November 27, 2006
Fly With Steve Wright
Here's a sample of travel writing by somebody with real life experience:
When your spouse uses a wheelchair, your travel options aren't so much limited as they are dependent on creativity and flexibility.Long cross-ocean flights, for example, are not out of the question. But a wheelchair user with stiff joints, constant pain and prevalent fatigue due to severe rheumatoid arthritis will cope much better with eight-plus hours of flying if he or she can be accommodated with the roominess of a business-class seat.
The same goes for a place to sleep far from home. On a trip to Spain, we found there are barrier-free hotels, hostels, palladores and apartments, but that only about one in 50 is wheel- chair-accessible and about one in 10 of those advertise the fact that they can accommodate a disabled traveler.
And some places somehow come to the conclusion that they are wheelchair-accessible even though the only route to the front door is via eight steep, slippery steps.
Find our more about Steve Wright here. Find Steve Wright's full article at the Plains Dealer, "Call to Make Sure..."