A disability shouldn't stop anyone from traveling -- but that doesn't mean you should expect wheelchair access to 2,000-year-old rock pits. Although ramps have begun to appear in select Turkish hotels and museums, don't expect the going to be easy. Turkish hospitality being what it is, it's the odd tour guide or group leader who won't bend over backward to accommodate your individual needs.
Many travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours and cruises that emphasize sports and private tours in minivans with lifts. Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com) caters specifically to slow walkers and wheelchair travelers and their families and friends.
Organizations that offer assistance to travelers with disabilities include MossRehab (www.mossresourcenet.org), which provides a library of accessible-travel resources online; the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org; annual membership fees: $45 adults, $30 seniors and students), which offers a wealth of travel resources for all types of disabilities and informed recommendations on destinations, access guides, travel agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals, and companion services; and the American Foundation for the Blind (tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org), which provides information on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs.
For more information specifically targeted to travelers with disabilities, the community website iCan (www.icanonline.net/channels/travel/index.cfm) has destination guides and several regular columns on accessible travel. Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons ($14.95 per year, $19.95 outside the U.S.; www.emerginghorizons.com); Twin Peaks Press (tel. 360/694-2462), offering travel-related books for travelers with special needs; and Open World Magazine, published by the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (subscription: $18 per year, $35 outside the U.S.).
