Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling in the U.S. Thanks to provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act, most public places are required to comply with disability-friendly regulations. There are more options and resources out there than ever before.
Travelers with disabilities are made to feel very welcome in Maui. 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), can provide information.
The only travel agency in Hawaii specializing in needs for travelers with disabilities is Access Aloha Travel (tel. 800/480-1143; www.accessalohatravel.com), which can book anything, including rental vans, accommodations, tours, cruises, airfare, and anything else you can think of.
If you plan to see Haleakala National Park, check out the America the Beautiful -- National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass -- Access Pass (formerly the Golden Access Passport), which gives visually impaired or persons with permanent disabilities (regardless of age) free lifetime entrance to federal recreation sites administered by the National Park Service, including the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation. This may include national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges.
The America the Beautiful Access Pass can be obtained only in person at any NPS facility that charges an entrance fee. You need to show proof of medically determined disability. Besides free entry, the pass offers a 50% discount on some federal-use fees charged for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. For more information, go to www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or call the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which issues the passes, at tel. 888/275-8747.
For more on organizations that offer resources to travelers with disabilities, go to Frommers.com.
