Posts Tagged ‘airports’

Gatwick (London) Airport Guide

March 8th, 2010

With a long history as a major hub of air travel, Gatwick Airport has served as a gateway between London and the rest of the world for millions of people. However even with all the things Gatwick is famous for, there are just as many elements of its history that are not quite as evident, and can be a joy for the inquisitive historian to discover.

#1 – Architectural Advances

In 1936, Gatwick unveiled the world’s first circular airport terminal, dubbed the Beehive. It was an extraordinary achievement, as it was the first terminal to combine literally every necessary stage of air travel. There was a rail link directly to the terminal, and for the first time passengers could directly board their aircraft instead of having to travel across the runway on foot or by bus.

#2 – The Blitz

The second World War saw Gatwick become primarily a military airport, to aid Britain with its air to air combat against the deadly German air-force. Planes that were based at and flew from Gatwick airport played a pivotal role in Britain’s success in winning the battle of the skies, which ultimately led to the success of the Allies as a whole.

#3 – Royal Attentions

The Queen of England has twice graced Gatwick airport with her presence. Queen Elizabeth II first attended to re-open the airport after it underwent a major redevelopment in 1956, and she returned thirty years later with her husband Prince Phillip to preside over the opening of the new North Terminal.

#4 – From Jockeys to Pilots

The site where Gatwick now stands used to be used for horse racing. Now called Gatwick Airport Station, this point was originally the Gatwick Racecourse Station, and even retained this name up until the opening of the Beehive forty five years later. The course even served as a substitute for the Grand National when the bombings in World War I made it unsafe to use the original course.

#5 – Private Fliers

Gatwick was not originally build to be a public airport. In the 20’s and 30’s, for example, it was a private flying club controlled by Ronald Waters. The Surrey Aero Club used their growing prestige to promote interest in flying in general, and helped contribute to the continued growth of the airfield, to the point that Gatwick received its first commercial flying licenses in 1934.

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The Necessity To Have Accessible Travel For The Disabled

March 7th, 2010

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. It is painfully clear that the laws on accessible travel require the appropriate access but there really isn’t much to require that the accessibility is maintained to any functional standard.

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.

Handicapped accessible cruise ships have been cited for not having the ability to allow wheelchair bound guests to open the doors. In fact, many of the doors are so heavy that those who are assisting the disabled have difficulty getting the wheelchair through the door. 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. This should come in two forms. The first is to ask those who face the disabled life on a daily basis how to make things easier for them. You would be surprised at the insight available by just going to the source.

Also, all employees should be required to spend a day learning about the needs of their disabled customers. My wheelchair doesn’t give me the right to spend less on my travel expenses and yet I am not considered for equal, fair, and even sometimes humane treatment. It is easier to push those who need extra assistance into a corner and wait for someone who “specializes” in their needs rather than taking the time to ensure that the corner I am pushed into is a safe and reasonable.

Traveling by car, plane, bus, or train should be an experience that is safe, courteous, and perhaps even right on the edge of pleasant. Yet due to underdevelopment of staff personnel and the poorly planned design of many of today’s accessible travel facilities there is little hope for independent travel. The gains of independence that have been made are only wiped away by society’s desire not to be asked to go out of their way to make sure that the disabled retain their independence.

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.

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The Lack Of True Accessible Travel

January 21st, 2010

The biggest problem with travel that is accessible is that it actually isn’t all that accessible. 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. It is painfully clear that the laws on accessible travel require the appropriate access but there really isn’t much to require that the accessibility is maintained to any functional standard.

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.

Handicapped accessible cruise ships have been cited for not having the ability to allow wheelchair bound guests to open the doors. In fact, many of the doors are so heavy that those who are assisting the disabled have difficulty getting the wheelchair through the door. Airports require people to wait excessively long periods of time when a wheelchair is required and cab companies will leave those same people waiting for an additional 30, 45, 60 minutes or more while waiting for the one access friendly van to come which has often been dispensed by the parent company.

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. We need to stop hiding elevators at the far corners of the buildings and start  recognizing that the disabled have regular needs as well.

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.

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Posted in General Travel

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