Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

In Italy, a few of the top museums and churches have installed ramps at the entrances, and a few hotels have converted first-floor rooms into accessible units by widening the doors and bathrooms. Other than that, don't expect to find much of Tuscany and Umbria easy to tackle. Builders in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance didn't have wheelchairs or mobility impairments in mind when they built narrow doorways and spiral staircases, and preservation laws keep modern Italians from being able to do much about this. Buses and trains can cause problems as well, with high, narrow doors and steep steps at entrances. There are, however, seats reserved on public transportation for travelers with disabilities.

One organization that helps travelers with disabilities in Tuscany is Accessible Italy (tel. 378-0549-9411; www.accessibleitaly.com). It provides travelers with information about accessible tourist sites and places to rent wheelchairs, as well as offering organized "Accessible Tours" around Italy. Additionally, this non-profit organization invests its proceeds in Italy's infrastructure, to make the country more accessible.