Increasingly, tour organizers, vacation venues, buses, planes and trains are making it easier for seniors who must navigate with walkers or wheelchairs to enjoy the benefits of vacationing with their peers.
Accessibility and health are concerns for senior adult groups traveling in the United States and abroad, said Charles P. Wood, retired minister of seniors at Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile.
“If a person wants to travel and can, even with difficulty, I try to assist them,” he said. “Being independent and mobile is such a vital part of life satisfaction. I like to enable them to go.
“One thing I require is that they fill out an emergency information form and turn in it before we leave,” Wood said. “When you have a busload of people with different physical needs, you need to know hospital insurance numbers so that if they’re not responding, you can check them into an emergency room. It is important to know if a person has diabetes or other conditions that require they eat regularly or avoid certain kinds of foods,” he said.
To help seniors look out for diseases while traveling, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta offers a traveler’s health section on their Web site, www.cdc.gov. The CDC traveler’s health division can be reached at 1-877-394-8747.
“Even people in wheelchairs tour now,” said tour operator Sam Satterfield. “We can provide special access for people who have limited physical abilities. We always encourage people to talk with their doctors before taking long trips and ask them what they can do to build physical strength. Then they should look forward to the trip and begin preparing their minds, bodies and spirits.”
An especially good tourist spot for seniors requiring special accommodations is Branson, Mo. According to Yahoo!Travel, all of the more than 30 theaters there are wheelchair-accessible, and most provide special headphones for those guests who are hearing impaired.
For air travel, the Air Carrier Access Act is a federal law stating that people with disabilities, will have consistent and nondiscriminatory treatment by airlines. If there is a violation, contact the Complaints Resolution Official of the airline or the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room 4107, C-75 Washington, DC 20590.
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