If you are thinking about taking a vacation or need to take an extended trip for another reason, and have a family member with a wheelchair going with you, you will be a little limited in what you can and cannot do while traveling. More and more businesses are making things easier for handicapped people, however. If you do some advanced planning, you will be able to go away feeling confident about keeping the handicapped person comfortable. Here are some tips to take into consideration while planning and taking your trip.

Lodging

Take the time to call many of the places you plan on visiting ahead of time. You will want to find lodging that accommodates the wheelchair. Make sure the place you stay has wheelchair ramps and elevators. Try to stay on the first floor, if possible. Find out if there is a wheelchair accessible bathroom available in any of the rooms. Some smaller motels are not equipped to handle wheelchairs. You may need to stay in a hotel where there are stricter rules on accessibility for the handicapped.

Other Areas

Call a few of the restaurants where you are interested in eating your meals. If there are any attractions that you were hoping to visit, call these as well. Find out when the peak times are at attractions. Try to visit attractions at off times so that it is easier to maneuver the wheelchair without people getting in the way.

There is nothing more disappointing than to go somewhere and find out that you will not be able to get around easily. Finding out in advance will save on this disappointment and will make things easier when you arrive.

Driving To Your Destination

You will need to own or rent a handicap accessible van to make your trip. Wheelchair accessible vans have wheelchair lifting equipment installed so that the handicapped person can wheel their wheelchair next to the van and be lifted into the air and inside, safely. The inside of the van will have a larger area without seating so that the wheelchair can be strapped into place. 

When traveling, you will want to take breaks if you are going a far distance. Most bigger rest areas have handicap accessible areas, but there are still some smaller ones that do not. Check on this ahead of your trip. Note the rest areas on a map so that you know which ones will be able to be utilized easily and which ones may be a problem.

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