Disclosure: collaborative post
In my role as a nurse, I’m often organising travel and transport for people with disabilities, so I thought I would write a post outlining a few tips for anyone new to planning travel for a passenger with disabilities. There will obviously be a great variety of people with disabilities, so it will depend on the individual traveling.
Plan well in advance
If you can, the main trick is to plan, plan, plan. Get your dates of travel down early and book your tickets, whether they are for a plane, train or car. If you are flying, you will need to consider how you will get from the airport to your hotel as well as getting to the airport itself. If you need to get a car booked make sure they will be able to accommodate you and any equipment you need.
When you book your tickets and accommodation, mention your disabilities and make sure you will be alright moving around the accommodation and that they have disabled access. Most places have disabled suites and access so it isn’t a problem, but some have more work to do. If flying, your airline should be able to help you with priority boarding and extra room on board.
Get your equipment in order
If you have a wheelchair or other mobility equipment, make sure it is up to date with its services and maintenance, you don’t want anything breaking down whilst you are away.
Fill up your prescription medicines and any over the counter ones you take. Take a list of your medication with you in case you need to seek medical help whilst you are away.
If you use oxygen, you can still go away on that well-deserved break. You can get a portable oxygen concentrator for the journey as needed.
If you use continence products like pads and catheters, make sure you have enough for your trip away and a few to spare just in case.
Consider a medical alert bracelet
It might give you peace of mind to have a medical alert bracelet or card if you have particular medical conditions like epilepsy or an allergy. If you have a condition like MS which means you might need the toilet urgently, you can get a card saying you have a condition meaning you need to use the toilet suddenly.
I hope these tips help you plan your trip, there’s very few reasons why you can’t travel, the world awaits you!
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