05/13/2024
What Are the Challenges of Traveling with a Disability?
Challenges most often fall into two categories: transportation and lodging. These can deter individuals from traveling at all or, in some cases, force them to pay more for their travel arrangements to secure accommodations that make their trips possible or more comfortable.
1. Airport terminals are complex.
The complexity of airport layouts and the sheer distances they can cover may make it difficult for individuals with physical disabilities. If a mobility or vision impairment makes navigating the terminal an obstacle for you, contact your airline as soon as you book your ticket and request extra assistance.
You can also try technology like the Aira navigation app, which provides visual interpreting services via your smartphone. Using your phoneās camera, an Aira agent visually interprets your surroundings, including reading, describing surroundings, and navigating.
2. Gate changes and flight announcements may be missed.
This is particularly true for those with vision or hearing impairments. Think about the information missed if you canāt see a departure board or hear an announcement regarding a gate change, where to claim luggage, or safety notices.
To combat this, request assistance from the airline and the gate agents, and ask them to notify you of changes. You can also get notifications sent to your phone from most airlines, informing you of a change in gate or flight details.
3. Transportation hubs can be overwhelming for those with sensory issues.
Busy train terminal
For travelers with sensory challenges, airport terminals and bus or train stations can be extremely loud and busy, causing extreme stress or prohibiting them from traveling. Traveling in the early mornings, late at night, or mid-week, when there are less crowds, can help remove some of the anxiety. Traveling during the offseason may also help if you have schedule flexibility.
Also research the availability of sensory rooms in the terminal. More airlines are creating sensory rooms and quiet spaces to help those on the autism spectrum or with sensory disorders.
It can also be helpful to practice processes, like going through security or boarding a plane. Kansas City International Airport built a simulation experience in its renovated terminal that opened in early 2023. Using a decommissioned commercial jet, actual check-in kiosks, and an imitation jet bridge, passengers can practice every process from check-in to finding your seats and stowing luggage to take-off and landing, all from the ground.
This allows anxious flyers, whether theyāre first-time flyers or a traveler with a disability, to become more familiar with the experience and reduce stress arising from uncertainty.
4. Security checkpoints can also be trigger points.
Wheelchairs often set off metal detectors, as do guide dog harnesses, resulting in pat-downs and delays. Individuals with autism often find this process especially difficult due to unfamiliar noises, potentially needing to be touched by security officers, and staff not understanding the needs of the individual.
To ease your stress at security, request assistance from the airline or customer service. Make this request as soon as possible, ideally no later than two weeks prior to departure. If youāre flying, you can also get TSA PreCheck. With pre-approval and screening, there are fewer lines and travelers wonāt be subject to pat-downs because their medical devices triggered metal detectors.
5. Staff is inconsistently trained to provide accommodations to travelers with disabilities.
Whether weāre talking hotels, airports, restaurants, or anywhere in between, staff members may simply be unaware of the accommodations they can and should provide for travelers with disabilities. This may be especially common when the traveler has a cognitive disability or autism where behaviors are not immediately or visually recognized as the result of an impairment.
In instances like this, itās best to contact the travel company when you book your arrangements to make them aware of any accommodations you may need. Make a note of who you talked to and ask for direct phone and email contact information for that person so that you can follow up closer to your arrival. Youāll want to make sure everything is in order before you get there, or you may need to contact them if there is a problem later.
If your disability or impairment affects communication, try using apps to ease those difficulties. The Jeenie app connects you to a live ASL (or other language) interpreter via your smartphone. This can not only help with hotel processes like check-in, but other travel situations such as ticket counters, restaurants, and public transportation where employees may not know sign language.
Research travel companies that have a reputation for being truly accessible. Look for hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise lines, travel advisors, and tour companies with a proven history of designing spaces for travelers with disabilities. They often put more intentional effort into training staff to be sensitive and proactive to the needs of all customers, regardless of ability.
When the idea of doing all that research gets overwhelming, rely on travel advisors with experience or knowledge in traveling with disabilities. They can recommend other travel providers that are more likely to accommodate your needs than what you might find by simply Googling. They may also be able to contact those providers to arrange additional accommodations, thereby taking even more work off your to-do list.
6. āAccessibilityā doesnāt always mean what you think it means.
Couple on path
Particularly when it comes to lodging, āaccessibleā and āwheelchair-friendlyā may not truly be accessible to all.
āSometimes the bathrooms donāt have automatic doors, or their sinks, soap, and towel dispensers are at the wrong height,ā said Hanna H., who provided us with some of her travel experiences as a graduate student with disabilities. āSometimes the cafeterias wonāt have [tray railings] at the right height. So, even in an āaccessibleā building, there will probably still be a number of physical barriers.ā
To avoid being disappointed by amenities upon arrival, contact the travel provider to ask about their accommodations and make requests for assistance early. Youāll know best what you need, but some common features of the property to ask about include:
Stairs, ramps, and elevators
Thresholds, if no-lip doorways or roll-in showers are necessary
Grab bars in the bathroom (in the shower and by the toilet)
Shower seats
Width of doorways and shower entry to accommodate your wheelchair
Paved pathways in and out of the building to reduce tripping, regardless of whether your disability is related to mobility, vision, or other
Pet relief areas if you have a service animal
Visual alerts if a hearing impairment prevents you from hearing a doorbell or emergency/fire alarms
Dietary accommodations if you have a food allergy or if a sensory disorder restricts what you can eat
The size of the rooms if you need extra clearance for a wheelchair or scooter, or are worried about tripping hazards for any reason
Refrigeration in your room if you need to keep medication cold
Online reviews and forums are another excellent way to find first-hand experiences from other travelers with disabilities. Simply googling ā[location name] accessibilityā is a good way to get started.
7. Accessible public amenities may be lacking.
Even when a hotel or resort lists itself as āaccessible,ā it may only be referring to certain parts of its property. Pools, restaurants and bars, conference rooms, and maybe even public restrooms may not be designed with special needs in mind.
Hotels that do have more accessible amenities throughout the property tend to be newer ones. Itās easier to build them correctly from the start rather than try to retrofit an older property, after all.
Donāt just rely on the newness of the lodging, however. Determine what amenities are important to you and ask the hotel or rental host if those amenities have the accessibility accommodations you need. For example, if youād like to swim and use a wheelchair, confirm that there are pool lifts.
Some resorts and cruise ships have pools on multiple levels. If this is the case, confirm that there is an elevator to the pool deck itself. Recognize that parts of the outdoor pool area may not require the use of stairs, but actually getting to the water might require an elevator. Staff may not consider this when they indicate that the pool is āaccessible.ā
