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| TRAVEL
By Andrea Jehn Kennedy
New York City gets a bad rap. Coming from Colorado, and using a wheelchair, my husband Craig and I had all sorts of warnings that we’d collected from others before our trip: only 10% of the subway is accessible, the locals aren’t friendly, it’s a dirty city, the crime is bad… You name it, we heard it.
But on behalf of all New Yorkers in all five boroughs, I want to set this record straight! Neither of us had spent any quality time in the Big Apple in the last decade, and after two days of touring [...]
Our friends at SpinalCordAdvocates.org brought this to our attention:
United Spinal Association and SATH Announce Launch of Website Dedicated to Visitors With [...]
Renee Balke caught the travel bug in 1991 and hasn’t let a summer go by without a domestic or foreign excursion ever [...]
Coming back to the Big Apple after a spinal cord injury, one woman found, was a challenge to bring her back to herself. [...]
Thanks to an adapted “snow coach,” the natural wonders of West Yellowstone are now accessible to visitors in wheelchairs. [...]
Just as accessibility has come a long way in the past decade, so has camping. Here are some tips for campers of all [...]
| TRAVEL
By Andrea Jehn Kennedy
Traveling with a wheelchair always requires diligent preparation. But if you want to challenge yourself with a destination that is not only outside the US but off the map for accessibility (i.e., not Europe or the UK), you’re going to have to expect some barriers, embrace your limitations, use what resources already exist, take a lot of notes, and place a lot of calls and e-mails. But wherever you’ve got a calling to go, by all means go!
The author and her husband sampled Royal Caribbean’s accessibility features on a fun cruise to the Maritimes in Canada.
By Jean Campbell
Accessibility begins curbside for passengers with special needs sailing out of Royal Caribbean’s terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Help is immediately available to unload luggage. Once in the terminal, two dedicated check-in representatives are available to assist people with disabilities. After clearing security, escorts lead the way to shuttle buses that make the short ride from the terminal to the ship. Members of the ship’s staff are dockside to meet the buses and help with boarding. An earlier boarding time [...]
How to get the most enjoyment out of what the US has to offer travelers in wheelchairs include careful research, planning ahead, and ability to improvise. [...]
Travel consultant Andrea Kennedy takes off on the “Changes In Air Travel” and what travelers can expect during the upcoming winter and holiday travel [...]
By Andrea J Kennedy
Gas prices climb. Airline companies merge and ticket prices increase. Baggage allowances drop. How do we stay ahead of the game and continue to travel without it taking a chunk out of our own budget? Luckily we still have several options!
This year’s newest trend has arisen from a made-up word by the travel industry: Staycations. The point is to have you look at vacations that are closer to home or what is now being called the “One Tank Trip.” Local and regional travel is predicted to increase starting this fall through next year when the airline prices [...]
52 year old quadriplegic gets an independence boost as form meets function when a van, a man, and a new wheelchair come [...]
Historic Governor’s Island in New York Harbor is now open to the public-and a lot is accessible to everyone.
By William Clarke
Before I even knew I had multiple sclerosis, I worked as a futures trader in an office high above the city streets that had a fantastic view of lower Manhattan. I usually didn’t pay much attention to it. But sometimes I would stare at Governor’s Island, a mysterious piece of land owned by the federal government that once served as a military base and then became a Coast Guard station and wonder what it was like. Long ago, the island [...]
Get out there and travel with Scot Chesney’s Plane Talk on vacationing and airline travel. This is “concrete” advice from a wheelchair user who has traveled to 38 different [...]
We received this via e-mail and want to bring it to the attention of the students among our readership. MIUSA is not affiliated with United Spinal Association, and this is presented for informational purposes only:
Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is currently recruiting for our Summer 2008 US/Costa Rica: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Leadership Exchange Program. We would like to offer an additional $100 scholarship to any youth selected to participate in the programs that says they found out about the program through you or your organization. The deadline to receive completed applications including the application fee is March 28, 2008.
Research is key to traveling with a disability.
By Rob Ingraham
Despite the explosive growth in travel options, traveling with a disability can still be a complicated and frustrating experience. Stephanie Acosta, corporate travel manager for United Spinal Association’s ABLE to Travel unit, specializes in booking business and leisure trips for people with disabilities and recently provided a short course in the fundamentals of traveling with a wheelchair or other assistive devices.
For many people with disabilities, accessible vans are the key to unlocking their independence on the road.
By Tom Scott
As more and more wheelchair-users take to the road in pursuit of adventure, many prefer the peace of mind that comes with being behind the controls of a vehicle modified to fit their needs and equipped for the long haul— wherever the destination may be. Let’s face it, the last thing most of us want to deal with on vacation is public transportation, especially if you’re planning your own itinerary and would like to visit attractions and tourist spots at [...]
A native of Sun Valley, Idaho, Muffy Davis (seen above balancing near the rim of the Fox River Gorge in Namibia) injured her spine while training at Olympic ski racing during high school.
Davis and husband Jeff ride
an elephant in Thailand.
After graduating valedictorian in her class and while continuing her studies at Stanford University, Davis discovered adaptive skiing, and she was off and racing again-and winning medals at Nagano and Salt Lake City and World Cup titles in Switzerland multiple years in a row.
Davis has also long been involved in community service. She won an award for [...]
Getting Somewhere?
Well, I’m not sure exactly how to respond to your recent articles on public transit accessibility (July 2007), other than to say, you are referencing only the most advanced and progressive regions while ignoring the bulk of the United States, which appears to be ignoring the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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