OutdoorVacations for the Handicapped
- Planning outdoor vacations for the handicapped poses a few problems. Obstacles encountered outdoors by people of limited mobility vary greatly.
- Users of manual wheelchairs can encounter serious problems, especially on rural paths. Although wheelchairs are permitted in the same places as pedestrians, there is no guarantee the terrain will be suitable for them. In many outdoor environments you must be prepared to encounter obstructions such as fallen trees, uneven, muddy or overgrown surfaces, cross slopes, steep hills, steps and narrow paths. Many wheelchair users have problems on anything steeper than a 1:40 slope, while stronger and more ambitious wheelchair users could cope with 1:20 or steeper. Surfaces should ideally be flat, smooth and reasonably hard, with a minimum of cross slopes and loose stones, especially on corners or where the path is raised.
- If you're considering an outdoor vacation with a handicapped companion, a special all-terrain wheelchair may be a good investment. Powered wheelchairs designed for street use also have problems on many off-road paths. Three-wheeled battery-powered all-terrain mobility scooters designed for use on more rugged routes widen the options, but these can be expensive and will still encounter problems with turnstiles or gates, steps, and narrow or blocked paths.
- People with limited mobility are also likely to require other facilities such as regular rest stops which for wheelchairs should be level; accessible toilets; suitable parking spaces at the start of a walk which may need to be wide enough for wheelchair use; or accessible public transportation.
- The lack of off-road routes that are easily accessible is made worse by the lack of detailed information about the physical features of paths. When information about wheelchair accessibility of paths is available, people with limited mobility can decide for themselves if a particular route is within their ability, either by themselves or with a companion, but without the information it is difficult to set off on a camping vacation with confidence.
- Thankfully some local authorities and other organizations that provide for walking and outdoor recreation are at last starting to take wheelchair vacationers' accessibility seriously. Some local organizations concerned with walking and the outdoors now provide routes and trails that have been specially adapted to make them more accessible, and are providing more detailed information about accessibility at other routes and sites. Some country parks and other countryside sites have mobility scooters for loan, and may be able to arrange special assistance for visitors with disabilities.