Tag Archives: wheelchair

Travel Tidbits For Special Needs Travelers

There’s nothing more relaxing than retreating to the woods for some R&R. Especially when a cool breeze sweeps over you as you gaze at a colorful vista of wildflowers bordered by deep green vegetation. Our country’s park system gives us the opportunity to soak in all that nature has to offer, but what if you are wheelchair bound? How do you navigate the windy trails that lace up and down areas such as Vermont’s picturesque Green Mountains? These days it is much easier. A specialized trail there makes the park’s picture-perfect settings much easier to access for visitors with physical … Continue reading →

Windy City Tips for Wheelchair-Bound Travelers

My friend is taking her wheelchair-bound mother to Chicago this Easter and recently asked me for advice on where to go and how challenging it would be to get around. While I have never toured the city or its many attractions in a wheelchair I do know that last year Chicago was named one of America’s most disability-friendly cities by the National Organization on Disability. The honor was given partially because all the city’s public buses are wheelchair-accessible. In addition, each July, the Windy City hosts the largest Disability Pride Parade in the nation as well as AccessChicago, a products … Continue reading →

Sunday Travel Funnies—-Not Everyone Is Smiling

This week’s installment of “Sunday Travel Funnies” was inspired by an unexpected trip that a young man took when his electric wheelchair got lodged in the grille of a semi. I saw the story broadcast on TV while at a graduation party attended by more than three-dozen people. Reaction to incident was mixed. While some found it hilarious, others were less than amused. Read what transpired and judge for yourself. Some may call what happened to 21-year-old Ben Carpenter “exciting.” He calls it “pretty scary.” I’ll take his word for it. According to police reports, a few days ago Carpenter … Continue reading →

“I Knew Something Wasn’t Right.” A Mother Learns Her Daughter has Familial Spastic Paraparesis

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The following is an interview I had with Melissa Kyle of Kentucky. Her daughter Katlin (pictured below) was diagnosed with Familial Spastic Paraparesis (FSP), sometimes called Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis, a rare chromosomal disorder. 1. Tell me about yourself, your family, and your daughter Katlin. “My name is Melissa Kyle. I have been married for 17 years, and have four wonderful and very outgoing girls. Kayla is fifteen, Kelsey is thirteen, Katlin is eight, and Kerrigan is six. My college degree is in Early Childhood Development, and I have worked in the childcare profession for over ten years. Due to an … Continue reading →

Oh, Those Handicapped Parking Spaces…

So you’ve been driving around the mall parking lot for what seems like a decade. Every space is full, and every time you’re about to snag a slot, some sleek hot rod gets there first. But oh, those tempting handicapped parking spaces! You wonder… what does it take to get one of those? It’s especially aggravating when you see able-bodied people pull into their “handicapped” space, and walk briskly inside the store. How did THAT person qualify? It’s a shame that some people abuse their right to use a disabled parking permit. However, I think that in most cases, individuals … Continue reading →

Stories That Inspire – Dick Hoyt, One Amazing Dad

Rick Hoyt was strangled by his umbilical cord during birth. The lack of oxygen during that struggle caused brain damage, leaving him with cerebral palsy. His parents were told to institutionalize him, that he would be a vegetable with little or no comprehension of the world around him. But Dick, his father, said, “No, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to bring Rick home and bring him up like any other child.” Although they were told that “nothing” was going on in Rick’s brain, when he was eleven they took him to Tufts University. They asked several engineers … Continue reading →