Accessible Travel

A holiday should be fun, but organising it can be extremely challenging if you have a disability or special needs. Even though many tour operators have a rather narrow idea of what constitutes accessibility for disabled, you don’t have to let this restrict your choice of break.

Getting started

Under the UK’s Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, all information provided by British travel agents, tour operators, airports and airlines must be clear, easy to use and acessible in alternative formats such as large print, Braille and audio.

Search through brochures and websites for the sort of bargain holiday you’d like, and then research the practicalities.

Have a good understanding of your capabilities and limitations, and list the difficulties you could face. This will undoubtedly begin to put limitations on your choice of destination.

However, you have the right to the same sort of holiday as any able-bodied person – and you may have to make this clear on more than one occasion when arranging your trip. The DDA states that you must not be less favourably treated than any other customer on account of your disability.

Speak to your travel agent and make it clear that you have special needs and what that means. (This is particularly important when booking by phone, internet or mail, and not face-to-face). Make sure your details are passed on to the airline, boat operator or coach company, as well as parties at your destination such as the travel rep and hotel.

There are a number of online travel companies and information providers that cater for holidaymakers with special needs and disabilities, such as Accessible Travel & Leisure (http://www.accessibletravel.co.uk).

Air travel

The rules of the DDA apply to all areas of British airports, from check-in areas and passport control, to shops and toilet facilities. Wheelchairs must be provided free of charge, and there should be, on request, people or facilities on hand to help you go through the necessary procedures and to get on the plane.

Discrimination laws do not apply to the airlines themselves. Nevertheless, many are striving towards acceptable standards of accessibility under a voluntary code of practice. This means you might be able to ask for an audio or Braille version of the safety procedures sheet, your guide dog will probably be able to travel in the cabin with you, and you may be able to get a fare reduction for your carer.

But don’t assume you will receive good care. Some airlines have been known to lose or damage wheelchairs, or refuse to allow disabled passengers to board without carers. Proposals to ban such behaviour are currently being debated in the European Parliament.

Accommodation

If you are booking your trip through a travel agent, make your needs plain and make sure the agent understands them and accurately passes them on to your hotel.

Whether you are booking through a third party or arranging your accommodation directly, get precise details about the hotel’s disabled facilities and don’t be fobbed off with vague assurances about accessibility.

Because a tour operator cannot guarantee you a specific room – on the ground floor, for instance – and because guide books rarely point out if one place or another is accessible, it is sometimes best to book your accommodation as you go, turning up at a hotel and appraising it by sight and questioning the manager. However, this is sometimes only practical on touring holidays.

If you arrive at your pre-arranged hotel to find that your room is unsuitable, don’t be afraid to ask to be moved. Many venues will be used to such requests and may even help to find alternative accommodation.

Further information

To provide details on the DDA and accessible travelling, the Government has set up a number of websites, including http://www.disability.gov.uk and http://www.direct.gov.uk/Audiences/DisabledPeople.