It’s never too soon to plan for a group trip, especially if any disabled individuals are joining! Here are tips for planning a trip with disabled passengers.
Though you may not be heading out on a trip anytime soon, that doesn’t mean you can’t plan for one in the future. The best part about planning is that you can start anytime and refine as you go. This is especially important if you’re planning a group trip or reunion, whether that includes any individuals with disabilities or not. More time to plan means a more successful trip for everyone involved! Take a look at these tips for planning a trip with a disabled passenger or passengers, and make sure that the trip is a magical experience for everyone.
Get Particular About the Destination
The place your group decides to go plays a massive part in whether individuals with disabilities feel comfortable on the trip. Some cities are better than others—they offer more support, more transportation options, and are generally more aware. These are the places you’ll want to go with your group. Even if you’re taking a group road trip, and even if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time in crowded areas, you’ll still want to keep in mind how accommodating the destination is for people with disabilities.
Pay Attention to the Daily Routine
When you’ve decided on the destination, then comes the actual day-to-day planning. This is the part of planning where you can spend a lot of time—make it an adventure everyone will enjoy. This means that you’ll need to pay attention to what sort of routine you’re making time for. If you overload the itinerary with activity after activity but don’t leave time for relaxation, then chances are you’re not thinking with your disabled passengers in mind.
Of course, it’s better to ask than to assume. Ask them what time they’re comfortable getting up, how many activities they’re comfortable participating in each day, and which sort of activities they’re okay with doing. But in general, you’re going to want to replicate their home routine. Overloading their day-to-day is a sure-fire way to obtain travel burnout.
Understand Disabled Parking Regulations
Most people aren’t going to feel comfortable flying for a while, but that doesn’t mean a group trip isn’t possible. Road trips are definitely the way to go, and they allow the group even more versatility when it comes to the actual destination. That all said, you need to make sure that you’re up to date on any disabled parking regulations. For example, you’ll need to brush up on the different colors on disabled parking permits, the best places to park, the different technologies, and more.
The more research you do before you go translates to less stress and worry in the moment. These tips for planning a trip with a disabled passenger are just the start. From what we provided, delve deeper into the different ways you can make all trip members comfortable and taken care of. Remember—you have the time to plan for it, so make the most of it!
