The Coloseum at Night
Photo by: Marin Petrov (Stock Exchange)

Hello, all! After Disabled Travelers’ recent adventures throughout Africa and in Egypt, we’re heading to a whole new locale today: Rome. This city, with its ancient monuments dating back thousands of years, its amazing churches, and its spectacular food is visited by four million people – and a good many of them are handicapped travelers with special needs. We’ll be exploring wheelchair accessible Rome today, and in the future we’ll wander through the countryside and see what there is to see in Florence and other major destinations.

Slow Travel has a series of articles on Rome featuring writer Mary Murphy-Hanson sharing her disabled travel experiences throughout the city. Her travelogues include a look at ancient sites like the Colosseum and Forum, the Jewish Ghetto, the city’s museums, and more. The guide also includes useful maps and a general overview all about preparing for an Italian getaway. There’s also a brief travelogue at Apparelyzed.

Though some of the ancient sites are surprisingly accessible, one of the big challenges is finding conveniently placed wheelchair accessible hotels in this crowded city. There are a few good options, but Rome being the hub of tourism that it is, be warned that the high quality of desirable hotels will be attended by a steeper than average price. Also know that in terms of sheer distance, much of Rome is paved in relatively uneven stone or bricks that will mean more work for wheelchair users and their travel companions.

Once you’re over the sticker shock, though, take comfort in the fact that there are quite a few accessible options for your stay. Some of these include Hotel Mercure Delta Colosseo, a four-star hotel only a little ways from the Colosseum, and the Best Western Hotel Universo, which reportedly has good wheelchair accessible features and Wi-Fi. For more information on hotels, accessible transportation, and attractions both old and new, check out “Rolling in Rome” – which also has recent, specific tips on streets to use and avoid, and how to approach several of Rome’s antiquities for best access. Though this review isn’t complimentary about Rome’s efforts to provide accessible travel, it does note that wheelchair riders are advanced to the front of most, if not all lines.

For a full-service tour operator with equipment rentals, try Accessible Italy. They offer tours through Rome, Venice, Florence, and ancient sites from the art scene. They can also help plan and set up wheelchair accessible weddings or sports events for rollers. Travelocity, a great company but one not generally known for handicapped travel, has another access guide on Rome that might be useful. It also tipped me off about Secret Walks in Rome, a company that provides guided tours that can be made accessible. Secret Walks does not have a site I could find, but you can read more about them in this New York Times travel advisory.

Finally, try Just Italy, a massive travel guide to the entire Italian “boot” that has lots of information to help you enjoy the culture and experience. You can read about the language, art, health system, cuisine, sports, and a collection of other interesting topics. From the practical perspective, find maps and touring info over the entire country, and articles about getting visas and avoiding bureaucratic issues – always important!

Next time we’ll move into the Italian countryside with a view of two of the country’s other most famous places, Florence and Venice. Until then, arrivederci – and adventure on!

Si

Pristine wilderness in Harriman Lake Park, Colorado.

Hello all, and welcome back to the Disabled Travelers blog, your source for the latest in disabled travel knowledge. This week it’s all about accessibility in outdoor adventures. Disability travel shouldn’t be limited to tourist destinations; there are plenty of beautiful sights out there in nature that disabled travelers have every right to enjoy. Luckily, there’s a slew of reliable disabled travel resources for those who want to see natural beauty with as little interference as possible from “civilization.” Among these are tour operators and travel agents devoted to disabled accessible camping in a variety of places.

Let’s start off with Accessible Canadian Adventures. This is a company that’s all about providing accessible fishing, hunting, and wildlife photography adventures. The company has an incredible range, covering most of Canada, and can also organize trips to Australia. Among these “meticulously planned” adventures are hunting trips for the game of your choice, including elk, red stag, snow geese, and even grizzly bears. Fishing can include musky, pike, salmon, and more. There’s some pretty amazing information and accommodations here for anyone interested in heading up north or down under.

Endeavour Safaris covers disabled travel and wheelchair accessible safaris in Africa, specifically South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. It offers beach tours, day trips, and even a few more extreme options like bungee jumping, paragliding, and shark cage diving. This all depends on your mobility and comfort level, naturally, but the company website claims they can organize accessible travel based on your level of activity and interest. All the vehicles in Endeavour Safari’s fleet are equipped with hydraulic lifts for wheelchair access. In addition to the accessible transportation options, there are also accessible camping facilities with specialized tents.

Some folks might want to head to the great outdoors, but have real concerns whether their equipment is up to the challenge. Look no further than “all-terrain” Renegade Wheelchairs. These chairs are inspired by mountain bike technology and are specially designed to serve handicapped travelers under conditions where wheelchair access isn’t typical: according to the website, a Renegade Wheelchair can handle mud, sand, and snow. Interestingly, the Hunting Package option comes with a fishing pole holder, mobile blind, and even a gun rack! Now, I should point out that I have no personal experience with a Renegade Wheelchair, but the reviews I’ve been able to find sound favorable. I’d like to hear from a genuine Renegade user in person, so drop me a line.

In the United States, Wilderness on Wheels has hiking, fishing, wildlife watching, camping, cookouts, and picnics in the wilderness of Denver, Colorado. Adaptive Adventures is another great organization in Colorado. Anchors Aweigh, operating out of beautiful Amelia Island in Florida, is a nonprofit handicapped organization that provides free charter boats for those who love to fish. Challenged Sportsman’s Outfitters is an Alabama nonprofit with fishing, hunting, and wheelchair accessible lodging. SitSki offers resources for adaptive skiing and sports around the country.

Looking for more general info on outdoor activities for handicapped travelers? There are a couple of good general sites for sportsmen and sportswomen with mobility issues. Todd Albaugh’s Handicapped Hunting Resource Guide has great support for any trip that’s going to involve hunting, with state-by-state overviews, resourceful links, and equipment. Some of the info is a little dated, but it’s still a great help for finding out more from government agencies and nonprofits. Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America is a nonprofit nationwide community for handicapped bowhunters, and promotes bowhunting for therapeutic use.

Well, that’s it for outdoor adventures and today’s blog post. Of course, there are many more disabled travel resources than we can ever cover in one post – and I’ll be back with some more of them in just a little while. So until then, keep adventuring!

Si