Tips For Planning For A Special Needs Travel

By Kenneth Baker


When traveling, most people have special needs and wants they would want to be catered to make their journey more enjoyable. However, there is a different group of people who have specific needs that must be met for them to start their journey. Special needs travel plans are needed for these group of people to ensure they are comfortable during their journey. The plans must include sensitive treatment for them and a lot of understanding.

Some of the customers who require this kind of arrangement done for them include people who use wheelchairs, people with visual, hearing or speech impairment, or people of different cultures who may not speak English. In some cases, parents traveling with young children may also require special attention or even minors traveling on their own. Customers with special dietary needs are also included in this group.

The special need may be in the form of additional and sensitive customer service throughout the course of their journey. It could also involve notifying the entire transport crew of their presence. It is, therefore, best that some of the plans are made well in advance to allow for the travel agents and transport companies get adequate time to make the necessary adjustments.

There are laws and guidelines that have been set up to ensure that those with special needs are catered for when accessing public facilities and transport. They ensure equal treatment and opportunities are granted to this special group even when traveling and seeking accommodation. Regardless of the mode of transport whether it is by road, water or air, the special needs have to be addressed for them to be comfortable.

Airline companies, for example, have been making adjustments to their operations in order to cater to the different needs of their customers. Structural changes have been made to the seating arrangement in the planes to have the aisle seats have removable arms. This makes it easy for any person who uses a wheelchair to move easily. The meals provided on board are also adjusted as per the specific dietary needs of the special customers on board.

Airline companies also make it easier for wheelchairs to be gate checked easily and make them accessible for the travelers at their destinations. They are usually offloaded first at the destinations or when changing planes. When making travel plans for a traveler with mobility issues, it is best to plan for the most direct route and possibly give the traveler ample time to change planes where necessary.

In terms of communication, the special needs have been catered for by some of the transport companies by providing a way of communicating to the respective travelers. Trains, for example, have included braille systems for their passengers who may not get the announcements made. For those who must travel with their guide dogs, the transport companies allow them to travel with their guide at no extra cost.

When using road transport, the special needs of the traveler can also be catered for through the use of the right car. For example, vans that have wheelchair accessibility and hand-controlled cars are available to those that need it from the transport companies. Cruise ships and boats have also adjusted accordingly and made cabins for those that need wheelchairs and also made it their public areas more accessible for those that have special needs.




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