Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

There's no reason for those of you with disabilities to miss most of the fun that Orlando and the theme parks have to offer. There are more options and resources out there than ever before.

Accomodations -- Every hotel and motel in Florida is required by law to have a special room or rooms equipped for wheelchairs. A few have wheel-in showers. Walt Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort (tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/939-1000; www.disneyworld.com) has 99 rooms designed to accommodate guests with disabilities. Disney's Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts are both particularly well suited to guests who use wheelchairs, as the location of the resorts on the monorail system makes travel to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot a bit easier. Make your special needs known when making reservations. For other information about special Disney rooms, call tel. 407/939-7807.

If you don't mind staying 15 minutes from Disney, Yvonne's Property Management (tel. 877/714-1144 or 863/424-0795; www.villasinorlando.com) is a rental agent for, among other things, some handicapped-accessible homes that have multiple bedrooms, multiple bathrooms with accessible showers, full kitchens, and pools outfitted with lifts. Most cost less than $300 a night and are located in Davenport.

Medical Travel Inc. (tel. 800/778-7953; www.medicaltravel.org) is another source of rentals, scooters and vans, and medical equipment, and can satisfy other needs of disabled travelers, including those with terminal illnesses, and their families.

Transportation -- Public buses in Orlando have hydraulic lifts and restraining belts for wheelchairs. They serve Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, the shopping areas, and downtown Orlando. Disney shuttle buses all accommodate wheelchairs as does the monorail system and some of the watercraft that travel to the parks and resorts.

If you need to rent a wheelchair or electric scooter for your visit, Walker Medical & Mobility Products offers delivery to your room, and there's a model for guests who weigh as much as 375 pounds. These products fit into Disney's transports and monorails as well as rental cars. Get more information by calling tel. 888/726-6837 or 407/331-9500, or on the Internet go to www.walkermobility.com. CARE Medical Equipment (tel. 800/741-2282 or 407/856-2273; www.caremedicalequipment.com) offers similar services.

Disney (tel. 407/934-7639; www.disneyworld.com) offers wheelchair rentals at the parks, Downtown Disney, and in more limited numbers, at the resorts. In addition, a very limited number of Electric Convenience Scooters are also available for rent at the parks. Note: Although the Segway is becoming increasingly popular as a mode of transportation for those with disabilities, neither Disney nor SeaWorld permit them inside any of their parks. Universal Orlando does allow them inside their parks. Segways can be rented at the Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Dr. (tel. 407/685-1600).

Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) provides redcap service, wheelchair assistance, and special seats if you give 72 hours notice. Travelers with disabilities are also entitled to a 15% discount off the lowest available adult coach fare (though they cannot book online). Documentation from a doctor or an ID card proving your disability is required. Amtrak also provides wheelchair-accessible sleeping accommodations on long-distance trains. Service dogs are permitted aboard and travel free. TDD/TTY service is also available at tel. 800/523-6590, or you can write to P.O. Box 7717, Itasca, IL 60143.

Theme Parks -- Many attractions at the parks, especially the newer ones, are designed to be accessible to a wide variety of guests. People with wheelchairs and their parties are often given preferential treatment so they can avoid lines.

The available assistance is outlined in the guide maps you get as you enter the parks. All of the theme parks offer some parking close to the entrances for those with disabilities. Let the parking booth attendant know your needs, and you'll be directed to the appropriate spot. Wheelchair and electric cart rentals are available at most major attractions, but you'll be most comfortable in your chair or cart from home if you can bring it. Keep in mind, however, that wheelchairs wider than 24 1/2 inches may be difficult to navigate through some attractions. And crowds may make it tough for any guest.

At Walt Disney World -- Disney's many services are detailed in each theme park's Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. You can pick one up at Guest Relations near the front entrances to each of the parks. Also, you can call tel. 407/934-7639 or 407/824-2222 for answers to any questions regarding special needs. The guide is also available online at Disney's website, www.disneyworld.com (click through to the site map, then Web info, then ADA/Guests with Disabilities). Examples of services are as follows:

For information about Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) or sign-language interpreters at Disney World live shows, call tel. 407/827-5141 (TDD/TTY). You can usually get an ASL interpreter at several events and attractions if you call no later than 2 weeks in advance.

Other Resources -- You can get information online at the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau's (CVB) website, www.orlandoinfo.com.

WheelchairsOnTheGo.com is a comprehensive website that lists information on accessibility in Florida, from ground transportation to medical equipment rentals, accommodations, and attractions (and plenty more).

Organizations that offer a vast range of resources and assistance to disabled travelers include MossRehab (tel. 800/CALL-MOSS; 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.

Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com) offers a comprehensive database on travel agents from around the world with experience in accessible travel; destination-specific access information; and links to such resources as service animals, equipment rentals, and access guides.

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); and Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com).

Flying with Disability (www.flying-with-disability.org) is a comprehensive information source on airplane travel. Avis Rent a Car (tel. 888/879-4273) has an "Avis Access" program that offers services for customers with special travel needs. These include specially outfitted vehicles with swivel seats, spinner knobs, and hand controls; mobility scooter rentals; and accessible bus service. Be sure to reserve well in advance.

Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com), available by subscription ($16.95 year in the U.S.; $21.95 outside the U.S.).

The "Accessible Travel" link at Mobility-Advisor.com (www.mobility-advisor.com) offers a variety of travel resources to disabled persons.

British travelers should contact Holiday Care (tel. 0845-124-9971 in UK only; www.holidaycare.org.uk) to access a wide range of travel information and resources for disabled and elderly people.

If you plan on visiting the Cape Canaveral National Seashore as a side trip while in Orlando, know that the America the Beautiful -- National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass -- Access Pass (formerly the Golden Access Passport) gives visually impaired or permanently disabled persons (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.

The America the Beautiful Access Pass can only be obtained 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 also 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 tel. 888/467-2757.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2009 Author: Laura Lea Miller Pub Date: November 03, 2008 Price: $17.99				Related Titles: Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal SeaWorld & the Best of Central Florida, 6th Edition Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal SeaWorld & the Best of Central Florida, 5th Edition Frommer's Florida 2009