On the Road with MS

Traveling with a Disability

Laurie Long 4/07

What stopped you from taking those trips last summer?  Cost?  Hassle?  Fatigue?  Heat? Or perhaps it was just the fear of the unknown.  Having MS shouldn’t stop you from getting out and enjoying yourself this summer.  Arm yourself with knowledge and advance planning for a vacation that is just right for you.

Mary D. hasn’t let her MS stop her from traveling, and her travel option of choice is a cruise.  “They are easy and fun,” Mary explains. “It’s important for me to still be able to travel, but to do so in a way that doesn’t stress me out.”  She has discovered some personal dos and don’ts for her next cruise.  “I use a cane sometimes, but I knew I couldn’t get up the long, steep ramp to the ship without help.”  Mary asked the cruise crew for assistance and they provided a wheelchair and assistant for the trip up the ramp and to her room.  Mary also decided to pay extra to use the ship spa for the multiple-head shower and large enclosure.  “Taking a cool shower on a hot summer day really helps me,” she explains.  On her cruise to Alaska, Mary panned for gold in Skagway and rode the narrow gage train to Chilkoot Pass.  “I’m really glad I did this cruise and I would recommend it for other people of limited mobility,” Mary says. 

Emily P., who has primary progressive MS and is quadraplegic, flies twice a year to Philadelphia to visit family, as well as traveling to other destinations.  For Emily, any travel requires extensive planning.  “You have to check and double check your accommodations, your transportation – everything – and come over-prepared for the unexpected,” she states.  Emily arranges with the airlines in advance for sufficient assistance, and has the names and numbers of the ticketing and gate personnel for the airline she uses.  “You need to know what they need to know in order to board safely and securely,” Emily explains.  “It’s our job to educate the airlines as to what we need and make sure they know what they need to do.”

Emily also applies this advance planning to her destination.  From renting a hospital bed and hoyer lift for her room to shipping supplies ahead, Emily leaves nothing to chance.  “It takes a lot of creative adaptations to make it work for me,” she explains.  “It will never be exactly what you’re used to,” Emily says wryly, ”but it should be something you can live with.” 

So how do you plan a major trip? Many people like to work with a travel agent that specializes in disabled travel.  There are many travel agencies now that do this, and almost all of them are accessible on the Internet (see list below).  Some of the more popular trips for people with limited mobility are cruises and guided tour groups.  These types of trips allow you to pick and choose what activities you want to participate in and what sights you want to see.  Many of the disabled travel websites will list cruise companies with good reputations for accommodating those with disabilities.  And whether you are flying or cruising, you should consider getting trip cancellation insurance that covers pre-existing conditions.  Make sure you organize your medications early, and take more than you think you will need to cover emergencies.  “I always travel with my medical supplies on me,” says Emily.  Bring items such as cooling vests, neck wraps, and wide-brimmed hats if you suffer from heat related symptoms.  And remember to schedule yourself some rest time on your trip. There are a wealth of such tips and strategies to be found on websites, and in books, magazines and pamphlets that help the disabled traveler plan ahead (see list below).

So don’t hide inside this summer.  Whether you do the research and planning yourself, or have a travel agent or cruise company do it for you, you can keep traveling.  “I was a workaholic before I got MS and kept putting off traveling,” states Mary D.  Then I got sick.  Now I’m not putting it off.”

~ RESOURCE LIST ~

Travel in Washington

If large, expensive trips are too much for your pocketbook or your patience, then consider shorter trips closer to home.  Those of us fortunate enough to live in Washington know that this is one of the most beautiful states in the country, and whether you enjoy mountain scenery or ocean views, city lights or wooded paths, flower viewing or wine tasting, it’s all here in Washington!  Here are just of few of the activities available and accessible (with focus on the Seattle area):

Websites that specialize in Travel with Disabilities

Whether you are looking for a cruise, a group tour, accessible van rentals, airline information, vacation rentals, books or just general information, these are just a few of the many websites that cater specifically to those traveling with disabilities.

Books & Bookstores for Accessible Travel

Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers - The definitive guide to accessible travel. This book covers the logistics of planning accessible travel by plane, train, bus and ship. Website also includes a sample chapter with tips about how to protect your wheelchair when flying.

There Is Room At The Inn— Inns and B&Bs for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality – Books, Access Guides & Brochures

Accessible Travel Bookshop Books on self-help and adapting to disabilities.

Disability Travel and Recreational Resources Full range of travel for disabled books.

Access Guides for Disabled Travelers  Current access guides to specific cities, states and countries for wheelchair and other disabled travelers.

Specialty Power Wheelchairs for Off-road Travel 

Off-roading power chairs for those who really want to get away…

Tankchair: Custom off-road wheelchair that can go anywhere outdoors.  Conquers Streams, Mud, Snow, Sand, and Gravel, allowing you to get back to nature, and can also climb up and down stairs.

iBOT:  Power across sand, gravel, grass and other uneven terrain, easily climb curbs up to 5” and steps, rise to an “eye-level” position and hold a conversation, even when you are on the move.

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The Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County
753 North 35th St., Suite 208, Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: 206-633-2606      Fax: 206-633-2920
Email: info@msakc.org