Accessible traveling

It’s all about the destination – usually, choosing the vacation spot comes first, at least when it comes to travel. You gather information at a travel bureau or on the Internet and make a decision. Then you book a reservation, plan and pack your suitcases and let the vacation begin. But can people with disabilities also do things just like that? Does the tourism industry pay attention to their needs as guests?

For their vacation planning, people with disabilities must rely on hotel information – when it comes to accessibility for instance – to be accurate and make sure the accommodations truly meet their needs. But what if you already had some bad experiences? Or what if there are simply no appropriate accommodations available in certain areas?

Jenny Bießmann studies, works, and lives in Berlin. In her spare time, she is an active member of the Network for Inclusion, Social Participation, Self-Determination and Assistance (Netzwerk für Inklusion, Teilhabe, Selbstbestimmung und Assistenz), NITSA e.V. She has spinal muscular atrophy and has seen a lot of the world inher power wheelchair. REHACARE.com spoke with her about her travel experiences and her recommendations for the tourism industry.