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Vetting your destination, flight, hotel, etc. for accessibility is the key to a successful trip abroad when traveling with a disability. Here how's to ensure your holiday is as plain sailing as can be Check-in I Our Guide 6 tips to make traveling with a disability easier

confirm it can indeed be transported via plane. 04 Renting a car. Check in advance which car suits your needs. Make sure you know exactly where the rental counter is as well as where you’ll be picking the car up. Note that disability parking permits have different names according to where you are in the world: in the UK, they’re called Orange or Blue Badges, in the EU, they’re called Park Cards, and in the US, they’re known as Parking Permits. 05 Hop on Hop off tourist buses . If you’re on a city break, sightseeing tourist buses are an absolute must. These buses, which you can board and alight at any stop, are almost always accessible to people with disabilities and are great for discovering the city’s main sites and attractions. 06 Accessible tourist attractions. You’ll find that most major attractions, such as the London Eye, the Palace of Versailles in France, the Sagrada Família church in Barcelona, Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, national parks in the US, etc., are accessible. Note that many sites and attractions offer reduced entrance fees or fee exemptions to people with disabilities, so make sure you check in advance, either at the ticket counter or online.

01 Choosing your destination. Paris, Tokyo, New York, Amsterdam, are but a few of the major cities on the very long list of accessible destinations according to a study conducted by the Valuable 500 business collective among 3,500 people with disabilities. The study evaluates transport facilities, signage, information availability, hotel and tourist attraction accessibility and proximity, shops, restaurants, etc. 02 Planning ahead. The Internet is full of information, tips, and reviews left by people with disabilities with experience on the matter of traveling with a disability. What is more, AI is a great tool for making holiday plans. Indeed, ChatGPT is able to answer all the questions you may have regarding

found an accessible hotel room, make sure the hotel’s facilities, beyond the room itself, are fully accessible to you, before going ahead with the booking. 03 Airport assistance and exemptions from waiting in line . Airports provide exemptions from waiting in line for people with disabilities. It’s almost always possible to get all the way to the plane itself by using a wheelchair, as well as to request personal assistance from the airline, from check-in to boarding, and at baggage claim once you land. Make sure you let the airline know in advance why you require assistance, and if you use a mobility scooter or a motorized wheelchair, it’s important to provide the airline with the mobility equipment’s technical specifications, so that they may

accessibility levels of a specific destination or itinerary. If you’ve

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10 ATMOSPHERE JUNE 2023