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 Medications for Travel
Finding Health Care Abroad
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 Share Your Disabled Travel Tips!
 Travel by people with disabilities, also known as "disabled travel" or "accessible travel," is on the rise. The travel industry is waking up to disabled travelers' special needs by providing more services and greater accommodation. Meanwhile, the sheer abundance of information on accessible travel is astounding -- much of it generated by disabled travelers themselves.
The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees that disabled travelers receive equal treatment under the law. While this would be the case in a perfect world, it doesn't always work out that way in real life. Despite having common sense, considerable public sentiment and strength in numbers, disabled travelers frequently face inadequate facilities, prejudice, misinformation, general hassles and higher prices than other travelers.
Compounding the problem is the fact that there are as many disabilities as there are disabled folks. Each person's needs are a little different, and traveling in cookie-cutter airline seats, hotel rooms and rental car fleets can be very tricky. The following tips and resources will help disabled travelers and their companions anticipate some of the snags of accessible travel.
 Share your own disabled travel tips on our message boards!
Travel Tips
1. Call ahead. Service providers are required by law in many cases to accommodate travelers with special needs. However, most need some time to make the necessary arrangements. Mention your needs at the time of reservation, and call the provider 24 to 48 hours before your arrival to confirm that proper accommodations have been made. The Air Carrier Access Act requires that you give the airline at least 48 hours' notice if you are traveling with a group of 10 or more disabled passengers.
2. Be specific and clear when describing a disability. Not all service providers know the "lingo" of accessible travel, or the medical terms for certain conditions. Don't downplay the severity of the disability. Some companies arrange trips for folks according to the level of "self-care" of which they are capable.
 3. Be specific and clear when describing the trip to your doctor. A doctor can often prescribe measures for coping with an unusually long flight, limited medical facilities at your destination, the unavailability of prescription drugs, and other pitfalls of traveling. Be prepared -- in some cases, your doctor may question the advisability of travel. For more information, see Medications for Travel.
4. Take a doctor's note and phone number. Travel with a statement from your doctor, preferably on letterhead, covering your condition, medications, potential complications and other pertinent information.
5. Bring extra medication. Many experts advise that you travel with two complete packages of essential medication in case of emergency. Store all medications and other necessary medical supplies in your carry-on bag.
6. Investigate physician availability where you will be traveling. Your doctor, health care provider, insurance company or local embassy can provide the names and contact numbers of physicians at your destination. For more information, see Health Care Abroad.
7. Carry medical alert information, preferably in a place that a medical professional or anyone who assists you will find easily (wallet card, necklace, close to your identification).
8. Consider using a specialist travel agent. Some agents provide stellar niche services; one might be very experienced in working with hearing-impaired travelers, another with developmentally impaired travelers. Since the requirements for these varied travelers can be staggeringly different, it helps to find someone who knows the ropes. Check the agent search feature at the American Society of Travel Agents Web site.
9. Allow plenty of time before your flight to check in, get through security and transfer to your gate. Arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight -- more if you're traveling at a peak time.
10. Check in with your flight attendant before your plane lands to make a plan for exit.
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