Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8 Specialized Travel Resources
TRAVELERS WITH
DISABILITIES
Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone
from traveling. There are more options
and resources out there than ever
before. Most hotels, major stores,
attractions, and public restrooms in
Australia have wheelchair access. Many
smaller lodges and even B&Bs are start-
ing to cater to guests with disabilities,
and some diving companies cater to
scuba divers with disabilities. National
parks make an effort to include wheel-
chair-friendly pathways, too. Taxi com-
panies in bigger cities can usually
supply a cab equipped for wheelchairs.
TTY facilities are still limited largely to
government services. For information
on all kinds of facilities and services in
Australia for people with disabilities
(not just travel-related organizations),
contact
National Information Com-
munication Awareness Network
(NICAN),
P.O. Box 407, Curtin, ACT
2605 (
&
1800/806 769
voice and
TTY in Australia, or 02/6285 3713;
www.nican.com.au). This free service
can put you in touch with accessible
accommodations and attractions
throughout Australia, as well as with
travel agents and tour operators who
understand your needs.
Many travel agencies offer cus-
tomized tours and itineraries for travel-
ers with disabilities.
Flying Wheels
Travel
(
&
507/451-5005;
www.flying
wheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours
and cruises that emphasize sports and
private tours in minivans with lifts.
Accessible Journeys
(
&
800/846-
4537
or 610/521-0339; www.disability
travel.com) caters specifically to slow
walkers and wheelchair travelers and
their families and friends.
Organizations that offer assistance
to travelers with disabilities include the
Moss Rehab Hospital
(www.moss
resourcenet.org), which provides a
library of accessible-travel resources
online; the
Society for Accessible
Travel and Hospitality
(
&
212/447-
7284;
www.sath.org; annual member-
ship fees: $45 adults, $30 seniors and
students), which offers a wealth of
travel resources for all types of disabil-
ities and informed recommendations
on destinations, access guides, travel
agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals,
and companion services; and the
American Foundation for the Blind
(
&
800/232-5463;
www.afb.org),
which provides information on travel-
ing with Seeing Eye dogs.
For more information specifically
targeted to travelers with disabilities,
the community website
iCan
(www.
icanonline.net/channels/travel/index.
cfm) has destination guides and sev-
eral regular columns on accessible
travel. Also check out the quarterly
magazine
Emerging Horizons
($15
per year, $20 outside the U.S.; www.
emerginghorizons.com)
;
Twin Peaks
Press
(
&
360/694-2462;
http://
disabilitybookshop.virtualave.net/blist
84.htm), offering travel-related books
for travelers with special needs; and
Open World Magazine,
published by
the Society for Accessible Travel and
Hospitality (see above; subscription:
$18 per year, $35 outside the U.S.).
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Sydney is one of the most gay-friendly
cities in the world, and across most of
Australia, the gay community has a
high profile and lots of support serv-
ices. There are plenty of gay and les-
bian bars, and most Saturday nights
see a privately operated gay dance
party taking place in an inner-city
warehouse somewhere. The cafes and
pubs of Oxford Street in Darlinghurst,
a short cab ride or long stroll from
Sydney's downtown area, are the liveli-
est gay spots. The annual Sydney Gay
& Lesbian Mardi Gras, culminating in
a huge street parade and party in late
