Disability Travel - Holiday Grants & Funding

Hi there! I'm new to this forum and pleased I found it. I want to write an article for http://www.disabilityholidaysguide.com to help families with disabled children to take a holiday. My friend has a disabled child (cerebral palsy) and has not been on holiday for 5 years (since her little girl was born) she is worried about the cost and of flying but desperately needs a family break, so I'm doing some research and would like to then share it - any ideas, tips etc would be gratefully received.

You need to start being more precise with the questions, IMHO. She's worried about the cost. Why? What are specific worries and/or questions?

I mean one person would be worried about costs because they're on an income that can hardly provide them a meal once a day and couldn't even start to phantom how to pay for an airline ticket added to that. Another person would worry about cost thinking they'ld have a limited amount of bagage allowance and think they'll have to pay excess fees for a wheelchair that weighs more then that when flying within/from/to locations that have legislation to take care of this. So many different reasons for worry, so many different possible answers.

Having not flown with her disabled child before, my friend is anxious!! She is on a budget and wondering if flying with a budget airline would be smooth running (there have been a few horror stories that have got her worrying). In general, she is worrying about the whole process from checking in to landing! What if the wheelchair gets damaged. Will there be extra costs for taking a wheelchair, will the airline staff be helpful. I guess planning tips (do's & don'ts) recommendations/ reassurance would be helpful and of course if anyone knows if any grants are available and how to apply.

Answers to the questions will depend on the departure and destination countries. Where is your friend flying to/from?

If you've spent any time looking over past threads here, you would be wary of flying with the Budget Airlines in the UK. (I'm assuming UK).

She will be flying from the UK - short haul - Spain or the Canary Islands.

I suggest you encourage your friend to come to FlyerTalk and do some reading herself in the Disability Travel forum.

If she's feeling apprehensive about travel and is not likely to be a good advocate for herself and her child, she may want to avoid the British and European low cost carriers (Ryanair, etc), as they have a poor record with disabled passengers.

That said, wheelchair users fly without incident every day, all over the world, it's just a question of familiarizing yourself with procedures and regulations regarding travel with mobility aids.

On mainline carriers, there will be no extra charge for a wheelchair or medical supplies. She should plan to carry any needed medical supplies as carry on luggage, rather than checking them. Passengers who are unable to walk from the plane door to their seats are boarded using an aisle chair, which is a narrow chair that fits through the plane aisle. An onboard wheelchair, similar to an aisle chair, will be available on larger aircraft in order to transport the passenger to lavatory.

If the child's wheelchair is powered, the mother should read up on preparing a power chair for transport (remove all removable items, including cushion and control box, put signs on it saying that it has dry cell batteries and how to put it in freewheel, etc). She should check to see if she will need a step up transformer in order to power the chair at their destination.

There's more, of course, but I don't want to speculate on what your friend may need to know without knowing more about the child's needs.

I suggest you encourage your friend to come to FlyerTalk and do some reading herself in the Disability Travel forum.

Totally agree.

On mainline carriers, there will be no extra charge for a wheelchair or medical supplies.

Ehm..... not the case globally. I know you are used to ACAA, but Sparkle is investigating flying from the UK to Spain. Within the EU there is no legislation when it comes to medical supplies and practice is still for most main carriers to tag on an overweight fee as soon as one exceeds ones bagage limitations.

More positive note is that there is legislation within the EU with regards to mobility needs, which amongst others states a passenger can bring along up to 2 mobility aids free of charge. This will apply to the trip being looked into.

Sparkle, the official legislation can be found here; http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:204:0001:01:EN:HTML . It very specifically states which things an airline or airport has to take care off and what not. What they are allowed to do and what not. That being said; most EU airlines still have no clue this excists and some will need reminding off it when using 'rules' that do not comply with said legislation. When informing them about that in a polite but firm way, most will be smart enough to realise it's time to apply it.


She should plan to carry any needed medical supplies as carry on luggage, rather than checking them.

Yes and no. Depends greatly on what the supplies are. Let's face it, there are plenty of us out there that will travel with multiple suitcases full of purely medical supplies. Not only will that be beyond annoying to drag along as carry on, it's not a realistic option storagewise.

For instance if I were to lug along all of my medical stuff into the cabin? That would be one bag of wheelchair stuff, 2 wheelchair cushions, a carry on full of meds and 2 or 3 fullsized suitcases filled to the brim with medical stuff for just 10 days. Totally not realistic. When travelling with larger amounts of medical supplies; check what can deal with the checked luggage circumstances and can be replaced in case of emergency. Have enough with you in carry on to last you at least 2 days after arrival + day(s) needed in case you'ld have to replace things lost in checked luggage. Those 2 day extra are not a luxe when thinking about delays and what nots that can happen. ALWAYS have all of your meds on you. Can be a HUGE hassle when needing large amounts, but you'll want them on you when crossing any border.

ALWAYS carry on all things that can not deal with checked luggage milieu. For instance the enteral feedings I'm dependant on will ruin when not stored at the right temperature. This can't always be managed in checked luggage on all types of aircrafts with all the airlines. In those cases, we're stuck having to carry on all of the feeding bags (read; one liter per day, jolly for a longer trip :p ). This can and will be taken care off in the end, but for most EU airlines you will be glad to arrange medical clearance for that beforehand through the medical office to make sure it doesn't get denied and rerouted to checked luggage. And yes, this is one of the many known situations where you can easily exceed bagage allowance and get the bill for it.

Want to avoid all of that hassle and possible costs? Check with your supplier or even the brand itself if whatever you need can also be accessed at your destination. It might cost a bit more but can end up saving loads of money and/or stress to just bring along a small supply and have the rest waiting for you on arrival. Do this homework early enough and work in delays for the supply.

Both Spain mainland as the Canary Island comes with a high risk of having the airplane board/deplane at the destination through stairwalls on the tarmac instead of a gateway that leaves you "just walking on" as you might be used to in London. This can be a complicating factor, depending on the needs of the child, the airport used and in lesser fact; the airline. Some airports simply have NO other option that the stairs. If one can not navigate it themselves, there will be assistance provided to carry one up and down the stairs. No biggie for some, a huge thing for others as it doesn't suit their needs. Some airports have a truck with lift as an other option (simply put the upper part of the truck can move up, comes in front of one of the aircraft doors, transfer the mobility challenged passenger over and back down goes the truck again). However, it might be just one and be in high demand leaving it not available for your flight. Many of the 'smaller' airports in the Meds and plenty on the islands have not even one. Leaving the only option of carrying on and off the stairs if those are being used.



Costs? Other than the cost of said medical luggage, there isn't really any extras involved when it comes to flying. The transportation of upto 2 mobility aids is free of charge and does not count into bagage allowance. A ticket costs what a ticket costs, doesn't get hicked up just because one has a disability or not. Depending on the specific needs, destination and ones own gouvernment and social system options there have to be no extra cost right upto loads. Depends on too many things to give a one-size-fits-all-answer.

For instance; at many locations there is no upcharge for an accessible room (where it can vary greatly what is considered accessible and what options are in the room or not; ALWAYS check and never assume), but there can be one when needing a second room (price of said second room) because now you can no longer book a desired category or the room now has sleeping arrangements for less individuals to make room for the accessible features. This is something you can easily run into in Med. Euro incl. the Canary Islands. On the other hand if the destination would be the US; whole different ballgame with the ADA setting specific standards to which to uphold and what is and isn't allowed.

If there is a need for many specific aids that can not be taken along on the flight -or because that would be too expensive-, that can add to the bill when renting one. Same goes when needing a professional carer. Again; it's a highly personal thing.

Grants; again, highly personal and even more so national. You are on an international board and where I'ld be perfectly able to give you ins and outs about Dutch options, I haven't got a clue about UK options.


I know package deals are very common in the UK, as the are on our side of the Channel. Those are not the best options when having needs. Booking all of your things on your own will make it A LOT easier to find the best options to fit the needs instead of running into constant problems. Can sometimes cost a bit more (allthough I've found it always to be a lot cheaper), but is worth the work. Tour operators for instance will not provide accessible transportation from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. There is your first problem when not wanting (or able!!) to carry the child into a tourstyle bus as is used most. Many wont even 'allow' you usage, claiming you will use up too much luggage space with the chair etc. They're just grumpy old weirdo's IMHO. Doing it yourself leaves you as the first contact person with the airline. YOU decide which flight you book and at what time, instead of the touroperator. No need to have an operator involved when making arrangements with the airline for the needs (the more involved, the more risk of miscommunications).

You can easily arrange your own transportation. If the child uses a manual chair, it's even easier. After all; they are smaller to begin with and tend to be either foldable or at least have removable wheels when fixed frame. Easy to store in any taxi and off you go. Prices are a lot more friendly for taxis then in the UK leaving it an affordable option of transportation. And again; it's more personal. The driver sees the needs, will want a nice tip and will bent over backwards (most in the Meds will anyway, is my experience) to make sure you are OK. If the family wants to renting a car is also a great option with a manual wheelchair. Affordable in those destinations and a great range of pure freedom.

The Med has an architecture that isn't designed to be awardwinning accessible. Spain is no exception. It is something one has to keep in mind when wanting to visit the region. It is lovely but will come with it's share of accessibility challenges because of the architecture. This will be more prominant in older areas, innercities, etc. A high curb with no cut, finding a restaurant to be a challenge to get into, no accessible bathroom, you will run into it all. Don't let it stop if they really want to experience something. People are all to willing to help (for instance have had many restaurant owners personally carry my manual chair in and out, when I still used one) and it's just part of the price for being able to get beyond that hurdle.

If destination is still up for discussion; consider the Algarve in Portugal. Esp. the region close to the Spanish boarder. Lovely area, great weather and very important with a wheelchair; relatively flat. Great area to see both some great Portugues and Spanish places. There are some good accessible beaches in even some small villages in the Algarve. But what could be 'the' reason for a child to think it's pure heaven; the Zoo Marine in the Algarve. An outdoor park with all Marine Live. Great place to spend a day. They do great things in cultivation, education etc. Also they offer programs where one can swim with dolphins. This does come with "don't tell the child anything until making sure!-warning". When calling, they will say this is NOT accessible. It kinda isn't. But it is. The changing room can fit a manual chair, but there is no MUST to use them. If need be child could be changed into the wetsuit in the public area (just make sure child is already wearing bathing suit underneath clothes). The bassin isn't accessible. However, if the child can enter a pool without needing bump steps or a lift (and this could include using the help of a paying adult that also does the program) and is safe in the water, the management will be OK with participating. The area around the bassin is constructed in such a way you can navigate with a manual chair. Not always perfectly perfect, but very much doable. Same goes for the area where you'll get educated prior to doing the swim and the area where you'll have a drink afterwards. Others not wanting to participate can buy a watching pass for a small amount and watch the whole thing. Interacting with the dolphins is amazing and the trainers will work with you with regards to what you can and cannot do.

Zoo Marine is just one of those amazing gems where looking beyond the not perfect accessibility can result into a memorable vacation experience. Depending on abilities and desires, you can find such gems allover the Med and the islands.

Oh and possible damage to wheelchair. It is an option, yep. The risk can greatly be reduced by making the chair as damageproof as possible. If not sure how to do that, contact the supplier.

If damage does happen; the airline is responsible for paying the damage. However! There is a max. set amount per weight they have to cover and there is a max. total covered amount decided worldwide. If I'm not mistaken this is drawn up in the Warschau or Montreal convention. This max. isn't enough for any powerchair and a manual chair that is a bit more "expensive" can also easily be a lot more worth that said max.

In those cases you'ld need insurance to cover the total depending on your national social system. Talk to whomever supplied the chair. What if this happens? Now what? Would the gouvernment or NHS (whomever supplied) pick up the rest of the bill? Would you have to pay and file with the airline? Would they do it? Or would they consider it as YOUR risk and be of no assistance if the chair isn't already considered written off and a replacement would've been needed anyway based on that? Same goes for any other possible medical aid or equipment used that was paid for or supplied by gouvernment, NHS etc.

My gouvernment considers it my responsibility to take care of these risks outside of the basic responsibility they have (as we've got legislation stating any motorized wheelchair must be ensured to be allowed onto public road, our gouvernment also provides those aids with said insurance which covers most of the EU-area). Same goes for my healthcare insurance company for pumps etc. I use. So for my trips I'll have to take out specific insurance.

Can't be of help within the UK. Overhere it can be challenging. It is not covered in any travelinsurance. In fact, they clearly exclude any medical stuff AND/OR any stuff used under "lease" or any other construction where the aid or equipment isn't ones own. Most companies will say this isn't insurable. Heck, suppliers will say the same and so will "specialized" travel agents all say the same. I am able to insure it however, but not in a way one would think of at first.

I use what is called a transport insurance, which spreads the risk amongst big insurance broakers. I can simply state which aids and chairs I want to have covered and for what amount per aid (newprice!!). There is an obligated own risk of €500 (which the airline refund would cover). I pay €200,- per trip to get amounts of €40,000- total for my chairs and other medical stuff covered. Anything and all that can happen is insured. So not just the airline totalling it, but if some nutjob were to damage something will at my destination I know I'm covered and don't have to rely on local laws, possible lawsuits to go through etc.

Again; I have no clue what options are there in the UK. If any, even. I'm just posting about the Dutch market to again show that thinking outside the box can pay off. Travel insurance isn't an option for me, something nobody considered is.

Another option if insurance is a problem is to look into renting a chair on the destination. It's another cost but might be worth the lowering damage risks. This will greatly depend on the type of wheelchair the child needs and rental option at the destination. Rule of thumb is; general can be found in rental. If needing more customized; it lowers the odds. The more customized and/or specialized; the slimmer the option. Childrens chairs aren't as plentifull as adultsized and can take some more homework to find a rental agency that offers them instead of just adultsized. At the airport they can use an airport supplied wheelchair for the child. They will be adultsize and thus a pain, but with some needs it could be an option. When renting; note down the sized the child needs and check (and recheck) this with the rental company before deciding to go ahead or not. If possible; communicate in writing so there is no miscommunication with you saying 22 and the other hearing 32.


Another thing to look into; travelinsurance itself! I understand this can be a hassle once one has a chronic illness and/or disability in the UK. Have heard many stories of being declined coverage (or not being covered in case of medical costs -which is the biggest reason for getting travel insurance for most-) or having to pay unbelievably high premiums to get coverage. I have also learned there are a few companies out there that have more options than the general travel insurance company in the UK, apparently. Is worth it to look into and ask advice from UK-based patient groups with experience.

Flyingwheels & Katja - thank you!!! With your information and advice I'm sure I can definatley help my friend arrange that holiday and ease her anxiety! You have raised many good points to consider and I will definatly mention Portugal as a recommend destination for wheelchair users and research Disabled/ Medical travel insurance prices and options.

Sincerely, thank you again for taking the time to offer so much information.:)

and I will definatly mention Portugal as a recommend destination for wheelchair users

Just to get one thing clear; it's not that Spain or the Canary Islands is a bad option. The Canaries will come with the added possible problems of small airports and very likely having to use stairs to board and deplane. On the other hand; so will for instance Faro Airport (Algarve Portugal) and some of the smaller but "typical touristy" Spanish airports. Heck, that will be a thing allover Europe and the Med. is a relatively bad region for this.

Spain mainland has some amazingly accessible places, when looking at it through Med. point of view. I mainly mentioned the Algarve knowing how it tends to get shot down because of it's hills -being less known there are some spots that aren't constant up and down- and to demonstrate one of those possible "make it a dream of a vacation"-experiences.

Spain has some pearls, esp. when looking at the bit more touristy big destinations. If they want to do more than "just" a beach vacation; Barcelona is a dream. Highly accessible for Spanish standards, thanks to them hosting the Special Olympics earlier. To give you an idea; accessible taxi's, accessible public transportation, certain accessible beaches, that kind of stuff.

It all depends greatly on what they are looking for, which budget, which needs, which hurdles they'ld be willing to tackle etc.

Another way of vacationing; cruising. While the ports aren't all that amazingly accessible, it is a great way to see a lot of the Med (or Canary Islands, those are also cruisable). Benefit would be a relatively good accessibility as a basis in the form of the cruise ship. Booking an accessible cabin does require booking a loooooong way ahead sometimes, but it's worth it. There are some very good lines out there that offer all kinds off accessible options onboard. Even incl. lifts for the pool and kids clubs where they don't blink an eye if a child needs a wheelchair. Loads to do and see, relatively accessible and a great way to visit multiple ports. Doing this in the Med or to the Canaries is very port intensive and can be very active, draining. Doesn't fit all. And what most don't know; cruising can be very affordable depending on route, traveldate and when you book. If it's something they want to look into; google cruise critic. Loads of info and a board all about cruising. Info per cruiseline, ship etc. Also with a dedicated disabilities cruise board with all kinds of info about that.

I know the HAL (and probably also other of the big ones) offer some cruises to the Med departing from the UK. Relatively more expensive than one departing from for instance Barcelona, but perhaps not having to tackle both flying ánd arranging a vacation might make it easier to feel comfortable enough for the parents to take the plunge.

If there is one thing I can honestly say, it's that having a mobility disability is not something that should stop anybody from vacationing or travelling. It's different, it's sometimes challenging but it can be done. And very much worth it. ;)