Rental cars

Hello all. Yes I know this is 2 posts in 2 days. I am trying to do a little more to help get information out there to you. This time I wanted to quickly talk about rental cars. Most all major rental car companies (Hertz, Avis, ETC.) have vehicles that are equipped with hand controls and possibly a steering knob. You do have to make arrangements to get one delivered to your rental location aproximately (a minimum of) three days although I would suggest more time just to make sure that things get done correctly. I have rented a Crystler Seabring, A Lebaron, and a Ford Focus and have been told that smaller or larger cars can be outfitted with the modifications with advanced notice. This is great for vacation or when/if you have car troubles. Also it can be nice to drive something different every now and then (I have had nothing but vans until last year when I bought a Honda Element so being in a car was great!!).

Now if you are looking for a vehicle with a wheelchair lift this will require more digging on your or your travel agents part. Those can be available by checking with a dealer that installs hand controls or checking with a medical equipment rental company in your vacationing area. I have personally checked with Absolute Mobility in Washington State and for about $150.00 a day (or they have weekly rates too) you can rent a van equipped with a lift and hand controls or other configurations. You will just have to do a little checking in the area, but if you are motivated enough you will get results.

Just remember this as your best practice when traveling. If you don't ask questions you will never find answers

That's todays tip, more to come.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Travel Agent

So you have seen all of the travel commercials and you believe that you can accessibly travel without an agent. Well you sure can. However you will not just be logging on to the travel sites and punching in your price and viola. You my dear traveler will be calling the 800 number located on the site and talking to their travel experts (just a warning, its not Shatner). Plus you will probably not be saving much if anything. The major problem is that we the disabled are a captive audience. We pay more for LOTS of things, you just have to get that through your head.

That being said, there are deals out there with discount travel agencies. I myself have been a member of AAA for their travel deals (although I hear Costco is good too). I went into my local AAA office and met with 2 very nice and extremely helpful ladies (Mary and Theresa). I explained my limitations, needs, and wants with my various vacations. I have booked Disney packages IE:resort stays and cruises, boutique hotels, and other air+hotel+transportation all while getting the AAA discount AND that doesn't count the many times I have used them for auto stuff. My opinion get a membership, but I have gone on a tangent.

Mary and Theresa have many contacts within the travel world that we (the public) do not have. They also have the luxury of being able to surf websites, talk to booking companies, and have (through their AAA purchasing power) purchased blocks of rooms and tickets that I as one person do not. They also have clients like myself who if questions should arise, they can call. They also travel extensively themselves so they may be more attune accessibility outside the United States.

Sure you CAN book a vacation without an agent. You can also fix your car and plumbing without a mechanic or plumber. Why place yourself in the position of many phone calls and emails with someone who may or may not know exactly what you need when there are trained professionals that can advocate for you so you can enjoy your vacation without being exhausted.

Excuse me. Where is your restroom?

Finding a restroom that is accessible and clean is a difficult thing to do when you are on vacation. At times a good restroom is worth its weight in gold. This isn't just the case for the disabled. I have many friends who will not use a facility that is "dodgy". A great restroom is spacious and clean with all the amenities that should be there. I rarely stop off at a gas station to use the bathroom because most are something right out of a horror movie.

When traveling be mindful of your surroundings. I personally stop at a Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Macys when looking for an impeccably clean restroom. They are almost always light and clean with nice big stalls. My second tier would be a nicer movie theater, or in a pinch a McDonalds (which I used quite a bit on my family road trip to Disneyland).

So how about when you are looking for a hotel/motel room for the night? I would say that most chain hotels will have a disabled access room. These usually provide a shower bench and a larger bathroom. However they do NOT always provide a shower bench which then makes you try some creative alternatives (I personally have used a plastic patio chair). Also don't expect these to be the shower benches that you have at home (I had one that was like a cafeteria lunch tray, and several that had no backs that were about a foot off the floor). You might very well need assistance in and out of the tub (one of my road trip experiences had the accessible room with a bath tub with grab bars but the tub was so deep they were not much help). Be careful and safe when transferring, but you may have to get creative.

In the nicer rooms that I have been in they had great facilities. The toilets were 17 inches or higher off the floor with grab bars everywhere, built in shower benches with hand held showers, even lower soap holders.

The plain fact is you need to ask questions specific to your disability when booking a room. If you need a shower bench to shower -- ask. Need a raised toilet (17" or ADA coded) -- ask if they have one.

Finally, if you are planning a trip across the pond remember to ask if their rooms (specifically the restrooms) are modified. If you ask if they are accessible they may consider a ground floor room to be what you are looking for. If you ask for a modified room, they will know you mean outfitted with the "Goodies". Just remember the person on the other end of the phone line is not a mind reader but really wants to help. So be nice, but don't be afraid to be VERY SPECIFIC about your needs. And don't be surprised if you need to remind staff members about your needs (shower bench, extra pillows, portable fridge) once you arrive.

You must have money.......

OK, so I know what you are going to say. “Well you must have money to be traveling to all of those places.” No. I am not independently wealthy, a trust fund brat, or even middle class. Plain truth -- I and my wife were low paid mall employees when we decided to do our first Disneyland vacation. If you really want a trip badly enough you can find many little ways to scrounge the money. It might not be a chi-chi trip but really a room is just a place to sleep when you are not out enjoying yourself. My wife and I each tightened the belt. We started the week with $20 spending money and whatever was left at the end of the week went into a savings account -- by the time of the trip we had a good start. It wasn't always easy (there are always DVDs or books that we wanted) but we kept our eyes on the trip.

And we had a great time. We stayed off property at the Best Western on Katella (where I learned not all shower benches are created equal) that had a short walk to the IHOP (cheap breakfast that lasted until mid afternoon). We brought our own snacks from home (trail mix, granola bars, etc.) and saved tons of money on drinks by bringing refillable water bottles with filters. We also made the most of our souvenir money by choosing a few special pieces (for us, one great memento is a piece of artwork or print that we can display in our home -- daily reminders of some great trips!).

Not every trip has to be exotic or upscale. Budget trips can be every bit as fun. Or you can just start with day trips or overnight trips. Don't let there be a barrier in the way. There will always be a reason you can't do something . Try making a reason that you CAN do something.

Have Wheels Will Travel

Hi! My name is Jacob and I am starting this blog to assist and explain the joys of traveling with mobility impairments, medical conditions, and the plain old fun of being just shy of your run of the mill passenger. I have much experience in traveling domestically and have just recently dipped my toe in the international travel waters.

"What makes him the big expert in disabled travel?"

Well let me just give you a bit of information about myself. I am 33 years old and have been paralyzed and in a wheelchair since I was 12. I am married and I have a great little Dachshund (Maxie). I have done tons of domestic travel both before and after being paralyzed so I know what both sides of the coin will be going through when traveling. Whether it be a road trip to California, or a cross country flight and cruise, I (and my wife on the latter trip) have done much in learning the right questions, which websites, and who has the best reputations when it comes to accessibility. Not that all of our trips were ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. We worked around that and had great times on all of our trips.

"What is the biggest tip you can share?"

OK, in a perfect world we all would be able to do everything that we wanted. The biggest tip I can give you is this. Know your limits. If you want to ride a roller coaster know that you will have to get in, get settled and strapped in, and get out in a small amount of time. Most places do their best to give REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. That does not mean that you will be able to do everything or experience everything. It also doesn't mean that the rest of your group should miss out if you can't do something. The trick is to find a destination that has something that you all have interest in both together and separately.

"Whats in it for you?"

I do not work for (or in) any of the places that I recommend. I get no kick backs or comps that are not already available to the general public. I am doing this because my wife and I have had the frustrations of trying to find information or secrets of traveling to new places. I want to assist people in having knowledge about a trip before you go on it. Or to know where you can find the information. After all knowledge is power!

"Where have you traveled?"

I have traveled extensively in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (day trips and extended stay trips), I have traveled to California (via ground and air), Hawaii, Florida, Oregon, Nevada, and British Columbia (Canada), St Maarten/St Martin, St Thomas, and the Bahamas. I hope to pass along secrets that I have amassed in those travels. I hope that you find this helpful and maybe a little enjoyable.

Keep your eyes peeled for pictures from past and future trips.

Enjoy!!