ProTip Category: Travel

  • Air Travel in a Power Chair

    View from an airplane window showing the plane’s wing above a layer of fluffy white clouds and a deep blue sky, capturing the joy of accessible travel.

    Join Josh Basile and Numotion to learn more about how Josh approaches air travel in a power wheelchair. Sharing important steps he takes to minimize mistakes and increase safety for both protecting his body and his wheelchair.

  • Booking an Accessible Room

    A neatly made bed with white linens and fluffy pillows, set next to a white lamp and dark curtains in a softly lit, modern accessible room—ideal for your next booking.

    The Americans with Disabilities Act requires hotels to maintain a booking and reservations system that is accessible to people with disabilities. Below are a few tips for booking an accessible room easier.

  • Traveling with a Sport Wheelchair

    An older man and woman sit on a bench outside a brick building, talking and holding a newspaper. A red mobility scooter, often used for wheelchair travel, is parked in front of them on the sidewalk.

    Being disabled and traveling in a wheelchair brings unique challenges. But as an adaptive sports athlete traveling with two wheelchairs and baggage can be very complicated and challenging. Given that I only have two hands and need both to push my chair, I have had to develop clever solutions for this situation.  I have found…

  • Parking in a Wheelchair

    An older man in a motorized wheelchair sits on a wheelchair lift with tilt recline next to an SUV with its rear hatch open, showing the powered seating and lift mechanism for loading the chair into the vehicle.

    There are more people with accessible parking tags and license plates than there are available accessible parking spaces. The Americans with Disabilities Act sets the requirements for the number of accessible spaces required according to the total number of parking spaces. The ratio is approximately one accessible space for every 25 regular parking spaces. This means wheelchair users…

  • Driver’s Side Car Transfers

    A silver minivan with its side sliding door open and a ramp extended to the ground, designed for accessible transportation and convenient driver’s side car transfers.

    Driver’s Side Car Transfers

  • Driving with Hand Controls

    An older man stands beside a woman in a power wheelchair holding a black and white dog, both smiling in front of a white accessible van with adaptive driving features parked in a driveway on a sunny day.

    1. Be an advocate for your own independence. I transitioned over to high tech hand controls once I was unable to turn a steering wheel safely. As a person with a muscular dystrophy, over time I have lost strength in my shoulders and upper arms. I love being independent, and the high-tech driving system in…

  • Booking a Hotel Room

    A smiling receptionist in a navy blazer stands behind a front desk in a modern lobby, ready to assist with your hotel booking. Framed certificates and awards are displayed on the wall behind her.

    1. Plan ahead. I always call the actual hotel I’m going to stay at, and make sure the room is actually what I need. As a quad, improvising isn’t very easy, and I try to eliminate any unexpected challenges.  2. Check the bathroom. ADA bathrooms vary across properties. For example, an accessible shower could mean it…

  • Enjoying the Outdoors in a Wheelchair

    A woman in a powered wheelchair sits on a wooden dock, enjoying accessible activities and looking out over a marina with boats and sailboats under a partly cloudy sky.

    1. Get an Access Pass. The Access Pass is a lifetime pass to national parks and federal recreational lands.  It’s free to individuals with permanent disabilities. 2. Enjoy the beach. Sand is not a wheelchair user’s best friend, but there are areas that provide beach wheelchair rentals. Some beaches have access mats that make it…

  • Flying with a Power Wheelchair

    A commercial airplane with a pink and white color scheme flies overhead against a partly cloudy blue sky, symbolizing the freedom and possibilities of air travel for everyone, including those using a power wheelchair.

    1. Plan ahead. When booking, let the airlines know that you are traveling with a power wheelchair, and make them aware of pertinent details. For example, that you will need an aisle chair and assistance with lifting. 2. Ask the airlines to book you a seat as close to the front of the plane as…