On a recent trip to Barcelona I decided to do a short video log of the trip called “Lap Packing”. I’ve now edited the first part and here it is. It’s not the best quality in the world, but then I’m not a film director!
Accessible Everything
An accessible & inclusive travel blog for people with disabilities
![[BlogBookmark]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/blogbookmark.png)
![[Bloglines]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Shoutwire]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/shoutwire.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://www.craiggrimes.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
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
Good News or Bad?
An article from TravelWeekly about Ryanair closing it’s base in Valencia, Spain. Ryanair probably have the worst reputation out of all airlines for their treatment of people with disabilities, however the closure means 750 people will loose their jobs and that’s never a good thing. Below is a link to the full article:
Ryanair closes base at Valencia
Source: TravelWeekly
Back in Nicaragua
Well folks, after almost a month in Europe I’m finally back in Nicaragua and the weather is fantastic and hot to say the least. Whilst in Europe I didn’t have much time to update Accessible Everything, but now I should be back on the case.
Some of the things that I will be writing about will be:
Barcelona
- A project with Play&Tour to create an MP3 Audio-Guide to Barcelona specifically aimed at people with physical disabilities.
- GoCar, a 3 wheeled car GPS Guided Tour that can be used by people with physical disabilities.
- A meeting with the Catalan Association of the Blind and Visually impaired with a view to bringing a small group of Spanish people with visual impairments to Nicaragua to undertake a responsible travel holiday.
United Kingdom
- A review of a presentation that I did at Leeds Metropolitan University to Responsible Travel lecturers and Masters students about Inclusive Responsible Travel for people with disabilities.
- A review of the Euston Premier Inn, London.
- Although it’s been there for years, I also went on the London Eye for the first time, so I’ll be writing a short piece about that experience.
International
- Traveling from the UK to Nicaragua with Continental Airways
Older stories that I never got around to Writing!
- More about my trip to Guatemala Easter 2008
- Hotel and destination reviews from India 2008
This week
- Today I’m heading to Managua as tomorrow is the opening of the Central American Travel Market. More info to come in the next few days.
American Airlines
These days all we read about from people with disabilities is how badly they’ve been treat by airlines, they have no disability awareness, they broke yet another wheelchair or they don’t have subtitles on the safety video so deaf people have no idea about the procedures in case of an emergency. We often complain and normally with good reason about the service that we receive and we rarely read about the positive actions of airlines or their staff.
I just wanted to share a small story about my recent trip from Nicaragua - Spain, I could probably write much more about the lack of service and awareness but we all know of these issues, instead I want to say thanks to American Airlines (I know, I’m surprised too!).
I reserved my ticket through LastMinute.com and at the last minute my flight from Managua - Miami was changed from Midday to 7.30am but the remaining part of the itinerary remained the same. Although this was nobody’s fault, just a change in the scheduling of the flights, for me as a paraplegic wheelchair user this has all kinds of consequences the main one being the extended amount of time the trip would take and the 9 hour layover in Miami. This in turn increases the amount of time that I am in my wheelchair and therefore the risk of getting pressure sores (also known as bed sores). Also as I cannot elevate my legs the blood gets stuck in my ankles and they swell which isn’t particularly great for anyone!
When we (my partner and I) arrived at Miami we went to the American Airlines desk and explained the situation. Without any fuss or arguing they immediately put us up in the Miami Airport Hotel and gave us free lunch vouchers. I was surprised to say the least as normally you have to argue for hours, stating and restating your complaint. We were given an adapted room and managed to get a few hours sleep and a shower before continuing our trip with British Airways. Although the adapted bathroom at the Miami Airport hotel left much to be desired as it had a very low bath and rather high beds, the break was very welcome.
Due to this great service from American Airlines I arrived in Barcelona fully intact without any pressure sores. So without further ado, THANK YOU American Airlines!
(this article is by no means an endorsement or recommendation for people with disabilities to use American Airlines!)
Matagalpa, Nicaragua - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Well, I’m on the road again, I’ve come to Sao Paul, Brazil for Reatech which is a Latin American disability exhibition. Their should be suppliers from all over South America and I’m quite looking forward to seeing what’s going on in this part of the world as well as meeting people face to face for the first time that I’ve known and worked with through the internet for the past few years.
The trip down was fine, I decided to do an overnight flight from Nicaragua - Panama - Brazil and try to sleep through it. The journey to Managua International Airport was uneventful and so was the check-in, however, the staff at the airport were just a little over bearing and wouldn’t leave me alone for 2 seconds! A word of warning, Panama International for some reason do not have aisle chairs, so make sure that the company that you fly with have one on the plane. I flew with Copa Airlines and the experience (at least coming here) was fine, nothing special, I’ve flown with better and I’ve flown with worse. The main thing is that me, my wheelchair and my bags all got here safe and sound.
I arrived at Guarluhos International at 5.30am and I’d booked 1 night in the IBIS Congonhas Airport so that I knew I had somewhere accessible to stay the first night. I’d already decided to catch the shuttle bus from one airport - the other and then catch a taxi but while at Guarluhos I decided to ask the price of a direct transfer to my hotel just in case and it was R$98, so I stuck to my plan and bought my R$28 shuttle bus ticket instead. When I was buying the ticket I asked if the bus was accessible and I was told that it was, of course, it wasn’t. A couple of guys helped me on and off the bus with no problems and as we arrived at Congonhas Airport I could see my IBIS just over the road. There was an overpass to the hotel but it had steps so I had to catch a taxi for R$11 instead. A total cost of R$39 rather than R$98, not bad I thought!
I was expecting to just to drop my bags off at the hotel as check-in wasn’t until midday and it was 7am, but they gave me the room key which was a great relief as I was shattered and my spasm was terrible. I crashed for a few hours and now, refreshed and revived I’m going to go to try to find a cheaper hostel.
Kango.com - Guest Writer
I wrote an article for Kango.com about planning a trip for people with disabilities in December and now they have posted the first two parts, “Destination Choice” and “Getting to the Destination”. Please click through to Kango to read the article.
Flying to Nicaragua
So at long last I’ve arrived in Nicaragua, I’m now able to connect to the Internet again so I should be keeping the blog up to date from now on. I’ll be writing about my experiences here as well as more general stuff about inclusive travel.
Below: Saying goodbye to Isaura and the flat in Barcelona.
I left Barcelona on Tuesday 25th September after packing up my apartment and putting it in storage, I spent my last couple of nights in Spain living out of suitcases and sleeping on a friend’s sofa. The flight from Barcelona to Heathrow with British Airways was pleasent and smooth even if it was slightly delayed.
I had to spend a night in London as my flight to Miami wasn’t until 9.40am on Wednesday, so I tried to find a handy hotel near to the airport which had some sort of wheelchair accessible room. I booked an Ibis hotel over he phone and confirmed that it would be an accessible room. I eventually arrived at the hotel at about midnight and was promptly given a standard room with no adaptations (I’d like to tell you about the accessible rooms but it’s not possible as they didn’t give me one!). I would have complained but I could get in the bathroom and it was only a matter of hours before I had to get up and be back at the airport, the hassle really didn’t seem to be worth the effort. On another point about the Ibis, the bathroom was filthy, I wouldn’t even let a dog pee in there, budget hotel? Not really. Value for money? You’re having a laugh aren’t you!
Anyway, enough slagging off of the Ibis Heathrow Hotel (they didn’t even give me a receipt when I paid, useless), back to the traveling. I got up at 6.45am and got the shuttle bus back to the airport. The shuttle bus service was great, I used it the night before too. At a cost of £8.00 (return) the shuttle bus (Hotel Hoppa) will take you from any terminal to a number of hotels near the airport along 6 different routes. Check with the hotel that you are booking with to make sure they are on one of the routes. The buses are accessible although they are small especially when filled with other passengers and luggage (electric wheelchair users may well have problems).
Once at Heathrow it was just a case of going through security and going to the right gate, I didn’t have any bags apart from hand luggage as I’d checked them all in in Barcelona. Once again my British Airways flight was delayed, yet once again it really didn’t bother me because the staff were fantastic. I don’t like recommending airlines to other disabled people but it was the best flying experience I have ever had. I was a little nervous about doing my first long haul flight by myself, but the BA staff put my mind at ease and it was a great trip.
During my flight from Heathrow to Miami I overheard a girl behind me saying the she was going to Nicaragua. We got chatting and she’s from Spain. We decided to spend the rest of our trip together to keep each other company and stop the boredom setting in. This was really useful at Miami Airport where we had to wait for the connecting flight to Managua for a few hours. Olga was a great travel partner and suffered the Miami rain with me whilst I smoked a crafty cigarette even though she doesn’t smoke. She’s staying in Granada for a month and a half so hopefully we’ll meet up soon for a couple of beers.
The worst leg of the trip was Miami to Managua operated by American Airlines on behalf of British Airways. Although it wasn’t too bad it was disappointing after the great service of BA. The women at the gate, did however, change both mine and Olga’s seats on the plane so that we could sit together just behind First Class. Nobody in Economy Class got any food and just one drink (5.00$ if you wanted a drink with alcohol). Meanwhile, just a meter in front of us, the First Class folks were having a three course meal with an open bar of champagne, wine, beer and coffee, I should refer from making any more comments at this point….
We descended into Managua Airport through a bit of a bumpy thunderstorm (which i thought was rather fun) and I was once again reunited with my chair and at long last my wheels were firmly fixed to the ground. Edurne was ready and waiting for me at the airport with such a happy face that the previous hours of boredom faded away rapidly. We jumped into our awaiting taxi and hurtled towards Matagalpa. This leg of the journey was easily the scariest! Flying down roads and dirt tracks in the pitch back and dust towards oncoming trucks, 4×4’s, pedestrians and dogs. It was easier just to close my eyes rather than watch, but that was impossible as I was such a nervous passenger. The back end of the car was flying all over the place, it obviously hadn’t passed it’s MOT this year. We made it to Matagalpa safe and sound though had a quick rum and coke and then to bed, I was so tired.
Below: Me after a couple of days of traveling late on Wednesday 26th September.
Planning for Nicaragua 2
20th August 2007
My partner left for yesterday and should currently be flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on her way to Miami. I’m left here in Barcelona feeling slightly nervous and excited about the prospect of joining her in just over 5 weeks. The planning stages of my trip now have to continue. One of the first parts of this started with ordering all of the medical equipment that I need during my stay overseas. I am sufficiently paranoid about loosing my baggage where most of my medical stuff will be that I asked Edurne (my partner) to take some with her. This means that, should all go well and she arrives with all of her bags intact, I will at least have a small supply of catheters and sheaths waiting for me in Nicaragua when I arrive. So even if I do loose my bags during the flight I will still have some emergency supplies there that I can use whilst I resolve the problem.
Basics about Barcelona Transport
As I live and work in Barcelona it’s probably a good idea to blog about some of the basics for disabled people that want to visit this great city. I will be referring my own guide (AccessibleBarcelona) to as it seems to be one of the main sources of information in English.
Getting To and From Barcelona
The best way for most people to get to is flying, although this may be fairly obvious some airlines are a little misleading. There is only one airport in Barcelona which as one might guess is called Barcelona International Airport.