Tag: accessible tours

Sports and Recreation

Cynthia A. Lockley on
  • Adaptive Sailing Adaptive sailing refers to programs that provide unrestricted access to the water and experiential sailing for persons with disabilities.  New
  • All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Tips (.pdf) [Not currently available—being updated for sale.] The United Spinal Association offers a free publication about using all-terrain vehicles. All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are among the most popular recreational vehicles in the nation today, but along with popularity comes increased risk and sometimes carelessness. Don't spoil the fun—get a copy of this timely list of safety reminders today.
  • Armchair World: Handicapped-Accessible Tours fishing, kayaking, white-water rafting…
  • Boating Safety Tips (.pdf) [Not currently available—being updated for sale.] The United Spinal Association offers a free publication about boating. An afternoon on the water in an open boat is one of summer’s most alluring pastimes. Keep all your sailors and yourself safe and dry with this informative compilation of common-sense rules for mariners of all ages.
  • Canadian Parasports
  • Disability and Sports from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Disability  New
  • Disabled Sailing
  • International Paralympic Committee
  • International Tennis Federation's Wheelchair Tennis
  • International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
  • Learning to Adjust the Sails of Life  New
  • Masters Athletes by Sheila Kealey, a health promotion consultant, writer, and athlete. She covers the new and active way of growing old in America. No longer are people settling for shuffleboard. Or mall walking. Or deep knee bends. They are running track, playing baseball – yes, hardball! – and even surfing well into their 60s and beyond. You’ll get updates on current health and wellness topics, the latest nutrition research, healthy recipes, and nutrition strategies for optimal health and athletic performance.
  • Motorcycle Safety Tips (.pdf) [Not currently available—being updated for sale.] The United Spinal Association has a publication about using motorcycles. "Born to be wild" may be an anthem for a generation of motorcycles enthusiasts but the accident rates are a sobering reminder that there's more to riding than the romance of the open road. Make that inner "Easy Rider" a "Safer Rider" with this valuable list of statistics and safety tips.
  • Move United. Move United uses sports to push what's possible so everyone, regardless of ability, has equal access to sports and recreation in their community. Established in 1956, Move United is an Affiliate of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.  New
  • National Wheelchair Basketball Association
  • Personal Watercraft Safety Tips (.pdf) [Not currently available—being updated for sale.] The United Spinal Association has a publication about personal watercraft. Rules and safety tips for using a personal watercraft.
  • Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International)
  • Snowmobile Safety Tips (.pdf) [Not currently available—being updated for sale.] The United Spinal Association offers a free publication about using snowmobiles. The lure of a pristine, snow-covered mountainside is irresistible for snowmobile aficionados and to make sure you get back to the lodge safely, check out this handy review of do's and don'ts for this fast-growing winter sport.
  • Special Olympics
  • Special Olympics Maryland
  • Spokes 'n Motion services include the distribution of equipment, sports program advice, and instructional services for the disabled community. Equipment and services now cover skiing, water sports, wheelchairs, cycling, travel, adventure sports, and acccessibility products.
  • TAASC The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition
  • U CAn Do Wheelchair-height pinball machine
  • USTA Tennis Association's Special Populations Program: Adaptive Tennis The game of tennis can be adapted to accommodate any age, environment, condition or disability. The charge of USTA Adaptive Tennis is to promote and develop recreational tennis opportunities for individuals with varying abilities and circumstances through inclusion, knowledge and support. The USTA continues to support programming for individuals with physical, developmental and situational challenges.
  • USTA Wheelchair Tennis
  • About USTA Wheelchair Tennis: Tennis made Accessible
  • Wheelchair Dancing BBC TV Competition Program The new show is to be called "Dancing on Wheels", which will involve celebrities being paired with wheelchair users in a dance competition.
  • Wheelchair Sports and Recreation Products

Accessible Travel

Cynthia A. Lockley on

Don't be Afraid to Step out of Your Comfort Zone and Travel

Crossing the Border

TSA Tips for Traveling with Visible and Invisible Disabilities

Those of us with invisible disabilities know how humiliating the TSA checkpoint can be and a long wait in line can build your pain level to much higher levels. I can identify with the terrible experience had by Brittany Quinn that she documents in her post TSA Agent Kruze: "Was the surgery worth the pain?". Hopefully her formal complaint to the TSA and the DoHS succeeded in getting better training for the TSA agents. Since then some improvements have been made that can help you. Before your trip:

  1. Apply for a TSA PreCheck™ membership: good for 5 years and is renewable, fee is $85, spend less time in line, you do not have to remove your shoes, light jackets, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, or laptops. You can apply online and get an appointment at your local airport or a TSA enrollment center to have a 10-minute background check and be fingerprinted.
  2. Download and print out the Disability Notification Card, fill in your disability, and present it to the TSA agent at the checkpoint.
  3. Contact TSA 72 hours in advance: TSA Cares hotline at 1-855-787-2227 or email hidden; JavaScript is required The TSA Cares program can provide a TSA agent to escort the traveler through the airport and assist in the screening process. You can also ask them for advice if you will be travelling with medical supplies.
  4. Contact the airline 72 hours in advance about your disability needs. Some airports can provide you with an advocate when you check in who will go through security with you.

Tips about Air Travel if you are Blind

Another frequent traveler is Tom Babinszki, who was born blind. Tom has a passion for travel and blogs on his website Even Grounds about traveling the world. It is not so easy when you are blind but it is not impossible. In his blog he shares his experiences and provides some tips for blind travelers. His latest post in February 2020 is "Air Travel", in which he describes getting around the airport, going through security checkpoints, waiting at the gate, and entertaining yourself during the flight.

TSA Tips for Traveling with Medical Supplies

Air Travel and the TSA

  • TSA Disability Notification Card: Individuals with Disabilities and Medical Conditions (.pdf) Fill in your disability, print the card, and present it to the TSA agent before going through a security checkpoint
  • Tips from the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation for disabled passengers at TSA checkpoints:
    • Get a letter from your doctor explaining your medical condition. Also make sure to document all the medical supplies and equipment you will be traveling with. This can assist you through security and act as a form of advocacy. See the Sample Travel Letter for Feeding Tube and IV Consumers
    • Talk to your homecare company. It's possible they can deliver supplies right to your destination so you don't need to travel with it. This save you the hassle of lugging heavy equipment and avoids the difficulty of getting through security.
  • Aviation Consumer Protection U.S. Department of Transportation
  • U.S. Department of Transportation Toll-Free Hotline for air travelers with disabilities:
    • TSA Cares hotline: 1-855-787-2227
    • Voice: 1-800-778-4838
    • TTY: 1-800-455-9880

    The Hotline is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, seven days a week. It serves two main purposes: (1) education and (2) assistance in resolving disability-related air travel problems.

  • Air travelers who have a disability-related issue must submit their complaint in writing using the
    Air Travel Complaint – Comment Form of the U.S. Department of Transportation, or

    By postal mail to:

    Aviation Consumer Protection Division
    U.S. Department of Transportation
    400 7th Street, S.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20590

    By email to: by e-mail at email hidden; JavaScript is required

  • Wheelchair Users' Guide to Air Travel
  • New Guidelines Debunk ‘Economy Class Syndrome’

Lost Luggage

Train Travel

  • Accessible Travel – ScotRail
  • Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) Accessibility includes information about accessible transportation throughout Canada. [Select English or French]
  • VIA Rail Canada Accessibility
  • VIA Rail Canada Special Needs
  • VIA Rail Canada AccessRail VIA Rail Canada offers an extensive network for travel throughout its popular Quebec City – Montreal – Ottawa – Toronto – Windsor corridor. For passengers travelling from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ), they can book an interoperable ticket, which includes an UP Airport Express ticket to enable passengers to travel between Pearson Airport (YYZ) and Toronto Union train station.
    • The passenger must change trains at Toronto Union train station. Passengers travelling from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport can also book an interoperable ticket which includes travel between Trudeau Airport (YUL) and Dorval train station using Indigo shuttles.
    • Now you can combine airlines' flight segments with VIA Rail Canada's train segments in a single PNR. For our interline partners offering a through-fare, you can issue an e-ticket for the air-rail itinerary on that airlines' plate. For add-on rail fares to other airlines' air fares, you can issue a separate e-ticket plated on 9B (AccesRail) for the rail segment.
  • Amtrak Accessible Travel Services
  • Amtrak's Baggage Requirements.

Car Travel

Disabled Horseback Riding

Disabled Sailing

  • Adaptive Sailing
  • Disabled Sailing Association of British Columbia (DSA-BC) Sailing for people with significant physical disabilities got its start in Canada in 1989, when Sam Sullivan used a British-made Sunbird dinghy to launch the first few sails at the Jericho Sailing Centre on English Bay. Today, the Disabled Sailing Association of BC (DSA-BC) operates eight specially designed Martin 16 sailboats and hosts between 800 and 1,000 sailing experiences annually at Jericho and more from its affiliated branches in Victoria, Chemainus and Kelowna. Inspired by DSA-BC and Sam Sullivan's efforts to expose more and more people with very high levels of physical disabilities to the sport, adaptive sailing has now spread across Canada, throughout the US and around the world. Disabled sailing now plays a major role in the Summer Paralympics every four years. [Canada]
  • Canadian Yachting Association: Sailors With Disabilities
  • Para World Sailing
  • Accessible Cruises in the Mediterranean Disabled Holidays – Travel without Limits [Greece]
  • Sailability around the world Sailability organisations are "not for profit", volunteer-based, and through the activity of Sailing enriches the lives of people of all abilities – the elderly, the financially and socially disadvantaged as well as people with physical challenges.

Emergency Evacuation and Traveler's Services

  • Traveler’s Emergency Network (TEN) an international membership organization dedicated to providing the best travel assistance services for a low annual membership fee: 24 hour access to medical experts, emergency evacuation, repatriation home after stabilization, transportation home for dependents, return of mortal remains, Seven Corners International, and many other travel benefits.
  • Fire Safety for Wheelchair Users (.pdf)

Travel Destinations

Encouragement and Guides