Traveling and Disability: What You Should Know

by Lisa Evans

The social model of disability asserts that “disability” is not due to the medical circumstances of an individual but rather it is a result of society. Society disables people because it is constructed in a way which prevents people with disabilities from properly accessing society. If our social environments were made more accessible then the limits placed upon people with impairments would be incredibly reduced and as such they would become less disabled. The social nature of disability can appear most prevalent in the area of travel. Many modes of transport are not designed with passengers with disabilities in mind and accessible accommodation can often come with a premium charge. Thankfully there are a variety of organizations, such as charities, where help can be found.

Travel insurance

People with disabilities are often more susceptible to illness when traveling. It is important that you check your health insurance before taking any vacations as you may find that you are not covered if you leave the state or the country. Normal travel insurance, such as that offered with package holidays and cruises, will not cover pre-existing conditions. When taking out insurance you will need to consider the ‘look back period’, this is a period of time prior to taking out the insurance in which your health must have remained stable. This can vary from between 60 to 180 days, although 90 is the most common. An illness can be considered to be pre-existent for a variety of reasons, but the general rule is that if it is an illness for which you would have had symptoms during the lookback period which would have caused most people to visit a physician then the condition will be thought of as pre-existing. Clearly many people with disabilities will fall into the category of having pre-existing conditions. Many insurance companies will automatically exclude people with pre-existing conditions from taking out travel insurance. There are options for people seeking a policy which waives pre-existing conditions, however, you must be prepared to pay a premium which, depending upon your personal health and the various insurance firms, can become incredibly expensive and so it is best to shop around.

Cruises

In 2001 a lawsuit brought by the disability rights campaign group Access Now, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), led to the company Carnival Cruise agreeing to make ‘substantial changes’ to their ships to make them more accessible to people with disabilities. Following on from this Access Now went on to take out lawsuits against various cruise companies. This was hailed as a success as it meant that people with disabilities could fully partake in cruising whilst maintaining their independence. The Federal Register announced an amendment to the ADA stating that guidelines will be implemented so that ‘vessels are readily accessible to and usable by passengers with disabilities’. This new access has opened up the world of cruising to people with disabilities but there are still numerous issues to consider before taking your trip, such as the accessibility of excursions and the manner in which the boat will be tendered at its varying locations.

Following the sinking of the Italian ship the Costa Concordia, in which passengers with disabilities died after being abandoned, many cruise companies have become more stringent in demanding that people with disabilities travel with an able bodied companion. If you do not have an able bodied person who can travel with you, you can arrange, at your own expense to have a travel companion escort you on your vacation. This entails paying for an additional ticket and for the charge of the companion, so it can be financially restrictive, yet it can also offer a lifeline to those who have no other options. Another expense people with disabilities should consider is the need to pay for a larger cabin; P&O and their sister company Cunard angered passengers with disabilities when they implemented a new policy in the spring of 2013 stating that passengers who use wheelchairs and scooters must book cabins large enough to keep their aids in their rooms rather than keeping them in gangways. Other cruise companies have similar policies. It is possible to book accessible rooms with little to no extra expense these can be very limited and so it is necessary to book as early as possible to avoid having to pay much higher costs for larger cabins or suites.

Accessibility

There are a variety of options for people with disabilities when choosing a vacation. This can include home exchanges with people with similar needs. This ensures that whilst visiting another part of the world you are still provided with all of the disability aids and access you need for your particular disability. There are numerous companies and charities offering specialized vacations for people with disabilities and additional needs. These organizations ensure that there is little that people with disabilities cannot do when it comes to their choice of vacation. There are even companies specializing in providing people with disabilities with accessible African safaris and, for the adventurous, companies offering rafting and kayaking activities. For those seeking a less white knuckle vacation the Handicapped Travel Club run rallies and meets, and provide information for those seeking to modify RVs so that they are accessible for people with disabilities. If you choose a foreign vacation it is wise to register your trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This is a free government run program and helps to ensure that if you require emergency assistance whilst traveling abroad that help can be made available sooner.

This is not to say that all is rosy. There are still many barriers for people with disabilities when traveling. This can include inadequate access to hotel rooms, transport and restaurants; little information about accessibility to attractions; inadequate provision of accessible, adapted toilets; and the poor training of customs staff when dealing with aids and prosthetic. These barriers are surmountable though and with the right support and a little research people with disabilities should now be able to enjoy the same travel privileges as those without disabilities.