Your 2021 Accessible Travel Checklist

Credit: The National WWII Museum

1. New Orleans, LA – The National WWII Museum

Rated the #3 museum in the United States, according to the 2018 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, The National WWII Museum is continually enhancing its offerings to ensure that all history enthusiasts can explore its 300,000 sq. ft. of immersive exhibits and multimedia experiences safely and comfortably, including renewing its Sensory Inclusive certification with KultureCity. In addition to offering daily sensory bags with noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, fidgets, Feeling Zone thermometers, non-verbal cards and a KultureCity lanyard, the Museum has launched Sensory Friendly Mornings. Occurring the last Saturday of each month, the museum experience will be modified to make the visit more sensory-friendly for pre-registered guests by lowering the sound volume in louder areas, alerting visitors in areas where headphones are recommended, and offering designated Quiet Areas including private Quiet Rooms as needed. Guests will also receive a Social Story ahead of time to help plan their visit based on the content and advisories of each building. Additional information can be found here.

2. Various Destinations – Intrepid Travel

World leading adventure tour operator, Intrepid Travel, offers Tailor-Made trips, ideal for those looking to dream and design a trip that cannot be Googled. Tailor-Made trips offer fully custom or ready-made itineraries that can be personalized or adapted to suit the group’s comfort level, and to travelers with a disability. Travelers will have access to destination specialists who have expert local knowledge and will have the flexibility to choose when and where they’d like to begin their trip, thanks to flexible booking. Choose from unique accommodations with great character, and select the number of meals, public or private transport, number of activities, and more. A local guide will escort the group every step of the way. Whether the group is celebrating a special occasion or embarking on a special adventure, Tailor-Made trips offer authentic local experiences that you won’t find in a search engine. For example, Intrepid previously worked with athlete Dan Berlin to become the first blind person to run the Inca Trail in a single day in an astonishing 13 hours. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, Intrepid Travel has made a number of updates to their safety guidelines, flexible booking conditions and trip departures.

3. Various Locations – Wheel the World

As a leader in the accessible travel category, and rated #1 by Lonely Planet in diversity and inclusion, Wheel the World offers a platform of accessible tours, experiences, accommodation and travel – encouraging exploration of the world and creating an atmosphere of unity among people with disabilities, their companions, and nature. From international surf trips, to rainforest tours, to volcano trekking, to dune bashing, Wheel of the World offers adventure in 40 destinations around the world and on every continent. With a mission to create experiences that are adaptive to specific needs, they plan trip recommendations based on individual questionnaire answers and are available 24/7 should you need assistance while abroad. Additional information on specific destinations can be found here.

Credit: Morgan’s Wonderland

4. San Antonio, TX – Morgan’s Wonderland

Opened in April of 2010, Morgan’s Wonderland is a first of its kind amusement park, designed entirely with special needs individuals in mind. The park features 25 Ultra-Accessible attractions including a sensory village, ferris wheel, swings and the water park, Morgan’s Inspiration Island, with no entry cost for those with special needs. Some highlights throughout the park include:

• Sensory Village – Imaginations can run wild at Morgan’s Wonderland’s Sensory Village, a make-believe community that encourages creativity. Visitors can head to the Fix-It Shop for a simulated test drive or visit Paramount Theater to watch interactive videos. Younger guests can stop by the Village Market grocery store and go on imaginary shopping trips, before heading to KMWL-TV to see themselves on TV.
• Whirling Wonder – This colorful ferris wheel takes guests on a mile ride, high up in the sky, for panoramic views of Morgan’s Wonderland. Located next to Starlight Amphitheater, right on the shoreline of Morgan Wonderland’s 8-acre lake, Whirling Wonder takes guests up five and a half stories and is visible from over a half-mile away.
• Wheelchair Swings – Kids of all ages can safely soar through the air on more than 30 traditional or adaptive swings, including those designed to accommodate wheelchairs.
• Morgan’s Inspiration Island – Keeping with the mission of Morgan’s Wonderland of being a safe and inclusive place to play, Morgan’s Inspiration Island is a tropical-like paradise filled with colorful splash pads, slides and a river boat adventure ride. Waterproof wheelchairs are even available to rent so that every visitor can partake in the fun.

Credit: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater

5. Florida – St. Pete/Clearwater

St. Pete/Clearwater aims to be a fun-filled, accessible vacation destination for individuals and families, whether they prefer sun-drenched beaches or want to experience the vibrant cultural/arts scene of the region.

• The Dali Museum – The Dali Museum wants every traveler to enjoy their visit. The museum offers a limited number of wheelchairs for public use within the building on a first come, first serve basis. For visitors with auditory needs, free audio content can be accessed by downloading the Dalí Museum App, including audio descriptions of selected artworks. The museum also offers a limited supply of courtesy Induction Neck loops, and ASL interpretation can be requested 2 weeks prior to visits at no charge. For visitors with vision needs, The Dalí Museum App interfaces with personal device Voice Over or TalkBack verbal description capabilities. For visitors with cognitive impairment needs, quiet hours are offered at the Museum on Sundays from 10am until noon.
• Museum of Fine Art – The MFA welcomes families with children with sensory sensitivities to explore the galleries on “Sensory Saturdays” every second Saturday of the month, from 10 am to 12 pm. During this time, all rotating audio components will be turned down or muted to ensure a calm environment. Visitors will receive a pre-packaged sensory bag with a guiding prompt, sketching materials, or other sensory-friendly activities.
• Great Explorations Children’s Museum- Great Explorations is listed as Autism Friendly in the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) Autism Friendly Business Directory. The museum’s full and part-time staff has attended trainings with CARD staff to increase awareness of the needs of visitors on the autism spectrum, and to enhance the team’s ability to respond effectively and sensitively to these needs. Great Explorations is also accessible to wheelchair users and other visitors who need to avoid stairs.
• Tradewinds Island Resort on St. Pete Beach – As a designated special needs friendly resort by Be Friendlier, Tradewinds staff undergoes continuous training to ensure they understand sensitivities, developmental disabilities and unique situations so they are equipped to help all families and children enjoy their stay. The resort offers a Be Friendlier safety kit (for a small replacement charge) complete with door alarms, extra batteries, visual aide “STOP” prompt signs, corner guards, stove knob covers, and outlet covers. Tradewinds also offers waterproof temporary safety tattoos with room for phone/room numbers, and gluten-free menu options for those with dietary restrictions.

6. Florida – The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel 

As an inclusive destination, The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel features easy, accessible tourism information for persons with disabilities. A full guide details access to everything from getting to and from the airport, visiting attractions and best places to stay. Highlights include:

• Airport – accessible parking, bathrooms and multiple ramps for wheelchair access.
• Ground transportation – public bus transportation provided by LeeTran with discounted passes and accessible vehicles available for rent at multiple locations including Avis and Advantage.
• Visiting attractions – 
  • Arts & Entertainment: Multiple art venues including Alliance for the Arts and Edison & Ford Winter Estates have accessible parking, entrance, restrooms, and seating, as well as audio described performances and pre-show touch tours for the visually impaired.
  • Beaches, Parks and Nature: Accessible parking, entrance, bathrooms and rentals at multiple locations including Bowman’s Beach Park, Cayo Costa State Park, and J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
  • Outdoor Activities & Sports: Accessible baseball/softball fields, stadium, soccer fields and restrooms at multiple locations including JetBlue Park and Mike Greenwell’s Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park.
  • Shopping: Accessible parking and entry with ramps and curb cuts, plus accessible restrooms and fitting rooms at multiple locations including Edison Mall and Miromar Outlets.
  • Tours: Captain Bubby’s IsLAND Tours offers tour service throughout Lee County using a van equipped with adaptations for physically challenged and/or visually impaired. 

Credit: Costa Rica Tourism Board

7. Costa Rica

New, innovative design and growing social awareness in Costa Rica are poised to make the Central American country’s natural wonders available to all. Costa Rica’s tourism industry is actively working to create more accessible travel experiences throughout the country, though several national parks, beaches and cultural attractions already possess disability-friendly designs.

• National Parks: Several of Costa Rica’s top national parks offer a range of accessible tours and accommodations. Manuel Antonio National Park opened a universal wheel-chair friendly trail called “El Manglar,” or the mangrove, in February 2018 for those with limited mobility. The trail, built over a mangrove, goes from the main national park entrance down to Espadilla Sur Beach and connects with other existing trails. El Manglar has 10 bays with information in Braille about the characteristics and attractions of each area of the park. Arenal Volcano National Park, home to the active Arenal Volcano, offers a completely handicap accessible experience with its trails at the “La Peninsula” zone. Carara National Park features low-incline paved trails, Braille and other information aids.
• Beaches: Costa Rica’s Jacó Beach is the first beach in Central America to be fully accessible to people with disabilities. In March 2019, Jacó Beach inaugurated a 206-foot long ramp constructed out of recycled plastic, which gives wheelchair users complete access to the shore and simultaneously reflects the country’s sustainability mission. Earlier this year, Playa Hermosa was declared another completely accessible beach in Costa Rica, with features including disability-friendly toilets, changing sinks and showers, and a transfer crane for those in wheelchairs. The beach features 52 meters of retractable walkway, made of recycled wood generated from 2,600 kilos of plastic, which provides access to the ocean. Costa Rica has an “Accessible Beach” program, led by the Costa Rican Accessible Tourism Network Association with the support of the Costa Rica Tourism Board, that works to make all beaches in the country more accessible by providing the proper equipment.
• Downtown San José: Travelers can rest assured that the sidewalks and pedestrian streets, as well as various cultural attractions of Costa Rica’s capital city of San José are disability-friendly. The remarkable National Museum, Jade Museum and Gold Museum are completely wheelchair accessible.

8. The Presidio Tunnel Tops – San Francisco, California

The Presidio Tunnel Tops project, comprising 14 acres of new national park land—will be an iconic “must see” San Francisco destination for the local community and visitors, offering a much needed sustainable green space to the city when it debuts in spring 2022. Thoughtfully designed by James Corner Field Operations (the firm behind New York City’s famed High Line), the Presidio Tunnel Tops will feature scenic overlooks with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the City, paths and gardens, a welcome plaza with food and visitor services, a campfire circle, picnic grounds and more. The Presidio Tunnel Tops will welcome people from all backgrounds and abilities to an inclusive and safe space, providing a green oasis right within the city limits. To accommodate visitors with disabilities specifically, the park provides accessible city park space for all and a direct connection from the Main Post where wheelchairs and other necessities can be found.  Additionally, Presidio Park has wheelchair accessible nature trails — from concrete and asphalt sidewalks to hard-packed sand and gravel — running throughout the park so everyone can enjoy the native wildlife. The buildings in the park, such as the Visitor Center, Walt Disney Family Museum, and Main Post are all wheelchair accessible. In 2019, The Presidio hosted a focus group with disabled individuals to provide feedback on accessibility at the park and how they could improve the experience for wheelchair users.

How many of the above accessible travel destinations have you visited or do you plan to visit? Do you have other accessible travel tips to share? Please let us know in the comments below!

A few minutes later, I stepped out and made my way back to Madge. As soon as I touched the headrest with my hand, the cabin erupted in applause. I heard a woman shout from a distance, “You’re amazing!” A man chimed in with, “Wow, look at you being so independent.” A woman sitting the next seat over added, “That’s really cool!”

Annoyed, I wanted to tell them that taking a few steps in the dark was something I am sure they have all done at some point in their lives. However, I remembered that blind people are less than one percent of the population in the U.S. and I could possibly be the first blind person they’d seen traveling on a plane. Nevertheless, I did not feel like being inspirational. Instead, I resorted to humor, because blind individuals are people and are entitled to mood swings. I flashed a smile and said, “I know!  I’ve been walking since I was one.”

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the “Get to Work” columnist for SFGate.com, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

A street full of manic traffic informs me it’s a major thoroughfare and I should use it to navigate this new domain.

The smell of coffee whispers, “We can awaken your brain with a delicious cup of brew.”

The distinct scent of certain chemicals gently reminds me I’m due for my bi-weekly haircut.

And, once night descends, the laughter and music radiating from doorways is an open invitation to go dance the night away in a club. Walking back to my hotel, I know my face will soon be hitting the pillow when I smell the pizzeria right next door.

Traveling My Way

A warm rush of elation washed over me as I arrived at LaGuardia airport. I’d been away from New York for a while and was looking forward to reconnecting with this most vibrant of cities. An airport employee soon greeted me and inquired about my book tour as he led me to a cab. The vehicle pulled up two feet away from the employee, and I was escorted to the door when suddenly, a man shouted in broken English, “No dogs allowed!”

He was, of course, referring to my guide dog, Madge. And so began another epic struggle for my pre-existing rights as a traveling blind man. The airport employee and I explained that my yellow lab was a service dog. The cabbie continued to deny me service. Another employee piped up in my defense and — perhaps a little too loudly — explained to the driver that he was breaking the law. I whipped out my cell phone and warned the driver I would report him. Finally, a third employee joined in the ruckus, insisting that Madge was not merely a pet. With four people angrily indicting the cabbie, he finally caved, and Madge and I were allowed to board the cab — albeit beneath a flurry of angry mutters.

The tense and silent ride that followed represents many frustrating moments I have experienced while traveling in both the U.S. and abroad. Even though I am protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — and by similar regulations in other countries — I am constantly reminded of just how unfamiliar ticket agents, flight attendants, hotel staff, and transportation companies are with the law. What’s more, they often seem to lack training in dealing with disabled patrons.

I was not born without sight. My vision loss was the result of a brutal attack that occurred in San Francisco six years ago. The point being that I know what it’s like to travel as a sighted person. It was a shock when I went from being greeted politely by members of the travel industry to having to instruct airport and hotel staff exactly how they should deal with me. Sometimes, it only takes the person a few simple instructions to help me with a task. Other times I run into a situation where I’m denied service and actually asked to leave an establishment. So, you can see, even though there are laws in place to protect and assist me, they aren’t always universally applied.

After losing my sight, the mere thought of depending solely on my senses of smell and hearing to get around made me anxious. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that while my attackers may have robbed me of my sight, I’d be damned if they were going to take away my love of travel. I adapted accordingly. I now travel internationally and can honestly say I feel more connected to my environment than when I could see.

As I alluded to earlier, there are all sorts of sights and sounds — especially in a city — that really help me place where I’m at. Once I get a whiff of hot coffee, for example, I tell Madge to find the door. We end up in a coffee shop where I can ask people for directions or use the Internet. People’s footsteps let me know where there are sidewalks and stairs.

Whether we’re relying on sounds or smells, finding a location with Madge and my GPS is a fun game, and making mistakes helps me learn a place better, just as it would a sighted person. If discovering new places was thrilling back when I was sighted, it’s absolutely intoxicating now that I’m blind.

A Unique Set of Problems

Still, every traveler has a host of challenges waiting for him along the way, and it’s no different for blind people. The challenges we face, however, tend to be different than those of the average sighted traveler. I would say that there are three main problems I encounter while traveling.

The first problem centers on my guide dog. Traveling with a guide dog really amps up your speed. In my experience, cane versus canine boils down to riding a tricycle underwater versus driving a Harley Davidson gifted with an exceptional sense of orientation.

I make sure to only travel to countries that have some type of access law for service dogs, yet some people still ignore the law and refuse to let me in. Sometimes this is dependent upon how the culture of the country I’m in views dogs. In the Czech Republic, for example, a service dog would be heartily welcomed. Many restaurants even have a communal water dish for canines accompanying their human patrons. However, if I were in India, with its abundance of mangy street dogs and lack of a strong dogs-as-pets culture, Madge would likely be canis non grata.

The second problem I often encounter makes me want to scream, “Who moved my cheese!?” I always explain to the hotel’s cleaning crew how imperative it is that they never move my things. Unfortunately, in many cases they do. When this happens I have to call the front desk to send someone up to help me find what I’m looking for. Granted, this is a big, preventable waste of everyone’s time.

The third problem is entrance. I’m not talking getting on buses or subways; the whoosh of the automatic door shows me where to go in. But rather being denied entrance. Even without Madge, some places of business have refused me entry simply because I was blind and unaccompanied. They viewed me as a liability, thinking I would get hurt without the help of a sighted person.

I’ve also found that certain cultures view blind people as bad luck. They feel that the blind person lost his sight because of bad karma, and they prefer to keep their distance. On the other hand, there are certain cultures who revere the blind. This is definitely something I consider when choosing what country or city to visit.

Training the Travel Industry, Along With Everyone Else

Up until this point I’ve been a pretty “negative Ned,” but I really wanted to drive home some of the problems before I present possible solutions. Like most problems, if we work together, we can make traveling easier on everyone.

I definitely think the travel industry would benefit from some corporate initiatives. You know, actually enforcing disability etiquette training for its employees. This is especially important in places like the U.S. and Europe, where it is already part of the law. Not only would this help travelers with disabilities, it would also promote a greater understanding to the public at large by busting certain stereotypes about the disabled.

When it comes to hotels, front desk staff should be trained to ask patrons who are blind what specifically they can do to make the their stay as comfortable as possible — no two person’s needs are alike.

Travelers who are blind can help by always having a copy of the part of the ADA that details the guide dog section. If traveling to Europe, make sure to have a copy of the corresponding EU law written in the language of the country of destination. I also always call ahead to hotels and airlines to let them know I’ll be arriving with a guide dog. Even though I write my specifications when I make my reservations, these don’t always get read, and I find people usually appreciate a kind heads-up.

It’s also important for the average Joe to know what they can do to help out a traveler who is blind. A blind person should always be asked if they’d like help before a stranger jumps into an advocacy role. My situation with the angry cabbie in New York is slightly different; the airport employees were on duty, and it is their job to help customers.

Increased Global Mobility

Traveling is no longer an exclusive luxury. Even the blind can go online and score a great travel deal. The travel industry has seen a significant increase of blind travelers, and the numbers will only get bigger. Travel companies should take heed, lest the frequent neglect of our ADA rights turn into a legal nightmare.

Many people who are blind are ready and willing to experience what international travel has to offer our senses. Dr. John Prescott, a musicologist and lecturer at University of California, Berkeley, was born blind and has traveled internationally all his life. Despite all of my griping, he insists that the travel industry has gone through a slew of positive changes in the past decades, and I believe him. For example, when he studied abroad in England in the late ‘80s, he had to quarantine his guide dog for six months. These days, according to Guide Dogs UK, the quarantine has largely been abolished.

Diana Saint James is the owner of Dimensions in Travel and has personally seen the increase in blind travelers. Her travel agency has created various vacation packages for blind people and their guide dogs. In fact, Dimensions in Travel has done 13 guide dog cruises since 2004. Efforts like these help spur the travel industry into making changes in accessibility.

If nothing else, it would greatly behoove industry leaders to realize that the millions of blind people around the world comprise a very viable market; after all, they have to travel for college, weddings, and other practical reasons — just like the next person. I firmly believe that much of the ignorance can be eliminated via education and training, ensuring that everyone’s trip is memorable for the right reasons.

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Aside from direct support from state and federal agencies, I feel grateful that there are laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that make things accessible to me. With it, I am able to go to school, work, and travel independently with my guide dog Madge. For over a century it’s been said by many prominent figures that you can judge a society by how it treats its more vulnerable members. My experience in America was that I felt supported when I became blind, and it was because of the aid I received that I was able to learn to do everything again independently.

Fireworks are still enjoyable to me because of the intense sound each one amplifies in the sky.  I envision different shades of lights dancing above – sometimes forming flowers, stars, and even animals; each popping burst making me feel deeply patriotic.

***Belo Cipriani is a freelance writer, speaker, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. Learn more at belocipriani.com.

NOTE: This article is available for reprint in magazines, periodicals, newsletters, newspapers, eZINEs, on the Internet or on your own website. To obtain permission and details contact info@belocipriani.com