Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. There are more options and resources out there than ever before.
One of the best Irish-based online resources is www.disability.ie. Click on the "Holidays" link for good advice on traveling in Ireland with a disability and for companies that specialize in helping travelers with disabilities.
The Irish Wheelchair Association, Áras Chúchulainn, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3 (tel. 01/833-8241; www.iwa.ie), loans free wheelchairs to travelers in Ireland. A donation is appreciated. Several branch offices are located in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kavan, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow.
If you plan to travel by train in Ireland, be sure to check out Iarnrod Éireann's website (www.irishrail.ie), which includes services for travelers with disabilities. A Mobility Impaired Liaison Officer (tel. 01/703-2634) can arrange assistance for travelers with disabilities if given 24-hour notice prior to the departure time.
For advice on travel to Northern Ireland, contact Disability Action, Portside Business Park, 189 Airport Rd. West, Belfast BT3 9ED (tel. 028/9029-7880; www.disabilityaction.org). The Northern Ireland Tourist Board also publishes a helpful annual Information Guide to Accessible Accommodation, available from any of its offices worldwide.
Finding accessible lodging can be tricky in Ireland. As a historic country, where many of the buildings are hundreds of years old, older hotels, small guesthouses, and landmark buildings still have steps outside and in. The National Rehabilitation Board of Ireland, 24-25 Clyde Rd., Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (tel. 01/608-0400), publishes several guides, the best of which is Guide to Accessible Accommodations in Ireland. Also, O'Mara Travel (disability@omara-travel.com), in association with the Disability.ie website , often offers special deals on accommodations to travelers with disabilities.
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), Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com), and Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com). Avis Rent a Car has an "Avis Access" program that offers such services as a dedicated 24-hour toll-free number (tel. 888/879-4273) for customers with special travel needs; special car features such as swivel seats, spinner knobs, and hand controls; and accessible bus service.
Organizations that offer assistance to disabled travelers include MossRehab (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.
Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com), and Open World magazine, published by SATH.
