Accessible travel for people with disabilities: A quick review

The plan: To travel 15,000 kilometers in 6 months. On March 7, Sven Marx and Jürgen Pansin started in Berlin, armed with their PINO Tour tandem bike from Hase Bikes. Their destination: Tokyo, Japan! The goal was to get there just in time for the Paralympics. But then came the week when everything changed. The new coronavirus and the imposed travel restrictions across the world have thrown a monkey wrench into all plans. Instantly, their 18 months of planning and preparation went by the wayside. In Warsaw, they had to cancel their trip as more and more countries were closing their borders, making it impossible for the pair to continue their journey as planned.

It was obviously a big disappointment. "Unfortunately, we were unable to prove that nothing is impossible – all thanks to a tiny invisible enemy," Marx writes on his travel blog. He has a brain stem tumor, which causes many issues, including problems with coordination and balance. Pansin is 100 percent visually impaired. Their trip to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo was meant to show the world that physical limitations do not preclude maximum performance. Since then, the Paralympics have been officially postponed and Marx and Pansin are back in Berlin, where they are already hashing out new plans.

For now, Coronavirus keeps the world in suspense – and thwarts the travel plans of many people with and without disabilities across the world. And since people with disabilities are at a higher risk from the virus, it’s clear that they are well-advised to observe the travel ban’s implementation – to protect themselves and everybody else. Still, hope springs eternal and many expect that we will soon be able to once again safely explore the world and travel. Until that day comes, many people on social networks fondly remember the past and share photos of past vacations and trips. People with disabilities are no exception as they dream of future travel destinations and even make some tentative plans here and there.

And that’s not a bad idea! Even if we don’t know when we can all safely travel again, it shouldn’t stop us from reading up on accessible hotels, for example, to be ready when the day comes.

There is an increasing tendency that accessible hotels don’t explicitly see themselves as a mere lodging location for patients and their caregivers (German: Pflegehotel). Their main goal is to make sure that guests with disabilities can enjoy a carefree vacation. The FDS Hotel gGmbH, which operates the Seehotel Rheinsberg and the Heidehotel Bad Bevensen are great examples of this. Both hotels specialize in servicing people with mobility disabilities or those suffering from multiple disabilities. Hotels guests can enjoy accessible accommodations and resources and barrier-free rooms. The same applies to Hotel Middelpunt on the Belgian coast. Find out more about these three hotels and the many other amenities they have in store for their guests in our article "Accessible travel: Hotels for everyone".

Assistive technologies and devices ensure a person’s mobility in everyday life and in travel settings. After all, getting from Point A to Point B as effortlessly as possible is an essential part of self-determination for people with disabilities. ATTO, the foldable mobility scooter from MovingLife can make this happen. Sales Manager Marcel Zwart at MovingLife explains in an interview what makes this stylish everyday helper and travel companion so unique.

The bottom line: Even in times of Coronavirus, mobility aids are an invaluable tool for people with disabilities. And if at some point tourism and travel are possible again without worries, these resources will be there to help make your next vacation a wonderful and accessible experience.