Slide 1
Accessible Travel Options

Presented By:
Stephanie Acosta
 Corporate Travel Manager
United Spinal Association

Slide 2
Able to Travel
Making travel easy for individuals with spinal cord disabilities
At last there’s a full service travel agency that understands the needs of wheelchair users.

(888) 211-3635
www.abletotravel.org

Slide 3
By Air
•	Traveling with a power vs. manual wheelchair
•	Questions you will be asked by airline personnel
•	Obstacles you might run into
•	What is a CRO?

Slide 4
Boarding chair
This slide contains a photograph of a boarding chair with safety belts.

Slide 5
Boarding chair
This slide depicts a photograph of an individual with disability on a Boarding Chair while boarding a plane.

Slide 6
ACAA Overview
•	ACAA passed by Congress in 1986
•	Regulations issued 1990
•	Regulations have been amended numerous times
•	AIR 21 passed in 2000 applying ACAA to foreign carriers

Slide 7
Boarding assistance 
•	For aircraft with fewer than 19 passenger seats, boarding assistance is not required. 

•	For aircraft with 19 or more passenger seats, carriers must provide boarding assistance to passengers with disabilities by using a mechanical lift or other device. 

Slide 8
Seat assignments 
•	Passengers who use an aisle chair to access the aircraft and who cannot transfer over a fixed aisle armrest must be assigned a seat in a row with a movable aisle armrest. 
•	Passengers with disabilities who are traveling with a personal care attendant, a reader/assistant, or an interpreter who will be performing functions for the passenger during the flight must be provided with seats next to each other. 

Slide 9
Seat assignments (continued)
•	Passengers with disabilities traveling with a service animal must be assigned a bulkhead seat or a seat other than the bulkhead as requested.
 
•	Passengers with a fused or immobilized leg must be assigned a seat that provides greater legroom, such as the bulkhead seats. 

Slide 10
Stowage of personal equipment 
•	Air carriers must accept collapsible battery powered wheelchairs as carry-on baggage 

•	Air carriers must accept manual wheelchairs as carry-on baggage

Slide 11
Provide services within aircraft 
•	opening food packages 
•	assist with use of on-board wheelchair to get to lavatory
•	assist in retrieving carry on items 

Slide 12
Airline liability for equipment 
•	Passengers with disabilities cannot be required to sign waivers of liability for damage to or loss of their wheelchairs or other assistive devices.
•	The baggage liability limits do not apply to the liability for loss, damage, or delay of a wheelchair or other mobility aid.
•	The amount of compensation paid to a passenger with disabilities for a lost, damaged, or destroyed wheelchair or other assistive device is based on the original purchase price of the device.

Slide 13
Aircraft accessibility 
•	Aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats have movable aisle armrests on 50% of seats
•	Aircraft with 100 or more seats must have priority space in cabin for storage of at least one folding wheelchair
•	Aircraft with more than one aisle shall have at least on accessible lavatory
•	Aircraft with more than 60 passenger seats & has accessible lavatory shall have an operable on-board wheelchair

Slide 14
By Land 
Hotel
•	What to tell the reservationists
•	What type of rooms do they have that are considered wheelchair accessible? Roll in shower vs. shower bench
•	Make sure room has basic access including - door width should be at least 32 inched wide, bathroom should have turning diameter, and room to maneuver around the bed. 
•	Be sure to ask about the pool and bar area, all public areas should be accessible

Slide 15
Number of Accessible Rooms
•	1 to 25 – 1 accessible room
•	26 to 50 – 2 accessible rooms
•	51 to 75 – 3 accessible rooms (1 with roll in shower)
•	76 to 100 – 4 (1 with roll in shower)
•	101 to 150 – 2 (2 with roll in shower)
•	151 to 200 – 6 (2 with roll in shower)
•	201 to 300 – 7 (3 with roll in shower)
•	301 to 400 – 8 (4 with roll in shower)
•	401 to 500 – 9 (4 + 1 for each 100 over 400)

Slide 16
Accessible Rooms (continued)
•	501 to 1000 – 2% of total
•	1001 and over – 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1000
•	Must be disbursed among each type of room and/or amenity
•	Visual alarms must be provided in certain number of sleeping rooms
•	Common use areas must be accessible
•	Hotel transportation must be accessible

Slide 17
Hotel Pool
This slide depicts the photograph of an Accessible Travel Path to the hotel pool

Slide 18
Roll in Shower
This slide depicts the photograph of a shower with mounted grab bars on the walls.

Slide 19
Pet Peeve
There is no such thing as being “grandfathered in”
ADA requires barrier removal

Slide 20
By Land
Ground Transportation 
 (The biggest challenge)
•	Vans with ramps
•	High top vans with hydraulic lifts
•	Expensive rates
•	Excursion trips from cruises

Slide 21
By Land
Car Rentals
•	All of the major rental car companies in the USA will install hand-controls but you must be careful when making the reservation and its best to give at least 24 hours notice to ensure the hand controls are installed on the car you want. 
•	Be prepared once again for the questions the reservationists will ask you; for example do you want left or right hand controls? Do you require a spinner knob?

Slide 22 
By Land
Car Rentals (continued)
•	After the reservationist gets this information from you, she will ask you what type of car you want. The model will not be guarantee just the type.  Remember you have to store your wheelchair in the car (either in the back seat or the trunk) so make sure the type of car can accommodate your needs.
•	If something goes wrong when you arrive at the car rental company be calm.  They will usually find the mechanics to fix the problem or will at least try to do something in order to avoid an ADA complaint.

Slide 23
By Land
Van Rentals for Motorized wheelchairs
•	There are a number of small companies in the US that provide vans with hydraulic lifts or ramps.  For example, Wheelchair Getaways.
•	It is strongly recommended to give as much notice as possible for these rentals due to the limited number of vans that the company has in a particular location.

Slide 24
By Land
Van Rentals for Motorized wheelchairs (continued)
•	You will need to provide the reservationists with detailed information such as; do you require the van to have hand controls installed or need the drivers seat removed so the van can be configured to me your needs.
•	Usually they will meet  you when your flight arrives to drop off the van and met you again at the airport for your departure flight home.

Slide 25
By Sea
•	Most of the big cruise companies have their own ADA department or they might refer to it as the “special needs department”.
•	Speak directly to the cruise lines agents. 
•	After making your reservation have them mail/email/fax you the confirmation, the confirmation will show you have a wheelchair accessible room. (This is not a request it must be guaranteed).

Slide 26
By Sea (continued)
•	The biggest challenge is not the ship but the ports.
•	When you speak to the reservationists, make sure the ports are accessible.
•	Make sure you can leave the ship independently.
•	If you have to go on shore via tender, is it accessible or how will you access it?
•	Do they have accessible excursions?

Slide 27
Renting Medical Equipment
•	Many travelers who have an expensive power wheelchair often are very concerned the airline could break it in storage; therefore, they rent a wheelchair at their destination and it is waiting for them when they arrive.
•	Hoya lifts are another big rental option
•	Scooters are popular for individuals with limited mobility.
•	Many more rental options

Slide 28
United Spinal Association
Stephanie Acosta
Able to Travel
Phone: (718) 803-3782 x234
sacosta@unitespinal.org
www.abletotravel.org