Last month Shanghai police busted a group of folks who started a travel business of sorts. Not unlike Manhattan-based Dream Tours, this “tour operator” specialized in escorting folks to Shanghai Disneyland, and offered them front of the line privileges. How were they able to do that at this popular — and crowded — theme park? Well, they basically posed as disabled guests. Continue reading
Tag Archives: disabled
The Last Straw
With so many regulations popping up across the country limiting or outright banning the use of plastic straws, I’m getting a lot of questions from folks about why this is even an issue to some disabled people. And to be honest, some of the questions are well meaning, but many folks just don’t get the point – or points – that banning the use of plastic straws in restaurants puts yet another undue burden on our disabled citizens. Maybe some people just never thought about it before, or maybe they don’t understand the technicalities behind it all. Whatever the reason, here are some of the questions I’ve fielded in the past month, along with the answers I’ve given. Feel free to pass them along. Continue reading
Florida State Parks Offers Great Deal for Veterans
Charles with his Florida StatePar Pass
If a trip to Florida is in your future and you are an honorably discharged veteran, then the good folks at Florida State Parks have a money-saving deal for you. All veterans – no matter when they served – get a 25% discount on a Florida State Parks Individual Annual Pass or a Family Annual Pass; while veterans with a service-connected disability are eligible to receive a free lifetime Military Entrance Pass (which offers the same benefits as the Family Annual Pass). Continue reading
Renting a Hoyer Lift For You Cruise? Remember this Simple Tip
These days you can rent just about any piece of medical equipment and have it delivered directly to a cruise ship. And in theory that’s great, however sometimes things can go horribly awry. Continue reading
Road Trip Ups and Downs
After almost six weeks on the road it’s good to be home. We traveled 10,387 miles through 23 states and discovered tons of cool accessible lodgings, sites and activities, that I look forward to sharing with my readers. It was a very successful road trip. That said, as with any adventure, it was dotted with highs and lows. With that in mind, here are a few of my ups and downs from our Summer 2014 cross country road trip. Continue reading
What’s Up With This Accessible Parking Spot?
"Accessible" parking spot in New Hope, PA?
I see a lot of different things as I cross the country, but this “accessible” parking spot really made me scratch my head yesterday. It is across the street from the New Hope, PA Visitors Center, and as far as I can tell it’s one of the very few accessible spots in town. Continue reading
And Away We Go
Our route -- in blue.
So what do you do after you release a book? Well if you’re me, you set off on a road trip to research your next book. And that’s exactly what’s happening this week. Continue reading
Hot Off The Press — New Grand Canyon Access Guide
Barrier-Free Travel; The Grand Canyon for Wheelers and Slow Walkers
Gearing up for the summer travel season, and trying to decide where to go? Well, how about the Grand Canyon? Think it’s not accessible? Then think again. My newest book, Barrier-Free Travel: The Grand Canyon for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, highlights accessible trails, sites, and lodging options on the north and south rims, includes access details about the Grand Canyon Railway, and provides hard-to-find access information about Grand Canyon West.
Highlights of the book include:
· Details on Accessible Bus and Helicopter Tours
· Access at the Grand Canyon Skywalk
· Shuttle Bus Routes and Access Details
· Special Access Passes and Permits
· Photos of Accessible Rooms
· Accessible Lodging at the Williams Railway Depot
· Windshield Views Throughout the Park
And although the iconic mule ride to the bottom of the canyon isn’t accessible, I’ve also included a little known driving route that’s located on Hualapai land.
Even better, this book is the first in a series of accessible travel guides to popular US destinations. And although it’s a great resource for wheelchair-users and slow walkers, moms who have stroller-aged kids will also appreciate the access information in this guide, as well as the future books in this series.
So surf on by the www.BarrierFreeGrandCanyon.com for more information about my newest book.
Quite a Reach for that TP!
What's wrong with this picture?
I see a lot of things in my travels that just make me scratch my head; and after yesterdays find I decided that they deserve their own little space on my blog. So I’ve created a new category, “What Were They Thinking?” to house those sad but true examples of access gone bad. To be fair, in most cases the intentions were probably good, but the end results just went horribly wrong. Still it’s a big swing and a miss. Continue reading
A Musical Surprise in Phoenix
Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix
To be honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to visiting the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, but it’s something that I had to check out for my readers. I figured that I’d see some instruments and learn a little bit about their history, and maybe if I was real lucky I’d also get to hear a little music. I wasn’t expecting much, as I’m not a real musical instrument fan, so I kind of figured that I’d be bored to tears. Boy, was I ever wrong! Continue reading