Home Access Program Blog

A lot of time goes into planning your travels especially when accessibility is a concern. Interestingly enough, many folks spend a good amount of time searching for the best airfares and locating hotels that meet their access needs, very little thought is given to accessible ground transportation. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you sort out that very essential accessible vacation. Please feel free to pitch in some of your ideas to help make travel easier for others.

• Find out if your hotel has a free airport shuttle. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, hotels that offer courtesy transportation must also provide free accessible transportation.
• Many private airport shuttles also offer accessible service. For example, Super Shuttle can provide transfers in lift-equipped vans with advance reservations. Most airport websites list shuttle companies that serve them. Contact these companies to find out if they have wheelchair accessible vehicles.
• Big cities are usually the best candidates for accessible public transportation systems. In fact, in many large cities like San Francisco and Boston, it’s easier to take public transportation than to drive.
• Many cities like Las Vegas, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco have lift-equipped taxis. Inquire with the local taxi authority about their availability. Once you find an accessible cab, get the driver’s card so you can contact him directly.
• Don’t overlook buses, trains and light rail systems. Many airports, like Ronald Regan Airport in Washington DC, San Francisco International Airport, and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport offer light rail service from the terminals.
• If you opt for subway or metro transportation, familiarize yourself with the routes and consider alternate stops. These systems are accessed by elevators, and they have a back-up plan in case the elevators are out of service. You might have to get off at an alternate stop and take a bus.
• Many transit systems also have print/on-line access guides or maps of their accessible transit routes. If you can’t find this information on-line, call the local transit authority and ask about it.
• Rental cars can be equipped with hand controls if they have 48-hours advance notice. Alternatively you can install your own portable hand controls. Be forewarned, though, that your insurance may not cover you if you go that route.
• Ask about the availability of an accessible shuttle if the rental car desk is not located in the terminal. If none are available, ask if an employee can bring the car to you.
• Lift-equipped rental vans are available in many cities through specialty rental firms. For the most part, these companies are not airport based, so you’ll need to find accessible transportation to their location.
• Finally, no matter what type of transportation you choose, take a cell phone with you when you travel. It comes in handy when waiting for that long-delayed hotel shuttle.

Finding an accessible room

• Never just ask for an “accessible room.” Instead, list the access features you need.
• In the U.S., look for properties constructed after 1992, the date the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) took effect.
• Always call the property directly. On-site reservation agents often have first-hand knowledge about access features at their property.
• Ask the reservation agent to describe the access features of the room. Don’t settle for the broad description of “ADA Compliant.” Ask for specific access details.
• Even within the U.S., not all accessible rooms have roll-in showers. Ask a lot of questions about the bathrooms. If you just reserve an “accessible room,” you’ll probably end up with a bathroom that has a tub/shower combination.
• Make sure and ask about the availability of elevators. Some properties have what they consider to be an accessible room, but it can only be accessed by a stairway.
• Many properties have raised toilet seats that can be installed in any bathroom. Accessible toilets are 17-19 inches high, so if you need a higher one, ask about a raised toilet seat.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for measurements. If door width is a concern, ask for that measurement. Don’t forget about the door width of interior (bathroom) doors too.
• If room size is an issue, ask the reservation agent to fax you a floor plan of the accessible room(s).
• Bed height is not regulated under the ADA, so make sure to ask for bed measurements. Many properties are replacing their standard mattresses with high pillow-top models.

Tips for Navigating Airport Security

• Allow plenty of extra time to get through security, especially if you wear a prosthesis or use any type of assistive device.
• Slow walkers should request a wheelchair at check-in. Even if you can walk, it will cut down on the fatigue and standing time.
• You are not required to transfer from your wheelchair or scooter for any portion of the screening process.
• If you can’t walk or go through the metal detector, tell the TSA agent. You will be hand-wanded and given a pat-down search. If you need help walking through the metal detector or assistance with your carry-on items, ask the screener.
• Inform the screener if you cannot raise your arms or stand for a pat-down search.
• If you need assistance, but are traveling by yourself, ask your airline for a gate pass for a non-ticked companion to accompany you through the security checkpoint.
• Canes and walkers are allowed through security checkpoints. If they can fit through the x-ray machine they will be x-rayed, otherwise they will be manually inspected.
• Prosthetic devices do not have to be removed for screening; however they will be manually inspected and swabbed for explosive residue. Tools needed to adjust prosthetic devices are allowed through security upon inspection.

Posted by Andon under General & Travel | No Comments »

Are you disabled and seeking employment? Being a job seeker is hard enough, but if you have a disability it can be even more difficult and frustrating. Employers sometimes refuse to hire people with disabilities which angers the job seeker and often discourages them from continuing their job search. This is why it is very important to provide your future employer with a reason why you should be hired instead of someone else. Here is some information that will assist you in your employment search.

How to Search For a Job If You Have a Disability:

1. Determine your unique abilities. What tasks can you accomplish based on your skills? You need to explain the following: what are your talents, why you are the best candidate based on your knowledge, what your past experiences are and why your disability will not get in the way of this.

2. When completing the employment application, indicate your disability only if it asks the question. If you enter the interview without disclosing your disability, inform your future employer about your impairments before you begin your employment. When discussing your unique situation, indicate the necessary accommodations to be made, if needed.

3. When conducting your job search, look for the 'Positive about disabled people' icon on job advertisements.

4. Locate a government agency, such as the Jobcentre that will assist people with disabilities. Often, a state employment office or vocational rehabilitation center can help with job hunting, placement and advise with your job search.

Posted by Denise under Advice & General | 1 Comment »

Today I am going to be writing about a controversial subject that affects every woman. This is a very touchy subject and if I offend anyone I apologize in advance.

Each year there are millions of women in the world who choose to end their pregnancy with abortion. On November 29, 2007 Baroness Masham of Ilton, Great Britain introduced an amendment in Parliament making it illegal for women to have an abortion if the fetus is found to be disabled. Currently, it is legal for women to undergo an abortion if during testing it is discovered the fetus will be disabled. Baroness Marsham claims it is wrong to kill an unborn disabled fetus if they can endure medical treatments for their illness.

Many people believe it is immortal to have an abortion if you discover your child has a disability. Women are devastated when they loose their child, whether they experience an abortion or a miscarriage. When women have an abortion, it becomes very emotional for them because pregnancies are usually planned and often it is the only child a woman will conceive after many months or years of trying to conceive. It is difficult for a woman to move forward with her life after having to abort her unborn child because the woman felt the fetus move, visualized what the infant would look like through an ultrasound, and in some cases had selected a name for the baby based on sex.

Learning there is a possibility that the fetus could be disabled, women want to terminate the existence of their own child, not wanting to keep their baby because it is not considered “healthy or perfect”. When we discover that we have conceived, women plan their future knowing they will have a perfect baby girl or boy. Aborting a fetus is considered helping the child because they are “better off dead” than living in a world where they will be subject to stereotypes because of their disability.

Personally I do not believe in abortions unless it is medically necessary, such as the child will only have a short amount of time to live or if the woman was raped. I would rather give the baby the opportunity to live whatever time they have on this earth, than not know the child, watching them grow and learn. Children should be given the opportunity to live their lifespan, whether that is 5 months, 5 years, or 50+ years.

Would you rather live your life and know your own child for five years, or would you rather live your life, without knowing them? Knowing your baby is disabled should not affect your decision to keep the fetus. What are your thoughts? Do you think it is moral to terminate a pregnancy if you are told your child will be disabled?

Denise Naspinski

* The opinions expressed in the above entry are those of the individual and are not necessarily shared by the Home Access Program or its Sponsor.

Posted by Denise under General | 2 Comments »