Sports / Recreation / Travel / Hobbies

the best town for wheelchairs

Lea — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:31:01 GMT

What is the best and most accessible and most enjoyable city for wheelchairs? I've heard Denver, but I'd like to hear about others' experiences. Also, what is the best foreign country for wheelchair users?

Looking for Travel Writers

Wheelchair Traveler — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:47:32 GMT

Greetings fellow travelers! wheelchairtraveling.com is looking for people interested in writing about their travel experiences. wheelchairtraveling.com is a free resource for our community, making $0. It is not about $. It's about sharing the information we know about destinations so we ALL can have more adventures.

Create an account and add a destination or travel journal or email me and I'll set it up for you. Before you start saving for your next trip and especially before you put down any money, know before you go.

Let's make the world more accessible together.

Long Beach for Wheelchair Travelers

Wheelchair Traveler — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:37:32 GMT

Recently, I traveled down to Long Beach, CA for a few days to check out what wheelchair access was like. Here is an article I wrote about what I found along with photos and a video, check it out here.

My favorite attraction in Long Beach was the aquarium. It was world-class. Read that specific review here.

Also, if you are wondering what public transportation is like then check out this article.

South Africa: 3 Article on Traveling in Your Wheelchair

Wheelchair Traveler — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:34:49 GMT

Who has always wanted to explore the wildlife of Africa? I have always wondered what it would be like to explore this area for people in wheelchairs. Well, now I know and would like to share some stories with you in case you want to get your safari on.

What works for most to have your trip organized by a tour company in Africa. One great on that I would recommend is Epic Enable. Every little detail is planned out to allow you to enjoy your experience and not worry about access. The tour company is also giving readers of wheelchairtraveling.com a 15% discount if you say you saw the article on the site. Here is the full story on this tour company as well as photos.

Also a friend of mine, who operates the Disabled Hunter Magazine, wanted a different African experience. He wanted to go hunting. Read his story about how he got around, what the safari jeep was like, and what he thought. It's called "Halfway Around the World to Africa."

Tiara is another wheelchair user that I recently met at an Abilities Expo who also has a story about her adventures in South Africa. She ran into access problems, which will happen if everything is not planned out but she still had the time of her life. She shows that attitude is everything when traveling. You can still have an amazing time if you have patience and really get into the moment of traveling. Read: Trip to South Africa in My Wheelchair.

Real life people giving you the real life low-down on traveling to South Africa in your wheelchair.

Who's ready for adventure?

Toddler in wheelchair gets pat-down at airport

JLo — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50:34 GMT

I've gone through several airport screenings. Regardless if you are 25 or 85, they are not exactly the funnest part of the trip. Unfortunately I read all the time about how uncomfortable this can be for individuals who use wheelchairs. Below is a story of three-year-old boy and his parents forced into this process:

A video shot in 2010 showing a 3-year-old boy receiving a pat-down from a TSA agent went viral today. The toddler was wearing a cast and sitting in a wheelchair.

In an annotated videotape of the incident posted March 17 on YouTube, the father is heard reassuring his son, whom he calls “Rocco,” while a TSA officer is seen patting down the squirming boy and taking swabs of the chair and the cast. After asking the parents to lift the boy’s shirt and offering them the option of going to a private screening area, the officer is also shown swabbing the boy’s back.

The video has been viewed more than 81,000 times.

Before conducting the check at the Chicago-area airport, the TSA officer tries to reassure the boy by asking what he likes — “Tigers? Animals?” — and then asks the boy to sit up. During the inspection he also tells the parents what he is doing and tells Rocco that he’s a good boy.

Comments added to the video by his father, said, “I was told I could NOT touch him or come near him during this process. Instead we had to pretend this was 'OK' so he didn’t panic.”

Read more and watch the video.

What are your thoughts on this?

skydiving

bobby — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:36:04 GMT

i am a c-6 quadrapalegic and i would love to go skydiving. any info out there?

Where is your dream vacation?

Wheelchair Traveler — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 04:52:54 GMT

Where is your dream destination that you've always wanted to travel to?

Travel to Morocco

Wheelchair Traveler — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 04:51:02 GMT

Ever thought of traveling to exotic Morocco? Right now it doesn't really work for power chairs but there are possibilities for manual wheelchairs. There is a tour company in Morocco working to make the experience accessible now and improve it for the future.

Read what they say about wheelchair access and see photos: here

Needing a van, How can I find out if there are any GRANTS out there in my favor?

Marcy — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:06:21 GMT

Hi my name is Marcy and im a 27 year old c-5 incomplete quad. When sitting in my powerchair, both my legs are straight out bc my left leg can not bend! Going out for a ride is pretty tricky, trying to get into a handicap van with the lift on the side and both legs straight out. My chair, the van and my legs get banged around while im trying to get in or out of the van. What I need is a van with a rear entry, but I cannot afford such an item. So what I am looking for is if there are any types of grants that may be floating around out there.

Lil' Rustlers Rodeo

Roland — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:41:31 GMT

It's rodeo season in Houston, Texas. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has Lil' Rustlers Rodeo for kids, who have mental or physical disabilities, participate in a barrel race with stick horses, steer roping and bull riding. Even though the “steer” is a friendly-looking plastic head mounted on a bale of hay, and the “bull” is a big plush see-saw rocked by cowboys, the thrills and smiles are all genuine.

WHEELCHAIR SPORTS CAMP - Ironwood Springs

The Token Gimp — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:28:32 GMT

Do you use a wheelchair? The best place for kids or adults of any age learning to live life after an injury and best place to have fun while living life with an SCI, Spinal Bifida, amputee or whatever your situation is National Wheelchair Sports Camp at Ironwood Springs.

REGISTER SOON! Some scholarships and aid available.
http://www.ironwoodsprings.com/

FOR A BROCHURE:
http://www.ironwoodsprings.com/files/ironwood/files/2012%20Wheelchair%20Brochure.pdf

The main lodge is where you stay at the Miracle Lodge: http://miraclelodge.com/

My Palm Springs & Palm Desert Getaway

Wheelchair Traveler — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:00:24 GMT

The desert has a very unquie beauty that some just can't appreciate but I sure can! I went there not too long ago for a few days and had a great time. See what I found to be wheelchair accessible:

Palm Springs & Palm Desert Getaway

High school league urges players, coaches, officials to stop checking from behind

JLo — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:46:52 GMT

Next to football, a huge hockey fan I am. (In fact, my favorite team, the NY Rangers is currently sitting at #1 in the whole NHL, woo hoo!!)

As much as I love the sport, similar to football, it comes with lots of danger. Recently, a high school sophomore, Jack Jablonski, was checked headfirst into the boards. Jablonski experienced a spinal cord injury due to the hit. This led coaches to remind players during practice to eliminate checking from behind and emphasize proper checking and contact technique during practices. Players should be made similarly aware during games, the league said. Coaches were told to "be grateful when officials enforce the rules" that make the game safer.

The league advised game officials to "not hesitate to make the call" when they see checking from behind. They also were told to emphasize appropriate contact and checking when talking to captains and coaches.

Players were urged to "keep it clean and hit the brakes when you see the numbers on the back of the jersey," the memo said, and stay away from checking from behind situations.

Learn more and watch the video.

Team headed for South Pole includes adaptive athlete with spinal-cord injury

JLo — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:38:43 GMT

TAL FLETCHER JR. is a certified pilot, a helicopter ski guide and a licensed skydiver and paraglider. Now he will add South Pole explorer to his résumé.

The trip is an adventure of a lifetime, but it isn't an adrenaline or notoriety grab for the 36-year-old Redwood High alum. His main responsibility on this trip will be to act as a guide in helping his friend Grant Korgan become the first adaptive athlete with a spinal cord injury to reach the South Pole.

"My goals are to bring everyone home safe: 10 fingers, 10 toes. Then I actually want to get (to the South Pole) and then I want to help Grant tell his story," said Fletcher, who grew up in Marin and now lives in the Lake Tahoe area. "I'm not much of a checklist guy. I don't care about how many stamps I get on my passport."

This trip, simply called "The Push," will take Fletcher, Korgan and lead guide Doug Stoup on a 10-day, 100-mile cross-country ski trip to the South Pole.

Read about the adventure.

Accessible Recreational Vehicles

Wheelchair Traveler — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:15:01 GMT

Traveling in an accessible RV is a fantastic way for wheelchair users to get around in a clean and safe environment. There are a few different RVs out there but two seem the best for a wheelchair user. Karen uses a chair and her husband are full-time RVers. Read about what she knows about Recreational Vehicles here.

I'm totally motivated to get one one day...