The Desperate Need For Having Accessible Travel For The Disabled
There is a need for some serious revamping of what we call accessible travel in this country. Anyone facing a disability is going to require a little more effort on behalf of those around them to get from point A to point B. Restaurants and restrooms, for example are simply not set up to allow for the maneuverability of a wheelchair.
The biggest problem with the travel industry is that the disability access areas are designed by able bodied people. There are many special needs bathrooms that are literally too small to allow a wheelchair to be manipulated 360 degrees to allow for full access to the toilet, door, and the sink. Something relatively simple like making sure the doors are light enough to be opened by someone in a wheelchair is overlooked by the able bodied designer. Otherwise, pleasurable travel for the disabled would become a reality.
Handicapped accessible cruise ships have been cited for not having the ability to allow wheelchair bound guests to open the doors. In fact, many of the doors are so heavy that those who are assisting the disabled have difficulty getting the wheelchair through the door. The location of access ramps, elevators, and assistance buttons are generally inconvenient enough that it can’t really be considered accessible.
Moreover, the able bodied employees of the travel industry often do not think in terms of relative safety as it applies to the disabled. For instance, airports often tend to wait until disembarking to call for a wheelchair. The individual must wait while everyone disembarks and often wait even longer for the personnel to show up with a wheelchair.
Also, all employees should be required to spend a day learning about the needs of their disabled customers. Often the travel industry is not very courteous, safety minded, or even aware when it comes to meeting the needs of those requiring assistance.
Something as simple as requiring assistance for refueling at a gas station often becomes a compromised situation. Read the fine print of the assistance sticker and it is made clear that if there is only one person on duty those needing assistance will not be helped. Requiring those with special needs to wait for the simple things is not only insulting, but it can in fact be dangerous.
Access should be easy enough to get to that those with all kinds of disabilities should be able to travel without the need for extra assistance that they would not normally require. Management of travel facilities can play a huge role in creating the safe and user friendly environment that is required not only by law, but by the state of consciousness.
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Tags: accessible travel, air travel, airports, disabled travel, Restaurant, restaurants, Taxi, travel for disabled