the travel industry about them through publications and workshops held across the United States. Membership in the Association is free and open to all people with spinal cord disabilities. For more information please call 800-404-2898.