Staying Fit
Wheelchair user Elissa Fischer, 64, has ataxia, a brain disease that affects her speech, coordination and ability to walk. Nonetheless, the retired Floridian and her husband recently spent eight days exploring Iceland, the Nordic island nation known for its rugged landscape and challenging outdoor adventures. Their itinerary included taking a dip in the country’s famous Blue Lagoon. Fischer couldn’t have made such a trip without the help of Iceland Unlimited, a Reykjavik-based travel company that specializes in accessible tours.
Companies like Iceland Unlimited work hard to make travel accessible to people with all types of physical challenges, including those that come with age, such as less stamina and balance problems. They host their own tours to bucket-list destinations, focusing primarily on making travel easier and doable for their clients by carefully vetting hotels, restaurants and attractions to ensure truly accessible accommodations; using accessible vans with lifts to eliminate transportation issues; arranging for wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and other special medical equipment, as needed; securing accessible cabins on cruises, and more.
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In addition to their guided tours, some also provide travel agency services, such as booking trips their clients want to take on their own — always focusing on their clients’ special needs.
Below is more information on Iceland Unlimited, as well as four other accessible-focused companies.
Easy Access Travel
Debra Kerper, a bilateral amputee, found few options when looking for travel experiences she could do given her disability, so she founded Easy Access Travel in 1995. Since then, the Carrollton, Texas–based company has hosted a variety of trips both on land and at sea. Plus, as a travel agency, it helps clients plan and book both domestic and international travel, with Hawaii and New England topping the list for U.S. getaways.
Kerper’s philosophy for serving her special client base is simple: “Eliminating surprises and informing clients of possible situations remain paramount for successful planning,” she says.
Just two of the many ways the company ensures client satisfaction are by using guides in each locale who are accustomed to working with special-needs travelers, and by following routes for various excursions that are specially designed to be easily navigated by wheelchair users. It currently has accessible staterooms set aside for an Alaskan cruise this summer and for a Mediterranean cruise in October, both with Royal Caribbean. Itineraries for 2023 are still in the works; check the site for updates.
EasyAccessTravel.com; 951-202-2208
