1. Plan Ahead and Do Your Research. Before embarking on your trip, take the time to research your destination and accommodations. Look for hotels, restaurants, and attractions that are accessible and can meet your specific needs. Many travel websites now include accessibility information, and you can also contact places directly to ask about their accommodations. When booking flights, inform the airline of any special assistance you may require, such as wheelchair service or special seating. Most airlines are happy to accommodate passengers with disabilities, but it's important to give them advance notice. Consider working with a travel agent who specializes in accessible travel. They can help you find suitable accommodations and activities, and can assist with any special arrangements you may need. 2. Choose Accessible Accommodations. When booking hotels or vacation rentals, look for places that are specifically designed to be accessible. Many hotels now offer rooms with features like roll-in showers, grab bars, and lowered sinks and counters. If you're staying in a vacation rental, contact the owner or property manager to discuss your needs and make sure the space can accommodate you. Some things to look for include wide doorways, step-free access, and a first-floor bedroom and bathroom. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need. Most accommodations are happy to make reasonable modifications to ensure their guests are comfortable and have an enjoyable stay. 3. Bring Any Necessary Equipment or Supplies. Depending on your disability, you may need to bring along certain equipment or supplies to...

Plan ahead, choose accessible accommodations, pack essential gear, use accessible transport, and seek assistance when needed.

Making Travel More Accessible for People with Disabilities

 Traveling with children can be difficult; traveling with a special needs child can be a nightmare! However, if you are prepared ahead of time, it can (almost) be a breeze.    Two weeks before the travel date, I create a columned checklist of what to bring on the trip for the entire family. One week before the trip, I pull out the suitcases and start to pack some items. As items enter the suitcase, they are checked off the list. If you are staying with family members or friends, ask them if they have certain items, such as a hair dryer, you can borrow so you do not have to over pack.    If you are flying for vacation, explain to your travel agent or ticket agent that you have a special needs child and need to be seated up front and near the bathrooms of the plane. When waiting for the flight to board, tell the agents at the gate that you need to be seated first because of your child’s disability. Once seated, inform all flight attendants on the plane about your child. The more they know, the better they are to help if needed.    When we travel by vehicle, I always sit in the back with my daughter. Less stress on the neck from turning in the passenger seat up front! I have everything at my fingertips that she will need. Because I travel a lot to see family,...

Prepare for special needs travel: Pack early, notify airlines, use a goody bag, and check TSA & Wings for Autism resources.

Travel Tips for Special Needs

When Andrew Garnett founded Special Needs at Sea four years ago, he was making equipment deliveries in his own car. “I would get up at three in the morning and drive to Port Canaveral, make my deliveries there, and then I’d drive across the state and make deliveries in Tampa and then drive back,” Garnett recalls. Now his company is able to deliver special needs equipment in 99 cities around the world, in over 20 countries. Special Needs at Sea works with every major cruise line to live up to the motto of “Delivering an accessible world.” From providing Braille printing on ship menus, to delivering portable oxygen concentrators, from sign language interpreters to wheel chair rentals, Garnett is in the business of “pretty much anything special needs.” Even if a requested item is not standard, Special Needs at Sea will do its best to fulfill the need. Perhaps a client is a regular wheelchair user traveling to the beach for the first time. Wheelchair tires make it difficult to get through the sand, but beach wheelchairs can go where other chairs cannot. All a client has to do is call up and reserve the item. A kiosk program gives the customer the option of either picking up equipment at the embarkation point or having it delivered directly to the stateroom. The kiosks are also useful for people who arrive for their vacations and did not realize that they could rent equipment or even that they would need it. People...

Andrew Garnett's company, Special Needs at Sea, provides accessibility equipment and services for travelers with special needs worldwide.

Special Needs at Sea

  Planning Stress-Free Road Trips with Children with Special Needs    Everyone loves vacations and going to new places, but the journey to get there can be a hard and long one. This idea is especially true when traveling with a special needs child. Here are some helpful hints to make your family’s next road trip a little smoother.    Renting the Right Car    If you decide to rent a car for your journey, make sure to call ahead if you need special car. Many rental companies have wheel chair accessible rentals, but they need to be arranged 48 hours in advance. These cars are usually available at no extra cost and can include hand controls, transfer boards, and swivel seats to make the trip easier.    Packing Things To Do      No matter how long the car trip is, be sure to pack many things to appeal to and entertain your child with special needs. You should pack several books, easy car or travel games, and electronic devices, such as portable DVD players, iPads, MP3 players, and a laptop. Do not forget to bring several DVDs or CDs, as well as earphones and charging cables suitable for the car and your hotel room. While it may seem like you have to bring your whole play room to keep your child with special needs happy and occupied, this option is better than having several melt downs...

Tips for smooth road trips with special needs children: rent accessible car, pack entertainment, snacks, plan breaks, and comfort items.

Stress-Free Road Trips

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1. Our Promise

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We collect information from you when you fill out forms on our site, like when you sign up. We also use cookies and Google Analytics to learn more about how you use our site. If you choose to enable the distance search feature, we'll collect your location information after getting your consent by clicking a button.

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We use your information to help you use our site and to make our site better for you. We also use it to see how people use our site, so we can make it better for everyone. Your location information, if you choose to share it, is used to help you find resources and services near you.

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The majority of your information is kept confidential and is not shared with any third parties outside of SpecialNeeds.com. However, for users interacting with our directory listings (such as camps, schools, etc.), we may share aggregated and anonymized analytics data with the owners of these listings. This data may include metrics like the number of page views, time spent on the site, and other related usage statistics. It's important to note that this shared data will not include any personally identifiable information and is solely used to provide insights to our paid listing owners.

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We use some fancy tech stuff to keep your information safe, like HTTPS for secure browsing, bcrypt to keep your password safe, and encryption to keep your location safe if you choose to share it with us. We also store your encrypted location information (if provided) in your browser's local storage and not on our servers, to add an extra layer of security.

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Sometimes we might need to change these rules. If we do, we'll send you an email, and post on our social media accounts, if we have any. Please keep checking so you always know our latest rules.

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Special Needs
Articles

Making Travel More Accessible for People with Disabilities

Travel Tips for Special Needs

Special Needs at Sea

Stress-Free Road Trips

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

Making Travel More Accessible for People with Disabilities

Travel Tips for Special Needs

Special Needs at Sea

Stress-Free Road Trips

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles