Last week President Clinton signed into law a bill that allows millions of
disabled Americans to receive federal medical coverage even when they're
employed. The ceremony took place in front of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Memorial, who, as you know, was in a wheelchair due to polio. Clinton noted
that in Roosevelt's time "most people believed being disabled meant being
unable."
Luckily, that sentiment has changed, even when it comes to travel. Access
in airports, bus and train stations is better than ever, making it possible
for disabled travelers to take the sort of vacations that, until recently,
were unavailable or difficult to maneuver -- like extreme or adventure
travel. Laurel Van Horn is executive director for the Society for the
Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped in New York, and she searches for
and outfits places you would think are impossible to go to as a disabled
traveler.
With all of these exciting options for disabled travelers, I thought a
primer on how to prepare for the trip was in order. I called Adam Lloyd,
editor of "Gimp On The Go," an Internet site devoted to traveling with a
disability. Adam is quadriplegic and just recently arrived on the island of
St. John in the Caribbean.
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Savvy Resources for Disabled Travel Outdoors:
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{ Travelers' Aid Index }
