The accessibility of Atlanta’s sidewalks have been brought to task in a recent lawsuit filed in Federal Court. Among other things the lawsuit holds that obstructions include, “uneven sidewalks, sidewalks obstructed by trees or utility poles, sidewalks obstructed by ongoing construction, intersections with missing curb ramps, curb ramps that are broken or otherwise unusable, and other impediments”. Continue reading
Taiwan Tourism Bureau Launches Universal Design Contest
I was thrilled to hear that in an effort to promote accessibility, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau recently announced a universal design contest aimed at their national scenic areas. Continue reading
Have You Ever Heard of a Watermelon Roll?
As I was touring Keepers of the Wild the other day, Linda my guide turned to me and asked, “Have you heard about our Memorial Day watermelon roll? As visions of people rolling giant watermelons towards the finish line at a Memorial Day picnic danced through my head, I stammered, “Um, no, not really.” And that’s when she filled me in on the finer details of “Watermelon Roll Keepers of the Wild Style”. Continue reading
Size Does Matter
In this day and age of improved airline access regulations, flying has become rather commonplace for many wheelchair-users. And that’s a very good thing. Sure there are still hiccups, but flying is a far cry from what it was in the pre-ACAA days — when airlines could refuse wheelchair-users passage for any capricious reason, and those lucky souls that were permitted to board were required to sit on blankets for fear they would soil the seats. Continue reading
Visit Yosemite Falls this Spring!
Although we had a late winter in the Sierras this year, it did pack a punch in terms of snow and rain. Unfortunately that moisture translated into mud slides, washouts and floods throughout the mountains; however it also helped set the stage for spectacular spring conditions at Yosemite Falls. So I packed a picnic lunch and headed over to the park last week, to get a first-hand look at the water flow.
I was not disappointed. Continue reading
Candy’s Top Five Accessible Yellowstone Picks
Yellowstone National park is the quintessential road trip destination. Many folks have fond memories of packing up the family station wagon and heading over to Wyoming to experience this national treasure in their youth; while others have the nation’s first national park on their bucket list. I was pleased to be able to spend two months there last year while I researched Barrier-Free Travel; Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for Wheelers and Slow Walkers (www.BarrierFreeYellowstone.com); and in that time I left no stone unturned in my search for cool accessible trails and attractions. And although it’s hard to pick one favorite, here are my top five accessible Yellowstone must-dos. Continue reading
UK Considering New Accessible Air Travel Regs
On the heels of Frank Gardner’s nearly two-hour wait to be reunited with his wheelchair at Heathrow International Airport, the British government is considering strengthening their almost non-existent accessible air travel regulations. In the US, disabled passengers are entitled to “prompt” deplaning, which according to the Department of Transportation means “as soon as the rest of the passenger are deplaned”. Unfortunately that’s not the way things work in the UK. Continue reading
National Park Service Announces Modest Fee Increases
The accessible Trail of the Cedars in Glacier National Park
In response to a massive influx of complaints, the National Park Service announced yesterday that it will drastically scale back their original plan to raise entrance fees in some of the nation’s most popular national parks. The original proposal called for nearly doubling the entrance fees during the peak season at 17 national parks. Continue reading
Flying With Your Shower Chair
A friend contacted me last week, and she was very upset because a US airline wanted to charge her $150 to transport her shower chair on an upcoming flight. “Can they do that?”, she asked.
In a word, no. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is very clear on that issue. Continue reading
Extension Cords and Power Strips Confiscated on RCI Cruise Ships
I always enjoy giving presentations because I get the best comments and questions from my audiences. Such was the case a few weeks ago when I gave an accessible travel presentation at the Mercy MS Center in Sacramento. At the end of the presentation one lady told me that she had recently had her power strip confiscated while boarding a Royal Caribbean International (RCI) ship, and that “they had a whole table of them” that had been taken away from passengers. She needed the power strip to charge her scooter, and since this was a new development to me, I decided to look into it. Continue reading