CLEVELAND, Ohio – One local traveler wants recommendations on disability-friendly Alaska cruises. Another seeks information on accessible train trips.
A third wants tips on traveling through the airport with ease.
Above all, travelers who have a disability – or travel with someone who does – want more information that is easier to find about where to go and how to make the process as stress-free as possible.
“We all have different situations, stories, reasons why we need to travel differently,” wrote one traveler, Roseann Conley, of Middleburg Heights.
And if we don’t now, we might in the future.
I heard from dozens of readers earlier this year after the publication of “Confronting the challenges of accessible travel,” which recounted some of the myriad issues facing Greater Clevelanders who are in wheelchairs or are otherwise unable to vacation as easily as their fellow travelers.
Some offered tips for travelers who were just starting out on their accessible-travel journeys. Others were seeking advice themselves.
Here’s a selection of responses:
Where to go
One reader, Tina, is looking for travel destinations for her and her husband, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nine years ago.
“We want to take an Alaskan cruise or a train tour, but I am without any information on accessible traveling on these types of trips,” she wrote in an email. “I have searched websites but am unable to actually hold a conversation with anyone that has already done this and what their outcome was.”
She added, “I am apprehensive about booking anything for this year until I am comfortable that my husband’s needs will be met with dignity and not seen as a burden.”
Kristy Lacroix was in a similar situation 30 years ago, after her late husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Trying to find information about transportation options and suitable travel destinations left them both frustrated.
“I thought, ‘Boy, somebody has to do something about this,’” said Lacroix, who lives in New Hampshire.
And so she did.
Twenty-four years ago, Lacroix founded her own travel agency, Wheelchair Escapes, which specializes in trips for people with accessibility needs.
She organizes group trips as well as individual vacations. Almost any destination is possible, she said.
“People would be very surprised to find out how accessible Europe is,” she said. She added, “You can do an African safari in your wheelchair.”
Cruising is an increasingly popular option, said Lacroix, who recommends Royal Caribbean as the most disability-friendly cruise line, followed by Celebrity and Princess.
She has recently had clients scuba dive, zipline and kneel-surf, on a cruise ship’s surfing machine. “Baby Boomers have money and they’re not going to let a wheelchair or scooter get in their way of travel,” she said.
Other travel agencies that specialize in accessible travel: Easy Access Travel and Incredible Memories Travel.
Traveling through the airport
Several readers wanted more information about traveling through the airport.
In general, airlines are responsible for helping their passengers with mobility issues get through the airport and onto the plane, from check-in to gate to baggage claim.
Assistance can be requested when making your reservation or by calling for help upon your arrival.
Travelers who have TSA PreCheck have access to expedited lines, even if they need assistance.
The airlines at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport contract with several different companies to provide wheelchair assistance. For a list of companies and contact information: clevelandairport.com/traveler-info/accessibility
Reader Roseann Conley from Middleburg Heights asked for a bit of grace from her fellow passengers as she and others are moving through the airport in their wheelchairs.
“I never cease to be astounded at the people who are rushing to the plane,” said Conley, who has rheumatoid arthritis and can’t move as quickly as she used to. “They walk in front of the wheelchair, look at me with distain as if I am in their way and ‘why are you in that chair anyway’ look.”
She also had some advice for the workers who help travelers.
“Cleveland does a good job, but I have experienced difficulty in other airports,” she wrote. “My suggestion to the future training of these people, be friendly to your passenger, don’t forget to offer a bathroom stop or an opportunity to get a snack or drink. I don’t feel so dependent when my escort, man or woman, makes me feel at ease. I have witnessed older travelers that appeared lost and a bit confused.”
One newsworthy note: Several airlines last month sued the U.S. Department of Transportation in an effort to reverse a new rule, announced in 2024, that protects wheelchair users on airplanes. The rule sets fines for damaged and lost wheelchairs and mandates employee training for workers assigned to assist wheelchair users.
Barb and Jeff Darkow of Avon Lake used to write notes to airline staff about the handling of their son’s power wheelchair.
Their son, Dan Darkow, was born with a form of muscular dystrophy called spinal muscular atrophy type 2 and currently works as director of the Miller Center for Student Disability Services at Miami University.
“Now he uses lots of bubble wrap,” Barb Darkow said. “Most of the time there is damage to his chair, but the airline’s response to repairs has been easy. Definitely inconvenient, because remember Dan’s wheels are like his legs.”
Finding a place to stay
Finding a disability-friendly hotel room or rental property isn’t as easy as it should be, said Lacroix.
Retired nurse Amy Govoni, who uses a walker, said she wishes the Americans with Disabilities Act provided more consistency.
“It would be great if ADA meant the same everywhere – at least in the States – but it doesn’t,” she said. “Most places don’t even know if they have bars by the toilet.”
Lacroix, the travel agent, said the best way to get information is to call the hotel.
“But do not call the 800 number,” she said. “Call the hotel and ask to speak to someone in housekeeping. Most of the time even the people at the front desk can’t answer your question.”
Among the questions that may need answers: How wide is the door, how high is the bed, are there grab bars around the toilet?
“There are so many little things to look at,” she said.
Darkow said hotels are almost always more disability-friendly than rental units.
“Sometimes we can make rentals work, but we often need measurements and better images,” she said. “It is very frustrating when looking at a bathroom photo [online] and the shower curtain is closed. Written details or images that are not often included are entrances, steps (in and outside of the rental), hallways, shower details, handheld shower fixtures, step in or roll in showers. I would love to see 3-D or video components added like on Zillow.”
She added, “The amount of time to do all this research can take days and weeks.”
One company is trying to fill the void. Becoming rentABLE, headquartered in North Carolina, was founded in 2021 and features a database of 1,200 short-term vacation rentals that are accessible.
Jennifer Springer, chief operating officer for Becoming rentABLE, said all travelers stand to benefit from more disability-friendly overnight options.
“It is so important and the time is now -- not only for the large population of people with disabilities, but also for the very quickly growing aging population,” she said. “We all benefit from accessibility at some point in our life.”
When you get there
After you pick out an accommodation and travel to your destination, there are myriad other challenges, as well.
For travel within a destination, Barb Darkow recommends Wheelchair Getaways, a Michigan-based company that provides access to wheelchair-friendly van rentals at hundreds of locations in the United States.
“Wheelchair Getaways is basically the place to rent vans with lift systems,” she writes. “We highly recommend this agency. We have never had any problems.”
Beach vacations pose another set of challenges, said Darkow.
“When looking for beach access, an important feature is beach wheelchairs. We have rented them, but sometimes public beaches have free ones,” she said. “But what if someone else is using it?”
Over the years, she has sought out beaches with Mobi-Mats – those polyester lanes that turn sand into wheelchair-friendly surfaces. She said they are becoming more common on public beaches.
“Our dream would be for every beach/resort to have one,” Darkow said.
Additional resources
Readers recommend these websites and organizations for more information on accessible travel:
- Curbfreewithcorylee.com, a travel blog by prolific traveler Cory Lee, in a wheelchair since age 4.
- EmergingHorizons.com and 101accessiblevacations.com, with content by travel writer Candy Harrington, who specializes in accessible travel.
- Wheeltheworld.com, with information about accessible hotels, destinations and group tour options.
