If a Virginia road trip is in your future, be sure and pick up a copy of Virginia Off the Beaten Path, by Judy Colbert. Although the book doesn’t specifically list access (see judy’s reply to my first question below) it’s a great idea book. And if you like to find those off-the-beaten-path gems like I do, then this is the book for you. Continue reading
Is This Really an Accessible Room?
A low-step shower in a standard — not accessible — hotel room
Thanks to modern technology it’s now possible to share your travel photos with friends and family with just a few swipes and a tap or two. And I absolutely love seeing those smiling faces enjoying cruises, beaches and luxury resorts. But lately I’ve also been seeing another kind of travel post – it usually features a photo of an obviously inaccessible room, with the caption “Really? This is an accessible room?”
And the truth is, well, maybe it isn’t. Continue reading
US Access Board Seeks Input on On-Board Wheelchairs
In an effort to better serve the needs of disabled passengers, the US Access board is seeking input in regards to necessary features on on-board wheelchairs. Continue reading
Get Your Free Tickets to Smithsonian Museum Day
Mark your calendar – Smithsonian magazine’s 15th Annual Museum Day – which offers free admission at participating museums — is coming up on Saturday September 21, 2019. And the good news is, you don’t have to visit Washington D.C. to take advantage of this free offer, as over 1,300 museums across the country are participating in this annual event. Continue reading
Another Ryanair Fail
Although Ryanair claims that they have an onboard wheelchair on all their flights, apparently there wasn’t one available when Daniel Rooney needed to use it on his flight from Birmingham to Portugal earlier this summer. Continue reading
Come on DOT – Let’s Talk ESAs!
airplane window
Well it happened again last month – another emotional support animal (ESA) misbehaved on a flight. This isn’t news, as it seems to be the norm these days. Pretty much anyone can go online and purchase “ESA credentials” so they can fly free with their pets. Just google “emotional support animal credentials” and you’ll get a listing of what I call “card mills” that – for a price — provide certificates, vests and other accessories that will allow your dog to accompany you anywhere. Continue reading
Win a Stay at Tenaya Lodge!
Yosemite Falls
If you’ve ever visited Yosemite National Park, then start flipping through your photos to find an entry for the “Dream Yosemite Adventure” photo contest. And the best part of this contest is that it’s easy. All you have to do is submit a favorite Yosemite photo – there’s no limit on how old it can be – and you don’t have to beg friends to share, like or comment on the photo. Continue reading
Quads Need Medical Clearance to Fly Aer Lingus
airplane window
Although we take certain access related rights for granted in the US, that’s not always the case in other areas of the world. Take air travel for example. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, US airlines can’t require a medical certificate from a passenger just because he or she happens to use a wheelchair. Continue reading
Traditional Roundhouse Under Construction in Yosemite National Park
It’s been a long journey for the MiWuk people in Yosemite National Park, but it appears that things are finally moving forward on the construction of their traditional roundhouse on national park land. And the site is particularly significant, as it’s where their Wahhoga Village was once located, before the National Park Service leveled it in 1969. Continue reading
Loaner Trackchair Now Available at Michigan National Lakeshore
Many national parks have free loaner wheelchairs, and a few even have sand or beach wheelchairs, but as of May 2019 a loaner trackchair is now available at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm). This unique project was made possible by the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, who purchased an Action Trackchair (http://actiontrackchair.com) last August, and subsequently worked with the National Park Service to implement a program that allows wheelchair-users and slow walkers to explore some of the more rugged areas of the national lakeshore. Continue reading