Barrier Free Travels

After “There is Room at the Inn” was released this spring, I received a lot e-mails from innkeepers who wanted their accessible properties included in the next edition of the book. Well, some were more accessible than others, so just suffice it to say that I have a big resource file to sift thought when I pen the next edition.

There are a few properties that stood out though. Take the one that was suggested to me last week by Ann Wilson at Norcal Mobility. Actually it’s more of an apartment, rather than an accessible inn. It’s owned by Norcal Mobility, an accessible vehicle dealership in Northern California. Now it’s not like we have these dealerships on every corner or even in every town, so some people come a long way just to buy an accessible vehicle.

Enter the accessible apartment. Norcal Mobility owner, Ken Karasinski, recently remodeled one of his apartments to be accessible, and he now offers it for free to customers who need overnight accommodations while shopping for an accessible vehicle. And when it’s not being used by a customer, he offers it to the public as a short term rental.

Located in Chico, California, the two bedroom apartment has one bathroom with a roll-in shower and another with walk-in bathtub, an overhead Hoyer lift in the bedroom, a two car garage and an accessible backyard. It’s pretty much the cat’s meow as far as access goes.

The nightly rental rate is $100, and there are lots of pictures on the website. Check it out for yourself at www.norcalmobilityapt.com/

Believe it or not, until yesterday I had never heard of a Hippocampe. But all that changed when a reader e-mailed me to tell me about this unique take on a beach wheelchair. OK, I have to admit, I chuckled when I first heard the name, as it brought to mind a herd of hippos huddled around a campfire; however after learning more about it, I think the inventors may have a winner on their hands.

OK, technically it’s billed as an all terrain buggy. It features wide wheels and a low seat and it’s a far cry from those bulky beach wheelchairs with the big plastic tires. It can be used on sand or snow or even in the water. Best of all, you can wheel around by yourself in the Hippocampe, however an optional push bar is available if you’d like a little help.

And if you’d like to try it out for yourself, here’s a list of beaches that have them.
http://www.vipamat.fr/usa/villes.htm

They all happen to be in France, but then again, that’s where the Hippocampe was invented.

Hopefully it will catch on in the US and we’ll start seeing them pop up on a few beaches around here.

Well, not according to their CEO, Tassapon Bijleveld. In fact he staunchly defends the budget carrier’s policy of prohibiting disabled passengers from traveling unaccompanied; because, as he claims, the low-cost airline just doesn’t have enough employees to provide assistance to disabled passengers.

Granted, this has probably been Air Asia’s policy for quite some time, but it was just recently brought to light (and to the public eye) when a blind solo passenger was denied boarding. Not just any blind passenger, but a American who previously served as the commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration during the Clinton administration. Let’s just say the poverbial excrement hit the rotary cooling device.

Being the naturally curious person that I am, I decided to take a peak at Air Asia’s website and look what I stumbled across in their FAQ section:

“Upon reservation we will make every effort to ensure that any special services you may require such as wheelchairs from the airport check-in to the aircraft are available for your use. In the event that wheelchairs are not available we will advise guests to bring their own wheelchairs. Please note that a minimal charge of RM12.00 will be levied for this service at KLIA, however charges may varies for different airports. We will not, however, be liable for loss, expense, breach of contract or other damage should we, for any reason, be unable to extend such a service.”

Hmmm...charging for wheelchair assistance now are we? Sounds a lot like Ryanair to me.

And we all remember how that one turned out, don’t we?

Was It Really Worth It Michael

Maybe Tassapon Bijleveld and Michael O’Leary should do lunch. They sound like two peas in a pod to me!!

I’m pleased to report that a number of people have contacted me and told me they are going to write the Access Board about the proposed guidelines for passenger vessels. At issue is the number of accessible cabins required on each ship. The cruise lines want less (they feel they already have too many); while many travelers want and need more.

I can’t overemphasize how important it is for travelers to write in and let their voices be heard. Some people are intimidated and even fearful of writing to a government agency, but you don’t have to be a professional writer to craft a response. Just give them you opinion and tell them your story. Here’s an example from a reader who already sent in his letter.

“Based on personal experience, and I will embark on my 35th cruise this year, what is needed are more cabins, not fewer. Even the largest ships currently being built with as many as 1500 cabins have no more than 30 that are accessible. What that means is that those of us that could not cruise without an accessible cabin often have to book and deposit more than a year in advance. Because the current demand is so great, failure to book that far ahead can, and does, result in no accessible cabins available.”

So start writing! And if you feel inclined, send me a copy of your letter and I will post your excerpts here to give other folks ideas of what to say.

Comments can be e-mailed to pvag@access-board.gov, faxed to (202) 272-0081 or mailed to Office of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW, suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111.

And don’t forget to include “Docket No. 2004-1” in all of your correspondence on this subject.

For those of you following the saga of the creation of architectural guidelines for cruise ships that call on US ports, there’s more progress to report on that front. Last Friday the US Access Board released their second draft of proposed guidelines for passenger vessels. This revised document addresses some of the issues brought up by travelers and industry representatives, after the first set was released in 2004.

The key word here is *some*.

The Access Board is still seeking comments on some unresolved issues before they issue their final guidelines and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Comments are due by September 5, 2006.

On a personal note, I have to add that I know the regulations are cumbersome and they don’t exactly make for the most exciting reading; however this presents a unique opportunity for travelers to let their voices be heard about access on cruise ships.

Would you like to see more accessible rooms on cruise ships? Have you ever wanted to book a cruise only to be told that there were no accessible rooms left? Are you tired of having to book a cruise a year in advance just to get an accessible room? Well cruise industry representatives feel they already have too many accessible rooms on their ships; in fact they’d actually like to see fewer rooms allocated for this purpose. This is one of the issues that the US Access Board is seeking comments on, as they haven’t made their final decision about scoping requirements (how many accessible rooms will be required on each ship).

I also have to add that the cruise lines all submit comments about these proposed regulations; in fact they have paid staff members to do this. When the first version of these guidelines was released only 40 travelers (or non-industry people) took the time to comment. Once the regulations are final, travelers will have no recourse so it’s important to let your voice be heard now.

So take some time to read over this version of the proposed guidelines and submit your comments. You can find the proposed guidelines at:

revised-draft.htm

This may be your last chance to let your voice be heard on this issue.

Comments can be e-mailed to pvag@access-board.gov, faxed to (202) 272-0081 or mailed to Office of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street NW, suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111. Be sure and include Docket No. 2004-1 in all of your correspondence on this subject.