Accessible Travel Online Resources

Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Online Resources

Easy-to-read text • Updated biannually Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Online Resources

Collated by Martin Heng, Accessible Travel Manager LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 3 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...... 5 UK...... 31 USA...... 39 COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY RESOURCES ...... 8 Worldwide ...... 42 Argentina ...... 8 Australia...... 8 PERSONAL TRAVEL BLOGS...... 46 Austria ...... 11 Barbados ...... 12 GENERAL RESOURCES...... 55 Belgium...... 12 Useful Planning Websites ...... 55 Brazil ...... 13 Websites Promoting Accessible/ Canada ...... 13 Inclusive Tourism...... 57 Croatia...... 15 TRAVEL AGENTS, TOUR OPERATORS & Cuba...... 15 COMMERCIAL OPERATORS...... 62 Cyprus ...... 16 Australia ...... 62 Denmark ...... 16 Azores ...... 62 Estonia ...... 16 Baltics ...... 63 Europe ...... 16 Canada ...... 63 Finland ...... 16 Caribbean ...... 63 France ...... 16 China ...... 63 Germany ...... 18 Costa Rica ...... 63 Greece ...... 22 Cyprus ...... 63 Hong Kong ...... 22 Czech Republic ...... 64 Hungary ...... 22 Ecuador ...... 64 Ireland...... 22 Egypt ...... 64 Israel ...... 23 Ethiopia ...... 64 Italy ...... 23 France ...... 64 Japan ...... 24 Germany ...... 64 Korea...... 24 Greece ...... 65 Malta ...... 25 Honduras ...... 65 Mexico ...... 25 Hong Kong ...... 65 Morocco ...... 25 Iceland...... 65 Netherlands ...... 25 India ...... 65 New Zealand ...... 25 Indonesia ...... 65 Peru ...... 26 Israel ...... 65 Poland...... 26 Italy ...... 66 Portugal ...... 26 Kenya ...... 67 Romania ...... 26 Latvia ...... 67 San Marino ...... 26 Malta ...... 67 Serbia ...... 26 Martinique ...... 67 Singapore ...... 26 Mexico ...... 67 Slovenia ...... 26 Morocco ...... 67 South Africa ...... 27 Nepal ...... 67 Spain...... 27 Netherlands ...... 69 Sweden ...... 30 New Zealand ...... 69 Switzerland ...... 30 Poland ...... 69 Taiwan ...... 30 Portugal ...... 70 Thailand ...... 30 LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 4 Table of Contents

Romania...... 70 Russia ...... 70 South Africa ...... 70 Spain ...... 71 Taiwan ...... 72 Tanzania ...... 72 Thailand ...... 72 Turkey ...... 73 Vietnam...... 73 UK...... 73 USA ...... 76 Worldwide...... 77

SPECIALIST SPORTS ORGANISATIONS.... 81 Flying ...... 81 Mountain Sports ...... 81 Sailing ...... 81 Scuba Diving ...... 82 Skydiving...... 82 Surfing...... 84 USA...... 84

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 87 LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 5 Introduction

The list of resources is broken down into Introduction different sections.  Country-by-country resources, When you’re travelling with a disability arranged alphabetically. Among these or access issues, it’s important to are websites from governments, know that your needs can be met in local authorities, NGOs and private the destination you are travelling to. businesses. Some are searchable This means planning your trip well: databases of venues and facilities; unlike for most able-bodied people, others are also associated with a it’s difficult to act spontaneously and mobile app. Both of these categories hope for the best. Unfortunately, most will be particulary useful when you are people with access issues – whether at your destination. through disability, age, a health Personal travel blogs. There is a condition or injury – have difficulty  wealth of information to be found in finding any information, let alone reliable these personal blogs, written by those information. who enjoy travel with a wide variety of This collection of online resources limitations. doesn’t pretend to fill that information General resources. This is broken gap. However, it’s a good start and  down into two subsections: useful should help not only with initial planning, websites for nondestination-specific but also with finding suitable venues planning purposes; and websites and facilities once you’ve reached your dedicated to promoting inclusive destination. tourism. The latter will be of great This list is by no means exhaustive, interest to those who are working in so here’s where you come in: if you the field, but also contain valuable know of a useful website in your information, links and resources for country or locality, please let us know travellers with access requirements. at [email protected].  Specialist travel agents and tour Likewise, if you run a business that operators. Listed alphabetically by caters specifically for people who have country, most of these cater for a particular access needs, let us know if variety of access requirements; some you would like to be added to this list. are inbound, some are outbound and As websites go down and web some are both. addresses change frequently, we intend  Specialist sports organisations. This to revisit and republish this resource is the least comprehensive section – every six months to make sure all links we’d love to add to it if you can remain live and to add new ones. All lend us your collective wisdom and headings are hyperlinked: click on experience. them to be directed to the relevant website. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 6 Introduction

Disclaimer Lonely Planet prides itself on having its authors visit every region, establishment and activity we review. This is not the case with regard to the content of this document. We have gathered this information from personal and professional contacts, as well as from scouring the internet. As such, we cannot vouch for the quality or currency of the information in any website, although we do offer an informed opinion in some cases. We especially absolve Lonely Planet of any responsibility for the quality of service provided by the listed travel agents and tour operators. Those suppliers who are members of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) or who are Pantou-listed have made a commitment to offer high- quality accessible tourism services, but even then we still strongly advise you to make your own enquiries as you know best what your requirements are and only you know what questions to ask to make sure they will be met. Lonely Planet’s 7 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Female wheelchair-user holding hands with man, Baden-Württemberg © TMBW/DÜPPER LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 8 Country-by-Country Resources

Country-by-Country Resources

ARGENTINA a disability. We love the fact that they have explanatory videos with Auslan Red Turismo Accesible interpretation. Organisation dedicated to furthering accessible tourism in Argentina, conducting surveys and publishing Arts Access Australia the results, developing accessibility Peak national body for the arts and plans, and providing consulting services disability, with news and information and training to government agencies, about upcoming events, plus a large associations and businesses. Although section with useful advice, resources there is not a great deal of material and reports. Note in particular directly relevant to travellers, the the extensive list of national and listing of businesses accredited by the international disability organisations. Argentinian Ministry of Tourism for their accessibility may be useful. Arts Access Victoria With a yearly turnover of more than 100 arts projects and initiatives that lead to AUSTRALIA an increased number of PwDs creating AccessWA and experiencing art, Arts Access Search engine covering more than 3000 Victoria is the state’s leading arts and accessible businesses, attractions, disability organisation. Includes News accommodation and community and Events tabs. facilities in Western Australia. Access information caters to wheelchair users, Australia for All those who have difficulty walking or who Despite the name and the focus on are blind or deaf. It includes both pictures Australia, this well-maintained database and diagrams of toilets and bathrooms. of self-assessed accommodation, attractions (including accessible Adelaide City Council countryside trails) and venues has some A 53-page Adelaide Access Guide listings from around the globe. Don’t be produced by the council in 2011, put off by its somewhat old-fashioned covering public transport, locations, interface – its owner, Sheila King, has services and things to do. Looks pretty strict criteria for inclusion, in particular useful, especially as there are versions that photographs of the bathroom powered by ReadSpeaker for the be supplied, the importance of which visually impaired. cannot be overstated. There are links to global organisations, as well as useful Adelaide Metro links for equipment rental and repairs. All the information you need for using public transport in Adelaide if you have LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 9 Country-by-Country Resources

Bed & Breakfast Site Clickability This bed and breakfast database has a Clickability is an Australian disability wheelchair-access filter, and also covers service directory that features ratings New Zealand. and reviews from the people who use the services. It covers everything from Brisbane City Council car and home modifications to nursing Landing page for all things accessible care, and holidays to therapists. It in Brisbane, including public transport, currently appears to be in beta format parks and playgrounds and a Braille covering only Victoria, but promises to Trail. A Brisbane Mobility Map shows be Australia-wide in the future. accessible routes, toilets, telephones, road gradients and accessible entrances Easy Access Australia to buildings, among other things. Also Set up by wheelchair user Bruce available as an app: Brisbane Access Cameron in the lead-up to the 2000 Map by Touchism. Sydney Olympics, this site is quite light on detail and fairly dated. Of most use Can Go Everywhere are the dozen or so detailed reviews of Searchable database of travel- Sydney hotels. related Australian businesses and accommodation. The criteria for Eating Out with Wheels inclusion are unclear, but there is a A guide to wheelchair-accessible limited number of verified businesses eateries in country cities and towns in and a long list of unverified ones, Victoria; updated biannually and single- including accessible accommodation, handedly by (Lucky) Phill Jury. restaurants and activities. First Stop Transport City of Melbourne (New South Wales) The City of Melbourne disability services Transport New South Wales’ landing page has links to accessible amenities page for passengers with access issues: (including downloadable mobility maps), you will find all you need to know about accessible parking, taxis and public how to use public transport in the state, transport. The City of Melbourne has including a trip planner that has filters also produced an online map with a for accessible services and to limit the mobility filter showing different gradients amount of walking you will need to do. throughout metropolitan Melbourne in three categories: up to 1:20, up to 1:14 Gippsland and steeper than 1:14. Well-put-together and easily navigable online guide to accessible attractions, City of Port Phillip both indoors and outdoors, as well as Local government page giving accommodation and eateries in eastern information about accessibility to Victoria. Also downloadable as a PDF. Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay foreshore area, including downloadable access maps showing key accessibility features. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 10 Country-by-Country Resources

IDEAS (Information on Disability developers have also produced an app & Education Awareness Services) called OpenAccess Alerts for the three New South Wales–based organisation million Australians with hearing loss providing an information hub for PwDs, who cannot hear audio or loudspeaker seniors, their families and carers. Click on announcements. Particularly useful in ‘start search’, then ‘Out & About’ for some bushfire-prone areas. very useful links and access reviews. Out & About Lonely Planet New Melbourne-based app gathering Discover Melbourne’s best wheelchair- accessibility data from users on a broad friendly restaurants and shops, get range of venue types. active with accessible sports, and enjoy spectacular scenery, food and wine Parks Victoria along the Great Ocean Road with Lonely Parks Victoria are world leaders Planet’s pilot accessible travel guide to when it comes to accessibility, with its home city, Accessible Melbourne. their innovative TrailRider all-terrain wheelchairs, beach wheelchairs and National Public Toilet Map fully accessible modified cabins. Toilets Find an accessible toilet in Australia and picnic tables have been designed simply by typing in a postcode or with accessibility in mind, and Parks address. You can even use ‘plan a trip’ Victoria is opening up as many trails as or ‘my toilets’ functions. Also available it can to wheelchair users. This is their as a free app. main landing page for accessibility and inclusion. Nican Searchable Australia-wide database Public Transport Victoria of information and facilities covering Everything you need to know about recreation, accommodation, tourism, accessible transport in Victoria. Their sport and the arts for PwDs. Note that Journey Planner has filters for accessible the federal government defunded this services and stops. Also available as an organisation in mid-2015, so information app, with the same accessibility filters, has not been updated since then. Also, which can be saved as your preferences – information is as supplied, not verified I use it all the time and it’s awesome! by access auditors. Push Adventures Open Access Tours Inclusive tourism consultancy based in At participating venues – mainly South Australia, dedicated to enhancing museums and galleries in Australia, nature-based and adventure tourism but with some options in New Zealand experiences for physically disabled and even the San Diego Zoo – visitors people and their travel companions. can use this app on their own phone or Although this is a business-oriented tablet to experience tours in Auslan, with organisation, the Places to Go tab has audio description in multiple languages, some very useful resources if visiting or with captions. Fantastic idea – get South Australia with restricted mobility on board, please, venues! The same or in a wheelchair. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 11 Country-by-Country Resources

Queensland Department of Townsville City Council Communities, Child Safety and Surprisingly detailed (with audits by Disability Services qualified occupational therapists) and This page has links to various websites lengthy access guide to this Queensland that will assist PwDs when visiting the gateway city to the Great Barrier Reef. state – eg public transport journey Published in 2015 (5th edition), it planner, state parks and accessible covers shops, restaurants, attractions, public toilets. accommodation and services.

Queensland Department of Na- Translink (Queensland) tional Parks, Sports and Racing Official Queensland government This page shows the 78 parks and Department of Transport site giving forests in Queensland that are listed as all the information you need about having wheelchair access. You can also accessible public transport in the state. filter for the 183 parks that have easy or short walks. Visit Victoria Official Visit Victoria accessible Queensland Government information page, which has been Useful links for accessibility information upgraded significantly in the last related to sport and recreation, arts 12 months to include some useful and culture, travel and transport in information and links. Australia’s sunshine state. Wheelie Good Hotels Spinal Cord Injuries Australia Australian-based accessible- Information and useful links for those accommodation search engine, with travelling with a spinal-cord injury (or around 2000 Australian listings. Note as a wheelchair user) from Spinal Cord that the hotels are generally mainstream Injuries Australia, including a link to its and that most information is gathered own extensive and very user-friendly remotely via the internet, phone calls, database of accessible Australian emails etc. accommodation, RollAwayz, which is an overlay on a Google Earth map. There’s also a link to some accessible guides, AUSTRIA most of which are somewhat dated. Accessible Vienna Fabulous Accessible Vienna guide Sydney for All from the city’s official tourism board Official Destination New South Wales covering everything from accessible accessible activities and attractions toilets and public transport through page. It’s pretty light on content, but accommodation to information on includes links to Sydney access maps, wheelchair rentals and medical needs. accessible transport and accessible Apart from plenty of information toilets. and advice for visitors with a variety of disabilities, there are also links to specialised tour providers. There is even LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 12 Country-by-Country Resources

a number of introduction-to-the-city and report incorrect information. Also videos in both American and British Sign available in English, French, Dutch, Language! Portuguese, Spanish and German.

Salzburg Visit.Brussels Official barrier-free guide to Salzburg Brussels works hard to be accessible (multilingual). to all, with elevators in metro stations, tactile paving, audible signals at pedestrian crossings, adapted taxis, and BARBADOS assistance in the metro and on trains. Fully Accessible Barbados This is the landing page for visitors Fully Accessible Barbados (FAB) is a to Brussels with restricted mobility. program run by the Barbados Council You’ll find a link toBrussels for All, for the Disabled (BCD), whose main now celebrating 10 years of providing purpose is to raise the quantity and comprehensive information for quality of services available to PwDs. visitors to Brussels with access issues, There’s heaps of information on this including detailed access information on website covering everything from individual venues using pictograms (in accessible bathrooms and parking to French, Dutch and English). accessible hotels and restaurants. VisitFlanders BELGIUM This is one of the tourism bodies setting a fantastic example in Access-i promoting accessible travel. A 100- This site, covering the French-speaking page downloadable guide to the Flemish region of Wallonia, allows you to identify Coast, Accessible for All, is available in the level of accessibility of a building/ English, French, Dutch and German or in venue or event based on on-site audits. hard copy for free. They use a simple colour-coded system: green means accessible independently; Their up-to-date and comprehensive orange means you should phone ahead; 60-page Bruges, Accessible for Everyone white means an information sheet is provides information about museums available for you to make your own and attractions, pubs, restaurants, judgement as to the suitability. public toilets, tourist information offices, accommodation, care, transport and On Wheels parking. The handy map, downloadable Map-based way-finding app showing from the same page, tells you exactly the location of 24,000-plus wheelchair- how to avoid obstacles if you have accessible venues, toilets, shops restricted mobility or are a wheelchair- and parking in Ghent, Antwerp, user. Bruges, Kortrijk and Hasselt. Can be Their 128-page downloadable English- personalised according to individual language accessible day trips brochure is wheelchair sizes and capabilities – a packed with detailed access information unique feature we’ve never come across useful for wheelchair-users, people with on another app. Users can add reviews a food allergy, the deaf and hearing- LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 13 Country-by-Country Resources

impaired, the blind and visually impaired, between Canadian cities by air, rail, and people with a learning disability. ferry and intercity bus; local transport; accessibility of airport terminals; A Great War Centenary 2014–2018. Flanders provincial tourism; service standards, Fields – Accessible to Everyone is also available in hard copy for free. and much more.

A complete list of VisitFlanders’ Access To(ronto) accessible travel publications, including Searchable database of occupational accessible holiday accommodation therapist–reviewed accessible venues: catalogues and a selection specifically restaurants, cafes, bars and live music for visually impaired visitors, can be venues in Toronto. Also includes a few found here. resources and blog entries.

BRAZIL Accessible Niagara Lonely Planet Guide covering attractions, places to Lonely Planet sent wheelchair user stay, restaurants, recreation, shopping Emily Rose to write Accessible Rio and entertainment in Niagara for the de Janeiro to coincide with the 2016 mobility impaired, with the vast majority Olympic and Paralympic Games. of the venues personally audited by It includes neighbourhood-by- site owners Linda Crabtree and Eileen neighbourhood accessible top tips, Zarafonitis. where to surf and samba with local disabled people’s organisations, and Accessible Playgrounds how to explore the lively nightlife scene Province-by-province listings of inclusive and take in amazing beach views from playgrounds. It’s a fantastic idea, but Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). coverage appears patchy. From what to expect when you land and how to avoid the hassle of unexpected AccessNow barriers, to planning an accessible Crowd-sourced, map-based database weekend, this guide has it all. The of accessible (and inaccessible) places, International Paralympic Committee with most of the entries in and around ordered a consignment of these guides Toronto. to provide to Paralympic athletes as part of their welcome pack. It’s available Adaptive Adventures to the public as a free downloadable Established by nonprofit charitable e-book. organisation Community Recreational Initiatives Society (CRIS), Adaptive CANADA Adventures, based in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, provides Access to Travel adaptive hiking, cycling, paddling, This website provides information on snowshoeing and cross-country skiing accessible transport and travel across day trips. Canada for PwDs and seniors, as well as for their families and caregivers. It includes information on transport Lonely Planet’s 14 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Top: Man and woman in wheelchairs with three people on a park bench enjoying the sun in egapark, Erfurt

Middle: Male wheelchair-user and kneeling woman with Rheinsberg Palace in the background, Brandenburg

Bottom: Male and female wheelchair-users on the Hamburg waterfront © TMB-FOTOARCHIV/YORCK MAECKE

Adaptive Travel and businesses – some self-assessed Another initiative of CRIS, Adaptive and some assessed by the site’s Travel provides multiday adaptive 14,000 users. Although venues from 14 adventures and camps for individuals countries are included, the majority are and groups across Western Canada in Planat’s home country, with and the USA, from remote hiking and some coverage across North America kayaking excursions to cycling trips, and a few European entries. caving adventures and rock climbing and rappelling. Société de Transport de Montréal All you need to know about how PwDs Alberta Parks can use public transport in Montréal. Alberta Parks’ landing page for accessibility. The Accessible Road Set up and maintained by Kéroul, an Edmonton organisation established in 1979 to Lots of resources for residents and develop and promote access to tourism visitors to Edmonton with disabilities, and culture for people with restricted including a PDF accessibility guide to abilities, this guide covers Quebec’s main community facilities and parks, as well tourist regions, including more than 250 as recreation opportunities, and listings accessible tourist sites. With tips for of agencies and groups that provide planning and undertaking your visit, you resources for people with special needs. can explore the region according to your particular interest: from art museums Parks Canada through bicycle paths to casinos. Navigate to the individual park page, click on ‘Visitor Information’, then click Toronto Transit Commission on ‘Accessible Park Facilities’; three All you need to know about how PwDs examples are given below. can use public transport in Toronto. Glacier National Park Information on accessibility in Glacier National Park for CROATIA those with mobility, hearing and visual Village for All disabilities. See entry below. Jasper National Park Information on accessibility in Jasper National Park for CUBA those with mobility, hearing and visual disabilities. Asociación Cubana de Limitados Físicos-Motores (The Cuban Prince Albert National Park Information Disabled Association) on accessibility in Prince Albert National Cuban organisation that lobbies for Park for those with mobility, hearing and accessibility and disability rights, with visual disabilities. a focus on the mobility-impaired. The association is a member of Disabled Planat Peoples’ International (DPI), and is A searchable database of 45,000 probably the best contact for PwDs venues – accessible hotels, restaurants heading to Cuba. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 16 Country-by-Country Resources

CYPRUS EUROPE Visit Cyprus Pantou Official Visit Cyprus landing page for Pantou is the Greek word for PwDs. The Cyprus Tourism Organisation ‘everywhere’. This website, an initiative has also published a short Accessible of ENAT supported by the European Cyprus guide. Commission, is a searchable directory of suppliers of accessible tourism services in all EU and accession DENMARK countries. It also includes more than Access Denmark 500 suppliers such as travel agents and Official Access Denmark accessibility tour operators who provide accessible page, including a search engine for services to Europe-inbound customers. service providers – of everything The Pantou directory makes it easier for from ferries to libraries, petrol station tourists with any kind of access needs to parking – who have joined the to find what they are looking for when Accessibility Label scheme. Caters to planning a visit. disabilities of all kinds, including asthma and/or allergies and reading disabilities. ECARF Travel Also covers Iceland. Indispensable Allergy-friendly, quality-tested hotels, for visitors to Denmark who have a restaurants and accommodation disability. (German language).

Aarhus Pilot Schär Set up by Kirsten Kester, this is an Gluten-free holiday search engine accessible guide to Denmark’s second maintained by Europe’s leading gluten- city. Although the focus is on wheelchair free produce supplier. access, there is also information for people who are sensitive to sound due to migraines or acquired brain injuries. FINLAND Kirsten gives an overall rating, as well as Easy to Move (Helppo Liikkua) ratings for wheelchair accessibility and Map-based, user-reviewed search noise level for all sorts of things, from engine for accessible places, filterable cafes and restaurants to museums and by type of location as well as life art galleries. situation – including parents of young children, aged or disabled, but also student, builder and architect! Click ESTONIA on Advanced Search to select ‘easy or InvaInfo hard to move’ (ie navigate/manoeuvre) Broad-ranging searchable database for (Finnish language). accessible venues and accommodation in Estonia. FRANCE Handibooking Accommodation search engine, filterable by type of disability, that LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 17 Country-by-Country Resources

mainly covers France, but with entries interest, the vast majority of them in Belgium, Canada, Spain and Vietnam in France, assessing them for their too. (English and Spanish language as suitability for people with reduced well as French.) mobility or visual, auditory or cognitive impairment. Their modus operandi is Handimap to hold an event in successive cities to Open-source map with crowd-sourced raise public awareness. Also available as accessibility data covering five cities in an iPhone or Android app. France, with information on everything from roads and transportation to public Paris Convention and buildings. Visitors Bureau ACCESSIBLE PARIS GUIDE Handiscover Available in French or English as a soft- Accommodation search website, with copy download or in hard copy from three categories of designated mobility. information points on the ground, this Most of the listings appear to be in brochure provides information useful Europe, with an epicentre in France, for people with motor, visual, hearing or but with no directory or map, it’s hard cognitive impairments. to say how many properties are in the Where to Eat Official Paris Info Visitors database. Bureau eating-out guide for patrons with a disability, helpfully categorised by type Handycairn of disability: motor, visual, hearing or This very user-friendly and extensive cognitive. Includes cafes, bars and pubs searchable database of tourist and as well as restaurants. leisure activities is filterable by type of disability, region, type of activity and Where to Stay Official Paris Info Visitors type of accommodation/restaurant/ Bureau accommodation guide for service. What’s more, there’s detailed patrons with a disability, covering hotels, access information under each entry. apartments, B&Bs and campsites in and This is the English-language entry point. around Paris. The accommodation is divided into two levels of accessibility: those awarded the ‘Tourisme & Infomobi Detailed information about public Handicap’ label, an approved quality transport in the Île-de-France, the region rating that guarantees a high-standard surrounding Paris, filterable by type of of accessibility, and those which disability – mobility/visual/hearing/ don’t have this approved label but are cognitive. Also available in French nevertheless accessible. language (of course). SNCF Disability access services provided Jaccede by the French national rail network, One of the most successful user- including a link to the official limited generated-content data-gathering mobility guide. organisations, alongside wheelmap. org in Germany, this French database contains some 75,000+ points of LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 18 Country-by-Country Resources

Tourisme & Handicaps Berlin for the Blind Association dedicated to promoting German-language site for blind and greater accessibility in facilities for visually impaired people visiting Berlin. tourism and recreation in France with an official (ie government-backed) Brandenburg accreditation scheme for hotels, Brandenburg Tourism’s page dedicated restaurants and tourist facilities. to ‘handicapped accessible travel’, There’s an associated search engine, including a downloadable brochure. which is searchable by location and The Brandenburg Academy of Tourism type of disability, as well as type of has created the website Barrier-Free establishment. Gives no information Brandenburg, which provides detailed beyond the fact that an establishment access information on accommodation, is certified as catering for a given leisure activities and dining venues for disability. people with a variety of impairments, all checked by experts. GERMANY Bremen Association for Barrier-Free Information on many of Bremen’s Destinations in Germany public building, art and entertainment Nine areas of Germany putting a venues, restaurants, bars, churches particular emphasis on developing and hotels. There’s lots of information inclusive tourism infrastructure here, including a list of accessible and information have formed the toilets. There is the promise of a barrier- Association for Barrier-free Destinations free Bremen guide and two maps to in Germany, where you will find assist PwDs, but links to these were not information in German, English, Dutch, available when we visited the page. French and Polish. Deutsche Bahn Baden-Würtenberg German Railways page for the mobility- If you’re visiting historic southwest impaired. There is also a tab with Germany, including the Black Forest, information on travelling with dogs, with access issues, make this your including assistance dogs. first stop – there’s a search engine for accessible accommodation and a link to a German-language accessible guide to Dresden Not an official barrier-free city guide the Black Forest. as such, but a municipal publication with some useful links and information Bavaria for those visiting the city with access Landing page for barrier-free Bavaria, requirements. with transport options, accommodation, leisure activities and cultural attractions Düsseldorf suitable for people with access issues. Official barrier-free Düsseldorf landing Click through to the journey planner and page. There’s also a downloadable you can filter your results according to English-language Düsseldorf accessible your access needs. city guide. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 19 Country-by-Country Resources

Frankfurt commitment to ensuring access for Frankfurt’s landing page for barrier- all tourists, but still contains a great free travel, including a downloadable deal of useful information as well as brochure and detailed information about descriptions of and links to different sightseeing attractions and transport. regions of the country.

German National Tourist Board Hamburg The German National Tourist Board is German-language barrier-free Hamburg putting a great deal of effort and a lot Tourism page packed full of useful of resources into accessible travel, and information for visitors with disabilities. certainly leads the world in terms of There are links to separate pages for destination management organisations’ blind people, deaf people or wheelchair- commitment to accessible travel. This is users. If you type in ‘barrier free’ to their official landing page, with a search the search engine on the main English- engine encompassing 145 destinations language Hamburg Tourism page, a list and points of interest selected for their of 63 accessible hotels and facilities is exemplary accessibility. There are also returned – you could probably try this on links to two downloadable brochures: any official German tourism board site! the 54-page Enjoy with Ease and the 24- page Barrier-Free Tourism in Germany. Hesse Both of these are essential reading if Accessible travel page for this central travelling to Germany with a disability or German state that includes Frankfurt, access issues. with links to different locations and Enjoy with Ease is packed full of practical experiences. information for PwDs about transport and points of interest, but also has links Lower Saxony at the back to useful companies and Accessible travel page for this organisations, as well as to the regional northern German state bordering tourism management organisations’ the Netherlands. Follow the links for accessible tourism pages. more information look out for the ‘accessibility certified’ tick. Barrier-Free Tourism in Germany is more of a manifesto, documenting Germany’s

*TOP TRAVEL TIP Plan ahead and plan well. Only you know what your needs are, so make sure they will be met. Lonely Planet’s 20 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Top: Man and woman with guide canes in Dresden with Frauenkirche in the background

Bottom: Female wheelchair-user reaching up to touch colourful Chinese paper dragon With Wind, Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 21 Country-by-Country Resources

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Thuringia Accessible travel page for this northern Accessible travel page for this central German state that borders the Baltic eastern German state. Again, there is Sea. There doesn’t appear to be a little information on the homepage, but great deal of information apart from click through to individual locations a list of wheelchair-accessible piers, and venues and you will find detailed breakwaters and beaches on the Baltic accessibility information, including Sea. However, you are invited to contact pictograms. the tourism body for further assistance. Travelable Berlin Mobidat Travelable is a project of the nonprofit Berlin-based search engine for a broad organisation Sozialhelden, the range of accessible venues, filterable organisation behind Wheelmap. by type of disability and type of venue Accessible Berlin, presented on this (German language). page, provides PwDs with detailed travel and tourist information collected, edited Munich and updated in cooperation with local Official Munich tourism page for stakeholders presented under a number accessible travel with tonnes of valuable of well-considered categories. (Bilingual information available either online German and English site.) or in PDF format. Covers everything from travel preparations to transport, VisitBerlin accommodation, sites and eating out. A very useful landing page with links to Click advanced options on the official lists of accessible hotels and events in Munich journey planner for a full list of Berlin, as well as to separate pages for accessibility filters, from pushchairs people with visual impairments and/or through to ramp-equipped vehicles. hearing impairments and people with restricted mobility. Rhineland-Palatinate Accessible travel page for this Wheelmap southwestern German state bordering This is almost certainly the largest France. There’s not a lot of detailed database of accessible locations in the information on this page, but navigate to world (640,000 and counting), although the individual regions on the top left of the density of reviewed locations thins the page and scroll down to the bottom out as the distance radiates further from of the page for accessible packages Germany. The map uses data from the and information about accessibility of Open Street map to show wheelchair- establishments in each region. accessible locations, and was developed by German nonprofit association Saxony for All Sozialhelden. Locations are assessed Landing page for accessible travel in the by a simple traffic light system – eastern German state of Saxony. Click accessible (green), partly accessible on ‘travel topics’ to bring up all relevant (orange) and inaccessible (red) – based information for accessible holidays in on user feedback. Also available as an Saxony. iPhone or Android app. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 22 Country-by-Country Resources

GREECE hotels and shops to entertainment venues and even places of study – are Accessibility Pass situated in Dublin, which is where the Map-enabled database of a small young students who developed the number of accessible hotels – audited app are from, but there are a couple of by professionals – in the Eastern venues as far away as the USA and New Mediterranean (mainly Greece). Zealand. Greece4All Search for accessible tourism venues, Belfast City Centre Management A 68-page access guide to a wide facilities and activities in Greece. variety of venues in Belfast city Accessibility data from Greece4All centre, using simple pictograms to is also included in the Vodafone app define accessibility. Does not cover ‘Explore Greece’. accommodation. Roll Out Guide to more than 1000 accessible Dublin Airport Information for PwDs using Dublin venues in Attica (Greek language). Airport; although the page is entitled ‘Reduced Mobility’, there is also HONG KONG information useful for the vision- and Discover Hong Kong hearing-impaired. Importantly, this page Landing page for the official Hong gives contact details for the Access Kong tourism board with lots of useful Officer should you require additional information and links for travellers with assistance. access issues. Go Accessible 365 Mobile and web-based search engine HUNGARY maintained by an ENAT member whose We Love Budapest avowed intention is to ‘push social No less than a mini accessible Budapest change’, covering transport, attractions guide for people with reduced mobility, and hotels throughout Ireland. Also has with comprehensive information about a section of ‘news and views’. transport around the city as well as information about major tourist sites Ireland Tourism Board and the city’s numerous festivals, and Landing page for official Irish tourism lists of accessible restaurants, cafes board with lots of useful information and and bars. links for travellers with access issues.

IRELAND Mobility Mojo Search engine for accessible places and Access Earth transport in Dublin with quite detailed User-reviewed map-based database access information on each reviewed with grand ambitions! The majority of venue. Venues are geo-located on a establishments reviewed – everything map. Also available as an app. from cafes and restaurants, through LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 23 Country-by-Country Resources

Wheelchair Travellers HandySuperabile Relatively new user-review website, with This Italian social enterprise aims to a handful of hotels and a solitary pub improve the accessibility of tourism in Ireland reviewed by the site founder, services in Italy and abroad, and provide Paul Colley. Includes detailed access validated information to travellers with information and photographs. special needs: motor and sensory disabilities, food allergies, dialysis, elderly and families with children. They ISRAEL offer members discounted accessible Access Israel holidays in Italy and around the world Links to information on accessible through their partners. trips, leisure activities, transport, rental equipment and accommodation, as well Tourism without Barriers as to commercial tour operators. Searchable database of accessible attractions and accommodation Accessible Israel throughout Tuscany. Also features Online Accessible Israel guide, also suggested itineraries, and an extensive downloadable as a PDF, published in list of links to accessible tourism 2012. Respected and experienced information in other regions of Italy, accessible tour guide, Eli Me’iri, of Israel including a number of city guides. for All (www.israel4all.com) put together (Website is multilingual.) these itineraries with detailed access information. Turismabile and Piemonte for All This ENAT member provides high- ITALY quality tourism and travel information, and offers itineraries featuring access- Accessible Tourism audited venues and tourism services The cooperative Florence Planet in Turin, Piemonte and Northern Italy provides very useful and detailed access (Italian language). information on places of interest and public transport in Florence and Siena. As a partner of Village for All, they have Viaggiare Disabili also accredited a handful of hotels in Searchable database of hotels, hostels, B&Bs and farm stays in Italy (Italian the region. See also the entry under tour operators. language). Kudos to the web designer for making this site highly accessible. Includes a few listings in Slovenia and Cesare Serono Foundation San Marino. (English translations are This nonprofit has produced several not complete.) wheelchair itineraries for four Italian cities: Florence, Lucca, Pisa and Milan. (For sale, Italian language.) Village for All This organisation issues its badge of approval to tourist attractions in Italy, Native Hotels Croatia and San Marino, primarily See below. accommodation in all categories. Its LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 24 Country-by-Country Resources

search engine (multilingual) is filterable Accessible Japan (Yokoso Japan!) according to type of accommodation/ Detailed and extensive database of holiday/service/theme in addition to information for wheelchair users disability, including motor disabilities, covering points of interest and lodging sensorial limitations (blind and/or deaf), across the entire nation. There’s also and food allergies and intolerances. a ‘useful information’ tab. Warning: There are also filters for elderly people, this site does not appear to have been diabetics, people on dialysis, obese updated since 2008. people and families with young children. This is best practice, as evidenced by Japan Accessible Tourism Centre the fact that they are a finalist at the Nonprofit organisation based in Osaka UNWTO awards in the category ‘Ulysses that has removed the first barrier to Award for Innovation in Enterprises’. access that foreigners visiting Japan Holders of a V4A card are entitled to face: language. Written and maintained discounts. by Japanese PwDs, there is detailed information in English, French, Korean Visit Tuscany and Chinese (as well as Japanese) Accessible Museums An extremely useful covering attractions and hotels in every list of accessible, partially accessible area of Japan. There are also useful travel and inaccessible museums in Florence, tips for people not used to travelling in with access information for those Japan or Japanese customs. museums that are accessible. Art for the Visually Impaired A short Odigo article focusing on access to art for the This Japan-based trip-planning website visually impaired in Tuscany. has put together a Tokyo daytrip for wheelchair users that you can view online or download as a PDF. JAPAN Accessible Japan Wheelchair-Accessible Tokyo Josh Grisdale may be a relative Short but informative article about newcomer to the scene, but he’s public transport in Tokyo. Don’t miss very active in social media and very the accessible Tokyo daytrip link at the knowledgeable about accessibility in bottom of the page. Japan. His recently upgraded site has detailed information about accessibility for a variety of impairments, KOREA accompanied by numerous informative Accessible Korea blog posts. There is a growing database Founded in 2007 by wheelchair-user of accessible accommodation listings and seasoned traveller Seoyoon Jane and an excellent series of videos, not Hong, this website is slowly building up to mention a great list of essential content and progressively translating Japanese phrases for PwDs travelling in its information into English. There is Japan. currently information about travel and transport for PwDs and access information for a dozen major tourist LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 25 Country-by-Country Resources

sites. This is not a commercial site, and cafes etc. Sadly, only the homepage but the volunteer administrators and Find a building links appear to be can provide advice for travellers and functional. introduce them to local travel agents and tour operators. There’s a lot more Ongehinderd (Unhindered) information on the associated blog, Dutch website and app showing Travel with Wheels, but you need to read wheelchair-accessible venues across the Korean as Google translate doesn’t country (Dutch language). seem to work on this site! NEW ZEALAND Visit Seoul Official tourism office landing page, Access4all giving travel tips for PwDs visiting Accommodation and activities search Korea. Provides a little more detailed engine for people with reduced mobility. information on transport around the capital, but nothing about the Arts Access Aoteroa accessibility of tourist sites. Information about accessing the arts in New Zealand, including news and upcoming national and community MALTA events. Visit Malta The official tourism body provides very Be.Accessible scant information on this page, despite Search engine covering everything a declared intention by the government from accommodation to transport to promote and invest in accessible and services, filterable by access tourism. needs. Maintained by a social change initiative with a mission to create a truly MEXICO accessible New Zealand. All Accessible (Todo Accessible) Department of Conservation Search engine covering everything Downloadable PDF with detailed guides from accommodation to entertainment, for easy-access walks in South Island. restaurants, clubs and services (Spanish language). New Zealand Association for Spinal Concerns MOROCCO This nonprofit has a huge page of useful Native Hotels links, including ones related to travel See below. and transport, mainly but not exclusively in New Zealand.

NETHERLANDS Weka Accessible Utrecht An official website for the use of PwDs, Searchable database of accessible their families and caregivers; has a very buildings in Utrecht, including public useful database of information covering buildings as well as pubs, restaurants both transport and travel. Other useful LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 26 Country-by-Country Resources links on this website tell you where you SAN MARINO can get your equipment repaired. San Marino for All Official page of the project to bring PERU accessibility to this microstate, with information on where to go, what to visit Accessible Peru On this page of the Accessible Peru and where to stay. website, a wide-ranging Peruvian disability blog, is a list of accessible Village for All places. There’s also a downloadable PDF See entry above. about accessibility in Lima. (All Spanish- language.) SERBIA Serbian Railways POLAND Information for PwDs. Tourism for All Polish search engine for accessible venues covering everything from SINGAPORE accommodation through parks to events. Friendly Built Environment Portal The Singapore government maintains a ‘friendly building’ search engine, PORTUGAL with a variety of filters, including user Native Hotels group (not only various disabilities, See below. but also families with children and/or pushchairs) friendly features, and level of friendliness! Visit Portugal Scant information about accessibility in Portugal from the official tourism body. The Disabled People’s Association Sadly, the link to www.portugalacessivel. of Singapore com, featured in our previous edition Check out this excellent resources and containing a lot more information, page if you’re visiting this extremely has expired. accessible city.

ROMANIA SLOVENIA Motivation Romania Foundation Ljubljana This nonprofit NGO, established in 1995 The City of Ljubljana paired up with UK to support Romanians with disabilities, organisation DisabledGo to produce maintains a searchable, map-based an online access guide. The city has also database of accessible venues. produced an informative video about its Click on ‘EN’ – the direct link to the accessibility. English-language page doesn’t appear to be working. Slovenian Tourist Board Accessible tourism landing page from the Slovenian Tourist Board. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 27 Country-by-Country Resources

SOUTH AFRICA a searchable engine for hotels and activities. Proudly Accessible Map-based searchable directory of accessible accommodation, Accessible Catalonia tourist attractions and restaurants Accessible Catalonia guide, hosted by assessed by a qualified occupational ENAT, dating from 2008 covering 19 therapist. There’s lots of detailed destinations. information, including photographs of accommodation bathrooms. There’s Barcelona Turisme also a short page of useful links, both Barcelona Turisme has a multilingual local and international. website dedicated to accessible travel that has all the information you need to know, as befits a city in the vanguard of SPAIN promoting inclusive tourism: a search Access Valencia engine for accessible places of interest Searchable guide produced by Valencia and accommodation, how to get around Tourism for PwDs, covering hotels, the city on public transport and links restaurants, leisure facilities, sites and to organisations offering tours and transport. (Spanish language.) adaptive sports.

Accesible Info Catalonia Tourism Board Searchable database of accessible Official Catalonia tourism board facilities of all kinds in Spain, including accessibility landing page. The search tourist accommodation. Participating function doesn’t appear to work terribly venues pay an annual fee for a seal well, so click through to the link found of approval (differing categories are on this page under accessible tourism, awarded) following an on-site audit. which presents much more detailed (Spanish-language.) information segmented into useful categories. Accessibility Plus iTunes Fundación Handisport Mallorca Google If you’re visiting this Mediterranean Spanish island and want to participate Madrid-based, Vodafone-funded, user- in some exciting activities, such as reviewed, map-based app with some waterskiing, kayaking or blokarting 32,400 points of interest, from ATMs to (basically, sailing on land), check out this beaches. organisation (Spanish language).

Accessible Barcelona Gran Canaria Accesible Official Barcelona tourism board Searchable database of accessible Accessible Barcelona website, venues in Gran Canaria, in the Spanish covering everything from attractions Canary Islands. and transport to adaptive sports and orthopaedic shops. Also includes Lonely Planet’s 28 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Middle Left: Man and woman signing to each other in Hamburg

Middle Right: Male wheelchair-user and female companion in a beach chair, Lower Saxony

Bottom: Man and woman with guide canes crossing the street in Hamburg LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 29 Country-by-Country Resources

Madrid for All Puedo Viajar (I Can Travel) Extremely detailed 400-page accessible Spanish search engine for accessible guide to Madrid, navigable by category, venues. There’s also a page full of with the majority of the 127 venues Spanish-language accessible travel visited in person by a representative guides and another tab for blogs. of the Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau. Also includes suggested Renfe itineraries/walks. Spanish Railways page with information on accessibility, including the Atendo Majorca Council service: personal assistance for PwDs Accessible tourism guide to Mallorca across the network (Spanish language). covering getting there and away, transport, places of interest and Spain-holiday.com beaches, in Spanish, Portuguese, BARCELONA German and English. A short guide to this accessible tourism Mecca. Málaga Themed accessible itineraries produced MÁLAGA by the City of Málaga, including cultural, An overview of Málaga’s ‘Accessible commercial, botanical and monuments. Agenda’ and the city’s accessibility. (Spanish-language, but illustrated with TENERIFE numerous photographs.) A short accessible guide to this Spanish resort island. Mobility Scooters Menorca Ostensibly, as the name implies, a site Spanish Tourism Board to visit if you would like to hire a mobility Official Spanish tourism board device on this small Mediterranean accessible tourism page. ‘Spain is island. However, there’s quite a lot becoming increasingly prepared for of accessibility information through accessible tourism – tourism for different tabs on this site, including everyone. Indeed, enormous efforts are about accessible beaches, places of being made to adapt to the needs of interest, accommodation and bars/ people with disabilities by eliminating restaurants. barriers, providing access to cultural and natural resources, creating standards for Native Hotels transport, building and urban planning.’ This Responsible Tourism award This is true, not simply marketing winner at the 2014 World Travel Market hype. There are downloadable PDF maintains a searchable database of guides to monuments, restaurants, accessible boutique hotels in Italy, accommodation and activities as well as Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Full marks to individual areas (Madrid, Galicia, Ávila for the most accessible website we’ve and Murcia). come across, which testifies to their commitment to accessibility generally. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 30 Country-by-Country Resources

Tenerife Accesible TAIWAN Information about accessible transport Sunable and leisure activities on the largest Chinese-language online disability of Spain’s Canary Islands in English, magazine with a focus on accessible German and Spanish, together with a travel – the ‘official’ website of Taiwan map-based search engine for accessible Access for All Association. Using Google places, put together by SINPROMI translate, the ‘Wiki Shenghuoziliao (Society for the Promotion of Disabled library’ tab is particularly useful for Persons). There’s also a downloadable reviews of accessible venues under 72-page English-language . guide Accessible Taiwan. See also entry under The municipality of Arona, in the tour operators. southern part of the island, also published a detailed 80-page accessible Taiwan Access for All Association guide in 2009. A cross-disability, grassroots organisation governed and staffed Tenerife Blue Badge Mobility mainly by PwDs that advocates Provides information about mobility for inclusion, empowerment and services and help for PwDs, specifically independence for people with regarding airport transfers and mobility disabilities. They also promote equipment hire. accessible tourism and international exchanges, among other things, and TUR4All forge partnerships with like-minded Database of more than 2400 accessible organisations from other countries. You venues, assessed by trained technicians can post travel enquiries, equipment from PREDIF, the representative rental and transport requests. Their platform of people with motor commercial arm is Sunable. disabilities in Spain (Spanish language). THAILAND SWEDEN Hua Hin Accessibility Map TD The royal beach resort town of Hua Swedish search engine with some 5109 Hin in Thailand seems to be well accessible venues in its database. endowed with wheelchair-accessible accommodation and also has a great Google map with a wheelchair- SWITZERLAND accessible overlay showing many things, Swiss Tourism Board from wheelchair-accessible toilets to Landing page for ‘guests with special accommodation and beach access. needs’ from the official Swiss tourism Some kind soul created this with My board, with information about travelling Google Maps – thank you! by train or car, hotels and activities, as well as holiday packages – even in 30 Thaizer accessible youth hostels. This article is a good general introduction for PwDs who wish to visit Thailand, with links to other articles and LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 31 Country-by-Country Resources

resources. It’s particularly useful for Accessible Countryside the information on public and private Another private project to provide transport in Bangkok. free information on places, walks and recreational opportunities with disabled access throughout England and Wales. UK There is a wealth of accumulated Ableize knowledge on this website, down to Touts itself as the largest UK disability the very local level, but also including a resource directory, offering a collection long list of links to disability and carer of disability, mobility and health organisations. As with any such database, websites and social media pages in the some of the links are no longer live. UK and Europe. It’s certainly a very large and broad-ranging directory of Accessible Derbyshire disability and healthcare information It’s amazing that two local women and products. can achieve more than some national tourism organisations in making their Access Advisr locality accessible. Working closely with A searchable, crowd-sourced, map- Visit Peak District, the Peak National based database of accessible venues, Park Authority, Derbyshire County from cafes to sports stadiums. Council and district councils, they’ve brought together all the information you Access London Theatre need to get out and about in Derbyshire Official London Theatre Access Guide, if you have accessibility needs. published three times a year as a PDF, as audio-described listings in RTF format, Artsline in large print and Braille or as a CD. A website providing searchable information on over 1000 arts venues Access New Business across London, filterable by access Offers disability awareness training, need, type of venue and area. access statements, destination access audits, and consultancy concerning Assist-Mi accessibility policy and business The assist-Mi smartphone app is not accessibility for businesses, tourist just for travellers. It uses location-based boards and policy organisations. technology and two-way messaging to Although this is a business-oriented connect PwDs with service providers. A organisation, the ‘useful links’ are indeed unique and interesting idea. just that. Blue Badge Style Access4Wheelchairs Search engine focusing on upmarket Broad-ranging search engine for venues – hotels, bars, clubs, galleries wheelchair users, based in the UK but etc, largely in London – with an with scattered entries from around the informative blog featuring reviews of world. individual venues by the site owner, Fiona Jarvis, as well as the occasional guest. Also available as an app. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 32 Country-by-Country Resources

Britain Is Great of interest and a number of accessible A series of videos made in collaboration accommodation options. with national tourism bodies showcasing the accessibility of 10 different areas Deloitte Parasport around Britain. Deloitte Parasport was created by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) to Changing Places Consortium provide information to PwDs who want This UK-based charity is doing a to take up sport at either a recreational fantastic job on behalf of those people or competitive level. Since its launch in who cannot use standard accessible 2007, more than 3000 clubs in the UK toilets. The campaign is now beginning have registered with the site. Simply to go worldwide, which is great news. type in your disability and then search On the ‘find a toilet’ tab you can find for a sport or a club that interests you – a location map and national register how cool is that? of fully accessible toilets in the UK (ie equipped with a hoist and full-sized Derby City Council change table). Eighth edition of the Derby Access and Information Guide for Disabled People, Check My Bus published in 2013, with comprehensive Informative article on the accessibility information for visitors and residents. of long-distance coaches in the UK and, to a lesser extent, Europe on this site Disabled Holiday Information that allows you to search for coaches This member of ENAT provides between cities. information for travellers with all disabilities and mobility issues on Civil Aviation Authority accessible holiday accommodation, Special assistance guidance from attractions, activities and trails in the airports and airlines in the UK. UK. Information is organised by region, Information includes links to essential but the database is also searchable. guidance including: descriptions of There is also an extensive list of links, services offered; airport and airline both local and worldwide, that appears helpline numbers so you can prearrange unusually well maintained. special assistance and ask for extra help should you need it; location of drop-off Disabled Holidays 4U and pick-up points at airports; and any Searchable database with worldwide potential restrictions on your travel. coverage for accommodation, cars, tour operators, equipment rental and nursing Countryside Mobility South West care. Note that although coverage is A not-for-profit mobility equipment hire worldwide, it’s extremely sparse. scheme – including an all-terrain mobility scooter and a ‘wheelyboat’ – working Disabled Travel Advice to improve access to the countryside ‘Whether you’re off on holiday, on a day for people with limited mobility living trip, or looking for an everyday means in and visiting southwest England. Also of travel or transport, you’ll find lots of features accessibility reviews of points advice here on how you can get about LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 33 Country-by-Country Resources

easily as a disabled user.’ Yes, there are Experience Community lots of articles on this very informative Website set up by Craig Grimes to website, and they’re not limited to travel provide information about walks and within the UK. other leisure activities for PwDs in the north of England. Apart from detailed DisabledGo descriptions, each destination is Developed by PwDs for PwDs, this featured in a short film, enabling visitors UK NGO maintains a searchable to decide for themselves whether or not database containing detailed access the location is accessible, based on their information on well over 125,000 own needs. places of interest across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, including shops, Experience Nottinghamshire pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, Official local-tourism website landing railway stations, hotels, universities, page for information on accessible hospitals and more. Operates according transport, accommodation, and what to principles similar to Lonely Planet’s: to see and do. Nottingham is the third they send a representative to every city focused on by VisitEngland in their place listed and ‘say it as we see it’ so Access for All project. that individuals can make informed choices. Note that they have a mobile- Good Access Guide friendly site, too. Directory of services and facilities for They have produced their own PwDs, seniors and others with access Accessible London guide and A Disabled- issues, including accommodation, Friendly Guide to London. For other leisure activities and mobility aids. destination guides produced by DisabledGo, click on the Places to Go tab Good Food Talks and navigate via the right-hand menu. UK restaurant search engine for the They recently partnered with Attitude Is visually impaired with 750 restaurants in Everything, an organisation dedicated to this database and an app in the pipeline. improving PwDs’ access to live music, to produce a database of detailed Hearing Link accessible information to music venues UK organisation for people with across the UK. hearing loss and their families. Find information about travelling by bus, train There’s also a ‘useful links’ tab that’s or plane; services and support; and worth a look. ways to connect with others to share experiences and advice. Also offers Euan’s Guide links to useful UK and international Fast-growing, UK-based database of organisations. (Hint: use the site map.) user-reviewed accessible venues. Also available as an iPhone or Android app. Hearing Loss Friendly We partnered with them to produce our Search engine and directory for hearing- two Scottish festival guides: Accessible loss-friendly accommodation, hotels Edinburgh: A Festival Guide and Accessible and spas. Also arranges holidays, Glasgow: A Festival Guide. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 34 Country-by-Country Resources

mostly in England but also in Sicily, for drinking and entertainment venues people with hearing loss. supplemented by detailed access information. There’s also access reviews Historic Scotland of the top three accessible hotels Official Historic Scotland access guide, in the city, plus links to full, detailed with dozens of listings containing access reviews for others on the UMOJA detailed access information. website. All books in this series are available as free downloadable PDFs. Inclusive Britain EDINBURGH Searchable database of accessible UK Accessible Edinburgh: A Festival Guide is venues, covering everything from hotels the second in our festival guide series, to tourist attractions and restaurants to covering the UK’s most celebrated toilets filterable by disability. Note the festival city, produced in collaboration link to accessible city guides, currently with UMOJA and Euan’s Guide. covering seven major cities. Also available as an app. GLASGOW Accessible Glasgow: A Festival Guide is the third in our festival guide series, Inclusive London Searchable database of accessible covering Scotland’s second city, London venues, covering everything also renowned for its great festivals. from hotels to banks, restaurants to Produced in collaboration with UMOJA toilets, and filterable by disability. Also and Euan’s Guide. available as an app. National Rail Main accessibility page for National Rail, Lonely Planet UK. See also Travel Assistance for further This is the Travel for All page on www. information, primarily for UK residents, lonelyplanet.com, where there is an including a link to book for assisted introduction to the Travel for All project, travel. as well as a series of articles related to accessible travel, including our top 10 accessible destinations for 2015. National Trust The National Trust Visitors with BRIGHTON Disabilities page. A collaboration between Lonely Planet, UMOJA and The Fed Centre for Peak District Independent Living, a local disabled Plan a day out in the Peak District, people’s organisation, Accessible whether you are less active, have a Brighton: A Festival Guide is the first in disability or have young children, with a series of guides we are publishing to the help of the information found on this five festival cities in the UK. In addition government website. to access information for all the major festivals, there are detailed access Research Institute for reviews for all major tourist sites, Consumer Affairs (Rica) comprehensive transport information Comprehensive overview of accessible for PwDs, and LP reviews of eating, public transport in the UK for people LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 35 Country-by-Country Resources

with a variety of impairments, with holiday’ and ‘special offers’ tabs. useful links and tips. Produces a biannual magazine with articles about locations around the Rivertime Boat Trust world. Registered charity providing boat trips between Windsor and Oxford The Accessible Planet for PwDs and disadvantaged people ‘Our aim is to become the complete on a purpose-designed 42-foot boat guide to everything and anything equipped with a ramp and lift for accessible for wheelchair users and wheelchairs and an accessible toilet. As those with reduced mobility.’ A big befits a charity, the cost is incredibly goal indeed! This is a wide-ranging reasonable – so much so that it belongs search engine for, as they say, all things here rather than in the commercial accessible in the UK. section of this document. The Fed Centre for Rough Guide Independent Living Okay, so they are a main competitor This Brighton & Hove charity has of ours in the UK, but no hard feelings! produced a very detailed accessible The Rough Guide to Accessible city guide from its members user Britain, produced under licence by reviews. You can search venues by Motability with reviews by PwDs, is in category or alphabetically, filtering by its 6th edition and is available free as neighbourhood. We partner with them a PDF download. It contains access to produce our Accessible Brighton: A information for a broad range of venues, Festival Guide. grouped geographically, and lots of ideas for days out as well as tips and Tourism for All UK advice. Active, high-profile UK charity, working closely with regional and national Show Me the Access tourism bodies, dedicated to making This is a very interesting project: the UK a destination accessible to all. a library of videos covering every In addition to its own directory, which aspect of life from education and covers broad-ranging services and sport to digital technology and travel products for people with a wide range demonstrates how to live with a variety of disabilities, this organisation hosts of impairments. Tip: the ‘leisure’ tab is the website Open Britain, where you will a richer resource for travellers than the find comprehensive access information ‘travel’ tab. Although this is a UK-based about places to stay, visit, eat and drink, site, the video content is not limited to as well as activities and events. You will the UK. also find a page of links to accessible travel suppliers in other countries. Silver Travel Advisor Carrie-Ann Lightley, Tourism for All’s Travel reviews, information and information service manager, also advice for the over 50s – the ‘Silver maintains her own personal travel blog. TripAdvisor’. Check out the ‘find a Lonely Planet’s 36 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Middle Left: Porter helps wheelchair-user into an accessible black cab outside the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Canary Wharf, London

Middle Right: Couple pushing daughter in a wheelchair, Antwerp

Bottom: Female with guide cane and female companion exploring Talbot House, Poperinge, Belgium LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 37 Country-by-Country Resources

Transport for London informed choices, as well as to give This official Transport for London them the experience and confidence to accessibility page has not only lots travel by air. They operate from centres of useful information for people with in Carshalton, Surrey and Leeds. They disabilities, pregnant women and also offer a travel equipment hire service those with pushchairs, plus links to for destinations within the UK and, by accessibility guides and maps, but arrangement, the EU. also a series of how-to videos for bus, Tube and rail travel. Their Twitter feed UK Airport Car Parks gives useful alerts, such as when lifts Useful information for any PwDs who (elevators) are out of order. want to park their car at any UK airport.

Transport Scotland UK Government Everything you need to know about Transport Information accessible transport in Scotland. UK government site that aggregates public service information, and offers tips Travel in Scotland and advice on travelling by train, plane or Links to accessible transport road vehicle with a mobility impairment. information for buses, ferries and Also has a link to a scheme that loans railways in Scotland, as well as a list of wheelchairs. useful organisations for travellers who have a disability. VisitBirmingham This Accessible Birmingham landing Trip-Ability page covers transport, accommodation Crowd-sourced review site covering and what to see and do in England’s everything from accommodation second city, one of the cities chosen by through dining and entertainment VisitEngland in its Access for All project. to transport with entries not just in Northern Ireland, but around the world. VisitBrighton Check out the ‘city guide’ tab for some Accessibility information from the really useful information on various official tourism guide to Brighton, a city cities (and a couple of airports) around that is currently doing a lot to improve the world. Michael Holden, its Belfast- its accessibility, covering everything based founder, maintains his own blog from accessible places to stay, visit and here, with the occasional guest blogger. eat to equipment hire and accessible (Credit and thanks to Michael for the toilet facilities. There are also a couple links used for this resource.) of downloadable accessibility guides, with the disclaimer ‘Please note, that Tryb4uFly although we provide this information in This registered charity runs an awesome good faith, we have not independently program that allows disabled adults and inspected the accommodation children to try out the products used premises’. VisitBrighton kindly provided in aircraft in a realistic and supportive images for our Accessible Brighton: A environment so that they can make Festival Guide. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 38 Country-by-Country Resources

VisitBritain an opportunity to ramp up their A high-level guide to Britain for PwDs. commitment to accessible travel. This accessible tourism landing page lists 11 VisitEngland accessible accommodation providers. The tourism bodies in the UK took the VisitScotland kindly provided images opportunity of London hosting the for both our Scottish festival guides: Olympics in 2012 to put significant Accessible Edinburgh: A Festival Guide and resources into developing accessible Accessible Glasgow: A Festival Guide. tourism. VisitEngland is now a world leader in helping English destinations VisitWales and tourism venues provide accessible The tourism bodies in the UK took the experiences. The national tourism body opportunity of London hosting the provides tips and ideas on accessible Olympics in 2012 to put significant travel for people with accessibility resources into developing accessible requirements. Under their Access for tourism. The official tourism bodies All project, VisitEngland has recently are now world leaders in catering for produced downloadable PDFs for tourists with access issues. Their accessible coastal breaks, accessible accessible tourism landing pages will countryside escapes and accessible city lead you to a wealth of information breaks, and a guide containing award- about travelling in the UK with a winning accessible places to stay and disability or access issues. visit from across the country. There is also information on the National Walks with Wheelchairs Accessible Scheme, which rates the Searchable database of tried and accessibility of visitor accommodation, tested countryside walks, with free giving disabled travellers peace of mind downloadable directions and detailed when booking. Ordinance Survey (OS) maps.

VisitLincoln Wheelchair-Friendly Britain Guide to accessible Lincoln, covering Listings of accessible accommodation transport, accommodation, attractions, and attractions in the UK, but largely the and eating and drinking, produced under former, with accommodation providers the VisitEngland Access for All initiative. advertising their own properties. It’s not clear if there are any criteria for VisitLondon inclusion. There is a vision for user- Very handy series of links for navigating generated reviews, but this doesn’t yet London with a disability, including an seem to have been realised. online guide to buildings, venues and services from DisabledGo, transport Why Not People? planner, list of accessible attractions Why Not People is a members’ club and more. exclusively for PwDs, no matter the disability. Founded by Radio One DJ VisitScotland Jameela Jamil, club members can The official tourism body used the (primarily) buy tickets to events, 2014 Commonwealth Games as including to the accessible event LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 39 Country-by-Country Resources

mounted by Why Not People?, and and plenty of extremely useful web access curated spaces within existing resources for travellers with disabilities gigs. There is an impressive line-up of in California. There are also access high-profile UK music stars supporting guides to San Francisco and the this venture. Californian coast, as well as the recently released Wheeling California’s Coast. It Yes4Access is, as claimed, ‘the ultimate disability A directory of wheelchair-accessible resource for finding fun places to holiday properties, all with accessible experience in Northern California’. bathrooms, filterable by type of holiday, type of accommodation and many other Accessible Dispatch categories; also geo-located. There are Looking for a wheelchair-accessible some 100 properties listed in the UK and taxi in Manhattan? With no advance half a dozen in the rest of Europe. reservation necessary, and available 24/7, you can use this website or the app for iPhone/Android. USA Ableroad Accessible Playgrounds Boston-based website and app State-by-state listings of inclusive gathering accessibility data from users. playgrounds. It’s a fantastic idea, but coverage appears patchy. Access Map (Seattle) The AccessMap project is an effort to Accessible San Diego enable accessible sidewalk trip planning Searchable and filterable database of in Seattle for people with limited places to stay, eat and visit, as well as mobility. It’s still in beta mode, but they many other types of business. This seem to have much of the city pretty site also features news and upcoming well covered. events. There’s also a digital Accessible San Diego guide for purchase at a very Access Northern California reasonable $4. This nonprofit organisation was set up and is run by the delightful Bonnie Accessible Travel Reviews Lewkowicz (who, incidentally, took on US-based website containing travel Hotels.com for discriminating against reviews by and for PwDs and their users with disabilities and won, meaning families, grouped by places to go, that this booking website and Expedia places to stay, places to eat and ways now have a search filter for accessible to get there. The majority of geo- rooms, and must guarantee accessible located reviews – with a simple five-star rooms are available if booked). This rating for overall quality and physical site is dedicated to improving access accessibility plus text reviews of varying to travel and outdoor recreation for length and detail – are clustered in the people with disabilities and seniors northeast United States, with a handful throughout Northern California. There as far away as Europe. Also features a is a searchable database for both list of useful websites and books under recreational activities and lodgings, the Other Resources tab. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 40 Country-by-Country Resources

Accessible Vans of America Disabled Travelers Offers nationwide wheelchair-accessible Seemingly exhaustive listing of van rentals. accessible travel specialists, including travel agents, tour operators, adventure Autism on the Seas travel companies, accessible cruise Information about cruises for adults specialists, accessible van and and families living with autism, Down equipment rentals, travel companions, syndrome and similar disabilities, with home exchanges, and access guides for booking services in collaboration with wheelchair users and other travellers Royal Caribbean International. with disabilities. Warning: while many of the links remain useful, this site appears Axsmap not to have been updated for some A searchable database of user-reviewed time so some of the links are dead, in accessible places in North America, particular those to the access guides. using a simple traffic-light system: accessible/poor/not accessible. Also Discover San Diego available as an app. Disability/accessible travel page of the official San Diego tourist information site. Brettapproved Searchable database of user-reviewed Florida Developmental restaurants, hotels and venues in the Disabilities Council USA. County-by-county transport information and services for people with Disability.gov developmental disabilities, published in US federal government website for 2009. information on disability programs and services nationwide; this page Florida Disabled gives a broad range of information on Outdoors Association transport within the country. Filter by This Florida organisation aims to enrich topic, location, audience or disability: lives through promoting accessible, you will be directed to the most relevant inclusive recreation via a number of nongovernment website. different programs.

*TOP TRAVEL TIP Make sure equipment is in good working order and find out if there is a local service agent or supplier who can repair or replace it. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 41 Country-by-Country Resources

Greyhound on how to find information about the Greyhound bus’ information page for accessibility of facilities, programs PwDs – everything you need to know no and services in each park, and a link to matter what your access needs. further information, including the 2015– 20 accessibility plan for the service. Is This Venue Accessible Look carefully (under the individual park Provides detailed information about name: plan your visit/accessibility) and accessibility of music venues, largely you may find published accessibility in the USA, but also with a few venues guides, such as this one to Yosemite featured from other countries. There is National Park. detailed information, but note that not all venues listed are accessible – read New Directions the reviews to find out. A nonprofit organisation providing local, national and international travel JJ’s List vacations and holiday programs for This ‘communications and marketing people of all ages with mild to moderate social enterprise’ maintains a user- developmental disabilities (eg cerebral reviewed disability-aware business palsy, Down syndrome and autism) directory covering every conceivable since 1985. aspect of life, from lawyers to churches, and barbers to vets! Has a location- New York City & Company based search engine with keywords. Published in 2008, this is the city’s This site also has a wide-ranging blog official marketing and tourism with contributions from the public (nice organisation’s accessibility guide. For keyword and category search). the most-to-date information go here.

Johnny’s Pass New York City Department of User-reviewed database (star system) Parks & Recreation helping the mobility-challenged Official website detailing accessibility in community to find accessible venues of the city’s parks. Also features adaptive all types in Michigan, filterable by type events and programs. of venue, location and keyword. Open Doors Organization Muscular Dystrophy Association This Chicago-based nonprofit This MDA page hosts links to the organisation has produced a couple disability support pages for the top of useful and detailed online access 12 American airlines – very handy! guides, using on-site inspections: There’s also a link to a toll-free hotline Easy Access Chicago and Easy Access for air travellers with disabilities and a Springfield. More information about summary of passenger rights and the travellers with special needs visiting obligations of airlines. Chicago can be found here.

National Park Service The Disabled Foodie Accessibility page for the US National David Friedman is a foodie who uses a Park Service, with brief instructions wheelchair living in New York City on a LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 42 Country-by-Country Resources

one-man mission to rate every eatery Wheeling Around Town he visits in terms of its adherence to the Oklahoma-based app giving details Americans with Disabilities Act. Most about the accessibility of restaurants. of the restaurants he has reviewed are in NYC, but there are some scattered Wheelyapp down the east coast as far afield as New York–based app gathering Puerto Rico. Not only does he give accessibility data from users. detailed access reviews, but he also posts photos. Working Like Dogs US-based organisation that provides TrailLink practical information, current trends What looks like a fairly comprehensive and products to meet your working state-by-state list of wheelchair- dog needs. They have an iPhone and accessible trails, including descriptions Android ‘where to go’ app that shows and user reviews. animal relief areas in US airports.

Travelers Aid International With a long history, this organisation WORLDWIDE does exactly what it says: provide AbleThrive assistance to travellers in need. Curated content from around the Operating primarily in metropolitan world about all aspects of living with a areas, its facilities are staffed by disability. The Sports and Travel tabs both volunteers and professionals. contain interesting and useful stories. Of particular interest to PwDs is the ‘disability resources’ tab, which Access Now has an extensive list of direct web Map-based user-review website links to transport, tourism and state established in August 2015, now disability resources, as well as a long with some 7000 venues reviewed list of disabled people’s organisations’ according to a simple traffic-light websites. system: accessible, partially accessible and not accessible (with a handful of Trivago ‘patio access only’ designations), the The indefatigable Cory Lee Woodard vast majority of which are in Toronto, has teamed up with Trivago to produce but with some as far afield as Europe, accessible guides to the following cities: Australia and South Africa. Although there is the facility to leave a text review, CHICAGO it appears to be unused. Also features a ORLANDO blog page. LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON DC Getaboutable User-reviewed database of accessible Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi Cab venues and activities, searchable by State-by-state listings of wheelchair- disability, type of listing or location. accessible taxi companies and accessible van rentals. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 43 Country-by-Country Resources

Heare Wheelmap Route-sharing app for people with low or See the description of Wheelmap under no vision using ‘3-D augmented reality Germany. audio technology’. Intriguing, but with no reviews on the App Store we’re not Wheelmate sure how widely used or useful this is. Created by continence equipment manufacturer Coloplast, this user- Hotel Accessibility reviewed website and app allows you to All accommodation in this organisation’s find wheelchair-accessible toilets and searchable database has been assessed parking spaces worldwide. Obviously, by themselves or their partners developed countries are more densely around the world. Although coverage populated and there are huge swaths is worldwide, the number of hotels in of the world unrepresented. Note that the database is not huge, particularly icons can be present but ‘unconfirmed’. outside Europe. Coverage is best in its home region – the Benelux countries. When We Travel… US-based site that has some really It’s Accessible handy lists of information for Map-based, user-reviewed database of wheelchair-users. Click on the different wheelchair-accessible venues, originating categories in the left-hand menu, and in Spain, but with a total of 6059 entries you’ll find a wheelchair-accessible filter. from around the world. Simple traffic light system: red, amber, green. WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE CAMPGROUNDS AND RV PARKS The wheelchair-accessible RV parks Paratransit Watch listed on this page and in the following Blog and jaw-droppingly broad-ranging locations are campgrounds where directory of wheelchair-accessible the public facilities like showers and and assisted ambulatory community restrooms are wheelchair-accessible. transport. Although the majority of Search by destination (eight different entries relate to the USA, there are countries), price, setting, maximum several other countries covered: scroll stay, amenities and more. to the bottom of the home screen for the full list of ‘labels’, including state, WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE country and type of transportation. BED AND BREAKFAST INNS The wheelchair-accessible bed and Wheelchair World breakfast inns listed on this page and Holiday reviews submitted by wheelchair in the following locations have at least users to share their experiences. The one room that is wheelchair-accessible. framework is set up for global coverage, You can browse the inns by clicking on but entries are as yet scant in this fairly a destination. Search by location (about new website. It’ll be up to you, users, to two dozen countries), price range, populate this. amenities and more. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 44 Country-by-Country Resources

CHARM YOUR WAY AROUND THE WORLD IN A WHEELCHAIR

 Never underestimate the power of a firm handshake or a perfectly timed smile. These things will get you further than ramps, elevators or a working pair of legs ever could.  There is no problem that cannot be solved by throwing money at it. Hill too steep for your wheelchair? Hire a taxi or a pusher. Hotel room too small? Fork out for more space.  Wheelchairs have a high value in terms of conversational currency and the same is true of any disability. As a disabled traveller, your story is a thousand times more interesting than the average tourist’s. As you trade conversational titbits, the freebies will start to flow.  Don’t bother investigating the infrastructure of a destination before arrival; just turn up, assess obstacles with your own eyes and work out how to surmount them.

James Ballardie www.lookatallthepoorpeople.com Lonely Planet’s 45 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Wheelchair and mobility scooter meet-up in front of Dresden Zwinger, Saxony © TMGS/SYLVIO DITTRICH LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 46 Personal Travel Blogs

Personal Travel Blogs

20 States on Wheels Accessible Travel Netherlands Blog maintained by four students – Inbound travel agent for accessible city one in a wheelchair – who decided to trips and holidays in the Netherlands. do a road trip across America in 2014 Included in this section because of the to raise awareness about accessibility numerous very informative blogs hosted information. Stay tuned for the on this site, particularly by the site imminent release of their book. owner, Veroniek Matt, who has recently published an Amsterdam city guide. A Little Moxie ‘A blog about three kids, life off the grid, Accessible Travel Reviews disability and travel.’ Meriah Nicholls’ US-based site hosting travel reviews daughter Moxie has Down syndrome, by and for PwDs. It says it’s a ‘newish and Meriah herself has an acquired website’, which may be why it’s not yet brain injury as well as being deaf, but well populated. that doesn’t stop them from enjoying life and travelling just like any other family. Accessible Travel Worldwide Read their stories here. Wheelchair adventurer Ashley Lyn Olson set up this website in 2006 and Access Cebu has since worked tirelessly to empower Blog maintained by a long-time Cebu people with limited mobility to access resident and wheelchair user, with lots and experience travel. Her well- of insider info for wheelchair travellers organised and up-to-date site contains to this island in the central Philippines. a wealth of information, as well as first- hand stories and experiences with a firm Access Now focus on independent travel. We love her Paula Bates has just published her work and travel ethic! first wheelchair access guidebook to Paris ($49, inclusive of ‘unlimited book Accessible Travels updates’), with the promise to publish Blog maintained by Canadian electric- guides to Rome and Barcelona in 2016. wheelchair user Liz, who gives accounts She maintains a blog with a few entries, of visits to several countries. so far limited to Paris. Accessibility Matters Accessible Travel & Vacations First-hand reports by wheelchair user Blog maintained by wheelchair-user Declan Groeger, covering a limited Alan Vuong from Calgary, Canada. Most number of accessible venues in Ireland. entries are in North America, with one article covering his trip to Machu Picchu AccessiTrip and another to Dubai. Blog maintained by Irina Martinez from Valencia who has travelled with a disabled relative and operated an LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 47 Personal Travel Blogs

accessible travel agency for a couple of the top five most travelled women of years. Her informative and detailed from Denmark, having visited some 71 blog, including very useful photographs, countries. She is also a wheelchair user. covers her home in Valencia, plus She is such an enthusiastic traveller Alicante, Rotterdam and a cruise on the that she has even won awards for it, and Norwegian Jade. her blog is deep and wide-ranging. Her positivity should be an object lesson for Anything Is Possible Travel us all: ‘My handicap has never caused Blog maintained by Jeri and daughter me a lot of grief. I look at my wheelchair Carrieanna Hess, who has MS, which as an aid or a tool to go wherever I like – she has not allowed to diminish her love not an obstacle. I don’t see my handicap of travel. as a problem: I find solutions.’ I couldn’t agree more: I am not wheelchair-bound, but wheelchair-enabled! She has Bourne Accessible Blog maintained by wheelchair-user Jeff recently set up Arhus Pilot, an accessible Bourne documenting the accessibility guide to Denmark’s second city. of numerous places in his native British Columbia in both words and pictures. Diary of a Traveling Wheelchair Martina is a young paraplegic mother who loves to travel. Read her stories Cane & Able Travel from North America, Asia and Europe. Blog/guide maintained by Ian Hayden (of Brisbane Disabled Travel and Cairns Disabled Travel) with reviews of Disabled Traveler activities and destinations, including Justin Skeesuck offers a free e-book some access information. containing 20 accessible travel tips and resources for disabled travellers, as well as consulting services for service Carrie-Ann’s Travel Blog Tourism for All UK’s Carrie-Ann Lightley’s providers. He also offers a trainingvideo frequently updated personal travel blog. series, the first of which is free, wherein he promises to ‘show you how to travel anywhere with limited mobility… Curb Free with Cory Lee regardless of your physical disability’. Prolific and well-travelled wheelchair blogger Cory Lee Woodard maintains this entertaining and informative site Disabled Travelers Guide Blog maintained by Nancy and Nate that whets the appetite for travel. Tips Berger, who have travelled to literally and tricks, and interviews with other dozens of countries and have tips on PwDs complement Cory’s own articles each. They have a downloadable guide and blogs to achieve Cory’s vision of (that can also be read online) which ‘sharing the world from the wheelchair includes some very handy tips and tricks user’s perspective’. for travelling with a disability. There is also an FAQ section which is worth Curious Kester checking out. Kirsten Kester is a well-travelled woman by any standards – in fact, she is one LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 48 Personal Travel Blogs

Emerging Horizons reconsider their views towards disability. Travel information for wheelchair users She awards an accessibility rating to and slow walkers compiled over many every place she visits. years and well maintained by Candy Harrington, celebrated accessible travel If I Can author and blogger. Although US-based, Being born without arms and legs did this site hosts information and links to not stop Chris Koch from leading a accessible travel resources worldwide. ‘pretty normal’ life. He gets around on Candy maintains her own blog here. a skateboard – and when we say ‘gets around’, we mean all over the world. This Flight of the Travel Bee is his amazing blog. Being deaf hasn’t stopped Chérie King from following her passion: travel. Her Incredible Accessible aim has been to enlighten others about Blog maintained by scooter user Jeanne the deaf and hard of hearing, but her Allen, who blogs about her home in blog – covering two dozen countries – the Sonoma/Napa Valley region of is informative and enjoyable in its own California. right. You may have seen her in the Apple iPad Air international advert, Jay On Life ‘What’s your verse?’ She’s very active Nigerian-born London resident Jay is a on social media, as you might imagine, polio survivor who now gets around on given her relationship with Apple. crutches. Check out her ‘travelling while crip’ tab for stories of her travels. Flying Chair Blog maintained by Brazilian Laura Martins with lots of tips and articles Legless in Dublin about accessibility and living life with a Legless in Dublin reviews bars, clubs, disability in Brazil. restaurants, music festivals, cafes etc in terms of access, but it also reviews the food, the music, the craic and the Gimp on the Go atmosphere. A US-based website (hence the name), which may not be fully up-to-date, but which has an extensive travel resources Look at All Poor People links page. Blog by BAFTA-winning TV producer and wheelchair-user James Ballardie recounting his 15-month round-the- Have Wheelchair Will Travel world trip with his girlfriend. I was lucky Travel blog maintained by a Sydney- enough to meet James and his long- based family of four, including a suffering girlfriend, Sam, when they nonverbal young man with cerebral passed through Melbourne. He is as palsy. Largely Australia-based, but with witty and droll as his blog would entries from the USA and Canada, too. suggest – a highly entertaining and informative read! Hot Wheels Goes ‘Hot Wheels’ Amy aims to amuse and inform, as well as perhaps make people Lonely Planet’s 49 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Top: Woman pushing male wheelchair-user in front of Graven- steen (Castle of the Counts), Ghent

Bottom: Woman with a guide cane touching a tombstone at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 50 Personal Travel Blogs

Lost Abound tours catering for PwDs, accommodation Two-year account of the adventures of listings, accessible house swaps, sales Australian wheelchair-user Jerome and and rentals, as well as a holiday planning his British girlfriend Jess they travel service. through 30-odd countries in their 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser. Rexy Edventures Blog chronicling the ‘adventures of a Martyn Sibley deaf and handsome luxury backpacker Disability Horizons (online UK magazine) travelling the unexpected’. Well and Accomable cofounder, Martyn travelled, widely published and clearly Sibley, recently set up his own website, not averse to self-promotion. Rex does, much of which is devoted to his travels however, invite other deaf would-be around the world. travellers to contact him for advice.

Mitch St. Pierre Rouletes et Sac-à-Dos Canadian Mitch recounts his global (Wheels and a Backpack) travel experiences in a blog/videoblog. French-language blog maintained by well-travelled wheelchair-user Audrey New Mobility Barbaud ‘to show that disability and The most well-known magazine for travel are not incompatible’ and to wheelchair users in the US, New Mobility share information so that others have run by United Spinal, has a travel the confidence to travel despite their section with a rich archive of stories. disability. She encourages questions and suggestions and is active on social media. Push Living Deborah Davis’ website is US-based and covers a lot more than just travel. With a Sensitive Girl focus on the wheelchair user, there are Not all disabilities are visible. Juliette segments on health, romance, design, Llewellyn maintains a blog and review lifestyle, inspirational stories and general site that caters to the needs of those news, too. Under the travel menu are with, for example, fibromyalgia, electro-

*TOP TRAVEL TIP Take twice the medication you need and pack it in separate bags in case one goes missing. Take a list of the generic names and spare prescriptions. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 51 Personal Travel Blogs

sensitivity, gluten intolerance, irritable Europe, Asia and Australasia so far. bowel syndrome, depression and social There’s also a page of guest blogs. anxiety. The content is not yet very deep or rich, but the concept cannot be The World on Wheels faulted. Blog maintained by Tim and father Darryl with trip reports from their Simply Emma travels in a dozen countries. Emma, from Scotland, is a wheelchair- user due to a muscle-wasting condition TrailRider Tales and maintains a lifestyle blog because ‘I David Stratton (together with John want my disability to be seen in a positive Kenwright of Parks Victoria) was way rather than a burden’. She has a instrumental in bringing the TrailRider – passion for travel and shares her travel ‘a one-wheeled cross between a tips, and wheelchair-access reviews on wheelbarrow and sedan chair’ from attractions, music venues and holiday Canada, where it was developed, to destinations in the hope that it might Australia. This innovative piece of inspire others to start travelling. equipment allows wheelchair users with the assistance of ‘sherpas’ to access Smiths Holiday Road trails where wheelchairs are unable to ‘Travels with three kids and a wheelchair’: go. This is his blog, replete with words, an Australian family who shares ‘our pictures and videos. travels, experience, hints and tips and love inspiring others to travel’. Travel Wheels Cambodian-born resident of Vancouver, Special Needs Travel Mom Vince, contracted polio and now gets Blog maintained by a mother with around in a manual wheelchair. Read a severely disabled child – blind, here about his solo visits to a dozen nonverbal and in a wheelchair, but different locations in North America and happy! There are plenty of tips for Europe. travel with a special-needs kid as well as destination reports from across North Traveling with MS America. Blog maintained by Abhishek Behl focusing on disability travel. As he The Bimblers travels, he campaigns to create Blog maintained by Rob and Bridget awareness about multiple sclerosis. who travel around Britain and Ireland on a low budget with a wheelchair. There’s Travels with Pain lots of detail and plenty of advice (click Liz Hamill, author of Moon guides to on ‘travel tips’). California, also suffers from chronic pain and bladder disease. In her personal The Geordie Traveller blog, she aims to help travellers with Anthony is on a mission to be the first hidden disabilities explore the world, wheelchair-user to visit every country providing practical advice derived from in the world! This is his blog, covering her personal and experiences. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 52 Personal Travel Blogs

Trip Buzz encouraged to share their experiences A blog with tips for travelling near and and submit their own reviews of far with a wheelchair. tours, accommodation, restaurants and activities (English and German Viaggiare per Tutti (Travel for All) language). Blog maintained by Domenico to inspire people with a permanent or temporary Wheelchair Access Travel disability to travel more. Covers Blog maintained by manual wheelchair destinations in Italy, but also in other and wheelchair tandem-bike user parts of Europe (Italian language). covering European destinations. Strong interest in adaptive cycling. Wheel Adventure Blog maintained by intrepid budget Wheelchair Travel wheelchair traveller Matt Getze. This Destination reports from around site is full of first-hand reviews of the world detailing the wheelchair destinations he has visited in Asia, accessibility of public transport, taxis, Europe, and North and South America. attractions, airports, hotels etc, written There are travel tips and videos to by triple amputee and wheelchair user complement his blog entries. John Morris. Most coverage is in the USA, with a few entries from Europe and Wheelchairtraveller Asia. John has called for other members Set up by brother and sister Tobias (a of disabled community to contribute to wheelchair user) and Verena Streitferdt, his site with their own reviews. this not-for-profit site is an online platform to provide information for World in a Wheelchair wheelchair travellers. With a focus on Exactly what it says: a blog with entries developing countries and emerging from around the world by this UK-based economies, information is presented wheelchair blogger. Lots of information in a user-friendly way on a destination- here. by-destination basis via an interactive map. They use videos and social media World on Wheelz to raise awareness of the opportunities Detailed travel reviews from around the and benefits for the wheelchair traveller world by widely travelled wheelchair user as well as for the off-the-beaten-track James Glasbergen. It’s worth checking regions they visit. Visitors to the site are out his travel tips and FAQs, too. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 53 Personal Travel Blogs

CUBA: WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE AGAINST ALL ODDS!

 The only stress was the two-hour wait at the baggage claim to see if the wheelchair had made it in one piece.  The infrastructure may be ancient, but it is well maintained and not once during our stay did we lack a helping hand to overcome any barrier we might face.  Casas particulares, privately-run bed and breakfasts, offer Cuban flair and flexibility and hospitality at a fifth the cost of resorts, and minor adaptations are never a problem. Find a list of the most accessible ones on our website.  Innovative ideas and goodwill overcome physical barriers: instead of riding a horse, load your wheelchair onto a horse-drawn carriage; instead of a boat snorkelling trip, sit in the crystal-clear waters of Playa Larga while fish are attracted by bait; instead of a massage in a shop, get a massage table set up right on the beach!

Tobias and Verena Streitferdt http://www.wheelchairtraveller.org Lonely Planet’s 54 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Female wheelchair-user looking up at the statue of the Knight Roland, Bremen marketplace © LEA KLEINSPEHN/BTZ BREMER TOURISTIK-ZENTRALE LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 55 General Resources

General Resources

USEFUL PLANNING WEBSITES Center for Autism & Abroad with Disabilities Related Disabilities Although not strictly a travel resource, This organisation, based at the this relatively new website offers University of South Florida, has a useful advice and resources for students with booklet giving information on how to disabilities who wish to study, intern, make travelling with autism a smoother volunteer or work abroad. experience.

Access Anything Disabled Travel Guide An online travel resource for people with Although not exactly the disabilities, officially closed for business ‘comprehensive’ guide it claims to be, since 2012 but with a huge resources list this is a good starting point for planning that’s well worth checking out for travel a trip if you have a disability or you are within the US. The owners’ ongoing blog travelling with someone with a disability. It steps you through the different areas resides here. you need to think about when planning your trip and picks its top 20 disability- Access-Able friendly cities. Seemingly defunct website (last updated 2008) providing information about disabled travel worldwide, Epilepsy Action included here only because some of Planning and on-the-road travel advice the links at this address are still live and from the British Epilepsy Association. useful. Epilepsy Foundation Succinct advice for travelling with Apparelyzed Wheelchair epilepsy on different forms of transport. Traveller Forum One of the US’s largest spinal- cord injury peer-support networks, European Commission Apparelyzed showcases personal Find out what your rights are from the stories of travels around the world. official European Commission page on Although many of the stories may not travelling by air or rail with a disability be recent, it’s certainly inspiring to see within the eurozone. where people have gone, and many of the blog-style entries do give concrete Fédération Internationale information. There’s also a dedicated de l’Automobile disabled traveller forum and a sports for A very useful guide to using your disabled forum. disability parking permit in different countries around the world. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 56 General Resources

Global Access News Mobility International USA This self-styled disabled-travel network Maintained by Mobility International is packed full of information, much of USA, this site is not about tourism which has been supplied by users. There but about empowering people with are heaps of links to disabled-travel disabilities to take advantage of guidebooks and country-by-country the same international exchange disability links, as well as a travel opportunities as everyone else. The e-zine archive. Warning: much of this National Clearinghouse on Disability information is dated and many of the and Exchange team helps those with links are broken. a disability to study, volunteer or intern in another country. It also helps Global Dialysis people from other countries to come Create a free account and login to to the USA to learn English, study, gain access a comprehensive global internships or volunteer. database of dialysis centres. Reduced Mobility Rights International Bureau for Epilepsy A major news portal for people with Multilingual Traveller’s Handbook for reduced mobility (PRMs), with a focus people with epilepsy. on access to air travel. The goals of this website are to make sure service providers comply with laws; to expose Limitless Travel This organisation’s mission is to create those who violate the laws; to promote the first comprehensive and global awareness among operators and guide on accessible travel, which it the general public; and ultimately to hopes to achieve by having set up the reiterate everybody’s right to travel, skeleton of a wiki that could potentially irrespective of their condition. Roberto ‘provide detailed, objective and up to Castiglioni, the site owner, is extremely date travel information to aid travellers well versed and connected. with any form of physical, cognitive or sensory disability’. All it needs is the Special Globe buy-in of enough people to populate the A Canada-based site for parents with wiki. A start has been made on London special-needs kids to book custom and Birmingham in the UK. trips and hotels, as well as share their experiences and learn from other

*TOP TRAVEL TIP Make sure your travel insurance covers you for preexisting medical conditions. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 57 General Resources

parents and experts through forums and photos, and to interact with each and articles. Includes tips and tricks, other in an online forum. The more basic travel advice, and itinerary guides reviews you post, the higher your with lots of useful information about ranking. At present, though, it seems special-needs travel. quite thin on content and we haven’t been able to find many reviews – most Special Needs Group come from three Croatian members. Organisation associated with Special The most functional part of the site at Needs at Sea that has a certification the moment seems to be the links to system for travel agents. Visit this paid tours. page to find 2250 certified travel professionals. Note that the certification does not necessarily mean a great WEBSITES PROMOTING deal: to quote from their website, ‘This ACCESSIBLE/INCLUSIVE is a three-module, 65-minute, online TOURISM certification course designed for Access Tourism New Zealand travel professionals to increase their Well maintained by the very knowledge and earning opportunities knowledgeable and well-connected in the accessible travel/special-needs Sandra Rhodda to provide news and market.’ views about tourism, travel and leisure activities that are accessible to PwDs, The WiderNet Project seniors and those who develop access This Disabled People’s Organizations issues as they age. There are plenty of & Disability-Oriented Organizations useful links for accessible travel around portal, a gateway to thousands of pages the globe, as well as tools and strategies from 374 websites, was created by for businesses. Along with Scott Rains, the staff, students and volunteers of Ivor Ambrose of ENAT and Bill Forrester United States International Council on of TravAbility, Sandra ranks among the Disabilities (USICD), together with The top advocates for accessible travel in WiderNet Project at the University of the world. Iowa, with a grant from United States Agency for International Development Accessible Outlook (USAID). Searchable by disability or by Set up by the knowledgeable and region, this is a great place to start if accredited access auditor Brian Seaman, you’re looking for a disabled people’s who has worked with UK charity Tourism organisation relevant to your disability in for All for 20 years, this website provides a country you’re visiting or relocating to. resources to help with the development of accessible tourism for older customers Travabled and those with disabilities. Although the An online community and travel adviser material on this website may be of most for PwDs and their companions – a use to businesses and professionals sort of TripAdvisor for people with working in the accessible tourism disabilities. Travabled.com allows industry, there’s some useful information travellers to post questions and for travellers – for example, about how answers, as well as reviews, comments to make a complaint to the Civil Aviation LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 58 General Resources

Authority – and an extensive spreadsheet tourism and charts news, legislative of UK disabled people’s organisations and developments and other issues in the useful contacts. sector. This is the go-to site for anybody with a serious interest in accessible Accessible Tourism Research travel – there’s a lifetime of experience This blog, maintained by the world’s and weeks of reading to be found here. leading academic in accessible tourism, Scott’s passing is a huge blow to the Simon Darcy from the University of accessible travel sector. Technology Sydney, seeks to present a brief history of accessible tourism Society for Accessible Travel & through reviewing key documents Hospitality and presenting new research as it is The Society for Accessible Travel published. & Hospitality (SATH) is a US-based nonprofit organisation founded in 1976 European Network for whose mission is to raise awareness of Accessible Tourism the needs of travellers with disabilities, The European Network for Accessible remove physical and attitudinal barriers Tourism (ENAT) is a nonprofit to free access, and expand travel association for organisations that aim opportunities in the US and abroad. to be at the forefront of the study, There’s lots of information to be found promotion and practice of accessible on this site, including blogs, travel tips tourism. Although based in Europe, and access information, and a page of and formerly funded as a pilot online resources (not particularly well project (2006–07) by the European maintained). Commission, ENAT members span the globe, coming from more than 30 Strabordo Association countries on five continents. There is a Italian nonprofit association promoting wealth of information on this website, accessible travel; works with tourism useful for policymakers, researchers, providers as well as offering tours business owners and practitioners as directly to the public (Italian language). well as anyone interested in the field of accessible tourism. Lonely Planet TravAbility has recently signed a collaborative TravAbility was set up in 2007 by agreement with ENAT to jointly pursue Melbourne-based Bill Forrester and accessible tourism initiatives. (ENAT’s Deborah Davis (also of Pushliving. managing director, Ivor Ambrose, com) as a vehicle to publish accessible reviewed this document as a technical travel information. Today, apart from advisor.) ENAT’s page of country-by- arranging and booking tours and country links is an incredibly useful travel for people with access issues, resource. TravAbility is a strong advocate for equality in accessibility in the hospitality Rolling Rains and travel industries, with a particular The world’s best-known and highly focus on the need for change in the respected accessible-travel guru, the supply side, ie businesses providing late Scott Rains, explores inclusive services to travellers. Their vision LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 59 General Resources

statement is simply ‘To make the world accessible to all’. There is an enormous amount of information on this website, including detailed guides, news and white papers that Bill has penned. Bill has also set up PhotoAbility, a commercial stock image library featuring models with disabilities. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 60 General Resources

THE USA’S MOST ACCESSIBLE NATIONAL PARKS

 Yosemite National Park – Camp in the jaw-dropping Yosemite Valley, ride free shuttle buses to scenic viewpoints and waterfall trails, or take a horseback trail ride.  Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim) – Roll along canyon-rim trails and around a recreated Ancestral Puebloan village, or join a ranger-guided program with an ASL interpreter.  Yellowstone National Park – Watch herds of bison and elk from park roadsides, then wheel along boardwalks within spitting distance of famous hot springs and geysers.  Arches National Park – This drive-through park with fantastical scenery offers accessible viewpoints, barrier-free trails and educational exhibits for visitors with special hearing and/or vision needs.  Zion National Park – Ride the park’s free shuttle system or take a drive past iconic desert rock formations and Southwestern canyon scenery, stopping for a shady, accessible riverside path.

For more information search the National Park Service website using the specific term ‘accessibility’ and the name of the park you’re visiting.

Sara Benson http://indietraveler.blogspot.com Lonely Planet’s 61 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Woman pushing male wheelchair-user outside the Oude Vismijn (Old Fishmarket), Ghent © VISITFLANDERS/KRIS JACOBS LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 62 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

AUSTRALIA cognitive disabilities; can also arrange additional assistance and personal care Access Holidays for those who need it. Travel agent specialising in small group tours for PwDs both domestic and international. Special Care Travel Long-established Queensland-based inbound (Australia, New Zealand, Accessability Cruising Singapore and cruises) travel agent and Travel agent specialising in cruises; also tour operator catering for people with offers a free e-book, Accessible Cruising a wide range of disabilities, including in Australia. respite holidays for individuals and groups. Cairns Unlimited Inbound travel agent catering for PwDs travelling to tropical North Queensland. TravAbility Passionate advocate for inclusive tourism Bill Forrester has enormous ClubMates Travel experience in arranging and booking Long-established tour operator offering tours and travel for people with access supported holidays for individuals and issues. Supports both inbound and groups both in Australia and overseas outbound travellers with disabilities. run by the knowledgeable, enthusiastic and affable Peter Negri. Wheel Adventures Motorcycle-tour business based on Discovery Holidays the Sunshine Coast specialising in Set up in 2013 by two women with wheelchair-accessible sidecar tours. extensive experience in disability, this That’s novel! domestic and outbound tour operator caters to adults seeking supported holidays and leisure experiences; AZORES families and carers seeking respite Azores for All services; and visitors to Western Inbound tour operator specialising in Australia and those travelling abroad inclusive tourism to this group of nine requiring travel assistance and support volcanic islands in the middle of the services. Atlantic Ocean (an autonomous region of Portugal), including active, cultural and Leisure Options nature-based holidays. Travel agent specialising in local, national and international holidays for individuals and groups with physical and LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 63 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

BALTICS CARIBBEAN Accessible Baltics Accessible Caribbean Vacations Tour operator covering Estonia, Latvia Travel agency run by UK-based and Lithuania specialising in services for wheelchair traveller John Sage. PwDs or people with special needs. Commercial offerings of accessible shore excursions and cruises are complemented by a series of useful port CANADA accessibility reviews. Access Revolution Primarily a business-oriented organisation, providing consulting CHINA services, this ‘social-impact business’ Access China Travel also host events and day trips for private Mainstream tour company offering groups. Focusing on hiking and paddling a limited number of accessible tour adventures in British Columbia, they are packages in China for seniors, slow committed to enhancing opportunities walkers, wheelchair visitors and tourists for people of all abilities to experience with a disability. nature. Check out the Adaptive Recreation BC tab under Resources for Tour Beijing a list of the many organisations they Mainstream tour company offering have partnered with that offer outdoor accessible travel and tours around recreation opportunities in the province. Beijing.

Accessible Travel Outbound travel agent and tour COSTA RICA operator servicing a host of Atente Costa Rica destinations. Despite the name, Inbound travel agent providing assisted this company also seems to offer vacations, travel assistance, lodgings mainstream travel services. The site and concierge services for seniors and also features accessible travel tips and a PwDs. blog. CYPRUS Rocky Mountain Wheelchair Tours Specialist in customised accessible tours Accessible Cyprus Travel for groups or individuals with particular Specialist accessible tour operator physical, audio, visual or cognitive needs based in Cyprus catering to both in the Rocky Mountains, Canada. individuals and groups. Claims to have personally audited all service providers. Can provide a variety of equipment, Tarita’s Travel Connections including a range of mobility aids and Certified accessible travel specialist and oxygen bottles and masks, as well Flight Centre associate, Tarita arranges as personal care services. Activities accessible holidays both in Canada include scuba diving and ocean fishing. and around the world, as well as fully accessible cruises. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 64 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

CZECH REPUBLIC FRANCE Accessible Prague Adaptour Inbound travel agent in Prague offering Outbound travel agent offering tours, accommodation, transfers, customised individual tours worldwide. equipment rental and personal support They claim to have visited and approved workers. all accommodation and services that they offer. ECUADOR Anaé South America for All Established 60 years ago by the This company has been operating tours Scouts and Guides of France, this for the mobility- and hearing-impaired nonprofit is dedicated to enhancing for the last seven years, starting in opportunities for PwDs to engage in Ecuador and now branching out into outdoors sport and recreation. They Peru. offer accessible and supported holidays and accommodation in three different EGYPT destinations, from snow-covered mountains to the seaside. Egypt Deaf Travel Long-established inbound travel agent specialising in tours of Egypt for deaf I Need a Holiday Too tourists (American Sign Language). Company offering wheelchair- accessible accommodation in a 19th-century renovated cotton mill in Egypt for All Brittany, northern France; wheelchair- Inbound travel agent specialising in accessible vehicles and a wide variety catering to people with disabilities, of equipment (often free of charge with special needs, older travellers and slow accommodation), as well as personal walkers. support workers, are available.

ETHIOPIA GERMANY Bale Mountain Lodge Accamino Reisen This eight-room boutique forest- Outbound accessible travel agent wilderness lodge in the Bale Mountains offering individual and group trips for National Park of south-central Ethiopia wheelchair users, people with reduced was opened in January 2014. Due to a mobility and seniors. spinal-cord injury sustained by the son of the owners, the whole lodge has been fitted out with accessible facilities and Berlin for All (Accamino Reisen) the owners are working to establish Inbound accessible travel agent offering accessible trails. They have access to individual and group visits to Berlin for an off-road wheelchair that requires wheelchair users, people with reduced sherpas and allows access to places mobility and seniors. (English-, French- where regular wheelchairs cannot go. and Spanish-language options available on website.) LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 65 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

Germany for All accessible website, but the links under (Accamino Reisen) Book Your Tours were not working when Inbound accessible travel agent offering we visited. individual and group trips for wheelchair users, people with reduced mobility and UMOJA seniors. This company has developed a self- assessment app for hotels, which gathers deep and granular information GREECE about their accessibility. It goes well Greece4All beyond ‘this hotel has accessible rooms’ Inbound travel agent (ENAT member) and simulates a professional access specialising in tours for people with a audit, even including photographs of wide range of disabilities. hotels so people can judge whether or not one is suitable for them. Their HONDURAS website also allows you to personalise your needs so that you can be matched Accessible Island Tours with a suitable hotel. The database Inbound tour operator for Honduras and already encompasses dozens of hotels US Virgin Islands. in India, and they are extending their reach worldwide. Lonely Planet has HONG KONG partnered with them to produce a series of accessible UK festival city guides. Diamond Cab This (social) private enterprise provides safe and reasonably priced 24/7 INDONESIA wheelchair-accessible transport around Accessible Indonesia Hong Kong in their seven wheelchair- A new inbound travel agent that accessible vehicles. welcomes clients with ‘any kind of disability’. ICELAND Iceland Unlimited Bali Access Travel Inbound tour operator offering accessible Specialist wheelchair-accessible tours of Iceland, including provision of travel agent in Bali, providing tours, rental cars with hand controls and quad- accommodation, equipment hire bike tours for the more adventurous. and fully licensed nursing services. Arranges disabled diving and snorkelling expeditions for the more adventurous. INDIA Access 4 All ISRAEL Touts itself as the only wheelchair- accessible van service in Mumbai. H2A Travels Travel agent based in Israel providing customised tours for all types of Planet Abled tourists, including seniors and travellers Inbound tour operator specialising in with disabilities. accessible travel. Full marks for the LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 66 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

Israel4All Accessible Tourism Inbound tour operator for groups and The cooperative Florence Planet is an individuals with disabilities and special inbound tour operator in Florence and needs who wish to explore their Jewish, Tuscany specialising in tours for people Christian or Muslim heritage in Israel. with physical and visual impairments. Caters for a wide range of disabilities They also offer adapted transport (as and offers other services such as rental partner of Hertz) and rental of mobility of mobility equipment and wheelchair- aids. See also the entry under Italy. accessible vehicles, and arranging accessible accommodation and Gondolas 4 All transportation. Wheelchair-user visiting Venice? Here’s a company that will enable you Mobility Rentals Israel to experience the city iconic mode of Rental of a variety of mobility transport. equipment – beds, hoists, wheelchairs, scooters etc – in Israel. No Barrier Inbound and outbound specialist SmarTrip accessible travel agency catering for all Inbound tour operator that has worked disabilities (Italian language). with PwDs since its establishment to provide a variety of accessible tours Rome and Italy using their own adapted vehicle. Caters This is a mainstream tour operator to speakers of many different languages. based in Rome that offers customised tours, accessible accommodation, and equipment and vehicle hire for ITALY PwDs and their families. They claim to Accessible Emotions have personally tested and approved Long-established tour operator and all accommodation and therefore transport/transfer provider, offering half guarantee its accessibility. Their Wheely a dozen tours in Italy and a fleet of seven Trekky service, which uses a specially customised vans. Pantou supplier. designed sedan/rickshaw with sherpas, allows wheelchair-users to access many Accessible Europe otherwise inaccessible archaeological Suspiciously dated-looking website set sites. up by a pool of European travel agents who style themselves as experts in Seable accessible tourism. Based in Italy they Working in association with the Sicilian offer tours and cruises, as well as rentals charity LIFE (Life Improvement for of vehicles and houseboats, in Europe Everyone), this highly respected UK- (although members of SATH). Links take based company offers accessible you to partners around the world, with activity-based holidays (including scuba equally daggy websites. diving) for visually impaired, blind and mobility-impaired holidaymakers on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 67 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

Termetour MARTINIQUE Inbound travel agent and tour operator Martinique Access’île offering a variety of accessible tours Inbound tour operator for this French- in Tuscany, including tactile tours with speaking Caribbean island, offering a audio guides for the blind and partially variety of activities, including scuba sighted. They can also arrange rental diving and adaptive catamaran sailing, cars with hand controls, wheelchair- as well as rental of mobility and medical accessible vans with a driver, adaptive equipment. sporting activities, nursing assistance and personal care, and rental of mobility equipment. MEXICO Cancún Accesible Viaggi per Disabili Well-regarded company offering Inbound and outbound travel agent tours, transport, equipment rental and tour operator run by a consultant and support services for PwDs and/ specialising in accessible tourism, or special needs, as well and seniors, devising tailor-made trips according to in and around Cancún (Quintana Roo), individual or group needs. including to Chichén Itzá and Tulum.

KENYA Nurses and Caregivers Cancún Fika Safaris Offers similar services to Cancún Tailored safaris and beach holidays Accesible, but with more of a focus on in Kenya and Tanzania for people provision of nurses, support workers with limited mobility, with accessible and medical equipment. accommodation, wheelchair-adapted vehicle and mobility equipment hire. MOROCCO Assisted travel and medical services are also available. Disabled Tourist Guide Multilingual tour guide offering accessible tours in Morocco. Having LATVIA had polio, and still using braces and Accessible Latvia crutches, El Houssaine Ichen has first- Provides tours, accommodation hand experience of travelling with a bookings and equipment rental, as well disability. as accessible transport throughout the country. NEPAL Accessible Himalayas MALTA This nonprofit company, run by Accessible Malta three wheelchair users, is the first in UK-based travel agent specialising Nepal to offer accessible tours and in accessible holidays in Malta, accommodation. At the moment, they providing flights and transfers as have one accessible guesthouse located well as excursions and a variety of near Kathmandu and are currently accommodation types. developing a suite of tours and activities. Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Online Resources

Top: Male wheelchair-user exploring the Westfront Nieuwpoort visitor centre, Belgium

Bottom Left: Male and female members of staff at the STAM (Ghent City Museum) giving a sign-language guided tour to a female visitor

Bottom Right: Man with a guide cane touching an exhibit at the Science Museum, London LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 69 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

NETHERLANDS Freedom Mobility New Zealand’s largest mobility vehicle Accessible Travel Netherlands Inbound travel agent for accessible city rental company offering an extensive trips and holidays in the Netherlands. range of more than 100 modified cars Don’t miss the numerous very and vans for disabled drivers and disabled passengers. They provide for informative blogs hosted on this site, as well as site owner Veroniek Matt’s new vehicle instruction on all driving and disability equipment, as well as 24-hour Amsterdam city guide. telephone assistance and free road service cover. Gehandicapten Netherlands-based website with a selection of bookable wheelchair- Making Trax accessible apartments and holiday Nonprofit company specialising in homes in the south of France, Hungary, adventure travel – skydiving, paragliding, Thailand and the Netherlands. rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping etc – in New Zealand and dedicated to Represented in Thailand by Disability changing the way society thinks about in Thailand Co Ltd. There’s also an disability. Works in collaboration with informative blog. other outdoor activities companies, which are accredited by Making Trax Meet Another World director, C5 quadriplegic Jezza Williams, Travel agency specialising in cultural and supplies adaptive equipment as tours for deaf and hearing-impaired necessary. people, organised in cooperation with deaf and hearing-impaired residents and communities in host countries Oyster Accessible Travel Travel agent specialising in travel and such as Tanzania, Ethiopia, Iceland, tours for domestic and international Russia, Mongolia and Turkey. Tours are travellers with mobility needs. You can designed to foster connections with the book accommodation, activities and local culture, as well as the local Deaf transport as well as hire equipment. culture. What makes this site different is the great, detailed access information given NEW ZEALAND for many of the tourist attractions and Ability Adventures New Zealand bookable accommodation. Don’t miss Inbound tour operator catering for a the informative blog and useful local wide variety of disabilities, as well as links tabs. This site aspires to be an seniors. accessible travel resource, not simply a commercial provider. Accessible New Zealand Inbound tour operator for mature POLAND travellers, and travellers with physical Accessible Poland Tours or intellectual disabilities, particularly Inbound tour operator (ENAT member) those who have limited mobility. specialising in tours for travellers with a wide range of disabilities and seniors; LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 70 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

bookings available for individuals or Sano Touring small groups. Can provide accessible ENAT member and Pantou-listed transport, guided tours, mobility supplier of inbound tours for seniors equipment and personal care. and PwDs.

PORTUGAL RUSSIA Accessible Portugal Accessible Russia Specialist inbound operator offering First company in Russia specialising accessible tours, accommodation, in tours for PwDs now in its 11th year equipment rental and transfers. of operation, catering for groups and individuals as well as cruise-ship Algarve Accessible passengers. Multilingual website. ENAT member based in southern Portugal offering tours, transfers, Impression Hunter accommodation and mobility aids for There’s not a lot of information about wheelchair users, slow walkers and accessible travel in Russia, but this seniors. specialist accessible tour company caters for people with a variety of GoGal disabilities and can supply equipment Specialist inbound tour operator and personal support workers. It’s one offering accessible tours. of the international operators endorsed by the UK’s Tourism for All. Madeira4All Inbound travel agent/tour SOUTH AFRICA operator offering everything from accommodation, activities and Access 2 Africa Safaris Specialist accessible safari tour transport to personal assistance, company based in Durban catering for equipment and even respite services in wheelchair users, hearing- and mobility- this autonomous Portuguese island off impaired, visually impaired and blind the coast of Morocco. guests. We personally know two very satisfied guests, both quadriplegics Tourism for All and one very high needs. This company Specialist inbound tour operator has won awards for accessibility and offering accessible tours (as well as inclusive tourism. medical, health and wellness tours) and personal care. Enabled Online Travel Specialist inclusive travel agent ROMANIA offering a variety of different kinds of Romania for All tour, including self-drive, throughout New tour company (website under southern Africa. Their broader construction) promoting ‘slow tourism’ involvement in inclusive tourism – and catering for everyone, including including training, access audits and PwDs. consulting – makes them more than LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 71 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

just a travel agent. They can also source Barcelona compiled by a long-term mobility and other equipment. resident.

Endeavour Safaris Accessible Madrid Safari tours throughout southern Africa Offers guided tours on electric mobility for seniors and people with a variety scooters in historic Madrid, as well as of impairments, including visual and a mobility-scooter rental service. Also hearing. offers inclusive and tailor-made packages for accessible tours in surrounding areas Epic Enabled for the mobility-impaired and wheelchair Upmarket safari tour company users. Can also find and book accessible operating in South Africa, offering a accommodation in the city. variety of accessible tours in and around the Kruger National Park, and able to Barcelona Enabled supply a variety of equipment, including Inbound tour operator specialising in wheelchairs, walking frames, shower tours for wheelchair users and people chairs and hoists. with restricted mobility (PRMs). Can also supply equipment, such as hoists, In Car Travel Guide shower chairs and mobility aids. This unique company offers in-car, GPS-activated travel guides with audio Barcelona Special Traveler descriptions and captioning for visually Inbound tour operator specialising and hearing-impaired travellers. Their in accessible tourism in Barcelona, guides include accessibility information catering for disabilities of all types. for people with special needs, such as deaf/hard of hearing, blind and mobility- Barcelona Zero Limits impaired visitors to the country. Inbound tour operator specialising in accessible tours in Barcelona. Activities Travel with Renè include accessible scuba diving and Quadriplegic Renè Moses offers various ballooning. tours in South Africa, including a whale- watching tour (September/October). Bask for All She specialises in providing wheelchair- Inbound travel agent specialising in accessible transport and transfers, and customised tours in the San Sebastián/ touts herself as the only company in Basque area, including cultural and South Africa hiring self-drive wheelchair- culinary options as well as adaptive accessible vans. sports (golf, sailing, surfing).

SPAIN Disabled Accessible Travel Run by British expat Alan Broadbent, Accessible Barcelona this Barcelona-based travel agent offers Although the founder, Craig Grimes, wheelchair-accessible airport and no longer takes bookings through this cruise-port transfers, accessible tours website, it’s still a good repository and shore excursions for cruise-ship of information about accessibility in LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 72 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators passengers, and apartment and hotel TAIWAN accommodation. They can also arrange Sunable wheelchair and accessible-vehicle hire. A commercial arm of Taiwan Access for (When I visited Barcelona, Alan booked All Association, this company rents a me a fabulous wheelchair-accessible wide variety of mobility equipment in apartment not too far from the centre Taipei, Taichung and Hualien. They can of town with not one but two roll-in arrange accessible accommodation and showers.) tours, as well as accessible transport in a van or a tour bus. (Chinese-language Disabled Holidays in Spain website, but staff can respond to emails What it says: accessible holidays in in English.) Spain from this UK holiday provider. Can provide a range of mobility aids and personal care if required. TANZANIA Go Africa Safaris Eco Tour Córdoba ENAT member and Tourism for All, UK, Tour company that offers accessible associate has adapted vehicles with guided cultural tours around Córdoba ramps and wheelchair locking systems and Andalucia, and mobility equipment to ensure safety, and can provide hire. accessible accommodation catering for a wide range of budgets. Operates in Olé Tours both Tanzania and Kenya. Accessible tours of Seville run by a couple of women with lived experience Naenda Safaris of disability, including private tours for Tanzanian company offering safaris up to six people, accessible transport, for wheelchair users and the visually mobility-scooter hire and boat trips on impaired. Promises vehicles with access the river. ramps and a variety of accommodation with accessible rooms. Touradapt Inbound travel agent offering vacation THAILAND packages and tours, from cruises to camping, tailored to different types of Accessible Thailand disability. Touting itself as the ‘only disabled travellers guide to accessible Thailand’, it certainly is the most comprehensive Travel for All that we have been able to find. Apart Inbound and outbound travel agent and from package deals, it offers basic tour operator offering a wide variety reviews of accommodation, bars, of accessible tours and adventurous restaurants and sites. It also gives activities, including adaptive surfing, contact details for hiring mobility sailing, abseiling and horse riding for the equipment, medical aids and personal blind and otherwise disabled. support workers, and gives tips on issues such as hiring wheelchair- accessible vehicles. There’s also an LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 73 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

option to add your own listing on the and also a range of activities such as website. It’s definitely a good place scuba diving, paragliding, rafting and to start if you’re planning a holiday in horse riding, all suitable for differing Thailand as a wheelchair user, but we forms of ability. don’t see much information on the site for people with other disabilities. Turkey Accessible Travel Inbound tour operator in Turkey offering Gehandicapten accessible tours for seniors and PwDs in Netherlands-based company and around Istanbul, Izmir and Kusadasi. represented in Thailand by Disability in Thailand Co Ltd. There’s also an informative blog. VIETNAM Roll in Asia Phuket Access Travel Specialist accessible travel agent Established by people with first-hand offering a variety of tours around experience of disability, this inbound Vietnam for PwDs of various stripes. travel agent offers accessible transport Also offers to arrange air transport from (including airport transfers), tours, your home country. accommodation and equipment, including hoists and a Hippocampe Saigon Buddy Tours beach wheelchair. Here’s a novel idea: accessible motorbike tours around Ho Chi Minh Thailande Handicap City in southern Vietnam. In addition to Longtime resident and wheelchair-user their original discovery tour, they also offers wheelchair-accessible guest run street food and craft beer tours, rooms in Chang Mai, as well as a great as well as customised tours. Their deal of practical information about website claims that all ‘buddies’ speak wheelchair travel in Thailand on this fluent English; photos show manual website (French language). wheelchairs strapped on the back of the motorbikes! This sounds like a really Wheelchair Holidays @ Thailand cool idea if you’re game… Company offering package and sightseeing tours to Thailand (mainly UK Bangkok) for PwDs and seniors. Access All Rooms A searchable and bookable database of Wheelchair Thailand Tours hotels with access filters for mobility, Company offering package and hearing and visual impairments. Most sightseeing tours to Thailand (mainly Hua entries appear to be in the UK, with Hin and Bangkok) for PwDs and seniors. some major cities in Europe and around the world covered too. TURKEY Accessible Turkey Access at Last Travel agent offering tours and UK-based booking website offering accommodation in Antalya and Istanbul, accommodation throughout Europe LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 74 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

(with a couple of exceptions), as well as All Clear Travel Insurance mobility equipment sales, including a Many travel insurance companies won’t variety of hoists and slings. insure you with a pre-existing medical condition; this company specifically Accessible Property Register caters for precisely this market. Search engine for wheelchair-accessible residential property for sale and holiday Altogether Travel accommodation; also has a booking Supported holidays arranged worldwide function. Map-based search is possible, for older people, individuals with with multiple filters able to be applied. physical or learning disabilities, those with dementia or sensory impairment Accessible Travel & Leisure and people who are experiencing mental UK-based specialist accessible tour health difficulties. Also able to supply operator for wheelchair users and personal care workers and mobility less-mobile travellers covering mainly equipment. European destinations (and South Africa and Florida) whose motto is, ‘If we have Can Be Done not seen it, we do not sell it’. Its search Outbound accessible travel agent based engine is filterable by requirements as in the UK, specialising in Europe, North well as location and tour type. America and the Middle East.

Accomable Disabled Access Holidays This is a new initiative from Disability UK-based operator offering a variety of Horizons – the UK’s foremost disability holidays for PwDs (largely wheelchair lifestyle online magazine, whose ‘travel’ accessible), from city breaks to cruises. tab is well worth checking out – They have a large stock of accessible with listings of accessible homes, properties, from apartments to hotels, apartments, house swaps and holiday bookable through their site. Also offers rentals around the world. You can a variety of mobility equipment for hire search for properties or post your own around the world. listing.

*TOP TRAVEL TIP Most importantly, don’t feel limited by your disability, however minor or severe it is. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 75 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

Disabled Holiday Directory for people with disabilities and their Inbound and outbound accessible carers with support from trained and holiday specialist that arranges holiday experienced helpers. Although nursing packages, as well as accommodation, care per se is not provided, medical flights, adapted transfers, cruises and and nursing staff are on site to offer equipment hire. Caters for individuals, guidance should it be needed. Bookings groups, carers and special needs welcome from individuals, families or children, and can also arrange care large groups. while on holiday. Makin’ Tracks Disabled Holidays Long-established, small, family-run Inbound and outbound accessible company offering personalised tours of holiday specialist with a wide variety Europe for wheelchair users. of holiday types in many countries, also offering mobility equipment hire, Sage Traveling adapted transfers and travel insurance Specialist accessible-travel European for PwDs. tour agency run by veteran wheelchair traveller and accessible-travel provider, Disability Holidays Guide John Sage. This site has blog-style Specialist travel agency for people who information under the ‘advice’ tab are disabled, elderly or infirm, offering and Sage Accessibility Guides to 15 everything from travel insurance to European cities are available when trip accommodation to full packages and planning is purchased. cruises. Coverage is worldwide. Traveleyes Disabled Holiday Shop Traveleyes is the world’s first commercial Essentially an accessible holiday home– company specialising in opening access booking site where you rent properties to independent world travel for blind directly from the owner – or list your and partially sighted people. It is a blind- own. Although UK-based, and there are founded, blind-led company based in properties listed from all around the the UK, and offers a broad range of world. multisensory holidays worldwide.

Enable Holidays Wheelchair Travel Disabled holiday specialist based in Ground transport solutions for Birmingham offering holiday packages wheelchair and scooter users either including flights, transfers and resident in or visiting the UK from equipment, and a guarantee that the overseas, including airport and cruise properties they offer are fully audited in transfers, and self-drive hire of small, person by professionals. medium and large cars and minibuses.

Holidays with Help Wings on Wheels Established by a group of British Red Domestic and outbound tour operator, Cross Society members, this registered arranging small, escorted group charity provides respite care breaks LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 76 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

holidays worldwide and tailor-made Care Vacations holidays for people with special needs, Provides mobility scooters, collapsible their carers, family and friends. wheelchairs, oxygen rentals and other special-needs equipment for cruise Your Companion passengers with disabilities and seniors. This company provides a travel/holiday Works with all major cruise lines. companion service to elderly, frail or disabled people who need assistance, Celebrity Cruises support and company during their Autism-friendly certified cruises with trip. Services offered range from training developed by the Autism on the assistance and advice with bookings to Seas advisory team. 24-hour support during a trip, including assistance with washing, bathing and Disability Travel/ dressing. Accessible Journeys Established in 1985 Accessible Journeys USA is a holiday planner and tour operator exclusively for wheelchair travellers, Abeon Travel their families and friends. Check out the Travel agent with particular experience ‘new experiences’ menu on the left-hand and expertise in families travelling with side for blog-style reviews. special-needs children, particularly on the autism spectrum. They’ve also Easy Access Travel published three books for parents SATH member specialising in accessible planning to travel with special-needs cruise holidays and package land tours kids. for PwDs and seniors.

Ability Travel Network Flying Wheels Travel Online booking engine specifically for Long-established outbound travel agency PwDs wishing to book flights, hotels or for people with physical disabilities, cars. Given that not all search results chronic illness and slow walkers. Offers for hotels display a wheelchair icon, it’s tours all around the globe. unclear what criteria are used for their inclusion. Guided Tour Long-established, US-based company Advanced Aeromedical Supplies portable oxygen concentrators specialising in arranging holidays for for use in the US and worldwide people with developmental challenges, (including at airports and on cruises), as such as autism and Down syndrome. well as air ambulance services. Most destinations are in the USA, but there are also options for London and Ireland. Atypical Travel An escorted group travel service that uses paid professionals rather than Mobility Equipment Hire Direct volunteers. Caters for adults with a range Worldwide equipment hire – everything of disabilities. from hoists and beds through LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 77 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

wheelchairs and scooters to shower for PwDs. Their activities encompass chairs and over-toilet seats. sea kayaking, canoeing, rafting, hiking, safaris and dogsledding in countries as Special Needs Vacation by V far afield as New Zealand and Tanzania, Special Needs Group–certified as well as their home country. accessible travel agent/tour operator catering particularly to families with a member with disabilities, owned and WORLDWIDE operated by a PwD. Booking.com A big player in the hotel search engine market with a far less useful search Tapooz Travel function than Hotels.com: once you get Aïcha Nyström and Laurent Roffé, two to the options page, click on the ‘facility’ veteran travellers and outdoor activities tab in the left-hand menu bar for a experts who settled in San Francisco simple ‘facilities for disabled guests’ 25 years ago, have 10 years’ experience filter. (As if the needs of a wheelchair arranging tours and activities in user were the same as those of a blind California and across the USA for people person…) of all abilities. Hiking in Zion, the Grand Canyon at sunset, adaptive bicycling in California wine country, or sea Homeaway kayaking on San Francisco Bay, anyone? This mainstream vacation-rental They’ve recently begun diversifying to website has a wheelchair-accessible other parts of the USA, as well as now filter. The usual caveat applies: potential organising adaptive cycling trips to the renters beware and ensure you have full Netherlands, and tours to Spain and details of the suitability of any property Scandinavia. before you make any bookings.

Wheelchair Getaways Hotels.com Company that rents wheelchair- and Thanks to a successful lawsuit in the scooter-accessible vans in almost every USA, one of the world’s biggest hotel city in the USA. search engines now has a search and booking function for different accessibility needs. Once you have Wheelie Fun Cruise and Travel selected your destination and dates, Certified Special Needs Accessibility click search; when the options page Travel Advocate specialising in mobility opens click on ‘accessibility features’ issues prior to and during travel in the in the left-hand menu bar to filter US, with special knowledge of Hawaii. according to your needs. Access criteria are not specified in detail, so further Wilderness Inquiry enquiries are essential prior to booking. Founded in 1978, this nonprofit adventure travel organisation believes Matching Houses in ‘access, inclusion and opportunity’ Accessible house-swap website with and arranges nature- and activity- 405 members in 34 countries (mostly based holidays all around the world developed). LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 78 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

OxygenWorldwide Special Needs at Sea This organisation is based in Spain but Worldwide rental of all special-needs operates internationally with associates equipment, servicing hotels, resorts, worldwide. Its customer service convention centres and all major cruise staff speak five languages: English, lines. Spanish, German, French and Dutch. OxygenWorldwide arranges oxygen Travel O2 delivery worldwide for oxygen users on Rental and sale of medical oxygen, holiday or staying abroad for a longer adaptive equipment and medical period of time, and can also cater for supplies. travellers on tours through several countries. LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 79 Travel Agents, Tour Operators & Commercial Operators

TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES VISITING JAPAN CAN LOOK FORWARD TO EXCELLENT FACILITIES

 The Japanese train system is highly efficient and wheelchair-friendly. The stations alone are a great resource for wheelchair travellers as most have accessible restaurants and restrooms, not to mention convenience stores. On the shinkansen and other long-distance trains, there is a marked wheelchair accessible car with widened doorways, spaces for wheelchairs and an accessible restroom.  Bathrooms in hotels and public places have wonderful design and function.  Japan is the originator of using tactile paving to help the vision- impaired navigate.  Elevators have a priority button for disabled users.  The kindness and generosity of strangers is overwhelming.

Ashley Lyn Olson www.wheelchairtravelling.com Lonely Planet’s 80 Accessible Travel Online Resources

Woman reading Braille information panel, Bruges © VISITFLANDERS/KRIS JACOBS LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 81 Specialist Sports Organisations

Specialist Sports Organisations

FLYING Imago Maris Foundation Provides the opportunity to participate Wheelies with Wings An Australian nonprofit charity that in international sailing voyages on an offers PwDs the opportunity to gain accessible tall ship for blind and visually flying experience and even a licence. impaired people from all over Europe. Sighted participants are also welcome to share the experience. ‘We want our MOUNTAIN SPORTS sea voyages and training to be not Ski2Freedom only wonderful sailing adventures but This registered charity has created a also a chance for you to visit different fabulous global information resource countries, learn and understand providing comprehensive information Europe’s multicultural dimension and not only for skiing, but also for all variety, as well as overcome your limits.’ mountain activities for PwDs. There is a page of detailed information about skiing International Federation for with a variety of different disabilities, Disabled Sailors from hemiplegia to muscular dystrophy, The Disabled Sailing Committee of the as well as links to disability skiing in International Federation for Disabled Europe and worldwide. Just wow! Sailors has been authorised by World Sailing to be responsible for disabled sailing worldwide. The DSC promotes all SAILING types and levels of sailing for people with Blind Sailing International all types and degrees of disability. This organisation associated with World Sailing (ISAF), the world governing body Jubilee Sailing Trust for sailing, is dedicated to furthering the A registered charity whose mission opportunities for visually impaired people since 1978 has been to promote the to participate in competitive sailing. integration of people of all physical There are member organisations around abilities through the challenge and the world, but sadly no links to individual adventure of tall-ship sailing aboard two country organisations on the home page. ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious. The Use the contact address to find out if Tenacious is currently based in Australia there is an affiliated organisation in your and New Zealand, while the Lord Nelson home country. will be in Canada in 2017.

Hansa Class Association UK Sailability Official UK association for the Nonprofit, volunteer-based, worldwide universally designed sailing dinghies of organisation committed to providing Chris Mitchell. opportunities for many disadvantaged LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 82 Specialist Sports Organisations

groups, including PwDs, to sail. some in the Middle East and Southeast This page gives links to associated Asia, too. organisations worldwide, with the exception of New Zealand, which can be Dive Pirates found here. As a quadriplegic, I recently Registered US charity run by a group of learned to sail with the Victorian branch. volunteers to support, train, equip and provide dive travel to individuals with Sailing for All disabilities. Company based in Northamptonshire, UK, producing Hansa class sailing Diveheart dinghies and catamarans, endorsed/ A nonprofit Illinois-based organisation licensed by Chris Mitchell of Sailing for providing educational scuba diving Everyone. Click on the ‘clubs’ tab to find programs for children and adults with a UK sailing clubs using these dinghies. disability. Also runs programs in Atlanta and Miami. Sailing for Everyone Foundation based in New South Wales, Diveheart UK Australia, whose Hansa sailing dinghies UK-based sister organisation to the have been developed and designed by above: a registered charity offering scuba Chris Mitchell along Universal Design diving programs not only for people with principles and are therefore suitable for disabilities, but also their carers. everyone. There’s a blog with news of affiliated/similar organisations around Handicapped Scuba Association the world. Long-established California-based association providing independent, Sailors with Disabilities international diver training and SWD is an Australian nonprofit certification services: the disabled organisation that uses sailing as a tool to equivalent of PADI. You can search for build confidence, self-esteem and new affiliated organisations, instructors, relationships for PwDs, as well as the programs and even dive buddies socially disadvantaged. They provide worldwide. free sailing and training programs for PwDs, disadvantaged children and International Association for adults, and their carers. Handicapped Divers Netherlands-based, internationally certified nonprofit organisation SCUBA DIVING specialising in training people with a Disabled Divers International disability to scuba dive. Based in Denmark, DDI is a nonprofit organisation founded in 2010 to promote, develop and conduct disabled SKYDIVING scuba diving training programs for Dropzone professional and nonprofessional The Skydivers with Disabilities branch of students. The majority of accredited this general skydiving forum appears to programs are in Europe, but there are be quite active. Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Online Resources

Top: Three hand cyclists on a leafy country lane in Heuvelland, Flanders

Bottom: Two hand cyclists passing through farmland in Heuvelland, Flanders LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 84 Specialist Sports Organisations

Skydive Ramblers methods and purchase equipment to This Queensland skydiving company enhance the program – was founded has experience offering tandem dives to in 2013 to offer PwDs and their carers wheelchair users and even has qualified the opportunity to participate safely paraplegic dive masters. They offer in this sport using tandem surfboards, no guarantees for acceptance, but are surfing helmets, buoyancy aids and very happy to assess the suitability of beach access wheelchairs. It also uses wheelchair users on an individual basis. iPads with communication software and instructions in pictures in simple SkydiveBC North formats to ensure participants This British Columbian organisation with learning difficulties are able to has been running an adaptive skydiving understand and respond appropriately. program since 2008. USA SURFING Achieve Tahoe Access Surf Formerly known as Disabled Sports USA This Hawaiian nonprofit, celebrating Far West, established in 1967 and based its 10th back anniversary, provides in North Lake Tahoe, this organisation community-based programs for anyone seeks to provide affordable adaptive with a physical or cognitive disability to sports and recreational activities for enjoy water-based activities – not just PwDs. surfing, but also swimming, kayaking and paddling. Adaptive Adventures Nonprofit organisation providing Adapt Surf opportunities (largely in the Midwest Set up by the godfather of adaptive and Colorado) for people of all ages surfing, Pirata, in 2007, this nonprofit with physical disabilities to participate association not only runs an adaptive in a variety of sporting activities, from surfing program, but also promotes cycling and kayaking to rock climbing social inclusion of PwDs to access to and waterskiing. leisure, sport and culture. Disabled Sports USA International Surfing Association Umbrella organisation offering year- Learn about the history of adaptive round outdoor sports and activities, surfing on this page of the official including instruction and adaptive International Surfing Association. equipment, for PwDs. Click on the You can register your interest in ‘chapters’ tab to find a local affiliated adaptive surfing or enter details of your organisation. business that provides adaptive surfing programs, or you can order your free Life Rolls On copy of the Surfing for All handbook. Founded by world champion quadriplegic surfer Jesse Billauer Surfability UK in 2001, Life Rolls On is a nonprofit This community interest company – organisation dedicated to improving the profits are reinvested to develop quality of life for young people affected LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 85 Specialist Sports Organisations

by spinal cord injury. The organisation cognitive disabilities. Headquartered at hosts numerous adaptive surfing and Loon Mountain Ski Resort in Lincoln, skating events in multiple states. Spaces NH, and at the Bretton Woods Ski are limited so book early. Resort at Omni Mount Washington Resort, NEDS also runs a unique Maine Adaptive Pre-Adaptive Coach (PAC) training Founded in 1982, this nonprofit program for high-school-age volunteers organisation provides a variety of interested in learning how to become a programs for PwDs to participate in coach to students with disabilities. both winter (skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing) and summer (golf, Northeast Passage cycling, hiking, tennis, fishing and This nonprofit organisation, operating paddling) outdoor activities. out of the University of New Hampshire, offers innovative barrier-free recreation National Sports Center programs for people with disabilities, for the Disabled encompassing both recreational and The NSCD offers a variety of year-round competitive sports. They also offer sports and recreational activities for equipment rentals. There’s a seemingly individuals with almost any physical, exhaustive list of web resources for a cognitive, emotional or behavioural huge range of sporting and outdoor condition. activities.

New England Disabled Sports Wheeling Forward New England Disabled Sports (NEDS) New York–based organisation providing is a nonprofit organisation (a chapter wheelchair users with advocacy, of Disabled Sports USA) founded in mentorship and support services. 1987 that provides adaptive summer Mentioned here for the adaptive and winter sports instruction to adults sporting programs – in particular and children living with physical and waterskiing – that they offer. Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Online Resources

Wheelchair-user on a guided tour of the Royal Gallery, Houses of Parliament, London © VISITENGLAND/LUKE ROGERS LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 87 Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

THIS BOOK This 2nd edition of Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Online Resources was produced by the following: Compiled by Martin Heng Designer Wibowo Rusli Proofreader Pete Cruttenden Technical adviser Ivor Ambrose, European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) Thanks to Brendan Dempsey, Barbara Di Castro, Ryan Evans, Liz Heynes, Andi Jones, Jaci Langford and Lyahna Spencer (Lonely Planet); Olaf Schlieper (German National Tourist Board) ; Pieter Ghijsels (VisitFlanders); Ross Calladine (VisitEngland). Special thanks to Yoko Whyte for being a wonderful travel companion on my round-the-world trip in 2014.

Cover photograph Bottom City Palace, Jaipur Male and female wheelchair-users on © Yoko Whyte, missappleheart.tumblr.com the Hamburg waterfront © HHT/Andreas Vallbracht Internal photographs Page 7 Page 20 Female wheelchair-user holding hands Top with man, Baden-Württemberg Man and woman with guide canes © TMBW/Düpper in Dresden with Frauenkirche in the background Page 14 © TMGS/Sylvio Dittrich Top Bottom Man and woman in wheelchairs with Female wheelchair-user reaching up to three people on a park bench enjoying touch colourful Chinese paper dragon the sun in egapark, Erfurt With Wind, Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz © TTG/Barbara Neumann © Aïcha Nyström, www.tapooztravel.com Middle Male wheelchair-user and kneeling Page 28 woman with Rheinsberg Palace in the Top background, Brandenburg Male wheelchair-user in front of the Taj © TMB-Fotoarchiv/Yorck Maecke Mahal © Yoko Whyte, missappleheart.tumblr.com LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 88 Acknowledgements

Middle left Page 49 Man and woman signing to each other in Top Hamburg Woman pushing male wheelchair-user © HHT/Andreas Vallbracht in front of Gravensteen (Castle of the Middle right Counts), Ghent Male wheelchair-user and female © VisitFlanders, https://creativecommons.org/ companion in a beach chair, licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode Lower Saxony Bottom © TMN Woman with a guide cane touching a Bottom tombstone at the Lijssenthoek Military Man and woman with guide canes Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium crossing the street in Hamburg © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ © HHT/Andreas Vallbracht legalcode Page 36 Top Page 54 Three wheelchair-users on Alcatraz Female wheelchair-user looking up at Island the statue of the Knight Roland, Bremen marketplace © Aïcha Nyström, www.tapooztravel.com © Lea Kleinspehn/BTZ Bremer Touristik-Zentrale Middle left Porter helps wheelchair-user into Page 61 an accessible black cab outside the Woman pushing male wheelchair- Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Canary user outside the Oude Vismijn (Old Wharf, London Fishmarket), Ghent © VisitEngland/VisitBritain/Pawel Libera © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// Middle right creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ Couple pushing daughter in a legalcode wheelchair, Antwerp Page 68 © VisitFlanders, https://creativecommons.org/ Top licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode Male wheelchair-user exploring the Bottom Westfront Nieuwpoort visitor centre, Female with guide cane and female Belgium companion exploring Talbot House, © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// Poperinge, Belgium creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// legalcode creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ Bottom left legalcode Male and female members of staff at the STAM (Ghent City Museum) giving Page 45 a sign-language guided tour to a female Wheelchair and mobility scooter meet- visitor up in front of Dresden Zwinger, Saxony © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// © TMGS/Sylvio Dittrich creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ legalcode LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 89 Acknowledgements

Bottom right Man with a guide cane touching an exhibit at the Science Museum, London © VisitEngland/VisitBritain/Pawel Libera

Page 80 Woman reading Braille information panel, Bruges © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ legalcode

Page 83 Top Three hand cyclists on a leafy country lane in Heuvelland, Flanders © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ legalcode Bottom Two hand cyclists passing through farmland in Heuvelland, Flanders © VisitFlanders/Kris Jacobs, https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ legalcode

Page 86 Wheelchair-user on a guided tour of the Royal Gallery, Houses of Parliament, London © VisitEngland/Luke Rogers LONELY PLANET’S ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL ONLINE RESOURCES 90 Acknowledgements

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd ABN 36 005 607 983 2nd edition – Sep 2016 ISBN 978 1 76034 444 3

Lonely Planet Global Inc is the publisher. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechani- cal, recording or otherwise and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of the publisher and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. The publisher does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, including but not limited to retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Although the publisher and its authors have taken all reasonable care in preparing this publication, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and advise users that the publication contains views and recommendations of third parties which may or may not reflect the views of the publisher. To the maximum extent permitted, the publisher disclaims all liability arising from its use.