Resources for Disabled Travelers

In the United States, disabled travelers have slowly been gaining better access to hotels, transportation, historic sites and tourist attractions, in part because of the Americans With Disabilities Act, passed by Congress in 1990. But how can you be certain the destinations you choose are accessible, especially when traveling abroad? The following is a sampling of agencies, newsletters and Web sites that specialize in travel for the disabled. A listing does not imply a Times recommendation.

TRAVEL AGENCIES

Accessible Journeys of Pennsylvania; telephone (800) TINGLES, Internet https://www.disabilityravel.com.

Flying Wheels Travel, Owatonna, Minn., tel. (800) 535-6790.

First Access, Randolph, Mass.; tel. (800) 557-2047.

Cobb Travel Agency, Birmingham, Ala.; tel. (205) 822-5137.

Marilyn’s World at Dupont Plaza Travel, Los Angeles; tel. (323) 969-0660.

Tri Venture Travel, Redding, Calif.; tel. (530) 243-3101.

Nautilus Tours & Cruises, Woodland Hills, Calif.; tel. (818) 591-3159.

Directions Unlimited, Bedford Hills, N.Y.; tel. (914) 241-1700.

Mobility International USA, Eugene, Ore.; tel. (voice and TDD) (541) 343-1284. Tours and exchange programs. Annual membership $25 (includes quarterly newsletter).

PUBLICATIONS

Beverly Nelson’s newsletter, the Very Special Traveler, which gives travel tips and recommendations, is $25 a year for six issues. P.O. Box 756, New Windsor, MD 21776; tel. (410) 635-2881.

The newsletter Emerging Horizons lists and reviews accessible lodgings, including inns and B&Bs;, and offers travel ideas around the world. A four-issue subscription is $11.95. Call (209) 599-9409, Internet https://www.emerginghorizons.com.

Fodor’s “Great American Vacations for Travelers With Disabilities” ($19.50) tells you not only where to go, from Orlando to the Outer Banks, but also lists the most accessible places to stay, along with where to find skiing and snorkeling adventures and even wheelchair repair shops.

The Society for the Advancement of Travelers With Handicaps publishes a quarterly magazine, called Open World, and is a good resource for everything from disabled travelers’ rights to where to plan a sailing trip; tel. (212) 447-7284, Internet https://www.sath.org.

Twin Peaks Press, P.O. Box 129, Vancouver, WA 98666; tel. (360) 694-2462 or (800) 637-2256 for credit card orders. Publisher of the “Directory of Travel Agencies for the Disabled” ($19.99), listing more than 370 agencies worldwide; “Travel for the Disabled” ($19.95); the “Directory of Accessible Van Rentals” ($12.95) and “Wheelchair Vagabond” ($19.95), loaded with personal tips.

WEB SITES, OTHER SOURCES

A catalog of laws, agencies and advocacy groups concerned with access to transportation can be found online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov.

Access-Able Travel Source, P.O. Box 1796, Wheat Ridge, CO 80034; tel. (303) 232-2979, Internet https://www.access-able.com. Lists 35 travel agents who specialize in helping travelers with disabilities, and provides reams of other facts.

Disability Travel and Recreation Resources, Internet https://www.eskimo.com/~jlubin/disabled/travel.htm, provides Web links to all areas of travel planning, from accessible B&Bs; to home exchanges.

TKTS ‘n’ Tours Travel, tel. (281) 681-8587, Internet https://www.ticketsntours.com. Web site with a message board so that people can get travel tips and ask questions.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled, tel. (970) 726-1540, Internet https://www.nscd.org, has been offering winter and summer outdoor adventures for nearly 30 years. Learn to ski or snowboard in winter; camp at the totally accessible campground in Winter Park, Colo., in the summer; and raft, mountain bike or rock climb.

Gimp on the Go, Internet https://www.gimponthego.com. The name is irreverent, but the editor, who is disabled, says he just wants to share his love of travel. The site includes travel tips, public forums for exchanging recommendations and destination reviews.