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Winchuck Yurt at Southbeach

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Wheelchair-Accessible Yurts Across the US

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Yurts are all the rage these days. An alternative to pitching a tent, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are pretty basic, while others offer all the comforts of home. They are all set in stunning locations, and since you just have to take along bedding and towels, it’s easy to pack for a yurting vacation. And the good news is, wheelchair-accessible yurts are popping up at campgrounds across America.

Cloudland Canyon State Park

This accessible yurt is located in a popular state park in Northwestern Georgia. Spend a night or two and enjoy some of the views from the accessible Overlook Trail.

Surrounded by Colorado’s Beauty

These two wheelchair-accessible yurts are surrounded by Colorado’s scenic beauty. One is located in Golden Gate Canyon, while the other is near Rocky Mountain National Park.

Yurting in the Sequoias

Located south of highly visited Sequoia National Park, this secluded yurt is in a campground with only 11 other sites. And it’s just a stones throw away from a wheelchair-accessible trail through the Sequoias.

A Utah Gem

This simple yurt is perched on a hillside overlooking a scenic Utah lake. Add in a spacious deck with a gas BBQ and you have a perfectly accessible retreat.

An Upscale Oregon Yurt

This upgraded yurt in Umpqua Lighthouse State Park also includes a small kitchen and a bathroom with a roll-in shower.

A Flathead Lake View

This accessible yurt is perched on a hillside overlooking Flathead Lake in Northwestern Montana. And you get a great lake view from the front deck.

A Napa Valley Find

If you want to dodge the tourist crowds in popular Napa Valley, then head over to Boothe Napa State Park and spend the night in this wheelchair-accessible yurt. And then enjoy some of the wheelchair-accessible trails in the park.

South Beach Yurts

South Beach State Park, which is located on the Oregon coast, features 23 wheelchair-accessible yurts. Add in some accessible trails and you have the perfect spot to stay for a few days.

Relax in the Scenic San Juan Mountains

Last but certainly not least, this wheelchair-accessible yurt is located in Ridgeway State Park, nestled at the base of the San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado. And it’s just a short drive from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

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Westport Track Chair

Westport Track Chair

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Grays Harbor Lighthouse

If you’d like to explore the grounds of Grays Harbor Lighthouse in Washington, then make plans to reserve this Westport track chair. It’s available from David’s Chair, and it’s housed in the Westport by the Sea Condos, which are about a .4-mile roll from the lighthouse. There are level sidewalks with curb cuts along the way, but once you get to the lighthouse you’ll need the track chair to traverse the bumpy — and sometimes muddy — dirt trail.

This track chair needs to be reserved at least seven days in advance. Transfer assistance cannot be provided, so if you can’t transfer independently you’ll need to bring along some help. This track chair has a maximum capacity of 350 pounds. For more information, or to request the Westport track chair, visit davidschair.org/request-fixed-location-chair. And for details on some wheelchair-accessible trails and lodging suggestions in the area, visit emerginghorizons.com/westport-a-wheelchair-accessible-pacific-northwest-gem

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Ljubljanski-castle

Wheelchair-Accessible Slovenia Resources

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Ljubljanski Castle and Castle Hill

If a trip to Slovenia is in your future, then check out these two helpful wheelchair-accessible Slovenia Resources.

The Roll with a Smile blog has an informative entry about travel to Slovenia at https://rollwithasmile.com/slovenia/. It includes information about transportation, wheelchair-accessible lodging and sightseeing in the country. It’s a helpful site with lots of first-hand information and tips.  

Visit Ljubljana (www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/travel-information/essentials/accessibility-of-ljubljana-by-wheelchair) also has some helpful resources, including details on local wheelchair-accessible taxis and how to get to and from the airport. This site also includes information on where to borrow a “SPEED3X trailer” (a electric handbike attachment with a range of 40 km), to make navigating the downtown area a little easier in a wheelchair.

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Wheelchair-Accessible Costa Blanca Villa

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Located on the Orihuela Costa in Spain, this wheelchair-accessible Costa Blanca villa can sleep up to nine people. This Villamartin unit features ramp access, wide doorways and an open floor plan. The accessible bedroom is furnished with a single hospital bed and a portable lift (visitors must provide their own sling). The accessible bathroom is equipped with a roll-in shower with a hand-held showerhead and a rolling shower-commode chair. The toilet grab bars are attached to the toilet, and there’s plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair around the bathroom.

Outside there’s a large private swimming pool that’s equipped with a ramp. Accessible airport transfers to and from Alicante and Murcia airports are included with each Costa Blanca villa rental. Additionally, an accessible van is available for day trips to beaches, markets, Spanish towns and Zenia Boulevard. For more information visit www.costablancawheelchairfriendly.com.

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New Air Canada Wheelchair Policy

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Air Canada recently updated its wheelchair policy, which will make travel easier for many wheelchair-users and slow walkers. The new Air Canada wheelchair policy gives customers more flexibility, as it allows a wider range of mobility aids and includes the ability for passengers to track them while in transit.

The new policy allows customers to bring along up to three mobility aids at no charge. These can include:

  • Wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility aids
  • Adaptive sports equipment, such as adaptive skis or handcycles
  • Patient lifts
  • Other transfer devices

Additionally, if a mobility aid is too large to travel on the same aircraft as the customer, Air Canada Cargo will complimentarily transport it within Canada.

“Travelling with a mobility aid can involve significant planning, and we recognize the uncertainty customers may feel when they are separated from equipment that is essential to their independence,” said Kerianne Wilson, Director, Customer Accessibility at Air Canada. “This new policy is about giving customers more consistent choices, clearer expectations and greater confidence when they travel with us.”

For more information about Air Canada’s policy on personal mobility aids, visit www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/accessibility/mobility-aids-and-assistance.html#/.

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Texas State Parks Offer Loaner Assistive Wheelchairs

Texas State Parks Offer Loaner Assistive Wheelchairs

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In order to make their natural areas more accessible to wheelchair-users and slow walkers, a number of Texas state parks offer loaner assistive wheelchairs . These manual and power models help folks navigate over sand, rocky areas and other obstacles that standard manual and power wheelchairs cannot handle. The following models are now available in select Texas State Parks. Visit tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/park-information/accessibility/assistive-chairs for more information on the specific state parks that offer these loaner assistive wheelchairs, .

GRIT Freedom Chair

GRIT Freedom Chair

The GRIT Freedom Chair is a cross between a manual wheelchair and a mountain bike, and it allows wheelchair-users and slow walkers to access rugged terrain or sandy beaches. Built with mountain bike parts, the GRIT Freedom Chair has three wheels – two standard wheelchair wheels on the sides of the seat, and a smaller wheel in front of the chair. It’s easier to self-propel than a standard wheelchair, thanks to the lever handles installed on each side of the seat; however there are also push handles on the back of the chair for folks who need more assistance. Add in some all terrain tires, and you have a rugged wheelchair, built to tackle rougher terrain.

Motorized Track Chairs

Action Track Chair

Several motorized track chairs models are also available at select Texas State Park. These rugged wheelchairs are outfitted with tank track instead of wheels and can traverse over rugged obstacles. They are user-operated, but there is also an option for a companion to operate the track chairs. The motorized track chair models that Texas State Parks offer include the Action Trackchair (weight capacity 400 pounds), the EcoRover (weight capacity 350 pounds), the X8 and the Terrain Hopper. These motorized track chairs can be used on designated park trails, and even though they can be operated independently a companion is suggested. You may also bring you own wheelchair-cushion to use on these models.

Tandem Hiking Carts

Cascade Tandem Hiking Cart

The Cascade Tandem Hiking Cart allows a “sherpa” (that the wheelchair-user provides) to pull a passenger in the cart which is attached to a backpack. These carts can traverse over sand, snow and singletrack trails, and they are built for backcountry access that some all-terrain wheelchairs can’t always reach. Although they are rated to carry passengers of up to 150 pounds, Texas State Parks sets the recommended passenger weight limit at no more than 100 pounds for “new users”. Additionally, the total weight of the passenger and the gear must not exceed 50 percent of the sherpa’s weight. A helmet is recommended for the rider; and cushions, adaptive supports and other comfort items can also be brought along. The sherpa should be in good physical condition, and it’s best to plan for a shorter hike on your first outing.

So make plans to enjoy a Texas State park with one of these loaner assistive wheelchairs. It’s a great – and very accessible – way to enjoy the outdoors.

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Extreme Motus in Zion National Park

Extreme Motus in Zion National Park

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Motus Chair in Zion National Park

Slow walkers and wheelchair-users who want to explore a few of the more challenging trails in Zion National Park, can now borrow an Extreme Motus wheelchair. This wheelchair has a long wheelbase for maximum stability and is fitted with three balloon tires to absorb bumps on the rougher trails. It has a maximum user weight of 250 pounds and a maximum user height of 6 feet. And although the Extreme Motus gives folks a smoother ride over difficult terrain, it cannot be operated independently, so you’ll need someone to assist you if you borrow it.

The chair can be checked-out at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center on a first-come first-serve basis. A valid ID and proof of insurance is required to borrow the chair, and a brief training is provided to all users. Additionally, since the park shuttle cannot accommodate the Extreme Motus, visitors who borrow this all terrain wheelchair will also be given a pass to drive their own vehicle up Zion Canyon. And as an aside, if you have a disability that prevents you from taking the shuttle (larger wheelchair, oxygen, extra medical equipment) you can also get a pass to drive your personal vehicle up Zion Canyon (emerginghorizons.com/driving-passes-for-disabled-national-park-visitors/) even if you don’t borrow the Extreme Motus.

So where can you go with the Extreme Motus in Zion National Park? Well of course you can do the Pa’rus Trail, but to be honest you can do that in a regular wheelchair. You might want to try it on the Riverside Walk, as sometimes that trail gets rough from the extreme weather conditions. Other suggestions are the Weeping Rock Trail and Lower Emerald Pools, although you may want to have a little extra help on those. You can also give most of park’s inaccessible intermediate trails a try; however you cannot go on the more dangerous and challenging trails like the Zion Narrows or Angels Landing.

So give the Extreme Motus in Zion National Park a try on your next visit. You won’t be sorry!

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California Beach Wheelchairs

California Beach Wheelchairs

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Power beach wheelchairs at Coronado Beach in San Diego, California

If a trip to a California beach is in your future, then check out this list of loaner California beach wheelchairs at www.coastal.ca.gov/access/beach-wheelchairs.html#text.  Compliments of the California Coastal Commission. the list is organized by county, and it contains contact information and some brief details about the wheelchairs available. Although there’s no charge to borrow the beach wheelchairs, customers are usually asked to leave a drivers license as a deposit. The beach wheelchairs are most commonly found at life guard stands or at entrance kiosks. As always, it’s best to call in advance, just to make sure you don’t need to make advance arrangements, especially on busy holiday weekends.

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track-chair

Westchester County Track Chair Hikes

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Trails Without Limits in Westchester County, New York allows slow walkers and wheelchair-users to explore the county parks on guided track chair hikes. The program runs from March to November and the venue changes each month. Volunteers lead participants on a one to two-mile guided hike through one of the scenic county parks. The track chair allows users to easily wheel over rough terrain and other obstacles that would be impassable in a standard wheelchair.

There’s no charge for the hikes, but participants must complete a registration form online at www.thewpf.org/trailswithoutlimits. Family and friends are also invited to attend. It’s important to note that the staff and volunteers who lead the hikes are not allowed to help with transfers; so if you cannot transfer to the track chair independently, you must provide your own assistance. And if you’d prefer to cycle though the parks, Trails Without Limits also offers bicycle rides with handcycles. Either option is a great way to get out and enjoy the Westchester County Parks.

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John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Changing Places Toilets: A Step Above Standard Accessible Restrooms

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Changing Places Changing Table

At first glance, defining an accessible toilet is pretty simple. Basically you have to be able to get in the door and use the facilities. In the US, the Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA) spells out the specifics of restroom access, from toilet height and stall dimensions to grab bar placement and even sink specifics. But what if you need to change an adult child who wears a diaper? How do you accomplish that in a wheelchair in a standard accessible restroom?

Well to be honest, some people have to get creative, and it may involve doing undignified things like laying on the restroom floor or trying to accomplish the task in the back seat of a car. Well Changing Places (www.changing-places.org) is a UK organization that set out to remedy that problem, and make public restrooms really accessible to everyone.

What is Changing Places?

The Changing Places Consortium was established in 2005, and their mission is to encourage public and private spaces to install toilets that are truly usable to everyone with a disability. The organization also offers advice to places that want to install these toilets – sometimes called universal changing stations — and offers referrals to funding sources.

Ideally, Changing Places toilets provide changing tables and hoists so that caregivers can safely change their loved ones. They also have adequate floor space for one or two caregivers, have an accessible toilet and sink, and include adequate directional signage.

There’s no charge to use these public facilities, and the Changing Places website has a searchable directory of these universally accessible toilets throughout the UK. Each listing has a photo of the facility, and includes details about the access features. The complete address and hours are also listed, and details about the availability of nearby accessible parking is included in each listing. Additionally, there’s a helpful Changing Places Toilet Finder app that’s free to download. And the good news is, the database of Changing Places toilets has now grown to over 2,600 locates throughout the UK.

Other Accessible Toilet Resources

It should also be noted that some of the Changing Places Toilets are locked to prevent vandalism, and you need a RADAR toilet key to gain access to them. More information about the RADAR scheme and the toilet keys can be found at emerginghorizons.com/do-i-need-a-radar-toilet-key-for-my-london-trip. And although some venues do have a key on hand, it’s always prudent to carry a RADAR key just in case.

The Changing Places concept has also caught on in other countries, including the United States. To that end the Changing Spaces Campaign was created to encourage public spaces to install universally accessible toilet facilities. And although it pales in comparison to the UK effort, many airports, amusement parks and other community venues now have these facilities installed. You can search their US database for a universal changing facility near you on the Changing Spaces website at www.changingspacescampaign.com.

In the end, thanks to Changing Places and Changing Spaces, more universally accessible toilet facilities are now available throughout the world. So don’t forget to check the websites and download the app before your next trip.

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