A stormy sunset in Australia’s Northern Territory
Photo by: Juho Tastula (Stock Exchange)

Welcome back to Disabled Travelers! As we wind down our stupendous and compendious series of access guides for Australia, we come to Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. Though it’s the least populous capital on the island, it’s the heart and soul of the Northern Territory and well-known as a jumping off point for Asian destinations. Darwin Harbor and surroundings have grown from pioneer days and include historic shipwrecks and terrific fishing. But how’s the wheelchair access? Let’s see …

One of the biggest attractions in Darwin is the harbor area, so let’s start with accessible hotels around Darwin Harbor. You can also get plenty of listings for wheelchair-friendly accommodations from PleaseTakeMeTo, Australian Bed and Breakfast, and of course, Stayz. One very well-located and reputable option is the Darwin Central Hotel, which has a selection of accessible rooms. There’s also Escape Travel for even more hits. If you’re headed between Darwin and Adelaide, or planning to pop by famous Alice Springs, you’ll want to hear about The Ghan, one of Rail Australia’s most historic trains. Of course, Darwin International Airport is another handy option.

For getting by and getting around, check out Travelling Darwin, an article by the late public speaker Matt Laffan. Matt was not a wheelchair user, but had a serious height impairment from medical issues, and his observations are very incisive. As in Adelaide, you’ll probably be interested in accessibility at the Darwin Festival, which happens to be coming up later this month. It’s a huge event for the Northern Territory and has a whole range of offerings to be enjoyed by the deaf, those with visual difficulties, and of course, anyone who needs mobility impaired access. The fun doesn’t stop for seventeen days!

Around Darwin is one of the most useful sites on the ‘net focused on Darwin, and includes a huge amount of general tourist information, as well as a lot that’s useful for handicapped travelers. Some valuable highlights: a few accessible swimming spots, accommodations in the Darwin outback, and some local hotels and motels. The rest of the site has plenty of restaurants, tour operators, cruises, and a whole bunch of other neat stuff that’s sure to make your trip up north memorable.

You can also check out Lonely Planet’s Introducing Darwin. For a comprehensive guide to the area, do not miss Your Guide to Everything Darwin, which delivers on the name with a database filled with just about all you could want: hotels to flights to attractions and everything in between. It also aggregates the latest Darwin news!

That’s it for dusty but delightful Darwin, and we’re finally driving toward the end of the Australia Series here on Disabled Travelers. See you next time, and adventure on!

Si

A view of central Perth from the Bell Tower
Photo by: Vaughan James (Stock Exchange)

We’re on an Australia marathon here at Disabled Travelers, and we’re coming ‘round the bend to the sun-soaked city of Perth, capital of Western Australia and fourth-largest city on the island, known for its brilliant beaches and lively nightlife, made even more lively by the steady stream of able-bodied and handicapped travelers who visit on a regular basis. Perth is a beautiful city, and a big part of our access guide countdown to hit all the major metro zones in the wacky and wonderful Land of Oz.

So far, local airports and airlines have been a little hit-or-miss with accessibility, and that’s a shame. Perth Airport is pretty terse about accessibility within the terminals, but you can get a wheelchair by calling ahead to the airline you’re flying with. Better news is provided by official outlets: the City of Perth website affirms its commitment to universal access in a glowing and detailed listing of accessibility features, including transit, parking, streets, and buildings. Ramps, tactile indicators and audible street signs are common throughout the city. For a more whimsical take on the city’s attractions and offerings, try Perth Tourist Centre Online.

Need a little help getting around? Swan Taxis’ Easy Access Perth fleet is totally wheelchair accessible. Captain Cook Cruises has some accessibility on cruises, but can only accommodate manual wheelchairs, and any assistance needed must be provided by members of the wheelchair user’s group.

The best all-inclusive access guides for Perth and Western Australia generally are provided by You’re Welcome Western Australia, a handicapped organization that advocates for universal access. Using their sophisticated search features, you can search for specific accessibility features like parking, restrooms, accommodations, beaches, and more in virtually every city and town in the region. Info is provided by volunteers or business owners, and seems pretty sound. There are 24 accessible hotels listed at the time of this writing, with very detailed run-downs of just what adaptations are available.

For past beachfront destinations (like my own home state, Florida) we’ve discussed beach accessibility in depth, and seen a lot of intriguing new wheelchair designs to help everyone get out on the sand. Information for Perth is a tiny bit more scant, but there’s a good report from the news site Local Government Focus. In summer 2008, a bold new pilot project aimed at increasing accessibility at popular beaches was launched. Focused largely on North Cottesloe Beach, with the North Cottesloe Beach Surf Living Saving Club at the forefront, aimed to establish special beach chairs and other features.

Naturally, I can’t get out of Perth without a wave to the accessible restaurant database at eatability. AOL Travel has the hookup on accessible hotels in the city, and so does PleaseTakeMeTo. The giant observation wheel known as the “Wheel of Perth” is accessible and loans wheelchairs. For more accessible attractions, see the article from WheelieGood, which provides total access guides for Western Australia. Places to stay, parks, beaches, and all kinds of other sights are a click away!

Would you believe there are still more cities, more attractions, and more vital info to share on Australia? It’s time for me to take a little breather, but we’ll be seeing each other again real soon – in Darwin, in Adelaide, or maybe in your own backyard! Thanks for visiting, and adventure on!

Si

City lights of Melbourne Photo by: Timo Balk (Stock Exchange)

Are you ready for even more of the Disabled Access Australia series?

Today, we’re hitting the bush trail once again to visit Melbourne, the second most populous city, on the bay of Port Phillip.

A major cultural hub, home to the Australian film industry, television, and avant garde art, it’s an eminently livable place and a great base for your visit to the Land Down under.

But how does it rate for accessibility? Well, we’re about to find out!

Melbourne Airport has one of the most detailed disability access pages of any Australian airport we’ve looked at so far, definitely a good sign. Wheelchair accessible features include free wheelchairs available on request from all airlines, disabled parking, wheelchair accessible restroom facilities throughout the terminals, and assisted pick up and drop off of disabled travelers at the front of the airport. More information on accessible airlines and local airports is available from the Visit Victoria website. Transitions Abroad has strong content on various accessible public transit options.

Also from Visit Victoria, you can get information on over a dozen accessible hotels, motels, and rental properties, including Wheelies Rest, Countrywide Cottages, and Corella Rise Bed and Breakfast. Likewise, Backpack Melbourne is another public site with a useful mobility impaired access page giving you quick facts on accommodation, public transport, tickets, accessible transit lounges, toilets, taxis, emergency services, and more. If you’ve ever gotten a wheelchair banged up by inappropriate “care” from a taxi driver or sky porter who isn’t knowledgeable about handicapped travelers, you know how useful (and how rare!) some of this information is!

Per usual in Australia, Stayz is a major source for accessible hotels, and eatability knows everything there is to know about accessible restaurants and other venues in Melbourne and surrounding towns. These are definitely two sites to keep bookmarked if you’re going to spend a while in Australia, especially if you plan to move from place to place! (I’ll miss them when we’re done!) There’s also PleaseTakeMeTo, and don’t forget Hotels.com now has basic accessibility options in their search! For accessible vehicle rental, visit WheelAway. They’ll meet you at the airport with your new ride!

TravAbility is a brand spanking new website (you can tell by the .travel domain!) for a tour operator focused on inclusive, accessible tours that encompass Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Thailand, Africa, India, and destinations around North America. Customized Australia tours are available all over the continent, and can take in most of the cities and accessible attractions we’ve visited in our guide. The site also maintains a growing collection of news links related to accessible travel, updated regularly.

Of course, a city this serious about accessibility has plenty of wheelchair-friendly attractions to choose from. Major cultural venues generally have ample adapted seating available and also make room for caregivers. The official tourism site maintains a list of accessible gardens and parks. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has handicapped parking and accessible seating, and it’s the same with Etihad Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Club, Looking for fun that’s a little less rough? The Melbourne Recital Center goes a long way to help out patrons with mobility, hearing, or sight impairments; the “arthouse” Cinema Nova is also devoted to a fully accessible experience. Melbourne just might be the most welcoming city for handicapped travelers that we’ve seen in Australia!

Next, it’s off to Perth. After that, I have a bevy of other goodies for you to enjoy before we move this party to New Zealand, and from there start to cover the whole region. Be sure to write in if there’s anything I’ve missed, or anything you want to see – this blog is for you! And I hope to see YOU for our next post … ‘til then, adventure on!

Si

Sydney Harbor Bridge
Photo by: Claire Cresswell (Stock Exchange)

Good day, everybody!

Disabled Travelers’ Australia access guides are shaping up nicely, as we’ve hacked through the Outback and visited the capital, Canberra.

Now we have what’s arguably the most famous city in Australia in our sights: Sydney!

Home of the world-famous Sydney Opera House, now the most recently constructed UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Earth, situated in the city that’s easily the biggest tourist draw on the whole island. Without further ado, let’s explore!

It seems only fair to begin with the Opera House, which has its own comprehensive accessibility page. Virtually everything in the Opera House is accessible to some extent (usually a great extent!) and maps and detailed information about getting there, getting around, and enjoying what’s on offer is available from the main site.

Sydney’s Accessibility Test is an enlightening endeavor by The Sydney Morning Herald and former wheelchair tennis champion David Hall, who teamed up with the paper to lead an adventurous tour through the city’s transportation system, attractions, and restaurants. The result is a five-minute video that gives a good, street-level view of the accessibility situation in Sydney. Getting around is made easier for handicapped travelers by Zero200, the centralized service for wheelchair taxi booking in Sydney. You’ll also want to know about the local accessible buses, and learn all about accessible cruises from Matilda Cruises. (Psst: public ferries are accessible too!)

Wheelchair Accessible Sydney is an established tour operator that provides customized sightseeing and shopping tours through the city. Some of their most beloved itineraries include views of Sydney’s Harbor, the towns and attractions of the nearby Blue Mountains, and the Hunter Valley Wine Tour. Australia has many fine and historic vineyards, but accessibility conditions are checkered, so this may be the best way to enjoy this part of the complete local experience! Also check out the Wheelchair Accessible Tours listed over at Australia in Style.

If you’re going to Sydney, you’ll be spending a lot of time in the Central Business District, which is the at the heart of a major accessibility initiative. Accessible transportation, parking, and other handicapped travel resources are available through the City of Sydney website linked above. Local train stations that are wheelchair friendly are listed as part of The Rocks Wheelchair Accessible Self-Guided Tour, a private site. For wheelchair accessible attractions, check out My Fun, the centralized database of info for Sydney’s best parks, resorts, and points of interest. The search function gets you at-a-glance results on which sites meet your needs. For example, a quick search reveals that famous Sydney Tower Skywalk is now accessible.

Next time on Disabled Travelers, we’ll take another big bite out of Australia with a journey to Brisbane, the third-most populous city! We’re not going to be done until we’ve been everywhere and done everything in Oz … so just think of July as “Down Under” month, and adventure on!

Si

Telstra Tower in Canberra, Australia
Photo by: Nafrea (Stock Exchange)

Welcome back to Disabled Travelers!

We have been wandering around the Australian outback for a few posts now, and it is time to check out accessibility in some great cities.

Sydney may be the most famous, but the capital of Australia is actually Canberra, in the southeast corner of the continent.

Called the “Bush Capital” for its lush greenery and wide-open public spaces, it has some of the country’s oldest and most distinguished museums and art collections, plus all the historic government sites you would expect from a world capital.

A huge database of wheelchair accessible restaurants is available at eatability.com, a new and very promising directory for dining venues that offer mobility impaired access. Major cities throughout Australia are covered, including Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, and others. For places to stay, a number of bed and breakfasts and guesthouses are listed at Stayz’s Wheelchair Access Accommodations in Canberra. There are a few more accessible hotels at AOL Travel’s Canberra listings, for a total of about 20 options.

If you are staying in Canberra for a while, you might find yourself in need of wheelchair rental. Look no further than The Wheelchair Factory, one of Australia’s oldest wheelchair providers, which can arrange rentals to suit your needs in Canberra and around the South Coast. For general “getting around” purposes, two companies offer wheelchair taxis throughout Canberra: Canberra Elite and Cabxpress. Both offer extensive online booking with fare estimation, and Canberra Elite can even give you a tour. The local airport is (suitably enough) Canberra Airport. Though wheelchair accessible parking is available, there is lamentably little information about conditions in the terminals!

The National Museum of Australia is equipped with a variety of accessibility features including wheelchair-friendly exhibition designs, audio tours adapted for the blind, wheelchair and scooter rental available free on the premises, and large-print text suitable for those with mild to moderate vision loss. The National Gallery of Australia, focused on the painterly arts, has designated parking for handicapped visitors. There are also wheelchair accessible elevators on the grounds, and wheelchair rental is available. Australia’s one and only combined zoo and aquarium, The National Zoo and Aquarium, has limited accessibility but might be amenable to visitors who use walkers or crutches.

Disabled accessible restrooms, elevators, parking, and other facilities are peppered throughout the historic Australian War Memorial. Another “can’t miss” cultural site that’s friendly to handicapped travelers is the Parliament House of Australia, which offers a slew of guided tours and other special events virtually all-year long except for Christmas Day. For real political junkies, you can also visit the Australian High Court and the Royal Australian Mint.

Our next stop is world-famous Sydney! Adventure on!

Si

The Champs Elysees, where many of Paris’ fine restaurants are found
Photo by: Jan Willem Stad (Stock Exchange)

Bonjour! We’ve passed the halfway mark in our Disabled Travelers tour of Paris, and today we spring ahead on the fourth stage of our trip. Our Paris access guides are about to turn tasty, as we look high and low for the best in local cuisine. You haven’t really visited Paris until you’ve sampled some of the finest French food, and we’re about to do it, with an eye toward both the most delicious and the most accessible places Paris has to offer. Without further adieu, it’s time to dig in!

Handicapped travelers should take some comfort in the fact that Paris’ famous street-side cafes are, by their very nature, pretty much accessible. Though there is usually “restaurant-style” seating indoors, many of these places have just as many tables outside, which do not tend to be very high. Some of the best food in Paris is found in these cafes, and trying at least one is a must. But, of course, there are many other options.

10 Top Paris Restaurants is a list providing a glimpse of what Paris’ true gourmands are up to. From wine bars to sophisticated brasseries and bistros, there’s something to represent every part of the French culinary spirit. The listing includes several venues with wheelchair access, though it doesn’t specify the extent of handicapped accommodations. Locations, web addresses, and average meal price are provided.

Alcazar is a French contemporary restaurant, described by glowing reviews as “bright, buzzing, and wonderfully stylish.” Famous for its roast shoulder of lamb, it’s also appreciated for its wheelchair accessible dining environment, which includes appropriate restroom facilities. Incidentally, Top Table is a good source for professional and amateur restaurant information, and covers Paris, London, Madrid, New York, and a whole smorgasbord of other wonderful places to visit. At the top of the “hot list”? Le Roosevelt, Paris; but sorry, folks, no word on whether this Champs-Elysees hotspot is accessible or non.

Cafe Medicis is located at the Gardens of Luxembourg, part of the Musée du Luxembourg that houses contemporary art exhibits. Cafe Medicis has appeared in printed guides to accessibility in the city, and also offers catering services. Despite being a “museum cafe”, reservations are available and the cuisine is top notch, very worthy of Paris

From David Lebovitz, a bevy of useful resources for exploring and finding excellent eats that are also accessible. His Accessible Travel Tips for Paris page covers a variety of topics and discloses a couple hot hints from the insider. He recommends Rue Montorgueil as an area that’s both welcoming to handicapped travelers and packed with opportunities for “foodies.” For what it’s worth, he’s also compiled a collection of favorite Paris dining and travel guides, though at a glance, none of these seem to be focused on disabled travelers specifically.

Now our exploration of Paris is nearly at an end, but don’t despair: we’ve still got plenty of, let’s say, “miscellaneous” resources to share. That’s for next visit, though, as all this talk about food has made me hungry. Don’t forget to tune in for the next blog right here at Disabled Travelers. ’til then, adventure — and eat — on!

Si

Stockholm, Sweden
Photo by: Svetlana Bykova (Stock Exchange)

Good day to all! As planned, today’s Disabled Travelers blog will visit Stockholm in today’s post as part two of my upcoming European odyssey. The city of Stockholm is home to over 20% of Sweden’s population and is spread across 14 islands on a very wide area. Handicapped travelers might expect some trouble navigating under such conditions, but as the second-most-visited city in all of Scandinavia, Stockholm is a model of modern excellence for travelers of all kinds.

Four commercial airports serve the Stockholm area, and their exact location can be confusing. If you are using budget airlines, beware of Stockholm-Skavsta, which is a full 60 miles south of the city itself. While all Stockholm area airports have mobility impaired access and other useful features for the hard-of-hearing and visually impaired, it can be difficult finding wheelchair taxis or other transport to get to the city.

Following are the airports and their pages for travelers with disabilities:

Arlanda (23 miles north)

Bromma (about 5 miles west)

Skavsta (60 miles south)

Västerås (70 miles west)

According to the official Internet gateway of Sweden, there’s a far-reaching plan to improve accessibility and become the most disability-friendly European capital by 2010; unfortunately, that article is from 2006! So let’s see if they accomplished their goal … the official Stockholm visitor site has a useful access guide to the city, and also issues manuals to business owners about how to improve access. The Stockholm Cooperative for Independent Living, one of the country’s leading handicapped organizations, has good news about public transport and assistive devices. Services, wheelchair accessible attractions, and walking tours operated by volunteers are discussed on this page.

Sweden is one of the few major European economies that still maintains its own currency separate from the Euro. This makes things a little bit more complicated if you’re traveling through multiple countries, but it also means that the typical tourists’ budget stretches a little further here. If you’ll be staying a while, there’s no reason not to aim for top of the line hotels in central Stockholm, convenient to rail services.

TVTrip showcases over 80 wheelchair accessible hotels in the area. Hotels Stockholm Online is devoted to area hotels, and the Radisson Blu Viking is one of the city’s top-rated and most central hotels, located only a short distance from several historic landmarks. Also check out the Intercontinental Grand Hotel and Courtyard Stockholm. On the flip side, beware of budget hotel chains offering accommodations for only 1-2 people per room, which are fairly common in the city and do not offer enough space for wheelchair users. There are also many hostels not equipped to service visitors with special needs.

For info on wheelchair accessible attractions, browse Things to See in Stockholm. A complete access guide is available at Accessible Sweden, which has information on wheelchair accessible cruises through the Stockholm Archipelago, among many other enchanting sights and tour options. Cultural sites, events, and festivals are covered by the Kulturforvaltningen Access Guide. Also read the fairly recent blog post Stockholm With a Wheelchair for some street-level perspective.

That’s it for Stockholm, at least until I visit there in person and follow up! In our next post we’ll be following my itinerary with a visit to Krakow, the second largest city in Poland. We may also stop over in Warsaw, the capital, for a little while. After that, my trip returns to some great places we’ve seen and done before here on Disabled Travelers: Dublin and London — so it’ll be about time for a quick review. From there, I’ve got some more Western European destinations in mind, and a few more “small countries.” Adventure on!

Si

Sea meets sky in Miami
Photo by: Roberto Valdes (Stock Exchange)

Howdy, all! After zooming in on Disney access guides and making our way out to Greater Orlando, I decided to “finish the job” and swing through another much-beloved tourist destination: Miami! This is one of the most energetic places in the U.S., with vibrant cultural influences from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and more. As one of the more progressive cities in the U.S., it’s also very much in tune with the needs of handicapped travelers and a variety of other visitors. It’s a fast-paced place, but we can take it at our own pace here on Disabled Travelers. Let’s do it …

I always like to start with local airports. In this case, of course, it’s Miami International, one of the busiest airports in the state. It has a comprehensive disabled travelers page with a really robust set of helpful features, including accessible taxi service and a service animal relief area. Once you’ve landed, there are plenty of accessible hotels and dining options. ActiveDiner has page after page of accessible restaurants in Miami, including Portguese, Japanese, Peruvian, Cuban, and more. For easy transportation around all these great eateries, there are accessible taxis available throughout the city with 70+ cabs available from twenty companies. Beyond that, all the accessible transit info you need has been organized into a surprisingly effective municipal website.

As far as hotels go, there are plenty of good sources. Of course, we all know about the new Hotels.com accessibility search, but that’s only the beginning for Miami. There’s also a great Miami hotel database at TVTrip, “The Hotel Videoguide,” and almost a hundred more options at AOL Travel.

For wheelchair accessible attractions, you can’t beat the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. This beautiful retreat, featured on over ten acres of pristine land, includes formal gardens, native forest, and a house built by industrialist James Deering almost 100 years ago. The museum, which is also a National Historic Landmark, is proactive about providing a full range of services and mobility impaired access for those who need it, including those with service animals.

Also check out the Miami Metro Zoo, which has full accessibility for its monorail and trams, and offers wheelchair rental. There’s also the world famous Miami Seaquarium. Beyond these picks, there are many theaters, movie houses and sports venues in Miami, and you can find out about them and a whole slew of other hotel options at Miami for Visitors, a fast-loading index of information on the area that also includes some accessible information. It really puts the resources you need at your fingertips. Don’t miss the Events in Miami page, which provides links on the ‘net for sporting events, performing arts, annual celebrations, and more.

Going a little further afield, into Miami Beach (which is, as the name suggests, where much of the beach is located), you can find out about wheelchair beach access here. Guests can also rent specialty beach wheelchairs from companies like Deming Designs, which offers the unique “De-Bug” chair for beach use. The city’s official website has a bunch more stuff for visitors, that includes just about everything and the kitchen sink..

Done in Florida for now, but in our next few installments we’ll be continuing our journey through Asia and taking a peek into the Disabled Travelers mailbag for more of your burning questions. ‘til then, adventure on!

Si

Chicago Cityscape
Photo by: Nate Brelsford (Stock Exchange)

Hello, everybody! After taking a tour through the Disabled Travelers archives, I realized that one of our best-received recent articles was Disabled Access: Chicago. Now, I don’t usually do this, but since so many folks are queuing up to head to the Windy City and want more info about it, I thought I’d give the city a second look. Definitely read the original post for some great access guides, but in this post we’ll be going a bit deeper and searching out wheelchair accessible hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Let’s go!

Active Diner starts us off with a list of wheelchair access restaurants in Chicago. This includes dozens of listings, each including descriptions and photographs, and many with actual reviews by restaurant patrons. There’s something for everyone, with seafood, Italian, Mediterranean cuisine and more all available in an environment friendly to handicapped travelers and those who require mobility impaired access.

Though not created with accessible travel in mind, the website Metromix can help you find bars, clubs, music venues, movie theaters, restaurants and more. These listings do include information on accessibility. Though it can be somewhat sparse, I’m always in favor of providing a resource that will put readers in touch with great places to go. For our purposes, try Metromix Chicago. For another great site from an on-the-street travel perspective, try the wheelchair accessible entries at the Chicago Traveler blog.

From Disabled Travelers’ very own comment section comes a handful of useful handicapped travel resources I’m happy to mention. Visit WheelchairTraveling.com, a site for planning accessible travel, for some great photographs and Chicago attractions. If you find yourself in need of wheelchair or scooter rental, you can try out Howard Medical, a company with 30 years of experience providing medical supplies in the area.

There are a number of terrific attractions throughout Chicago that are wide open to wheelchair users. Among these are the historic John Hancock Center with its famous observatory, and the Art Institute of Chicago. For outdoor fun, check out Millennium Park. This fantastic space is one of the most beautiful attractions in all of Chicago, offering art and architecture, as well as natural splendor. There are many wonderful things to discover, and events are held regularly. This entire 24.5 acre space is accessible, with free wheelchair rental at the visitors’ center, and there is no entrance fee.

When you’re trying to find an accessible Chicago hotel, I suggest trying Travel Intelligence, a newer index of hotel features and reviews. I found the site intuitive and easy to navigate, and the company claims that the reviews are written by professional travel writers. Can’t confirm that independently, but I did find the reviews to be better-written and more informative than average, so it’s worth taking a look

Hope you’ve had fun on our second visit to Chicago. Remember, we’re here for you, so any time you want more information, just let me know. Coming up in March, I’ll be doing destinations in Asia, as well as some fun vacation spots throughout the States, and keeping the Disabled Travelers Mailbag close by for viewer questions. Adventure on!

In their words:

DisabledGo provides free detailed access information for disabled people across the UK. Our detailed access information will empower you to judge the disabled access to venues for yourself. See examples of our access guides for hotels, cinemas, restaurants, tourist attractions, pubs, train stations, leisure centres and universities.

http://www.disabledgo.info