When people with mobility disabilities travel their disability related needs are not left at home but instead are amplified. To ensure these needs are adequately met while traveling, people with mobility disabilities may have to pay up to six times more compared to someone who is able bodied.

These extra costs come from things such as hiring a caretaker, paying for the caretaker’s accommodations, accessible vehicle rentals, and medical equipment rentals. Additionally, because not every hotel can meet their needs, people with mobility disabilities are limited in their choices and can’t shop around for a better deal. Another thing that can increase the cost, is some people with mobility disabilities need their body weight supported in a specific way when traveling. If they are not supported properly it can lead to health issues and severe discomfort. This means many people need to buy an upgraded plane ticket to ensure their health and comfort is taken care of.

When all is said is done these costs can add up quickly and cause a lot of financial strain. The goal of our accessible travel program is to ensure people with mobility disabilities are not held back financially from traveling, can get their disability related needs met, and don’t have to pay more than those who are able bodied. Through this program we host group trips that cover the extra costs people with mobility disabilities have to pay when traveling.

We are planning to host a day trip to Westport by the end of spring/early summer. While there we will be renting an all terrain wheelchair so our participants can explore the beach and nearby state park. Additional details and an official date will be shared as we get closer to the trip. If there is any place you would like to travel to or any trip you think we should plan in the future, please let us know through our travel interest survey below. We plan to eventually host trips all over the US and internationally.