Many of us long for the opportunity to travel. We crave the thrill of going to new places and seeing new things. Ever since man learned to fly, it has become a much speedier process to go anywhere we wish. Just reserve you ticket, pack your bags and go. For people with mobility issues, accessible travel to New York has not always been easy, though.

It takes a lot more planning if you are disabled. Everything needs to be planned out in advance. You have to remember to think of everything possible to have an enjoyable trip. If you cannot get around once you are there, there is no point in going. Some with disabilities just do not even bother to try, anymore.

Transportation and accessibility issues can take all the fun out of a vacation. Attractions have to be able to accommodate those in need. Some buildings that are under legal exemptions are just not enjoyable.

While some companies, such as those that run airlines, have become helpful, some still are not. Your airline can provide a wheelchair and other assistance to help you. Some modes of transportation, such as trains and buses can be more problematic. The small cramped aisles are very hard to negotiate in wheelchairs or using walkers.

Due to the prominence of this issue, some people have made it their mission to help. You can find many websites online that can help you find the information you need for almost any destination. They keep information on the most accessible places to visit. Most also specialize in advocacy, to make more aware that disabled travelers exist.

Emerging Horizons, Accessible Journeys, Disabled Travelers and SATH can all be great sites to use. They keep their information as current as possible. They can easily help you find the most accessible places in New York or anywhere else. Whether you have to move slowly or use a wheelchair, they know the best places for you.

Another thing you will want to do is to make sure and let the need for some services be known ahead of time. If you inform your airline, they can have a wheelchair ready to help you, if you need it. This can really speed up the process and save you a lot of time. There is no need to sit home any longer and not enjoy yourself. Accessible travel to New York is no longer just a dream!

The biggest problem with accessible travel is that it actually isn’t all that accessible. Restaurants and restrooms are simply not set up to allow for the maneuverability of a wheelchair.

There are many special needs bathrooms that are literally too small to allow a wheelchair to be manipulated 360 degrees to allow for full access to the toilet, door, and the sink. Airports, train stations, and bus depots have created excessive difficulties when it comes to maintaining reasonable access ramps and doorways that are reasonable to navigate. All of these are impediments to fully enjoyable travel for the disabled.

Often those who need a little extra assistance while traveling are denied timely access to that assistance. Airports and other forms of public transportation need better education amongst the staff  when providing assistance to the disabled. The location of access ramps, elevators, and assistance buttons are generally inconvenient enough that it can’t really be considered accessible.

Moreover, the able bodied employees of the travel industry often do not think in terms of relative safety as it applies to the disabled. Leaving someone sitting in a wheelchair, tucked nicely and discreetly out of the way, can attract unscrupulous individuals who like to prey on those less able than them.

Also, all employees should be required to spend a day learning about the needs of their disabled customers. My wheelchair doesn’t give me the right to spend less on my travel expenses and yet I am not considered for equal, fair, and even sometimes humane treatment. It is easier to push those who need extra assistance into a corner and wait for someone who “specializes” in their needs rather than taking the time to ensure that the corner I am pushed into is a safe and reasonable.

Traveling by car, plane, bus, or train should be an experience that is safe, courteous, and perhaps even right on the edge of pleasant. Yet due to underdevelopment of staff personnel and the poorly planned design of many of today’s accessible travel facilities there is little hope for independent travel.

Access should be easy enough to get to that those with all kinds of disabilities should be able to travel without the need for extra assistance that they would not normally require. Management of travel facilities can play a huge role in creating the safe and user friendly environment that is required not only by law, but by the state of consciousness.