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How can you increase your chances of a hassle-free holiday?

1. Research and Planning: Do meticulous research and make your plans well in advance. Contact the airline, cruise line, train or tour group about their check-in procedures for boarding and airport or terminal access, including parking, entrance accessibility, wheelchair availability and elevators. Make sure you ask the right questions about every step of your itinerary, such as:

1. Airlines: In 1999, Transport Canada implemented a code covering access to bathrooms and provision of wheelchairs for airlines to follow, but compliance with this code is voluntary. For increased space, request the bulkhead area when booking flights.
2. Cruising: Find out how wide the entry is into your cabin and its bathroom, if there are doorsills or a lip into the bathroom, and if there will be wheelchair lift vans at each port of call.
3. Hotels: Contact your hotel personally to ensure that your room meets your needs. Although many hotels advertise wheelchair access, their rooms are sometimes badly configured. Ask about rails and bars in bathrooms, roll-in showers, width of doorways, and elevators. If you plan to use the hotel's courtesy shuttle from the airport, check if it has a wheelchair lift.

2. Wheelchairs: Make sure your wheelchair is in perfect working condition before leaving home. Replacement parts in other countries may not be compatible; finding a wheelchair service shop could be problematic. If you are traveling in North America, consider renting a chair at your destination - Winnipeg based ScootAround arranges scooter and wheelchair rentals in more than 500 locations.

3. Medication: Carry several days worth of any medications in your carry-on luggage, plus an extra written prescription in case you need a refill. If traveling internationally, find out if your medication goes by another name in the country you are planning to visit.

4. Car Rentals: If you need hand controls, find out what's available at your destination before you leave home. Make sure the vehicle you rent can accommodate your wheelchair. Bring a disability placard with you, or ask how to get one in the country you are visiting: in many countries, you can use your own valid parking permit to display in your rental car. Visit the ECMT website to see a list of European countries in which your permit is valid.

For more info, visit:

• The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality

• Access Guide Canada

• Access to Travel (Government of Canada)

• Travel Access Services Corp

• Disability Travel Card

• Emerging Horizons

• I Need a Holiday Too (travel in France)

• Disneyworld with Special Needs

• Access Calgary

• World on Wheelz accessible travel arrangements

Books:

• How to Travel: A Guidebook for Persons with a Disability (Fred Rosen 1997, Science & Humanities Press)
• Mobility for All: Accessible Transportation Around the World (Access Exchange International)
• Air Travel for Seniors & Disabled Passengers (Robert B. Ronald, IAD Publishing)
• Traveling like Everybody Else: A Practical Guide for Disabled Travelers (Jacqueline Freedman 1987, Lambda Publishing)
• There is Room at the Inn (Candy Harrington 2006, Demos Publishing)
• Barrier Free Travel - A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers (Candy Harrington 2005, Demos Medical Publishing)