Friday, May 17, 2013

Vacation Time - Part 2

This is a continuation of yesterday's post. I hope yesterday's post and this one provide some helpful information for your summer vacation planning. I know that compiling it made me want to make some plans right away!

Disability Group Cruises
1-800-516-5247
Vacations for Adults and Families living with
Autism, Down Syndrome and other Related Disabilities
STAFF
Adventure Ocean is staffed by professionals with college degrees
majoring in the health care, education and/or psychology/sociology
fields, and have experience caring for individuals with special needs.
PECS
We offer a variety of PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
pictures to our guests traveling with non-verbal children and/or adults. The
photos depict a number of actual events that take place during our cruises to
help families develop a cruise picture schedule.
SOCIAL STORY
A special “Social Story” has been created to assist with what to expect
on the first day of the cruise. A printable link to the Social Story is
available to our guests approximately 2-4 weeks prior to their cruise.
DIETARY ACCOMMODATIONS
We work with the Cruise Line to meet most, if not all, of the dietary
accommodations for each guest including gluten/Cassien Free meals.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
The regular Adventure Ocean activities are available for each child to
participate in, which include: video games, movies, group games, educational
(science related) activities, and much more. Aside from the regular activities,
our children will receive customized care, that will include activities provided to
them, based on their special needs and likes/dislikes.
CHILD CARE
Program section for opportunities to have your children cared for by
professionals during the day and evening. Some cruise lines (like Royal
Caribbean) offer in-cabin baby-sitting. You can check for availability while
onboard by visiting the Guest Relations Desk.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ACCESS PASS
A free, lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent US residents who have been
medically determined to have a permanent disability. The Access Pass is free, and is valid for the lifetime of the pass owner. The Pass also allows the caregivers to enter Federal Recreation sites free when accompanying a child with a disability and provides the pass owner a discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees

Virginia Shenandoah National Park
National Park Service
National Park Accessibility Guide
scooters or wheelchair use or rental


Alpenglow Adventures
319-621-0149
non-profit organization that organizes hiking trips around the world that bring people with physical
disabilities together on the world’s most spectacular hiking trails. We have some big plans for 2012 including trips to access trails in Patagonia as well as additional trips in the United States to the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park.


ACCESS VIRGINIA
Virginia Travel Guide for Persons with Disabilities


Virginia Beach, Virginia Accessibility
Two beach wheelchairs are available on a first come, first serve basis from the beach attendants at 17th and 24th
Streets. Visitors may borrow the wheelchair for a half day. If no one else has requested the chair, it may be kept for
the remainder of the day. There is no charge for this service. Personal wheelchairs can be left at the rental
station until the person using the all-terrain wheelchairs returns. If a citizen with a wheelchair prefers to leave
their chair on the boardwalk, then the city will make a locking device available at no charge.

Disabled Parking: Designated disabled on-street parking is available at Rudee
Loop, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th,
25th, 26th, 30th, 33rd, 34th, 36th, 37th, 38th. Designated disabled off-street
parking is available in all municipal lots.

Accessible Taxi-Cabs: Black and White Cabs of Virginia Beach has available six
wheelchair-accessible cabs. This service provides accessible on-demand transportation
without service hour limitations. Taxicab service can respond at all hours of the day or
night and to all locations in Virginia Beach, including to areas where there is no fixed
route bus or paratransit service available, and with no requirement that an advanced
day reservation be made. Additionally, wheelchair service will be available for all trip
purposes. The wheelchair cabs charge the same fares as all taxis, which are listed on
Black and White’s website: www.vabeachblackandwhitecabs.com.


JT’s Grommet Island

Beach park and Playground for every”body”
Virginia Beach Oceanfront
100 2nd Street Virginia Beach, VA 23451
The nation’s first fully handicap accessible beach park opened in 2010 at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Located between 1st and 2nd Streets, JT’s Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground for Every”BODY” offers 15,000 square feet of activities accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.

Ramps and wood polymer decking lead to beach seating areas. The playground includes adapted slides, monkey bars, and raised sand tables for building sandcastles. Visitors may also rent beach wheelchairs that can travel on sand.


ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION
Rental Cars that accommodate Special Needs
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/travelwithspecialneeds/qt/rentalcar.htm
Many car rental companies offer vehicles that have been modified for use by drivers or
passengers with mobility issues. Check out the web address above to link to
information specifically about rental car disability accommodations for Avis, Hertz,
Alamo, Budge, and National Car Rentals.

Accessible Van Rentals
1-800-642-2042
http://www.wheelchairgetaways.com/
http://www.wheelersvanrentals.com/

Train Reservations for Accessible Space
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Content_C&pagen
ame=am%2FLayout&cid=1241245658299

Information on traveling by train in the U.S. for people with special needs,
including making reservations for accessible space, station accessibility, service
animals, onboard communication, and meal service.

Bus Accommodations
http://www.greyhound.com/en/ticketsandtravel/disabledtravelers.aspx
Information on traveling by Greyhound bus including boarding
assistance, storing a wheelchair, and traveling with a service animal.

Enabled Rver
http://www.rvproperty.com/rvs_for_handicapped.htm
http://www.handicappedtravelclub.com/
articles on topics related to RV travel, such as accessible RVs, the
Handicapped Travel Club (HTC), travel guides, campgrounds and
specific destinations, resources, and adaptive equipment

Cruise Lines and Ship Accessibility
http://access-able.com/dbase/cruise.cfm

Accessible Home Exchange
The disability holiday exchange site created by disabled people for disabled people Matching houses allows people who have disabilities to swap houses with other people who have the same accessibility needs. If my accessibility
needs match yours, our houses will be accessible to one another. You join and describe your house – including its accessibility in quite some detail. When you log on to look for matching houses to swap with, only houses likely to be
accessible to you are shown. And likewise your house will be to them.

Travelers with medical needs
IMPORTANT information about traveling with Oxygen
Get information about the restrictions and accommodations made for air, train, cruise travelers with oxygen needs.

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