Traveling with a disability
This is a question that I have received a lot and that’s why I thought it would be good to address it. My family loves to travel. A lot of family members have lived in different countries all over the world and I have lived in The Netherlands (where I’m from), in Brazil and in Portugal. I live there, now that I’m writing this blog post. In 2015 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and after years of treatment I wanted to travel again. But everything has changed. Not only because of my health but also I change in terms of what I want. That’s why slow travel is so wonderful for me.
Part one: low energy
Even though my energy was low after my period of sickness I still wanted to travel. But to do that I needed to find a way to learn how to do it in a way that worked for me. That meant I couldn’t do as much as I did before, I couldn’t do certain things and I had to take more breaks. Even now almost 10 years later I still have to adjust the way I travel. After a travel day (read; sitting in an airplane or car for over 4 hours) I can’t be active the next day. A walk in the park is okay but a full day of sightseeing is not possible for me. Even on a good day I might need to have a nap in the afternoon or a break the next day. People kept asking me; ‘How can you still travel?’.
And my answer is; ‘I do it one step at a time!’. For me, slow travel is something that really suits my needs. Not only because of my health but I found out that it also adds another dimension to my travels. Yes, I have a lot of lists on here, where I write about how much time you will need to see a place but usually I will take more time than that. For instance I have written down that you can see and do most things in São Paulo in 5 days but I stayed there 7 days. It’s all about learning what suits you the best. It did take some time to figure it out but there were some things that helped me out quite a bit.
Part two: Wheelchair users and people with mobility issues
Another reason I started to write about the accessibility of cities, countries or activities is because my dad is in a wheelchair. We both love to travel and explore cities and visit museums. And everywhere I go it’s in the back of my mind; ‘Can dad go in?’. Even if I know it’s not a place where he can move around easily I will take a mental note. For instance when I went to Lençoins Maranhenses. This national park is in the North of Brazil and has a desert area, so for him it would be almost impossible. But then I started to think, is it really impossible? Or are there some things he can do if we would be creative. He can get into a car and so, he would be able to do a 4×4 tour. Yes, it will be bumpy but it is an option and only he can decide if he is able to do it. And so can you! Anyway long story short, I wanted to write about it and share it with other wheelchair users. When we traveled in the past I was always so thankful for information others provided and I want to help you too. I will write about the situation with restaurants or if museums are accessible. Sometimes it’s more general and sometimes it will be more specific (it depends on the blog). It can already be so challenging and I just want to make it a little bit easier for you.
As you will see, I have only written about wheelchair users or people with mobility issues and left out tips for people with handicaps like blindness, deafness or other (invisible) handicaps. I don’t have enough experience with the issues that they are facing but feel free to reach out and I will try to answer any questions you might have.
I hope that you, in whatever situation you are, will keep traveling and explore this beautiful planet. And if these blogs help you in any way, please share them. I love to hear your thoughts, questions and comments.
Is this country/ city accessible for wheelchair users? This is where I fill in all the information that you might need.
Museums*
Good…
Café’s and restaurants
Not to bad, but pay attention to..
Public transport
Bad and….
Toilets
Good and be aware of…
*And other attractions
Items I love while traveling
Feet hammock airplane
This airplane hammock for your feet is great for when you are traveling long flights. I love that it can be hung over the airplane table and I can rest my feet when I’m tired. It is adjustable and it is really comfortable.
Collapsible handheld fan
I don’t know about how you deal with heat but I need a bit of cooling down when I’m traveling. This easy (and cute) fan is my go to for when I am too hot. It can be charged with usb which is super practical.
Airplane pocket
Being organized always makes me happy and when I saw this amazing pocket for over your airplane table I was sold. You place it over the table (so you instantly have a clean table) and you can add all you need, when you have a long flight.