Castaneda Hotel Offers Creative Covid-19 Safety Solution

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Installing a creative safety partition in the Castaneda Hotel

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly taken its toll on the travel and hospitality industry. For the most part leisure travel has been discouraged, and in some cases even prohibited for the past two months. And let’s face it, even if it were permitted, I expect there would have been a high vacancy rate. But now that some counties are beginning to open up, hoteliers are tasked with yet another hurdle — they must create policies and procedures to keep both their guests and their employees safe. Continue reading →

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Covid-19 and the Cruise Industry – What’s Next?

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The Covid-19 Pandemic will undoubtedly change a lot of things, from where we shop, to how receive health care. Once the dust settles and businesses begin to reopen, leisure travel will again be something to consider. And I think the travel industry is in for even more changes; in fact, I believe travel in post-Covid-19 times will be an entirely different experience, especially for cruise ship passengers. Continue reading →

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What Does the Future Hold for Travel?

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First off, I don’t have a crystal ball, so these musings are just my gut feelings. Let’s start off with the header I just put up on our Emerging Horizons website.

We invite our readers to indulge in a little armchair travel, or maybe even make plans for trips in the coming years; but gently remind you that now is not the time to travel. Stay home and stay safe. Continue reading →

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US Access Board to Update Rail Car Access Guidelines

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The US Access Board recently announced that they will be updating the access guidelines for rail cars. To that end they are seeking public comments on the issue. The regulations, which were last updated in 1991, apply to rail cars used in rapid, light, commuter and intercity rail systems. Continue reading →

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Ditch the Crowds and Add These Stops to Your Summer Road Trip

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The past month has been rough on the travel industry – and on travelers. Cruises have been cancelled, travel has been disrupted and people are thinking twice about getting on an airplane. Folks who are immunocompromised, and those over a certain age (and that age varies depending on which expert you consult) have been urged to stay away from crowds, and even to avoid cruise travel. And although some folks call that fear mongering, I think it’s just plain old common sense. Continue reading →

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Does Filing an ADA Complaint Really Work?

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onaeg news agency [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]I get a lot of e-mails about access failures, and unfortunately in this day and age these things still happen. Why? Well part of the reason is that even though we have access laws on the books, we don’t have any entity that goes around and inspects facilities for compliance. And even if we did, there are some things – like providing reasonable accommodations – that you really can’t inspect. Continue reading →

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Buyer Beware – Not All “National Park” Lodges are Equal

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As a writer who has spent the last 20-some years visiting and writing about wheelchair access in our US national parks, (and just released a book about accessible national park lodges — www.BFNationalParkLodges.com), I’ve seen a lot of changes in the parks over the years. Some of the changes are due to the availability of new technology and equipment, but the bulk of them have been spurred on by increased visitation to these national treasures. Continue reading →

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What Exactly is an Accessible Hotel Room?

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Part of a gigantic bathroom in an accessible cabin in remote Mineral King

What exactly are the ingredients of an accessible hotel room? That’s a question that I get asked a lot – from both travelers and people in the hospitality industry. And to be honest, there’s not one simple answer to that question. Continue reading →

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Amazon Selling Fake Parking Placards!

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Edited to Add – The link to the placard does not work any more (and I have removed it), so it looks like Amazon took down the item for sale. Thanks everyone for their great response!!! 

 

 

OK I’m a huge Amazon fan, but after finding this “Handicap Placard” for sale on the site I may have to think twice about continuing my relationship. It has absolutely no description, and the five-star reviews are obviously fake (“great customer service” — give me a break). The questions have been answered by consumers who obviously agree with me, and a few wheelchair-users wrote negative comments. Continue reading →

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After the Super Shuttle Shutdown – What’s a Wheelchair-User to Do?

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Super Shuttle – which once provided accessible and affordable airport transfers – abruptly closed it’s doors for good on December 31, 2019. And that closure left a lot of wheelchair-users scratching their heads and trying to find a suitable replacement for airport pick-ups and drop-offs. Although there’s not a suitable across the board replacement, these suggestions may help you sort out the issue on an airport-by-airport basis. Continue reading →

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