{"id":1686,"date":"2018-06-21T01:27:09","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T05:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/?p=1686"},"modified":"2018-07-14T13:40:58","modified_gmt":"2018-07-14T17:40:58","slug":"wheelchair-users-independent-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/06\/21\/wheelchair-users-independent-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear Hotels: Stop Assuming All Wheelchair Users Travel with (or Want) Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

I see it every single time I stay in a hotel room–evidence that hotels assume I’m not alone. I guess it’s rare to see a solo traveler in a wheelchair, but as I spend more time roaming the world and meeting more wheelchair users, I think we’re not as rare as many people think. What certainly isn’t odd is the wheelchair user who wants to be independent and do things for him or herself. This is why it’s so infuriating to check in to a hotel to discover that things are laid out in a manner I sometimes can’t manage alone–but could if hotel managers’ thought processes worked differently. So hotels, get your act together and stop assuming that all wheelchair users who stay at your properties are traveling with someone else, or want someone else to help them accomplish things they could actually do themselves.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>First, let me tackle the bed situation. The horrible trend of high beds in hotels<\/a> is something I’ve addressed on my blog at length. Hotels don’t put different beds in wheelchair accessible rooms, and we’re lucky if they have legs that can be adjusted to accommodate those of us who need them lowered. But aside from being cheap and thoughtless, part of me really believes that hotels assume someone will always be with us to just help us get into these sky-high beds somehow. Let me tell you how hilarious it would have been to watch my 80 year-old mother try to maneuver me into a 32″-high hotel room bed last week. That was a rarity, as I travel alone 95 percent of the time<\/a>, and I’m left to my own (unsafe) devices to get into these beds.<\/p>\n

Check out this nylon \u201cladder\u201d that helps me pull myself up in hotel beds and at home: Stander BedCaddie \u2013 Sit-Up In Bed Support Assist Handle with Adjustable Nylon Strap + Three Ergonomic Hand Grips<\/a>\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

\"roll<\/a>Next, let’s talk about bathrooms. Even if I manage to get a good roll-in shower in my rooms, chances are around 100 percent that the detachable shower head will be placed at the highest position. Let me say that it’s much easier for housekeeping to default the shower head position to the lowest level, and if an able-bodied person needs it higher, for them to move it. I’m lucky I can stand for a few seconds with a lot of support and usually lower it myself, but many wheelchair users can’t. That means they either need a companion to lower it, or have to call housekeeping to lower it for them.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t get a room with a roll-in shower but can transfer, maybe a portable tub bench is one solution: Drive Medical Portable Shower Bench, White<\/a>\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

\"ada<\/a>Then there’s the furniture layout situation. I’m firmly convinced that hotels NEVER consult with wheelchair users and actually have them roll through their accessible rooms when designing the room layouts. If they did, there wouldn’t be heavy furniture blocking access to the curtain pulls. The electrical outlets wouldn’t be out of reach on lamps pushed to the back of desks. Towels wouldn’t be placed on a high rack to high for a wheelchair user to reach. Access to either side of the bed wouldn’t be blocked by a heavy chair.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Public areas in US hotels are usually pretty decent for access, but not in the breakfast department. In lower-end hotels, some breakfast buffet items are always out of reach, whether it’s the utensils placed too far back on the counter or the bread drawer too high up for me to reach. Forget about me making one of those waffles by myself. Even at higher end hotels, buffet breakfasts are a nightmare when it comes to being able to reach anything or serve myself. Fortunately, a hotel employee is always willing to help, but that’s not the point. With some foresight by hotel management, I should be able to do this myself.<\/p>\n

The problem with all of these situations is two-fold. First, none of these scenarios is governed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means hotels are under no legal obligation to provide adjustable beds, or lower shower heads, or place food within my reach. Second, people (including hotel managers) often have a hard time grasping the concept that wheelchair users can do (and WANT to do) many things independently, whether they’re traveling alone or not. I hate it when people at restaurants or museums or shops look around nervously and ask me if I’m by myself. The assumption that we\u00a0always<\/em> have help, or that we want it in the first place, takes away from our desire to live independently whenever possible, and reduces us to creatures who are invariably helpless. So, dear hotels, stop making assumptions about our disabilities and start empowering us to travel (and live) on our own terms.<\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please understand that I have experienced all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n

Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I see it every single time I stay in a hotel room–evidence that hotels assume I’m not alone. I guess it’s rare to see a solo traveler in a wheelchair, but as I spend more … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[111,90,97],"yst_prominent_words":[878,246,1597,1362,1356,214,2974,323,2971,2334,879,1248,1080,336,507,1258,1030,332,960,636],"class_list":["post-1686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travelogue","tag-accessible-travel","tag-ada","tag-hotels","latest_post"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4946.jpg?fit=4032%2C3024&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8IhCJ-rc","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1755,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/06\/26\/environment-and-accessible-travel\/","url_meta":{"origin":1686,"position":0},"title":"Soap, Straws, and Sand: Where the Environment and Accessible Travel Collide","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"June 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"You know those tiny bottles of free shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion you love to take home with you as a souvenir from your hotel stay? If you plan on staying at one of five major Marriott International chains or an InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) property in the future, you\u2019ll\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelogue"","block_context":{"text":"Travelogue","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/travelogue\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1413,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/05\/05\/beds-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms\/","url_meta":{"origin":1686,"position":1},"title":"The Debate Over Beds in Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Rooms","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"May 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A good night's sleep. That's all a traveler really wants when he or she arrives at a hotel room after a long day of travel. Some people are more picky than others about the mattress type or pillows, but most just want to sleep. For travelers who use wheelchairs, however,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hotel"","block_context":{"text":"Hotel","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/reviews\/hotel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"the debate over beds in wheelchair accessible hotel rooms","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1179,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/01\/30\/hotel-franchising-wheelchair-users\/","url_meta":{"origin":1686,"position":2},"title":"Hotel Franchising is Creating More Obstacles for Wheelchair Users","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I stay in a lot of hotel rooms. To be more specific, I spent 129 nights in [supposedly] wheelchair accessible hotel rooms in 2017. After each and every check-in, I roll in my electric scooter to my door, pause, take a deep breath\u2026and hope for the best. This is because\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hotel"","block_context":{"text":"Hotel","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/reviews\/hotel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":268,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2016\/12\/30\/268\/","url_meta":{"origin":1686,"position":3},"title":"10 Wheelchair Accessible Cities You Should Visit in 2017","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"December 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"You've got some Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, you've read up on my tips for overcoming your fear of traveling with your wheelchair, and you're ready to hit the road (or take to the skies) in 2017. Then check out my list below of some of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Canada"","block_context":{"text":"Canada","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/north-america\/canada\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wheelchair-friendly-cities-to-visit-in-2017.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wheelchair-friendly-cities-to-visit-in-2017.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wheelchair-friendly-cities-to-visit-in-2017.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wheelchair-friendly-cities-to-visit-in-2017.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2183,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/01\/27\/will-airline-bans-on-solo-wheelchair-travel-lead-to-more-accessible-travel-restrictions\/","url_meta":{"origin":1686,"position":4},"title":"Will Airline Bans on Solo Wheelchair Travel Lead to More Accessible Travel Restrictions?","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"On January 25, 22 year-old Shen Chengqing was supposed to take a\u00a0Hong Kong Airlines\u00a0flight to Tianjin in northeastern China at 8.40pm. However, after she arrived at the airport for the 3\u00bd-hour flight, Shen said airline staff refused to check her in as she could not walk and did not have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelogue"","block_context":{"text":"Travelogue","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/travelogue\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7073AE61-401F-492E-86E9-4380048130ED.jpeg?fit=1200%2C885&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7073AE61-401F-492E-86E9-4380048130ED.jpeg?fit=1200%2C885&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7073AE61-401F-492E-86E9-4380048130ED.jpeg?fit=1200%2C885&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7073AE61-401F-492E-86E9-4380048130ED.jpeg?fit=1200%2C885&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7073AE61-401F-492E-86E9-4380048130ED.jpeg?fit=1200%2C885&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1989,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/10\/30\/hotel-manager-wheelchair-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":1686,"position":5},"title":"One Hotel Manager’s Experience as a Wheelchair User for a Day","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"October 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in late 2016, I wrote a post for this blog titled, \"Why Hotel Managers Should Be Disabled* for a Day.\" \u00a0This isn't because I want any harm to come to hotel managers. I actually inserted the asterisk after the word disabled because I meant that it would be immensely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hotel"","block_context":{"text":"Hotel","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/reviews\/hotel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"wheelchair accessible alfond inn winter park","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/D86C3D24-1E1C-45F5-BAEF-AE188AC00BBD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C826&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/D86C3D24-1E1C-45F5-BAEF-AE188AC00BBD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C826&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/D86C3D24-1E1C-45F5-BAEF-AE188AC00BBD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C826&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/D86C3D24-1E1C-45F5-BAEF-AE188AC00BBD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C826&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/D86C3D24-1E1C-45F5-BAEF-AE188AC00BBD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C826&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1686\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1686"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=1686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}