Travel Planning

  “All travel is adventure travel. The trick for inclusive tourists is to do everything possible to ensure that the adventure is the right kind of adventure, a positive experience, not a frustrating and negative one. A sense of lightheartedness contributes to the spirit of adventure and can attract help from strangers when help is needed most and makes the trip a whole lot more fun.”
- Scott Rains in an interview with the Family Center on Technology and Disability

Scott speaks of the Six Knows of Travel Planning

1. Know yourself, 
2. know Your equipment –
3. Know your safety net – 
4. Know your rights and responsibilities –
5. Know your travel companions –
6. Know your destination – 

All travellers have to do some preparation before they set off. They read the guidebooks, they check the weather of their destinations, they find out if they need vaccinations. Disabled people  are no different except that  they have to check the  accessibility of the facilities of their destination: is the hotel accessible for them? how could they be able to get their equipment mended if it broke - can they get medication, do they need to bring medication, what is the sought item in the language of the host country.

It requires a lot more research and planning. One cannot take for granted that just because the brochure or the website says it has access that you can depend on that information. There are cultural differences in expectations of what is acceptable accessibility.

Good inclusive tourism specialist can relieve you of the uncertainty, Especially if they know the terrain. It helps to have someone at hand who knows where to get emergency supplies. Do not neglect doing as much of your own research as possible.

Once you have an idea what you want to do and see,  take stock of your stamina, there is no point in seeing everything and exhausting yourself.