Traveling with a "Disability"

At the end of one of your recent programs you requested information or problems encountered while traveling. I am a bilateral A/K amputee (i.e. both legs cut off above the knee). I will always wear artificial legs when traveling. When using my prosthetic legs I also use a cane

My job requires a certain amount of travel. Since traveling with a wheelchair is awkward and cumbersome, I prefer to leave mine at home. Why don't hotels always have wheelchairs available for their guests? I'm including the so-called higher class hotels in this conversation. If a wheelchair is available, I've been told that it (the ONE they have) must be kept available for drunks or the occasional medical emergency; or the wheelchair's wheels are so wobbly that it would be unsafe and suitable for nothing but a cartoon show.

In the past I have traveled with my own chair but 1) it has been lost 2) it has been broken 3) it has had tire tracks on it when it has made it through the baggage system. Once (at the Brown Palace in Denver) in a wheelchair accessible room, there was an 8" step to get into the bathroom. Why does this happen? At airports, why is there a steep ramp at the gate leading to the plane but no handrail? Sometimes if there is a railing it seems to be at a height to accommodate a person who is 3'6" so that the arms on my 6'1" body cannot reach down to it. Why are car rental agencies so difficult to deal with when it comes to renting a real, full-size auto. with hand controls? Some agencies insist on putting hand controls in only their smaller or mid-size automobiles. Don't they realize that a person with artificial legs may need additional leg space?

Well, this seems like enough complaining for one letter. It seems like the travel industry can be pretty uncaring, especially when one is paying top dollar for their services. Let me know what I can do to help you change the industry's attitude. Thanks for listening.

-Paul

 

 

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