travel for mobility-challenged

[Cathulhu]

quote="texino"]pcharlick wrote

Way back in 1998 I was introduced to the Aloha SUCCESS Club

This poster commented on my blog entry "My Man, Wisdom Paradise" and I was going to suggest he/she visit the Q. It seems that was unnecessary...) Anyway pcharlick welcome to Quatloose.
I went to visit Wisdom's site this morning and was rather shocked by his physical condition. The man looks emaciated. Of course this can be due to oddball diets. You know, just because people in exotic cultures have developed strange tastes in philosophy and food that doesn't mean that it is safe to cherry pick bits and pieces in the name of enlightenment.
Back to WP. I read on his site that he was looking for investors to place "Transition Rooms" in public places. These are supposed to invoke all kinds of new age goodness by having the customer sit in a heated massage chair and listen to music while staring at a strobe light.
I have seen these rooms and they are required to get a release from the user stating that he or she has no history of seizure disorder. Nothing like a good strobe to set off an epileptic and even worse is the danger that status epilepticcus will occur. "Status" is when the brain goes into a continual seizure and is a true medical emergency. If course this won't happen to everyone, but the liability issues compared to the fact that these "Rooms" are simply a new age novelty makes for a risky investment. It would be a pleasure to help bring this guy down, so I will try and stay in the loop. Were it not for the fact that I am pretty much confined to the bed or to the chair, I would enjoy a trip to Fort Lauderdale in aid of breaking up this scam.

[/quote]

Having spent the first half of this year in similar state (mine mostly temporary, due to broken back and hip) I have extreme sympathy for you, Texino. I always wanted to travel after retiring, but travel is pretty tough when you can't friggin' walk! Why aren't there tours for us mobility-impaired folks that involve helpers and wheelchair ramps? Gotta be some money in it, but the downside is that I like traveling alone, and now it's difficult. I always carry my cane when I travel, because if I leave it at home, I'll need it. Besides, whacking a rude person with my cane is one of the sole remaining pleasures left to me.

[bmielke]

Sam Adams Brewery in Boston is Handicap Accessable and it has a nice tour.

[Arthur Rubin]

There are a number of tour agencies for the physically disabled. I don't have any advice on that, and you said you weren't interested in group tours.

If you're going to Canada, you might try contacting the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) through their website at http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/ . My wife worked at the Winnipeg office many years ago, and still keeps in touch with some of the people.

You might also check the directory at http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Disabled/Travel/ [Disclaimer: I'm one of the editors at DMOZ, although I don't edit much in that section of the directory.]