http://www.frommers.com/activities/cruise/article.cfm?articleid=691&destid=CRUISE

October 1, 2003

Travelers with disabilities have more resources on which to rely than ever before, making it easier than ever get where you want to go. We want to mention the most prominent of the thousands available in the following comprehensive list. Print and save this for future reference.

The U.S. National Park Service offers a Golden Access Passport that gives free lifetime entrance to U.S. national parks for persons who are blind or permanently disabled, regardless of age. You may pick up a Golden Access Passport at any NPS entrance fee area by showing proof of medically determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law. Besides free entry, the Golden Access Passport also offers a 50% discount on federal-use fees charged for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. For more information, click onto www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or call tel. 888-GO-PARKS (467-2757).

Agencies/Operators

• Access Adventures (tel. 716/889-9096), a Rochester, New York- based agency, offers customized itineraries for a variety of travelers with disabilities.
• Accessible Italy (tel. 011-39/549-875392, www.accessibleitaly.com) provides tours for individuals and groups within Italy.
• Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/TINGLES or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com) caters specifically to slow walkers and wheelchair travelers and their families and friends.
• Adventures Within (tel. 303/744-8813, www.adventureswithin.org) offers programs for individuals with multiple sclerosis, limited to outdoor trips and other challenges in the Colorado Rockies.
• Chalfont Line Ltd. (tel. 011-44/20-8997-3799, www.chalfont-line.co.uk) is a British-based firm providing escorted vacations throughout the world for disabled and the elderly.
• Cosley & Houston Alpine Guides (tel. 760/872-3811, www.cosleyhouston.com) provides mountain climbing for the deaf.
• Epic Enabled (tel. 011-27/21-78-9575, www.epic-enabled.com) provides adventures tours for those in wheelchairs or otherwise disabled, in and around South Africa.
• Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 800/535-6790; www.flyingwheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours and cruises that emphasize sports and private tours in minivans with lifts.
• The Guided Tour (tel. 800/783-5841, www.guidedtour.com) offers travel programs worldwide for persons with developmental or physical challenges. In business since 1972.
• Jubilee Sailing Trust (tel. 011-44/23-8044-9108, www.jst.org.uk) offers adventure sailing for disabled and able-bodied adults on tall ships.
• Navyo Nepal (tel. 011-977/1-280856, www.navyonepal.com) offers outdoor tours through the Himalayan countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, with emphasis on Buddhist sites.
• Neverland Adventures (tel. 800/717-8226, www.neverland-adventures.com) is a disabled-owned and -operated travel company providing tours to Australia and New Zealand for those with disabilities, in business since 1994.
• Rimrock Outfitters (tel. 970/533-7588, www.rimrockoutfitters.com) has guided hunts for the disabled in the foothills of the Colorado La Plata mountains.
• SeeMore Scenic Tours (tel. 011-61/7-3805-5588, www.geocities.com/seemoretours) offers wheelchair and electric scooter accessible tours in Australia, including rainforests and cities, to mention only two destinations.
• Trips Inc. (tel. 800/686-1013, www.tripsinc.com) offers supervised travel within the USA for adults with mental and physical developmental disabilities.
• Wheel Coach (tel. 340/719-9335, www.wheelcoach.com) is a company offering tours and vacation planning for people with disabilities traveling to the US Virgin Islands.
• Wilderness Inquiry (tel. 612/676-9400, www.wildernessinquiry.org) is a non-profit group specializing in outdoor adventures trips in North America.

• Able Data (tel. 800/227-0216, www.abledata.com) has a travel section, starting, for example, with a link to AbleHawaii.com, all about travel to and within the Aloha State.
• Access-Able Travel Source (wants no phone calls, email access-able@home.com, www.access-able.com) provides access information and resources to travelers with disabilities, in business since 1995. On the site is access information and travel resource information for locations around the world, along with lists of travel agents and tour operators, cruise ships' accessibility, and Frequently Asked Questions.
• The American Foundation for the Blind (tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org) provides information on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs.
• Centers for Disease Control (tel. 800/311-3435, www.cdc.gov/travel/disabled.htm) offers a Travelers with Disabilities section containing information on specific countries, on specific diseases and more. There is also a Special Needs Travelers section, which covers everything from HIV-Infected Traveler Precautions to Traveling while Pregnant or with Children.
• iCan (tel. 877/ASK-ICAN, same as 877/275-4226, www.ican.com) is a leading Web site that contains sections on airlines with special needs and/or disability information on their Web sites, and channels on independence, issues and rights, and travel. Moreover, it has an excellent Travel Planning list of resource links.
• The Moss Rehab Hospital (tel. 215/456-9603, www.mossresourcenet.org) provides friendly, helpful phone assistance through its Travel Information Service.
• The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (tel. 212/447-7284, fax 212-725-8253; www.sath.org) offers a wealth of travel resources for all types of disabilities and informed recommendations on destinations, access guides, travel agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals, and companion services. Annual membership costs $45 for adults; $30 for seniors and students.

• Mobility International USA (tel. 541/343-1284; www.miusa.org) publishes A World of Options, a 658-page book of resources, covering everything from biking trips to scuba outfitters, and a biannual newsletter, Over the Rainbow. Annual membership is $35.
• Open World for Disability and Mature Travel magazine, published by the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (see above), is full of good resources and information. A year's subscription is $13 ($21 outside the U.S.).
• Twin Peaks Press (tel. 360/694-2462) publishes travel-related books for travelers with special needs.
• Wheelchairs on the Go: Accessible Fun in Florida is a 424-page guidebook crammed with detailed descriptions of accessible accommodations, recreation, theme parks, attractions, historic sites, and fishing or hunting. And that's just for starters. It's published by Access Guide Publishing (tel. 888/245-7300; www.wheelchairsonthego.com). 727/573-0434). List price is $24.95.

Copyright © 2003, Wiley Publishing, Inc.