The ailments often associated with aging – such as limited mobility, hearing loss, and vision impairment – need no longer stand in the way for seniors who love to travel. An increasing number of tour companies are now catering to disabled travelers. According to an article by Conde Nast Traveler, about 15% of the world’s population has some sort of disability, so it’s important that travel companies adapt to those with special needs. The magazine highlighted six companies focused on accessible travel:
Travel for All – Founded by a wheelchair user, this company specializes in the unique needs of wheelchair bound travelers as well as cane users, slow walkers, and hearing or vision impaired persons. It can also plan travel for people with complex health issues such as those undergoing dialysis. Each tour plan comes with an accessibility specialist.
Seable Holidays – This tour company specializes in trips for visually impaired travelers and tours include a trained chaperone. Travelers are able to participate in inclusive sports and sensory activities like horseback riding, scuba diving, kayaking, wine tasting, yoga, and tactile museum excursions.
Easy Access Travel –Working with clients facing most types of physical disabilities, this company specializes in personalized trips tailored to the client’s needs. Its experts spend time getting to know the client in order to plan the perfect vacation.
Planet Abled – This company arranges customized tours for people with different types of disabilities and also plans group tours that include non-disabled people. It is committed to making adventure travel accessible with activities such as river rafting, skiing, and wildlife safaris. The company offers extra touches like arranging special permission from museums for visually impaired clients to touch and feel the articles on display or arranging for sign language interpreters to assist hearing impaired travelers.
Go Wheel the World – Most Go Wheel the World clients are adults or seniors with mobility disabilities and wheelchair users. The company, which was founded by a wheelchair user, pays special attention to details like the height of beds, width of doors, and accessibility of bathrooms, compiling this information on its website. With a focus on action-oriented accessible travel, tours provide adaptive bikes, beach wheelchairs, and special equipment for skydiving, surfing, and hiking. It has even planned Macchu Pichu trips for wheelchair users.
Tapooz Travel – This company specializes in tours for individuals with visual or hearing impairments, as well as mobility issues. They provide guides trained in sign language as well as guides who can provide a voice narration during a site visit. Their network also includes adaptive sports instructors trained to work with travelers with disabilities.
Has a disability prevented you or a loved one from traveling in the past? Would you consider booking a tour through a company specializing in accessible travel? Message The Seniors Trust on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you think about this new niche market of tour operators.
