Crossing the Mile High “Swinging” Bridge at Grandfather Mountain in a Wheelchair – A Dream Come True

I remember going on a day trip to Grandfather Mountain near Linville, North Carolina a few years after my disabling accident when I was still living in Charlotte, NC. Grandfather Mountain is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains and it’s best known for its mile high “swinging” bridge that links two of the mountain’s rocky peaks. The panoramic views from the bridge are supposedly spectacular, but I never got to see it because there was no wheelchair access to the bridge when I visited. Needless to say that I was very excited when I read an article about a new structure built at the top of Grandfather Mountain that provides wheelchair access to the bridge. Read more

Cruising – A Convenient Way to Travel as a Wheelchair User

If you’re wheelchair bound like me, cruising can be a very convenient and relaxing way to travel because you’re able to visit different destinations without the hassle of transferring baggage or checking in and out of hotels. On a cruise ship you literally take your hotel room with you. During my 22 years as a quadriplegic I’ve cruised six times: two Caribbean cruises, a Baltic cruise and three Alaska cruises, all with Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises. I love cruising!  In this article I’ll share some of my experiences and observations. Read more

5 Useful Resources for Disabled Travel

Our tip for the day is on accessible travel.  To that end, we’ve put together a list of sites  – both new and old – on disabled travel that we think are definitely useful. Read more

Accessibility for People with a Mobility Disability in and around Disney World

Disney World can be an amazing vacation destination as evidenced by the over 40 million people that visit each year. I’m sure there are many people confined to wheelchairs who have never visited Disney World and have some questions about how accessible it really is. Last year, I spent two weeks during Spring – long enough to make a decent accessibility assessment – visiting all of the Disney World parks and I would like to report on some of my personal experiences getting around as a C5/C6 quadriplegic in a motorized wheelchair. Hopefully, some of you confined to a wheelchair and thinking about making a trip to Disney World will be able to pick up a few tips while reading this article. Read more

Camping with a Physical Disability Made Practical in a Dodge Sprinter Conversion Van

Do you find it hard to go camping as a disabled person? I used to love camping in a tent, but that has become hard to do since I became disabled as a quadriplegic. For years now I have been dreaming of being able to stay overnight in our national parks again, and have been searching for ways to make that a reality. I knew that any viable solution would need to be easy to use both for me and for my wife. Recently, I discovered a wonderful solution that I’d like to share with you. Read more