For someone in a wheelchair, vacations have to be thought out. When wheelchair access has to be had this could limit some vacation spots. But don’t worry there is some great vacation for wheelchair access.
So what is the best vacation for wheelchair access? There are so many places that you can go on vacation even if you’re in a wheelchair. Cruising, Disneyland, camping trips, National Parks, Washington, D.C., Beaches, and London are all unbelievable places anyone in a wheelchair can visit. But don’t stop there these are just some of the amazing places you can see from your chair.
from outdoor activities like canoeing, fishing, and beaches there are a lot of outstanding vacations for handicap accessible people within the United States.
Below are some of the best vacations for wheelchair access that will surely be fun for you and your family.
Believe it or not, this question gets asked a lot. Can people with wheelchairs take vacations? of course they can. But you should do some research as to where the places would be for wheelchair access so you can make your vacations as great as possible.
We have together a few places that are wheelchair friendly for your next getaway! Lets’s get started.
Cruising
Taking a cruise is an excellent way for someone with disabilities to get out and see a lot of different things. We have been on vacation with someone who suffers from MS and a cruise has always been a big hit.
Rooms are wheelchair accessible as long as you call ahead and reserve a room for a wheelchair. The doors and cabin are wider to easily accommodate a wheelchair or scooter.
There are elevators to every floor in the ships and plenty to do for anyone in a scooter or wheelchair. Not to mention the activities on the ship are family-friendly so any person in your group and the person that has mobility issues can stay together.
Disney World or Disney Land
They say it’s the happiest place on earth. And its also one of the best places that anyone in a wheelchair or electric scooter, knee scooter, or crutches can visit.
Disney things of just about everything including taking care of people with mobility issues to have a magical time in their parks.
This is another place that you and your entire family will have fun. Not to mention if you’re in a wheelchair you and your group get preferred access to rides. Disney ranks as one of the best vacation for wheelchair access for younger and older adults.
Camping Trip & National Parks
Camping is an excellent trip for anyone and can be great for anyone that is in a wheelchair. Setting up a site that is easy access for wheelchairs is not hard. Once your area is set up and your tent is up its time to relax and sit around a fire and roast marshmallows.
Camping is a wonderful thing to do to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life while being able to relax and spend time with family or friends.
There are may camping parks and recreational sites that allow camping for the disabled. In fact, the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA has made it mandatory that all camping sites have reasonable arrangments for disabled campers so they can access parks and camps.
It is important to understand that to enter these areas someone that is disabled will need to have an Access pass that is issued by the Government.
This pass is free for the disabled and it is a lifetime pass. There are some stipulations. They are:
You must be a permanent resistant to the United States. Or
You have to be a United States citizen
Must have a permanent physical, sensory, or mental disability.
(The disability does not need to be a 100 percent disability. )
Once you have this pass you can access over 2,000 federal recreational areas across the United States.
How to Apply For a Camping Access Pass
There are a few steps that you need to take in order to get your Camping Access Pass. They are:
Access the USGS website to know what documentation you will need to submit.
Scan these files so they are on your computer.
Submit your application through there store online.
After you submit then you will be asked to upload all the documentation from step 1 that you saved. This step needs to be done in order to get your Campaign Access pass approved.
Once your documentation has been submitted someone will verify this information. You will receive other information by email and you will receive a physical pass through the mail.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. is an excellent place for wheelchair, scooter, or cane access. It is one of the most disabled-accessible cities in the world. There is plenty of room to navigate museums and locations all around Washington D.C. This is why Washington is one of the best vacation for wheelchair access you can take.
And you and your family will find that there is an abundance to do in the area. From the Smithsonian to great places to eat you will not find a shorter to do in Washington.
Why is it so great?
There are two ADA accessible parking meters on every block that has government-operated parking meters.
Every metro station has an elevator to the train station. It also has extra wide fair gates for easy wheelchair access. It should also be known that almost all metro buses have wheelchair lifts that can kneel at the curb.
All Smithsonian museums are wheelchair accessible. You can learn a lot more here.
Wheelchair and Scooter rentals in Washington D.C.
DC Tours: You can rent a mobility scooter or a manual style wheelchair.
Scootaround: Wheelchair and scooter rentals that are available for weekly, daily, or longer time frames.
Another reason London is a great place to visit if you are in a wheelchair is that almost all of the business lines have wheelchair ramps. Keep in mind that they are not in operation 100 percent of the time but they operate quite a bit and make it easy to get around some fo the more populated tourist attractions.
Museums in London almost always have wheelchair-accessible entrances. Another positive to note is that London especially around and in the tourist attractions is pretty flat making pushing or using a manual wheelchair easier to operate.
Beaches
San Diego, California
San Diego, California has some of the best wheelchair-friendly beaches in the Country. With beach wheelchair rentals, to mats that lay down a path across the sand, this is one beach that makes it easier for someone with mobility issues to hit the beach. You can find some excellent information about wheelchair-friendly beaches in San Diego.
You may think a beach vacation may not be in question because of your wheelchair but that’s just not the case. There are very good wheelchair accessible beaches.
A tip before planning a beach vacation.
Contact the city’s visitor bureau of parks and recreating to get concrete evidence. When speaking with parks and recreation ask about beach expressible wheelchairs, how far the beach is from the boardwalk and what other wheelchair-friendly accessible things they have set up.
How To Travel By Air With Your Wheelchair?
Bringing your own wheelchair on a flight normally is fine where you will probably be sitting in a special aisle chair. If you still are able to walk short distances and you call the airlines and tell them you have immobility issues they will probably provide you a seat close to the entrance of the entrance doors. Not only that but you will probably get boarded before everyone else.
When flying a wheelchair will be broken into 3 categories.
If you have wheelchairs with a wet acid battery you should check with the airlines for safety concerns. In-fact you should always call ahead to get the proper information regarding what the proper protocol is when you want to bring a wheelchair or a scooter regardless if it is electric or manual. Each airline may slightly be different in terms of what their rules are.
When using electric chairs and you bring them on the aircraft the airlines should make sure after arrival that the battery is hooked back up and in working order for you.
Related Questions
Best Vacation Spots for Handicapped Seniors? Any of the destinations above can be a senior vacation spot. Especially a cruise. There are cruise lines that are more for adults and even cruises that are not for kids. Cruising for someone with mobility issues are at the top of our list.
Las Vegas: Las Vegas is another spot for seniors that has good wheelchair access to casinos and hotels.
Adam Smith is the main researcher and contributor at Mobility Medical Supply. Adam has many years of research in public data, and software security. With Mobility issues within Adam's family, he decided to dedicate in-depth guides on mobility products to anyone looking to improve movement and gain independence.
