There is a need for some serious revamping of what we call accessible travel in this country. Anyone facing a disability is going to require a little more effort on behalf of those around them to get from point A to point B.  Restaurants and restrooms, for example are simply not set up to allow for the maneuverability of a wheelchair.

There are many special needs bathrooms that are literally too small to allow a wheelchair to be manipulated 360 degrees to allow for full access to the toilet, door, and the sink. Airports, train stations, and bus depots have created excessive difficulties when it comes to maintaining reasonable access ramps and doorways that are reasonable to navigate. All of these are impediments to fully enjoyable travel for the disabled.

Often those who need a little extra assistance while traveling are denied timely access to that assistance. Airports and other forms of public transportation need better education amongst the staff  when providing assistance to the disabled. The location of access ramps, elevators, and assistance buttons are generally inconvenient enough that it can’t really be considered accessible.

What the travel industry really needs is to gather real life experience from those who have tried to navigate an airport or train station while disabled. Leaving someone sitting in a wheelchair, tucked nicely and discreetly out of the way, can attract unscrupulous individuals who like to prey on those less able than them.

If employees of the airports, train stations, and cab companies were all required to spend just a few days in a wheelchair navigating the area without assistance there might be some valuable insight gained. Often the travel industry is not very courteous, safety minded, or even aware when it comes to meeting the needs of those requiring assistance.

Something as simple as requiring assistance for refueling at a gas station often becomes a compromised situation. Read the fine print of the assistance sticker and it is made clear that if there is only one person on duty those needing assistance will not be helped. Requiring those  with special needs to wait for the simple things is not only insulting, but it can in fact  be dangerous.

Additional training could make it painfully obvious that the elevators are poorly accessible for those in wheelchairs and that the so called accessibility that is mandated by law is just not adequate for those who want to travel despite their disability. Just because one has been struck with an illness or accident doesn’t mean that the world should be set up to work against them.