The radio interview on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Here on Earth show with Scott Rains and myself is now available:
Accessible Everything
An accessible & inclusive travel blog for people with disabilities
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Interview on Wisconsin Public Radio
I’ve just finished an interview with regards to inclusive travel for people with disabilities and my new company accessible.travel on Wisconsin Public Radio on their show “Here on Earth” with Scott Rains. A podcast of the interview will be available in the next couple of day and I’ll post it as soon as I can. In the meantime here’s some information about the interview from Here on Earth.
accessible.travel Poll
Today I saw an interesting article named “America’s 10 Most Walkable Cities” from The Daily Green. I’m curious as to whether the 10 most walkable cities are also the most accessible for people with disabilities.
You can vote for the most accessible US city on the accessible.travel Community (it will only take a minute to sign up and it’s completely free). Below is a picture of the accessible.travel Poll with the different city options, you cannot vote here on the blog, please join the accessible.travel Community and vote on my profile page.
Craig
accessible.travel in the Travel Biz Monitor
An article about accessible.travel in the Travel Biz Monitor (India)
accessible.travel, instant hotel booking engine for People with Disabilities likely to launch in India by year-end
By Khushboo Sahrawat | Mumbai
accessible.travel, the world’s first instant hotel booking engine for People with Disabilities (PwDs) was launched last month by Craig Grimes, Director, accessible.travel. Talking about the new initiative, Craig Grimes told TravelBiz Monitor, “The booking engine is different in terms of data provided regarding access and facilities for People with Disabilities at the hotels listed on the site. This has never been done before in a commercial way along with facility of instant booking.”
Source: Travel Biz Monitor
From the accessible.travel Blog
One man helps the disabled see the world
A profile about the work of Craig Grimes, Director of accessible.travel, in the Christian Science Monitor.
Matagalpa, Nicaragua - The winding turns, potholes, open sewers, and stray dogs make the streets of this northern Nicaraguan town tough to negotiate – let alone in a wheelchair.
“It’s the worst ever, without a doubt,” says Craig Grimes, with a laugh, as he grasps a signpost to pull his wheelchair up onto a street curb. “A lot of people in Matagalpa don’t know how to use their wheelchairs, because no one has ever taught them. I’ve been showing people in wheelchairs how to get around their own city, and they’ve lived here their whole lives.”
Source: Christian Science Monitor
From the accessible.travel Blog
My New Site, accessible.travel
Since AccessibleBarcelona started growing I have often received emails from people with disabilities asking if we only operate in Barcelona. People that have stayed in Barcelona through using the services of AccessibleBarcelona also frequently get back in touch for advice regarding other cities and asking if we can help them arrange trips to other destinations.
I’ve often thought about trying to expand my work through replicating the ideals and standards of AccessibleBarcelona in other European cities. I love city breaks, just 3 months after becoming paraplegic I discharged myself from Pinderfields Spinal Injuries Unit and went travelling to the Netherlands with a friend. Whilst there we covered a lot of the country, but I especially loved Rotterdam and Amsterdam, 2 great cities.
Whilst working for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) in the UK I had to visit London, Cardiff and Belfast for work, but I also visited various cities in Germany and Prague the Czech Capital just for fun. After saying farewell to the SIA and moving to Barcelona I fell in love with the place, it’s just an amazing Mediterranean city, the hustle and bustle, culture, history, beach and the Pyrenees are very close too for a quick skiing trip in the winter. While living in Barcelona I didn’t travel all that much, but when I did I hit more European cities including Madrid, Edinburgh, Paris, Munich, Nuremberg and of course one of my all time favourites; Berlin.
The biggest problem with staying in a city a person with a disability seems to finding decent accessible accommodation, I’ve just been to London in Oct 2008 and trying to find a hotel was a real hassle. When I went to Paris I also had problems as well as when I was in Berlin. Just trying to find reliable information about accommodation facilities for people with disabilities is hard, although a hotel reservation engine may state that a hotel is “wheelchair friendly” or has “facilities for disabled” they don’t give us any details of what that actually means. Frequently, the people that have said that somewhere is suitable for people with disabilities don’t actually have a clue about what we need. Neither do they give us enough information or photos about the facilities so that we can make a decision for ourselves, they just assume that they know best and they are usually wrong.
accessible.travel is an attempt to even the playing field a little and give other people with disabilities information regarding accessible city breaks. The site will post hotel information and your comments about hotels and accommodation. This isn’t going to happen overnight, but with time, accessible.travel aims to be a useful resource to people with disabilities that, like me, love travelling to different cities around the world.
From the accessible.travel Blog
accessible.travel in Time Online
Today Time Online publsihed a short paragraph about accessible.travel. Hopefully this is the first of a lot of positive publicty to come our way. Below are a couple of screen shots of the page, to see the full thing please go to Time.
Images taken from Time.
European Budget Airline Policies
Here are some links to the policies of European Budget Airlines with regards to carriage of people with disabilities. Some are more useful than others, but this list provides a reference of quick links to the policies of airlines that you may have booked or are thinking of booking with:
Aegean Airlines: Passengers with special needs
Aer Arann: Passengers with reduced mobility
Aer Lingus: Special Assistance
Airberlin: After looking through their site and in the site map I couldn’t actually find anything for people with disabilities. Please check the airberlin site and if you find anything please post it here!
Air Malta: Pregnancy and Medical
Air Southwest: Can Air Southwest accept passengers with disabilities?
ArkeFly: Minder validen (in Dutch)
Avro: FAQ’s: Health, Special Assistance and Requests. Scroll down the FAQs to the relevant links.
Blue Air: 7. Refusal and Limitation of Carriage. Click on the title to reveal “Special Assistance.”
Blu Express: 9. I have special needs; who should I contact? Scroll down to relevant section.
Brussels Airlines: Special Assistance
bmibaby: special requirements
Condor: I couldn’t find anything on their site but then again it’s in German, see the Condor site for further details.
Easyjet: Passengers with specific requirements
Flybaboo: FAQs number 26. I am an invalid and need special assistance. What should I do? Scorll down to relevant part.
Flybe: Special Assistance
flyglobespan: Special Assistance
Fly Thomas Cook: I couldn’t find any information on the site but they did have a “special requests” page. I’d suggest trying one of the numbers there.
Germania: Handicapped Passengers
Germanwings: Passengers with limited mobility (click on the + sign at the end of the title to see more information)
Iceland Express: Passengers with Disabilities
Jet2: Special needs and mobility assistance
Meridiana: Special Assistance
Monarch: See Avro
Norwegian Air Shuttle: Special Needs
Peagsus: Passengers with Special Needs
Ryanair: Special Assistance
Smart Wings: After looking through their site I couldn’t actually find anything for people with disabilities. Please check the Smart Wings site and if you find anything please post it here!
Sun Express: After looking through their site and in the site map I couldn’t actually find anything for people with disabilities. Please check the Sun Express site and if you find anything please post it here!
Thomsonfly: Passengers with special needs
Transavia: Site Map Look under “practical information”.
Tuifly: FAQs Scroll down to relevant part. They basically say contact the TUI Service Centre.
Vueling: What conditions does the company offer for passengers with special needs?
Wizz Air: Useful Information: Passengers with special needs. Scroll down until you get to the relevant section.
From the accessible.travel Community and
the accessible.travel Blog
The Perfect Bathroom Sketch
Today my brother, Andrew, that works with me in Barcelona at accessible.travel went out and did a hotel assessment. Not only was the assessment itself really well done (although the hotel wasn’t as accessible as we would have hoped), he drew the perfect bathroom sketch and I just wanted to share it with you all!
I think we’ll be giving Andrew the job of drawing the bathrooms plans for accessible.travel as he does them much better than I do. The above picture is a little small, but on the actual accessible.travel site you will be able to see the detail much more clearly.
Update: You can now see the full review with photos and the bathroom sketch on accessible.travel
From the accessible.travel Blog
Review of the Scandic Byporten, Oslo
Another example of how information may be displayed on the accessible.travel booking engine, this time with a general description/introduction to the hotel. Unfortunately, at the time of publication we do not have access to photos of the adaptations at this hotel, we are working to correct this as soon as possible.
Scandic Byporten, Oslo
Jernbanetorget 6
0154, Oslo
Welcome to Scandic Byporten
Enjoy fjord views from the Scandic Byporten hotel, set in Oslo’s Central Station.
Great shopping and Oslo attractions are on the doorstep. Inside, find high-speed internet access in all rooms, as well as a business corner. Convene in one of two on site meeting rooms or keep fit in the gym, just 1 block away.
Oslo shopping is on your doorstep at the Scandic Byporten hotel – the hotel is in the same building as the Byporten Shopping Centre. Explore nearby Oslo attractions like Akershus Fortress or bustling Karl Johan Street. Sporty types will love Bogstad Golf Club, 13 miles away.
Information for People with Disabilities
Entrance for People with Disabilities:
Ramped or level access to main entrance: Yes
Door Width: 100cm
Type of door: Sliding automatic door
Lift:
Lift door width: 90cm
Lift depth: 136cm
Lift width: 156cm
Is there an audible signal for lift stops at each floor: Yes
Is there a hand-rail in the lift: Yes
Guest Rooms with Facilities for People with Disabilities:
Door width: 87cm
Type of beds available: Double.
Height of bed: 58cm
Clear space under bed: 30cm
Light switch next to bed: Yes
The furniture in the bedroom cannot be rearranged
En-suite Bathroom:
Door type: Door opens inwards
Door width: 88cm
Bathing Facilities:
Roll in shower: Yes
Shower door width: 73cm
Dimensions of shower: 98cm x 179cm
Wall mounted shower seat provided: No (a free standing seat is available)
Shower handrails height: 100cm
Shower handrail length: 30cm
WC:
WC height: 48cm
Facing toilet, clear space on left side is: 35 cm.
Facing toilet, clear space on right side is: 125 cm.
Clear space in front of WC: 200cm
WC handrail length (drop down): 70cm
WC handrail height: 65cm
Sink:
Sink height: 85cm
Clear space under sink: 71cm
Clear width under sink: 178cm
Sink depth to back wall: 50cm
Other Details:
Public alarm system with: visual alarm signal, vibrating pad and auditory signal (bell / siren)
You can reserve this hotel through accessible.travel
From the accessible.travel Blog