2026 and lessons learned for those traveling with disabilities

 

Kicking off 2026!! Here we go.  Over the new year we traveled to Coronado, California.  It was a wonderful trip and time spent with my children.  It was also a reminder that traveling as a disabled person brings with it planning and oftentimes significant challenges. First, there is navigating the airport. This can be a hassle for everyone, especially during the holidays due to more people traveling. Because I wear a metal brace on one leg and cannot raise both arms overhead, I must have an individual screening. In and of itself, this isn’t a terrible thing: I understand and appreciate the need for good security at airports.  I travel with some frequency, so I’m familiar with the TSA protocols.  First, I tell the TSA agents at the beginning of the line that I’ll need the screening. That person summons an agent designated to screen me. The screening agent does a full body sweep over my clothes and then swabs the bottom of my braces, shoes and palms (I suspect it is to test for explosive residue, but I don’t know for certain).The swab is put in a machine. When the swabs come back clean, I’m free to go. But airline gates can be a long way from security (and at the Seattle airport involve intra airport transit) so I build in extra time here too. Then we get to the rental car at the destination. On this most recent trip, we requested a large car due the number of travelers. Though the car was plenty large enough to accommodate all of us and our luggage, it was also a lot higher than the car I use at home making it harder for me to get in.  If you ask Uber drivers, they will usually let you sit up front if that is easier for you.  In my experience, the most challenging part of travel with a disability is the hotel accommodation.  No matter how much time you spend communicating with the hotel in advance, there is always something is not what you expect or need.  In my case, I require a shower bench (because I cannot stand without my brace) and a shower wand. This particular hotel promised the bench and said that they didn’t have the wand when I called to make the reservation. Someone who needs ADA accommodations should not try to book them online without talking to someone onsite. When I checked in, there was no shower chair, but the hotel brought one when I called the front desk to remind them that the shower chair was part of the reservation. As far as the shower wand, when I made the reservation, the hotel informed me that they had no rooms with shower wands. Necessity being the mother of invention, I ordered something from Amazon that had a hose and a cover for the traditional shower head, enabling me to use the shower (albeit clumsily).  As a disabled person, you quickly realize that traveling will present challenges. The best you can do is plan by communicating with hotels and leave at least double the amount of time you might otherwise need.