Cinderella’s Castle … no trick photography needed.Photo by Peter Togel

Howdy, all! Welcome back to Disabled Travelers. As I rev up to continue our pan-Asian access guides, I thought I’d take a brief detour here to dip into the mailbag and see what comes up. Today, I’m going to cover disability access at Disney World in Florida, plus the sights you can see around it. We might just do a mini-excursion to all the Disney properties in the future, but this is the one most folks have been waiting to see.

As a long-time resident of Florida, I can really appreciate the excitement of all the people, including many, many handicapped travelers, who journey down south every year to visit our amazing theme parks, not to mention the beaches, resort hotels, and all the other great perks that come from living in “forever summer.” Though, admittedly, it’s about 70 degrees out right now! It’s been a wild winter, but Disney is fun all year long.

Before we start, I’d just like to mention one thing. Frommer’s, the maker of excellent travel guides, has a travel photography contest going on right now. I just found out about it and I’m planning to enter – you should, too! You can send in photos from any destination and submit as many as you want from now until March 31st. It would be just fantastic if a Disabled Travelers reader won the $5,000 prize, so get those photos in!

Now, moving right along …

Our first stop is the Disney Disability Information page at The DIS, which describes itself as the Internet’s largest unofficial guide to Walt Disney World. Information here is fairly comprehensive, with attraction-by-attraction facts on mobility impaired access, wheelchair rental, and accommodations for the hard-of-hearing, visually impaired, and those who require service animals. Some points to note: most attractions are wheelchair accessible through the guest line, and wheelchair rentals are available for a low fee ($10-$12 at the time of this writing) from a range of locations throughout the parks. However, other equipment tends to be pricey.

Disney produces its own access guide, “The Guidebook for Guests With Disabilities.” An online version is available here. No date is provided on this version of the text, so take care of details that might have changed. For a more personal perspective, try out Disabled World’s article on all the Disney parks, including Disney Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Paris. Concerned about long waits in line? It may be useful to learn about the Fast Pass Option. This allows you to bypass lines at certain attractions, but requires some planning ahead and is not intended specifically for handicapped travelers. For thatoption, you need a Guest Assistance Card, which offers similar functionality and does not require any complicated scheduling; you can use it when you need it at any time.

(Note, you do not need any “evidence”, doctor’s notes, sworn statements, etc. to get a Guest Assistance Card … most visitors receive one with a simple explanation, and it is good through to the end of your vacation. Total time getting one: five to ten minutes.)

For a basic overview of planning a Disney trip, which includes tips for disabled travelers of many kinds, this page at Allears.net is a great resource that doesn’t take too long to absorb. They also have lots of articles and news on general interest topics for Disney guests. If you have a little more time to read and get involved with lots of well-organized, useful information, then the single best access guide that I’ve seen for Disney online is Teri’s Disney Travelers’ Disability FAQ. Teri has really gone above and beyond, organizing information from all of the big-time “unofficial” Disney guides and providing insight for accessibility no matter what your needs are. There are lots of valuable facts, and the site cuts through the clutter of finding the official info as well.

There are a number of companies that offer scooter rental for Disney World, and many are a much better deal than rental from within the park. TryApple Scooter, ScootOrlando, and Randy’s Mobility. Though I don’t have personal experience with any of these companies, many of them offer drop-off and pick-up when you need them, a wide variety of equipment, and a lot more flexibility (at lower cost!) than renting equipment from within the theme parks.

It can be difficult finding all the resources you need to plan a great trip to Disney World, but hopefully this has shed a little light on the subject for all our friends here at Disabled Travelers. I’m out of time for today, but I just might explore the Orlando area next time to give you the bigger picture of the world outside Disney’s. ‘til then, adventure on!

Si

Tempting hotel pool in Mazatlan, MexicoPhoto by Heather Sorenson (Stock Exchange)

Hello, all! Today on Disabled Travelers we’re taking a little break from our whirlwind tour of accessible Asia to share a little good news closer to the “home front.” Every once in a while I like to take a day off from my wanderings, put it in “park” and check up on items of general interest for handicapped travelers everywhere – and WOW, do I have some interesting news today, so check it out!

According to a recent article in The New York Times, there’s a whole New Hotel Search for Disabled Travelers. Now live on the massively popular travel websites Hotels.com and Expedia, the Accessibility Features search tool offers one-click search for accommodations for a wide range of needs. These include mobility impaired access items like “accessible path of travel” and features for the hard-of-hearing and visually handicapped. Though it’s a little bit clunky as currently implemented, and could stand to be more specific in the categories of amenities it offers, it’s a great start.

And that’s no surprise: NYT reports this newest innovation is the direct result of a lawsuit by handicapped travelers who settled with Hotels.com in 2009 after bringing the site to court for failing to guarantee wheelchair accessible reservations. It’s too bad it had to come to that, of course, but this is definite progress and will benefit everybody. It might be a game-changer and a good challenge for sites around the web that traditionally offer “some” accessibility information … Hotels.com could really make up for their mistakes by helping to set a higher standard for accessibility in the travel biz.

(A caveat: even with this tool, I would still recommend calling ahead before making a reservation if you’re not completely sure that a given hotel will meet your needs. Then you have their statements to you on record, and their recognition of your expectations from moment one! Maybe, as the search functionality improves, this’ll be less necessary.)

Before I go, let me also point out two sites that are really starting to have their presence felt here on the blog and deserve some special attention. The first is Emerging Horizons, which I’m sure I’ve mentioned a few times but never in the “spotlight.” It’s a great site for up-to-date, worldwide accessible travel news and advice. The site’s editor-in-chief, Candy Harrington, also maintains the blog Barrier Free Travels and has authored a number of books on finding accessible vacations. Don’t miss out!

The other resource for today is Travel Oxygen, a worldwide provider of products and information for oxygen-dependent travelers. Now, there are a lot of oxygen providers in the world and heaven knows you should use the one that you trust. But TO is one of the few I’ve seen that claims to service so many destinations worldwide (over 300 countries and territories). There’s also some good information on the site, such as using oxygen on a cruise, though the color scheme does make it a little hard to get through. If you can’t find an oxygen provider to meet your travel goals, check with them.

That’s it for today, but I’ll be back on the road in the next Disabled Travelers. Adventure on!

Si

Singapore at Night
Photo by: Timo Balk (Stock Exchange)

Welcome, welcome, welcome to your Disabled Travelers blog! As we round the bend on our accessible Asian excursions today, we’ll be visiting the country of Singapore, a unique island city-state off the southern coast of Malaysia. After an interesting history, Singapore has asserted its independence and, with only about 5 million people and 274 square miles of territory, it is the smallest country in southeast Asia. But don’t be fooled; for the savvy handicapped traveler, there’s plenty of news to go around here. And it’s a perfect “bridge” to a post on Malaysia in the not-too-distant future!

It may surprise you to find out that Singapore is one of the most forward-looking countries in Asia when it comes to mobility impaired access. In 1990, only 25 years or so after its final declaration of independence, it released the “Code on Barrier-Free Accessibility in Buildings”, which mandates universal design standards for all buildings after that date. You can learn more about Singapore’s high accessibility standards from the Building and Construction Authority website. Naturally, it will take some time for this law to catch up with the situation “on the ground”, and there are some notable issues (notoriously, un-railed passenger bridges over major roads are a problem.) But progress is being made.

Thanks to Singapore’s long shared history with Britain, just about anything you need is available in English. This even includes “Access Singapore” – the book that serves as a sort of country-wide access guide. You can get free copies by contacting the National Council of Social Service. Though there is rumored to be an online version of this guide, I have not yet come across it; even so, copies of the printed version are free. And let’s not leave out the “all-purpose” Singapore tourism gateway while we’re at it, and this informative web guide from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. Both sites offer an impressive breadth of info on culture and attractions.

The Disabled People’s Association of Singapore is the main handicapped organization that provides disabled issues education and assistive services throughout the country. It sponsors a large number of events catering to people of all abilities, and coordinates with like-minded groups throughout Singapore. These include the Association of the Visually Handicapped, Association for the Deaf, and over a dozen other very active advocacy groups.

AngloInfo, a great website with a kind of kooky name, once again has a great variety of information on Singapore for English speakers, including facts on accessible transportation, airports and airlines, and wheelchair access at popular attractions like Singapore Zoo and Bird Park. Also try out Asia Planet’s snapshots of Singapore attractions, which includes locations, approximate time you should schedule for a full visit, costs, and a capsule overview of the accessibility situation for wheelchair users. The country seems very proud of its Singapore Flyer, a giant observation wheel with wheelchair accessible facilities and handicapped-friendly service.

One fairly comprehensive guide I was delighted to snoop out is aimed at medical professionals, but is very useful for any and all handicapped travelers. The Medical Travelers Guide to Disabled Access for Facilities in Singapore is about as long on value as it is on title. It offers a category-by-category, place-by-place overview of accessibility at hospitals, hotels, concert halls, shopping centers, transportation services, and general “places of interest” throughout Singapore. Both useful and concise, it’s a free download and prints out in full color.

For a view “from the front”, peruse this Singapore and Australia article at Apparelyzed. These contributors had some trouble getting around, but, notably, this post is almost exactly ten years old, so take it in context and soak up a quick introduction to the “local flavor.” Disabilities & Accessibility in Singapore from Fodor’s Travel Guides is also useful here, though it takes a less favorable view of conditions for handicapped visitors. Unfortunately, I have not yet come across an accessible tour operator that works in Singapore just yet.

Singapore is one place that leaves me with the impression there’s more to discover. So as we move on to Malaysia and elsewhere, don’t be surprised if I sneak in a couple more Singapore resources. Next time, we’ll be returning to more familiar pastures for a little while as Disabled Travelers catches up with news and views around the States, with (perhaps) a mailbag or two thrown in for good measure.

Keep those questions and comments coming, and adventure on …

Si

Emerald Temple
Photo by: Christian Ferrari (Stock Exchange)

Hello, all! To continue our accessible Asia extravaganza on Disabled Travelers, today we’ll be cooking up access guides for Thailand. A bit off the beaten path, Thailand and its capital Bangkok are, nevertheless, top tourist destinations for those interested in exploring Asia; and it’s come to my attention that handicapped travelers are far from left out here. Bordering India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, this exotic 90% Buddhist nation is one of the world’s last remaining monarchies, and not to be missed no matter what your level of ability. Here we go!

Another good general overview, covering tips for wheelchair users and those with vision or hearing impairments, is found here. It has a directory of disabled organizations, where to find assistive technology in-country, and quite a bit more. For a closer look at Thailand itself, see ThaiFocus, a general interest website on Thailand travel that also includes a disability access page. Though that page is a bit sparse, the rest of the site is packed with all kinds of helpful stuff to ground you in the Thai culture and what to see, do, and experience while you’re around. Finally, don’t miss the Wheelchair Accessible Thailand blog, written from the POV of a couple living life to the fullest despite a lifelong muscular disorder. Good stuff – and a lot of true glimpses into life in Thailand (plus, some great restaurant info!)

Time and time again, sources talk about how friendly and accommodating the Thai people are toward those needing mobility impaired access on their trip. Unfortunately, there are still some challenges to overcome. Wheelchair accessible taxis are available, but typical hotels are often too narrow to comfortably navigate, especially on the lower end of the price scale. For accommodations, visit this site offering accessible holiday suites in Thailand, France, and Hungary. Thai options include a private villa and apartment living. Another good resource is this page from TVTrip, which describes itself as “the hotel videoguide”, and has a searchable database of accessible hotels in Thailand. There’s also a hotel database for Phuket, an island south of Thailand at TravelMuse.

Thailand has a lot to offer travelers of all kinds and experience levels, but we all know you can’t beat the “inside perspective” of a good tour operator. For just that need, there’s Wheelchair Tours to Thailand, which offers tour packages, accessible vehicles, advice, photography, and a whole range of other nifty features. Another well-established company, Accessible Journeys, also has several Thailand tour packages from six to twelve days long. Looking for more than just land travel? If you’re a fan of water sports, you might enjoy Worldwide Dive and Sail’s Best of Thailand diving trip, which is accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing.

(Incidentally, speakers of German can visit RollOn Travel, which offers tours in Thailand and elsewhere but, unfortunately, does not provide information or services in English.)

That’s about it for Thailand, at least for now. But we still have a long way to go to get a really good grip on accessible Asia. Our quest will continue soon, and I’m also cooking up some views around the U.S. and another installment of Disabled Travelers mailbag. Keep an eye out for my next post shortly, and as always, adventure on!

Si

Hong Kong Finance Centre
Photo by: C2 RINGO (Stock Exchange)

Welcome one and all to today’s Disabled Travelers blog! Since we recently took our first accessible voyage to Asia by checking out handicapped travel in Japan, I thought we would continue the trend for a little while in this post. With that in mind, we’re heading to Hong Kong, a fascinating locale on the southern coast of mainland China that, until very recently, was a British territory for close to a hundred years. It remains one of the most iconic locations in China. Home to about seven million people, it boasts a major tourism industry, including a growing segment catering to handicapped travelers.

Disability World is the first to key us in to the growing number of accessible travel initiatives going on in Hong Kong with its article “Hong Kong: Becoming an Accessible Destination.” Along with a good overview of the situation, it includes the names of a few tour operators and some sites of general interest for travelers. The most useful for us is Easy Access Travel, Ltd., the major accessible tour operator in Hong Kong. From the website, you check out airlines, hotels, and search for packages, all provided in English. The site is a touch wonky (I assume the Chinese-language one is a bit more full-featured) but you can definitely find what you’re looking for if you’re willing to take your time.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board provides disabled travel resources on its disabled travelers page. One of the best things here is the Hong Kong access guide written by Sarah Fuller, who claims it to be the first accessibility guide of its kind for Asia. Unfortunately, it is not free, but the author provides complimentary information on accessible car rental, local holidays and festivals, and a shopping guide on her website. I have not had a chance to read the guide, but it seems like a strong resource, and you can read the index and a few pages on the site before you decide to purchase.

Hong Kong’s Transportation Department has a very valuable English-language Guide to Public Transport for People With Disabilities which is surprisingly comprehensive and user-friendly. As it turns out, taxis, buses, and other forms of transport are particularly well-equipped to handle the needs of users with visual impairments. There is also a slowly growing fleet of wheelchair taxis. For more on getting around using Hong Kong’s public transportation, check out this blog post by Mickey Kung.

From “In Transit”, The New York Times’ “Guide to Intelligent Travel”, you can read of author Joyce Hor-Chung Lau’s disabled travel experiences in Hong Kong. This is a very in-depth account, sprinkled with Internet resources and insider tips that can really help you get the most out of your visit. For accessible hotels and attractions try out this Hong Kong article from AbilityTrip. There are a lot of good tips and precautions here, as well as information on ferry trips, Hong Kong Disneyland, Victoria Peak, and other classic sites around the city and its environs. (Incidentally, Hong Kong Disneyland has its own special needs page.) To ensure a smooth and easy time flying in, review this useful access guide for Hong Kong airport.

Stay tuned for more handicapped travel advice throughout Asia as we continue our mission to build up Internet access guides around the world and make your trips as rewarding as they can be! Adventure on!

Chicago CityscapePhoto 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!

A cowboy and horses on the range
Photo by: Gayle Lindren (Stock Exchange)

Hello, everybody!

Today I’m dipping into the Disabled Travelers mailbag to check out one of your recent questions. After our trips around the world, I thought it might be nice if we stopped back in the U.S. for this edition. Quite a few people have been hunting for a wheelchair accessible dude ranch lately, I notice, so I went out and found us some good resources around the web on just that topic.

Dig in!

Sundance Trail Guest Ranch out of Red Feather Lakes, Colorado is our first stop. This place has some amazing facilities, and it’s all wheelchair accessible. One of the smaller guest ranches around, it’s also one of the most comfy, flexible, and full-featured. The lodge, jacuzzi, rifle range and virtually all other facilities are completely barrier-free. There’s a selection of nice suites that accommodate wheelchair users, as well as mobility impaired access for users of other assistive technology. Sundance also has arrangements with medical suppliers in Ft. Collins to help accommodate your needs.

Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch has been a fixture here on Disabled Travelers for a good while, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again. Based in Yucca, Arizona, all facilities have been purpose-built for maximum accessibility. All guest rooms, bathrooms, the lodge and the dining area are intended for easy use by wheelchair users and are quite large and spacious. If your ability allows, you can ride horses with confidence thanks to Stagecoach’s quick and accurate testing to ensure your safety. Stagecoach is dedicated to the riding experience, and disabled travelers can hit the trail with full assistance and guidance from the ranch staff to whatever extent is needed.

RanchWeb.com is a useful general resource for finding a wheelchair accessible dude ranch, though it does not currently have a category especially for handicapped travelers. You can browse through dozens of ranches around the United States, including offerings in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, and more, and find out a good deal about their facilities from one convenient stop. There’s something for everyone here: traditional dude ranches, fishing lodges, hunting lodges, and more, with most places offering a good number of photographs. Naturally, if you see one you like, you can get in touch with ranch staff to find out what kind of facilities are available for your situation.

Check out the Colorado Dude Ranch Association for quality information on dude ranches in that state, including several with wheelchair access. Colorado is practically the nation’s dude ranch capital, and has many to choose from. One option is Lake Mancos Guest Ranch, nestled in the San Juan Mountains a short ways from Durango. Lake Mancos offers pickup from the two nearby airports, Durango and Cortez, both about 40 minutes away. In addition to the accessible rooms, amenities include spa, massage, and wireless internet service. Like many ranches, horseback riding is a favorite activity.

Though there are a growing number of ranches out there that cater to disabled travelers, one thing you should definitely be aware of is the elevations involved. Depending on where you’re headed, be aware that a lot of ranches are situated on highlands, surprising since the land can still be pretty flat. It’s normal to feel a little loopy at first as your body adjusts. It’s usually a good idea not to plan anything too strenuous the first day – luckily, there are lots of ways to relax on these classy guest ranches.

Thanks for the great questions, and, as always, thanks for reading! Adventure on!

Si

Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, JapanPhoto by: Makio Kusahara (Stock Exchange)

Konnichiwa, all! Today on the Disabled Travelers blog we’ll be heading east to learn more about accessible travel around Japan. I have to admit, I’ve been working on this for a while and it’s a real challenge finding comprehensive information for us English-speakers. But believe me, folks, I’m on the case; I’m going to attend a wedding in Nagoya this December, and I’m every bit as interested in figuring this country out as you are! So rest assured, there’ll be more posts as more handicapped travel info comes in … for now, let’s get started and see where this takes us!

Accessible Japan is the best all-around access guide I’ve discovered for Japan so far. It includes information on accessible hotels and sites of interest all around the islands. There is also a general information guide that discusses accessible transportation including buses, ships, and the country’s famous bullet trains. Contact information for “special reservations” and the disability service desks of various airlines can also be found here. Domestic city-to-city flights are commonplace in Japan, and you may wish to familiarize yourself with the airlines if you plan to visit several major cities or islands. There’s also Accessible Tokyo, which focuses on the capital city and offers a lot of info on accessible attractions and different ways to get in and out of town.

Though the information is a bit aged, coming from way back in 2002 and 2003, it’s worth mentioning there’s also Accessible Kamakura and Accessible Kyoto/Nara to look through. Most of the information should still be good, though specific companies and other details may have changed, so take it with a grain of salt.

Disability World is a great bi-monthly e-zine that offers international news from the disabled travel perspective. If your intended destination is exotic, then it’s a great place to start mining for info. In this case, they have a great article from Japan; it’s from a few years back but still lots of useful things to say: “Japan Travel Companies Just Discovering Disabled Clients.” Obviously, things have gotten better since then. Check out this more recent article from the Japan Times: “Barrier-Free Tours Gain Popularity.” And who’s behind the growth in accessible Japanese travel? Check out the JTB Group, one of the main proponents of universal design in Japan.

For more disabled travel resources, check out the National Tourism Organization’s accessibility page. According to their statistics, over a third of the nation’s rail stations are completely wheelchair accessible. I would definitely recommend checking out the NTO’s website, since it offers a lot of help with logistics and cultural information that everybody would find helpful. To locate accessible hotels, try the useful Hotels of Japan page provided by Travel Japan, another general travel guide for the country. The only tour operator I’ve been able to find so far that explicitly welcomes wheelchair users is Japan Deluxe Tours, which requires that your chair be non-motorized and collapsible.

On a parting note for today, I don’t usually link to resources that aren’t provided completely in English, but since there are so gosh darned many of them in this particular case, and since many people traveling to Japan will pick up some language skills either before or during, do check out bfree, which bills itself as a wheelchair accessibility map for Japan. It has a lot of good resources for readers of Japanese, some of which may (according to the site itself) provide “limited” English.

That’s it for today’s look at Japan, but if you’ve got anything else to share, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll incorporate it in future posts. Also, if you’ve commented recently and I haven’t answered you, please don’t think I’m ignoring you: I’ll be looking through recent comments and responding with posts or answers just as soon as I can. Thanks for visiting with us, and adventure on!

Si

Gardens of the Vatican Photo by: Leonardo Barbosa (Stock Exchange)

Buongiorno! Wrapping up our grand tour of Italy at Disabled Travelers, today we’re going to visit Vatican City! The Vatican is the home of the Catholic Church and is located in the heart of Rome. Barely over 100 acres, it is an independent city-state ruled by the Bishop of Rome – the Pope. Though it’s a small place, its many legendary religious sites mean that it usually requires a few days to “take in”, just like Rome itself. That’s why we’re giving it a special entry in our ongoing Italy access guide.

St. Peter’s Basilica is the site of the Christmas Eve midnight mass, one of the most important rites on the calendar. Though portions of the Basilica date back as far as the 1500s, it is remarkably accessible. The independent website SaintPetersBasilica.org offers detailed information on access to the Basilica along with other disabled travel resources, including contact info for wheelchair taxis. Wheelchairs rented in Rome can also be used in the Vatican: check out my earlier Rome post for info. For a strong overview of how to maximize your time in the city, look at this article from TripAdvisor. Slow Travel has one more great travelogue to share with us, this one from Vatican, which has a lot of firsthand, insider information not offered anywhere else.

The Museums of the Vatican have a collective website that also includes a mobility impaired access page. The site also provides a map of the recommended tour route for visitors requiring a wheelchair accessible experience. For those visiting the Museums, wheelchairs are provided free of charge and may be rented on the day of the visit by calling ahead or visiting the “special permits” desk in the entrance hall. For visits to the Lateran Apostolic Palace, call-aheads are required a day in advance. Unfortunately, the Papal Gardens are not accessible.

For coin and stamp collectors, take heart that the Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office, which issues special commemorative coins and stamps, is located on accessible grounds near the entrance hall and post office of the Museums and has an English language website. The central Vatican City State website has a monuments page you can use to find out more about the various important sites around the city.

Perhaps not surprisingly, there are many tour operators who work in and around the Vatican, sometimes exclusively, sometimes in conjunction with larger Italian itineraries. Nancy Aiello Tours has tours in Rome, Florence, Venice, and “skip the line” wheelchair accessible tours of Vatican attractions. My Vatican Tours offers private tours with wheelchair access but does not welcome wheeled guests on group tours, sadly. Another option is Vatican Tours Online. If you plan to set things up yourself, TickitItaly is useful for booking your museum and attraction tickets.

For handicapped travelers, a good thing to know is that the Vatican does not require wheelchair users or mature visitors to wait in line – they are simply moved ahead as quickly as possible. However, some places will require wheeled guests to use alternative passageways, which is one reason it is relatively hard to get into a Vatican group tour as a disabled traveler. Also be aware that, unless standards have changed recently, each wheelchair user may not be accompanied by more than two people.

Well, that about wraps it up for the Disabled Travelers tour of Italy. Now, granted, there are other terrific sites in the country that we haven’t checked on specifically – Sicily, Piedmont, and many more. But the general resources provided in the earlier posts will go a long way toward setting up a great accessible holiday in these areas. And I’ll be back with an update if there are any noteworthy changes or new discoveries!

Until next time, adventure on!

Si

An afternoon in VenicePhoto by: Leonardo Barbosa (Stock Exchange)

Buongiorno!

In today’s visit, the Disabled Travelers blog crew will continue our voyage through Italy. Last time, we made some discoveries about getting around and getting involved in one of the world’s most iconic cities, Rome. For all its history and charm, Rome is getting better and better for travel with a disability, particularly in the central areas convenient to the Colosseum, Forum, and more. Now we’ll be journey onward to some of the other famous cities and historical sites in the big boot.

Global Access News has been all over Italy through the years; last time we caught up with them in Rome, and this time they have an especially useful access guide for Vicenza and Florence. This article is very precise and detailed about transportation, accessible hotels, general travel conditions and how the travelers were received by the Italian people they met. It also offers a lot of great disabled travel resources for all kinds of situations and itineraries throughout Italy. There’s even a travelogue from the Venice Carnival.

Through the team at tour operator Accessible Europe, the Accessible Florence index has brief descriptions of public transportation, museums, and wheelchair accessible hotels along with their notable features. Though the information is no longer updated, those looking for a reliable tour guide for their pan-Italian journey can look elsewhere on the website for package offerings and pricing. Accessible Journeys also has tour packages for Rome, Venice, and Florence.

Florence is known as the artistic capital of Italy, and contains some of the greatest surviving examples of Renaissance masterworks anywhere in the world. For a great general introduction to the city, try the Lonely Planet Guide to Florence. I usually try to avoid suggesting that you buy any kind of informational product in preparation for a trip, but I’m impressed by what I’ve heard about and read in The Accessible Guide to Florence, available for just under $20. It has five-star reviews on Amazon and seems to contain a lot of very specific info, which is just what you’ll need if you want to make the most of this sometimes challenging city.

As for Venice, who doesn’t know about the City of Canals? Start out with the Europe For Visitors access guide to Venice; it’s packed with valuable information. Allegro in Venice provides accessible tours throughout Venice. In fact, it prides itself on being the “only agency in Venice” that focuses on the needs of handicapped travelers. From their quick access guide to Venice you can find out about wheelchair accessible hotels, routes, and monuments. Accessible Italy, which we first met in our last post, has some great facts on museums, transport, and even beaches – and they also offer custom tours.

There’s enough information available on the ‘net to put together an itinerary of your own, but considering there are major hurdles in Venice (most bridges aren’t accessible without serious assistance) I’d still recommend a reputable guide. Check out the Italy Travel News Blog for disabled travel news from Venice and elsewhere.

Next time we’ll wrap up our trip through Italy with a quick jaunt through Vatican City, center of the Catholic Church and home of the Pope.

Si