Travelers with disabilities are made to feel very welcome in Kauai. Hotels are usually equipped with wheelchair-accessible rooms, and tour companies provide many special services. The Hawaii Center for Independent Living, 414 Kauwili St., Suite 102, Honolulu, HI 96817 (tel. 808/522-5400; fax 808/586-8129; www.hawaii.gov/health), can provide information and send you a copy of the Aloha Guide to Accessibility ($15).
MossRehab ResourceNet (www.mossresourcenet.org) is a great source for information, tips, and resources relating to accessible travel. You'll find links to a number of travel agents who specialize in planning trips for travelers with disabilities here and through Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com), another excellent online source. You'll also find relay and voice numbers for hotels, airlines, and car-rental companies on Access-Able's user-friendly site, as well as links to accessible accommodations, attractions, transportation, tours, local medical resources, equipment repair, and much more.
For travelers with disabilities who wish to do their own driving, hand-controlled cars can be rented from Avis (tel. 800/331-1212; www.avis.com) and Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com). The number of hand-controlled cars in Hawaii is limited, so be sure to book well in advance. For wheelchair-accessible vans, contact Accessible Vans of Hawaii, 186 Mehani Circle, Kihei (tel. 800/303-3750 or 808/879-5521; fax 808/879-0640; www.accessiblevans.com). Kauai recognizes other states' windshield placards indicating that the driver of the car is disabled, so be sure to bring yours with you.
Vision-impaired travelers who use a Seeing Eye dog can now come to Hawaii without the hassle of quarantine. A recent court decision ruled that visitors with Seeing Eye dogs only need to present documentation that the dog is a trained Seeing Eye dog and has had rabies shots. For more information, contact the Animal Quarantine Facility (tel. 808/483-7171; www.hawaii.gov).
