Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling in the U.S. There are more options and resources out there than ever before.
Lots of work has been done in recent years to make San Antonio friendlier to those who use wheelchairs. The Riverwalk Trolley Station, for example, was built with a large elevator to transport people down to the water. Contact the San Antonio Planning Department (tel. 210/207-7245, voice and TTY) for additional information (including a map of River Walk access), or log on to the disability access section of the department's website (www.sanantonio.gov/planning/disability_access.asp). Several taxis have also been equipped with lifts and ramps; Yellow-Checker (tel. 210/222-2222) has most of them. And two downtown trolleys and about 85% of the public buses are now accessible. For VIA Trans Disabled Accessibility Information, phone tel. 210/362-2140 (voice) or 210/362-2217 (TTY) or click on the "Accessible Service" section of www.viainfo.net. In addition, the Weekender section of the San Antonio Express-News includes accessibility symbols for restaurants, theaters, galleries, and other venues.
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 travelers with disabilities 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.
The community website iCan (www.icanonline.net/channels/travel) has destination guides and several regular columns on accessible travel. Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com) and Open World magazine, published by SATH.
