There is no doubt that the able bodied world has made disability travel much more difficult than it needs to be. Simply put, the more information you have about certain procedures and the locations of special access the less you are going to experience hang ups and delays. Avoiding the many potential disability travel disasters requires a little forethought and planning that you might not expect.

Almost every travel destination in the United States and many other countries are required to have specific accommodations for the disabled. However you will have to make sure that those accommodations are available at the time that you are planning to travel on vacation. You will not have the same needs as another disabled person, so it will always be better to talk to an actual person about your specific needs.

Disability travel planning should go off without a hitch but sometimes there are things that might catch you off guard. If you will end up being mobile in an inside establishment, like a hotel or casino, and do not have an electronic scooter you may find that they have a majority of carpeted areas that an older wheelchair will have a harder time navigating.

Removing your shoes and doing other security related tasks can be extremely difficult. Let the security people know that you have difficulties performing certain tasks and ask before you go what their standard procedures are for those who can not complete security checks. Of course, this can significantly shorten the time you have to get from one terminal to the next in the event of a connecting flight. Scheduling three hours or more between connecting flights can help make up for the slow airline response to wheelchair needs.

Most of the time you will simply have to go through the individual scan. Airport security personnel are required to ask you if there are areas of your body that are painful or sensitive to touch. Be sure to let them know if you are feeling violated in any way.

There are many aspects of traveling that airports, train stations, cab companies, and hotels tend to overlook because they are not familiar with all of the needs of their guests and customers. Able bodied individuals often run into snags, which means anyone with a disability might expect to run into a few snags as well. Planning for additional time is essential to a successful trip.

Hotels can be difficult when it comes to their set up. Disability travel issues often center just as much around the hotel as any other travel issue. Carpeting can make wheeling around difficult while the doorways are often only wide enough to allow the wheelchair through but are often not wide enough to account for hands that are propelling the chair forward via the wheels. Talk to the hotel in advance and be sure to leave them accurate and directive feedback about their disabled accommodations before you leave.