Don't Let a Physical Disability Cancel Your Summer Travel Plans

During the summer, a majority of us will take a trip to our favorite vacation spot—or hit the road in search of a new one. Traveling can play an important role in our short- and long-term health, giving us the ability to relax from the pressures that arise in our daily lives. Yet, for more than 1.2 million people in Georgia with a disability, feeling at ease during a trip can be difficult at times.

If you have a disability, or know of someone traveling with a physical restriction, below are some helpful tips to make the trip enjoyable and stress-free.

General Advice

• Plan your trip ahead of time. Doing your homework—such as researching accommodations offered by airlines, area hotels, and tourist attractions—will minimize accessibility challenges during your trip. When you call, speak directly with someone before booking your reservations and clearly describe your disability and needs to the representative. This is especially important for hotels outside of the United States as they may not abide by the same handicap regulations.
• Keep your doctor informed about your travel plans. Before traveling, remember to provide details of your trip to your doctor as he or she may offer medical guidance for your trip and discuss any of your health concerns. Always travel with a doctor’s note, preferably on letterhead with the practice’s phone number, covering your condition, medications, potential complications, special needs and other relevant information.

Ambulatory Disability

• Allow an airline to assist. If you’re planning to fly, take advantage of your airline’s accommodations. For instance, if you are in a wheelchair or dependent on supplemental oxygen, an employee will be happy to assist you through security and to your gate (allowing you to go to the front of the line in most cases). They will also alert the staff at your destination, making sure someone will meet your plane and escort you to the next gate. To save yourself time and hassle, avoid connecting flights when possible.
• Bring additional parts and tools for your wheelchair. Wheelchairs can take tremendous abuse while traveling, which is all the more reason to pack a small kit for emergency repairs.

Visual Disability

• Make your luggage stand out. Oftentimes the most difficult task for anyone—disabled or not—is retrieving one’s luggage. An audible luggage locator can help you find your bag quickly as it circles around the carousel. Or, make your luggage stand out as much as possible with colored tape, ribbons or stickers so anyone assisting you can easily identify the piece.
• Know where guide dogs are permitted. When traveling internationally, it’s important that you carefully research the anti-rabies laws of those countries as they may restrict the entrance of animals—even guide dogs.

Hearing Disability

• Research hotel services. Hotels in the U.S. are required to have visual-alert systems so that hearing-impaired guests know when the phone rings, someone knocks at the door or a fire alarm goes off. The same cannot be said for hotels in other parts of the world, so check in advance.
• Pack additional resources. If you wear a hearing aid, make sure to pack extra batteries and tubing. If you’re flying, keep a set of batteries in both your carry-on and checked luggage to prevent total loss of hearing aid use.

Mark Kishel, M.D., FAAP is Regional Vice President and Senior Clinical Officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics