Special Needs Travel

The thought of escaping winter’s icy blast is an appealing one, particularly since Mother Nature decided to blanket most of Canada in snow early this year and is showing no signs of letting up.Booking a plane ticket and arriving just a few hours later to the feel of warm breezes and swaying palm trees is a dream for many. But for those with special considerations, like Huntington’s disease, buying that ticket is the easy part. It’s the thought of organizing a vacation where wheelchairs and medical concerns are part of everyday life that can make it difficult to imagine a dream getaway.

Organizations like Accessible Journeys are making it easier for those with special needs to travel the world. Specializing in “wheelchair travel” since 1985, their website (http://www.disabilitytravel.com/) offers a wealth of information about accessible lifestyle vacations, including lists of healthcare professionals willing to act as travel companions, equipment rentals worldwide, opportunities for group tours and cruises, and accessible property rentals in countries like Jamaica and France.Despite the tongue-in-cheek name, Gimp on the Go (http://www.gimponthego.com/) takes a serious look at the needs of travellers with disabilities. This specialized online travel publication includes articles and reviews by its readers, a look at various travel destinations, tips for travellers ranging from wheelchair beach access to renting an accessible van, the latest happenings in the travel industry for those with special needs and a full gallery of holiday photos that are guaranteed to inspire the urge to travel. A page full of travel resources covers every topic imaginable.

The Globetrotter Club (http://www.globetrotterclub.com/) considers itself “the world specialist in tourism for the physically challenged travelers, their family and friends.” The online travel agency offers flight and hotel bookings, car rentals, travel insurance and passport information, along with a great deal of information on escorted tours, safaris, cruises, health and wellness getaways, and other unique vacation ideas.

Transport Canada operates a website called Access to Travel (http://www.accesstotravel.gc.ca/) that aims to make travel easier and more enjoyable for Canadians with disabilities. It offers a list of transportation options for travel across the country and more specific local transportation in various communities. For example, the local transportation link will take you to a map of Canada where you can choose a province and then a city. The city page will provide a list of accessible transportation options. There’s also a list of accessibility options in Canada’s airports and a number of travel-related links, including the Ontario March of Dimes (http://www.marchofdimes.ca/), an advocacy organization for people with disabilities. They organize a wide range of trips throughout the year, including short day trips to visit local attractions, a summer holiday program and weekend getaways.There are many opportunities for special needs travel, both across Canada and around the world. For those strictly looking for accommodations, there are companies like Access Victoria (http://www.accessvictoria.com/), providing accessible vacation suite rentals. Access-Able Travel Source (access-able.com) is another site brimming with unique travel information. Emerging Horizons (emerginghorizons.com) specializes in accessible travel news through its print and online magazine, and Access Anything (http://www.accessanything.net/) opens a world of opportunity with its “Go Anywhere Do Anything” attitude.Just a brief tour around the Internet is proof enough that the options for special needs travel are vast. Now the only question remaining is...where would you like to go first?