Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

Jamaican hotels rarely give much publicity to the facilities (if any) they offer persons with disabilities, so it's always wise to contact the hotel directly, in advance. Tourist offices probably won't be able to help you with such questions.

Get a free copy of Air Transportation of Handicapped Persons from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Write for Free Advisory Circular No. AC12032, Distribution Unit, U.S. Department of Transportation, Publications Division, 3341Q 75 Ave., Landover, MD 20785 (tel. 301/322-4961; fax 301/386-5394; http://isddc.dot.gov). Only written requests are accepted.

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).

Organizations that offer 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 (tel. 877/424-7633) is now partnered with SATH and allows you to preselect top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency.

Check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com), and Open World magazine, published by SATH. The "Accessible Travel" link at Mobility-Advisor.com (www.mobility-advisor.com) offers a variety of travel resources to disabled persons.

For British Travelers -- Check out the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR), Unit 12, City Forum, 250 City Rd., London, ECIV 8AF (tel. 020/7250-3222; fax 020/7250-0212; www.radar.org.uk).