The UKs Favourite Disability Magazine
travel
Unusual Breaks
Jul 16th
A change of scenery can be a hugely rewarding experience. With summer definitely here, we highlight some of our favourite ideas for an accessible, day out!
WORDS: TOM JAMISON
GET AFLOAT!
‘Picture yourself on a boat on a river…’, as the song goes. These days you can do more than just sing from the river bank. The Canal Boat Project – based on the lovely River Stort in Harlow, Essex – enables disabled people to experience the gentle joy of being on the water. It’s an experience that can be as active or passive as you like, with a chance to steer the boat, help with the canal locks, or just enjoy time with friends.
“It’s the peace and quiet that I like,” said Brian, a wheelchair user who comes back time and again to drift off down the waterways on the charity’s specially adapted canal boat. “It’s the way the banks gliding past, calms you down, and the friendliness of the other river folk. It’s brilliant.
“And the crew are just about tolerable!” he adds with a grin, winking at Roger the Skipper.
Travel Stops: Sandy Balls Holiday Park
Apr 29th
It might sound like an uncomfortable beach condition but, as Tracey Davies discovers, Sandy Balls could be precisely the accessible holiday you’re looking for.
Sandy Balls lies deep within the heart of the New Forest, just 20 minutes from the seaside town of Bournemouth. The saucy name dates back to the late 15th Century, when dome-shaped sandy outcrops – called sandyballas – were discovered in this part of the forest. Today, though, Sandy Balls is best known as a conservation-friendly holiday village, set within 120 acres of beautiful woodland, which offers the perfect access-friendly escape for the whole family.
Our home for the weekend was a spacious and well-equipped forest lodge. The large timber chalet melts seamlessly into its shady wooded setting and, from the start, my son wanted to stay forever. Waking up in the forest with the lusty scent of woodchip and curious wildlife hopping about, it was easy to share his enthusiasm. Sandy Balls is quite the forest oasis. The park itself is flat and easily accessible by wheelchair and several lodges are specially adapted to suit their less-abled visitors. Booking is easy, with the Sandy Balls online booking system, although you may need to call up to confirm which lodge is most suitable for your needs. More >
Disabled People Put Off Travelling on Trains
Apr 21st
Train Journey. Image © Disabled Holiday Info Ltd
The inaccessibility of Wales’s railway stations put disabled people off travelling on trains, according to evidence given to the Equality of Opportunity Committee.
The committee was gathering evidence for its inquiry into the accessibility of railway stations on 20 April 2010.
The aim of the inquiry is to see what the assembly government and other key organisations could do to improve access to railway stations in Wales.
According to MS Society Cymru, 83% of stations in Wales are unstaffed and only six stations are staffed 24 hours a day.
Joseph Carter, the Policy, Press and Campaigns Manager for the MS Society Cymru, said that this “makes it very difficult” for people who are reliant on help.
Air Travel Explored
Apr 6th
Air travel is not without its horror stories for disabled travelers: broken or lost wheelchairs, refused admission onto planes, arguments over seating, begrudging assistance, airplane toilets you can’t swing a hamster in – to name but a few of the problems.
But it does seem that, little by little, improvements are being made. One recent, significant piece of legislation regarding air travel for disabled people is European Regulation No 1107/2006 on Disabled Persons and Persons of Reduced Mobility (PRMs Regulation) which was published by the European Commission on 5 July 2006.
The PRMs Regulation allows people with reduced mobility, which includes older people and those with a temporary mobility problem, greater access to air travel and ensures they receive assistance when travelling by air. It also stipulates that operators make available safety rules on carriage of passengers with reduced mobility. The regulations apply to any flight leaving an airport in the European Union, and also to flights on European airlines arriving in the EU.
The regulations came into force in two stages. Since 26 July 2007 it is now illegal for an airline, their agents and tour operators to refuse to accept a reservation on the grounds of disability or deny a disabled person board an aircraft when they have a valid ticket and reservation. More >
Travel Tales: Kayaking the Canyon
Apr 6th
The Grand Canyon is one of Northern America’s most breath-taking natural attractions, but it’s physical challenges proved to be a crucial challenge for one recently disabled man .
From the corner of our camp he shouts at me: “Karen do you have any paper towel?”
I’m on cooking duty, slicing red onions. I glance in his direction.
“Well? Have you?” He speaks aggressively; I sense frustration in his voice.
“The kitchen’s run out,” I reply, “but I have a pack of moist tissues in my dry bag. Will that do?”
He doesn’t look up. He’s too absorbed, bent right over. His kayak lies abandoned at his feet. “Er, shall I get you one?” I ask tentatively.
“Yeah,” he says. “Just get it now. Anything to stem the blood.” More >
Interview: The Blind Explorer
Apr 6th
Miles Hilton-Barber doesn’t really understand the word ‘limit’. It just doesn’t fit into his way of thinking. For most, doing a parachute jump or running a marathon would rank amongst their greatest achievements – and that’s fair enough… Miles, however, has completed 40 skydiving jumps and ran marathons across deserts and the icy plains of Siberia, oh yes and he’s cage diving with Great White Sharks and recently walked to the South Pole. Did I mention that he’s blind..? More >
Travel Tales: Sunrise Over The African Bush
Apr 6th
Given the current global financial climate – with everybodyworried about recession, cutbacks and redundancies – is even thinking about spendingmoney on a South African safari a sensible idea? More >
Workplace: Living and Studying in Edinburgh
Apr 6th
The Castle. The Festival. Tartan.
Edinburgh attracts millions of visitors from around the world every year, but what’s it like for the disabled student to actually live and study in the Scottish capital? More >
Travel Stops: Leopold Hotel
Apr 6th
How does Sheffield’s first boutique hotel welcome disabled guests?
Leopold Hotel is Sheffield’s first boutique hotel, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World portfolio and part of the vibrant and sophisticated community of the city centre’s mix of restaurants and architecture. More >
New Access: Exhibition Road in London
Apr 6th
Exhibition Road in London is home to some of the UK’s – indeed the world’s – most culturally important institutions, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, Science Museum, Royal Geographical Society and Natural History Museum. Attracting millions of visitors every year, a new scheme is about to begin that will significantly improve accessibility levels to its attractions.
At the helm is access champion Councillor Andrew Lamont, who is keen to illustrate the significance of the project. He told Able: “It’s absolutely crucial on a global scale because it sets the whole scene for accessibility within possibly the most important cultural destination worldwide. It’s estimated that 11.5 million visitors come to the part of Exhibition Road in Kensington and Chelsea and that figure rises to 20 million if you include Hyde Park and the Serpentine – those are numbers larger than visitors to Venice!
Seeing the wood for the trees
Apr 6th
At a time when the “stay-at-home vacation” – the “staycation” – is very much in vogue, Able discovers how the Forestry Commission is ensuring that Britain’s iconic woodlands are as accessible as possible.
The Forestry Commission recently extended an invitation for Able magazine to visit one of their Woodlands (Callendar Woods in central Scotland).
Somehow, the moment we stepped onto that leafy path, all of our troubles seemed to be swept away amidst the birdsong and breeze. The local town of Falkirk backs onto the woods – almost literally – but we could’ve been miles away from the bustle of a normal Tuesday afternoon.
This could be a great place to spend a short holiday if you were to take on each of the variety of paths and trails in turn. At the very least it makes for a genuinely refreshing morning or afternoon wander and, since it’s so accessible, you’ll not need to sweat about how fit or active you are. If you’re going to be taking a holiday in the UK it’s well worth looking up Forestry Commissions sites near to your destination. More >
Travel Tales: The Cold Comforts of Sweden
Apr 6th
Focusing on the lemon yellow and golden hues stretching ahead of him, Keith Jansz sketches busily away. The stunning scenery and spectacular light in the far north of Sweden would be enticing for any artist but, for Keith, being able to capture such grandeur marks an enormous personal milestone.
Forty six-year-old Keith has travelled to Åre, Sweden, with the Back-Up Trust as part of a group of skiers with spinal cord injury. Previously an active skier and snowboarder, Keith thought he would never take to the slopes again when – just months after completing the 1995 London Marathon – he was paralysed from the shoulders down following a car accident. After seven months in the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Keith returned home to the painful process of adapting to his new situation. Looking back to the despair he felt then about his future, Keith is justifiably elated at his achievements in Sweden, both on and off the slopes. More >
Travel Tales: Accessible Berlin
Apr 6th
Berlin is a fascinating city and a monument of living history. It is home to over 3 million people and is the vibrant and beautiful capital of Germany. There was plenty to see – from graffiti covered remnants of the Berlin Wall, which came down in1989, to the newly renovated Reichstag. More >
Accessible Forests
Apr 6th
The Forestry Commission recently extended an invitation for Able magazine to visit one of their Woodlands (Callendar Woods in central Scotland). Somehow, the moment we stepped onto that leafy path, all of our troubles seemed to be swept away amidst the birdsong and breeze. The local town of Falkirk backs onto the woods – almost literally – but we could’ve been miles away from the bustle of a normal Tuesday afternoon. More >
Travel Tales: Anne Goodman looks back on a family holiday in Switzerland
Apr 1st
Britain has a great deal to offer but, having never had a family holiday overseas, I knew we were all missing out on something. Thanks to some money left by a distant uncle, I decided to invest in a foreign holiday that would be memorable for all of us – my husband, myself and our children Tom (17), Peter (15) and Rosie (13).
Peter has cerebral palsy; he has no problems with his speech, but no use of his left arm or his legs. As many of you will know just too well, when one of you is a wheelchair user, everything – transport, travel, accommodation, outings and even deciding how you’re going to spend your time – has to be looked into carefully. Plus, while Peter should feel he’s had a good time, his brother and sister need to feel the holiday isn’t centred around just his needs. It can be hard to juggle!
Having left it all rather late in the day, early ideas of going to Spain, Majorca, Greece or Cyprus were soon dropped as our requirements were either no longer available or too expensive. A complete rethink was called for – which is when Swiss Travel Service came up trumps! Opting for a five day/four night short break, all our arrangements – flights, hotels and rail passes, as well as our all-important questions about wheelchair accessibility – were sorted out within just four days! And the holiday proved to be particularly suitable for someone in a wheelchair. More >
