Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. There are more options and resources for travelers with disabilities than ever before.

A clearinghouse of official Canadian federal government information on disability issues, including those related to travel and transportation, is available from Persons with Disabilities Online, www.pwd-online.ca. The Canadian Paraplegic Association (tel. 613/723-1033; www.canparaplegic.org) can offer advice for mobility-challenged travelers as well as address issues for those with spinal cord injuries or with other physical disabilities. From the national website, you can click to find provincial organizations.

Organizations that offer a vast range of resources and assistance to disabled travelers include MossRehab (tel. 800/CALL-MOSS; www.mossresourcenet.org); the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) (tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org); and SATH (Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality) (tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org). AirAmbulanceCard.com is now partnered with SATH and allows you to preselect top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency.

Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com) offers a comprehensive database on travel agents from around the world with experience in accessible travel; destination-specific access information; and links to such resources as service animals, equipment rentals, and access guides.

Many travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. Among them are Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com); and Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com).

The "Accessible Travel" link at Mobility-Advisor.com (www.mobility-advisor.com) offers a variety of travel resources to disabled persons.

British travelers should contact Holiday Care (tel. 0845/124-9971 in the U.K. only; www.holidaycare.org.uk) to access a wide range of travel information and resources for seniors and travelers with disabilities.