|
Travel
This page is intended to be a resource for people who
would like to travel with there power wheelchairs.
Wheelchairs in the Rainforests
Air Travel with a Power
Wheelchair
Condom Catheters
Wheelchairs in the Rainforests
We rose
early that morning in order to make it to the airport with enough time
to clear the security lines and pre-board the airplane. With two of us
in wheelchairs and the remaining seven burdened with the many bags
required to carry various medical devices that could not be trusted to
the baggage handlers, we approached our terminal. We would fly to Fort
Lauderdale and spend the night in a hotel before boarding our cruise
ship the next day.
The ship was perfect. The cabins had roll-in
showers and were extra spacious to accommodate our wheelchairs. The
remainder of the ship was also quite accessible. After settling in and
meeting our cabin steward, we introduced ourselves to the shore
excursions manager. We explained that we had various private accessible
tours set up and asked for his assistance in making sure that we would
be able to disembark and re-board with our wheelchairs. This was a
challenge, but with the help of other senior officers they found a way
to make it happen at each port. They actually used ballast to list the
ship and align our private ramp with the dock. We chose Princess Cruise
Lines because of their excellent reputation in handling passengers with
disabilities.
After traversing the Panama Canal, rolling through
a biological preserve hidden deep in the rainforests of Costa Rica, and
visiting several other exotic ports, it was time to re-board an airplane
and head home.
Traveling with a disability is not easy, but with
some extra preplanning and research, it is completely do-able, and well
worth it.
Back to Top
Air Travel with a Power
Wheelchair
I
have several suggestions and comments concerning air travel with a power
wheelchair. These are just pointers that we have picked up along the
way.
You should always call the
airline a week or so ahead to inform them that you will be traveling
with a wheelchair. Arrive at the airport at least three hours early so
you will have enough time to get through security. You should insist on
staying in your wheelchair all the way to the gate. This is your
right. You will be allowed to pre-board the aircraft. The airline will
provide attendants who will help you transfer from your chair into an
aisle chair, roll you into the plane, and transfer you into the airplane
seat.
When the airline asks you if
you have wet or dry cell batteries in your wheelchair, say "dry". The
manuals they are working from are outdated and don't include the option
"non-spillable gel cell". If you answer anything other than "dry", they
will probably make you disconnect and remove the batteries from their
solid, well protected box in your wheelchair, and place them into flimsy
cardboard boxes (to prevent them from spilling). If they try to do
this, there should be a label attached to the top of the batteries that
includes the words, "non-spillable gel cell, approved for air travel,
FAA approved" or something like that. You should check this out ahead
of time and point it out to the airline officials if necessary.
They will also ask you to
disconnect the power so that the wheelchair does not inadvertently move
during flight. You should check this out ahead of time. There is
probably some type of a quick disconnect type plug that will easily
isolate the batteries.
It is a good idea to look your
wheelchair over for any protruding or loose parts. Our first experience
taking my electric wheelchair on an airplane was our trip to Australia.
Because of the various regions we visited, the trip consisted of eight
separate legs of flight. When the wheelchair was returned to us after
each flight, there was something else missing, broken, or bent. Also,
the Boeing 737 aircraft has a baggage compartment door that is only 29
inches high. This means they will probably have to lay your wheelchair
on its side if you will be flying on this type of plane and they aren't
very careful about it. I know this all sounds terrifying, but now I
will explain the steps we have taken to minimize, or eliminate, the
damage. In order to reduce the height of the wheelchair to 29 inches so
that it can be rolled in, we have practiced and perfected a method of
quickly breaking it down into a compact, roll-able package. First we
remove the seat cushion. I use this on the airplane. The head rest, the
armrests, and the leg rests are then removed. The back rest is folded
forward onto the seat and all of the aforementioned parts. except the
seat cushion, are carefully stacked on top. We use a ratcheting
motorcycle tie down strap to wrap around and secure the bundle. Next,
we attach two brightly colored, laminated signs that illustrate the
method of setting and releasing the brakes. The signs are affixed using
Velcro. We also remove the rubber parts of the joystick and carry them
with us on the airplane.
Although none of this is
required, by using these techniques, we rarely encounter any significant
damage or problems. But when traveling in a wheelchair, there are bound
to be a few hiccups in your plan. You just have to roll with the
punches, and keep smiling. In the end, it's all worth it!
Back
to Top
Condom Catheters
I wear them every
day, all day. We originally tried them for air travel, but found them
to be so convenient, that we use them all of the time. My hands and
arms are completely paralyzed, so Jen had to help me every time I needed
to urinate (and I have a very small bladder). We ordered the catheters
and upgraded to the 32 oz. leg bag which means that I now only have to
bother Jen two or three times a day. When the bag gets full we empty it
into a standard urinal bottle, which then gets dumped into the toilet,
and rinsed. The urinal bottle lives in the backpack on the back of my
wheelchair. On travel day we always empty the bag just before boarding
the airplane. I then have 32 oz. to work with. If it is an extremely
long flight, Jen can empty my leg bag without me having to leave my
seat.
Emptying my leg
bag when we are out and about, was uncomfortable at first, but we don't
worry about it anymore. Because I needed Jen's help, it was obvious
that we would have to enter a public restroom together. We decided that
the women's room would be best because women take care of their business
behind a closed-door, inside of a stall. I wait outside while Jenny
checks to be sure that there is an available, accessible stall.
She then
drives me directly through the bathroom and into the stall. I look straight ahead so that I don't make anyone feel uncomfortable. We have
done this hundreds of times and no one has ever complained.
Back
to Top
Certainly, travel is more than the
seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in
the ideas of living.
Miriam Beard
|
