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TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES |
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New Zealand is disabled-traveller-friendly, but that does not mean
everything is rosy. Many public buildings, galleries and museums are
accessible to disabled travellers, but as a rule restaurants and local
public transport make few concessions.
Long-distance transport companies will generally offer disabled
travellers help with boarding, but on-board access to toilets and other
amenities can be difficult for wheelchair users. All accommodation in
New Zealand should have at least one room or unit suitable for disabled
travellers but the level of facilities and access varies considerably,
often depending on the age of the building in question. On the plus side,
many tour operators are prepared to go to that extra bit of trouble to
enable travellers with disabilities to participate in activities
Before you leave: Useful organizations
UK
Access Travel , 16 Haweswater Ave, Astley, Lancashire M29 7BL (tel
01942/888 844). Tour operator that can arrange flights and transfers.
Holiday Care Service , 2nd floor, Imperial Building, Victoria Rd, Horley,
Surrey RH6 7PZ (tel 01293/774535). Provides free list of accessible
accommodation in New Zealand.
RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) , 12 City
Forum, 250 City Rd, London EC1V 8AF (tel 020/7250 3222; Minicom tel
020/7250 4119). Produces a holiday guide Getting There to long-haul
destinations (£5, including p&p) every two years, devoting several pages
to New Zealand.
Tripscope , Alexandra House, Albany Rd, London TW8 0NE (tel 020/8580
7021, fax 8580 7022, tripscope@cableinet.co.uk ). This registered
charity provides a national telephone information service offering free
advice on international transport and travel for those with a mobility
problem.
IRELAND
Irish Wheelchair Association , Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3 (tel
01/833 8241). Provides information for wheelchair travellers intending
to go to New Zealand, including travel, accommodation and activities.
USA
Directions Unlimited , 720 N Bedford Rd, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 (tel
914/241-1700). Travel agency specializing in custom tours for people
with disabilities.
Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (SATH), 347
5th Ave, Suite 610, New York, NY 10016 (tel 212/447-7284,
www.sittravel.com ). Non-profit travel-industry referral service that
passes queries on to its members as appropriate; allow plenty of time
for a response.
Travel Information Service (tel 215/456-9600). Telephone information and
referral service.
Twin Peaks Press , Box 129, Vancouver, WA 98666 (tel 360/694-2462 or
1-800/637-2256). Publisher of the Directory of Travel Agencies for the
Disabled ($19.95), listing more than 370 agencies worldwide; Travel for
the Disabled ($19.95); the Directory of Accessible Van Rentals ($9.95);
and Wheelchair Vagabond ($14.95), loaded with personal tips.
CANADA
Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital , 3205 Place Alton Goldbloom, Chomedy
Laval, Quebec H7V 1RT (tel 514/688-9550, ext 226). Guidebooks and travel
information.
AUSTRALIA
ACROD (Australian Council for Rehabilitation of the Disabled) , PO Box
60, Curtin, ACT 2605 (tel 02/6282 4333). Provides lists of useful
organizations, plus specialist travel agencies and tour operators.
Planning a trip
There are organized tours and holidays specifically for people with
disabilities - the contacts in the box below will be able to put you
touch with any specialists for trips to New Zealand. If you want to be
more independent , it's important to become an authority on where you
must be self-reliant and where you may expect help, especially regarding
transport and accommodation. It is also vital to be honest - with travel
agencies, insurance companies and travel companions. Know your
limitations and make sure others know them. If you do not use a
wheelchair all the time but your walking capabilities are limited,
remember that you are likely to need to cover greater distances while
travelling (often over rougher terrain and in hotter temperatures) than
you are used to. If you use a wheelchair, have it serviced before you go
and carry a repair kit.
Read your travel insurance small print carefully to make sure that
people with a pre-existing medical condition are not excluded. And use
your travel agent to make your journey simpler: airline or bus companies
can cope better if they are expecting you, with a wheelchair provided at
airports and staff primed to help. A medical certificate of your fitness
to travel, provided by your doctor, is also extremely useful; some
airlines or insurance companies may insist on it. Make sure that you
have extra supplies of drugs - carried with you if you fly - and a
prescription including the generic name in case of emergency. Carry
spares of any clothing or equipment that might be hard to find; if
there's an association representing people with your disability, contact
them early in the planning process.
Once you're in New Zealand , several organizations provide information
for travellers with disabilities and give practical advice on where to
go and how to get there .
Accommodation
The New Zealand Tourism Board's Where to Stay Guide provides a few
useful pointers on disabled-friendly accommodation, with countrywide
listings , in which disabled facilities are indicated by a wheelchair
symbol.
Current New Zealand law stipulates that any newly built hotel, hostel or
motel must have at least one room modified for disabled access and use.
Many pre-existing accommodation establishments have also converted rooms
to meet these requirements, including most YHA hostels, some motels,
campsites and larger hotels. Older buildings, homestays and B&Bs are the
least likely to lend themselves to such conversions.
Travelling
Few airlines, trains, ferries and buses allow complete independence. Air
New Zealand provides a special wheelchair narrow enough to move around
in the plane, and the rear toilet cubicles are wider than the others to
facilitate access; other domestic airlines will provide help, if not
always extra facilities. Cook Strait ferries have reasonable access for
disabled travellers, including physical help while boarding, if needed,
and adapted toilets. If given advance warning, trains will provide
attendants to get passengers in wheelchairs or sight-impaired travellers
on board, but moving around the train in a standard wheelchair is
impossible and there are no specially adapted toilets; the problems with
long-distance buses are much the same.
Some specifically adapted taxis (for wheelchairs) are available in the
cities, but must be pre-booked; otherwise taxi drivers obligingly deal
with wheelchairs by throwing them into the boot and their occupant onto
a seat. The New Zealand Total Mobility Scheme also allows for anyone
unable to use public transport to use taxis at a subsidized rate (50
percent); a list of participating areas and companies is available from
the Disabled Persons Assembly , who will also arrange for the necessary
vouchers to be issued. There is also a parking concession for people
with mobility problems, assuming they bring the relevant medical
certificates with them. For more details email enabletour@xtra.co.nz .
The staff on public buses will endeavour to lend a hand, but buses are
difficult to board. Some small minibus conversions are available and
shuttle buses will help you board and stow your chair, but it pays to
let the operator know beforehand of your particular needs. Enable
Tourism can provide lists of companies with rental cars adapted for
disabled travellers, while some car rental operators will fit hand
controls if they are given advance notice.
Useful contacts in New Zealand
Disability Information - Project Enable tel 0800/801 981. Information
service that can help with advice on travel, accommodation and
activities.
Disability Resource Centre , PO Box 24-042, Royal Oak, Auckland (tel
09/625 8069, fax 624 1633).
Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) , 5th Floor, Central House, 26 Brandon
St, Wellington (tel 04/472 2626). Worth contacting for local information
on access.
Enable Tourism , 34 Whittaker Street, Shannon (tel 06/362 7163, fax 362
7162, enabletour@xtra.co.nz ). Provides a comprehensive service of
contacts and advice.
Galaxy Motors , Frank Hall, 274 Great South Road, Takanini, Auckland (tel
07/826 4020, fhall@xtra.co.nz ), Personalized tours with a tour guide,
companion, carer or translator.
New Zealand Disabilities Resource Centre , Bennet St, PO Box4547,
Palmerston North (tel 06/952 0011, 0800/171 1981, www.nzdrc.govt.nz ,
nzdrc@nzdrc.govt.nz ); Petone Office, PO Box 38847, Petone, Wellington;
Christchurch Office, PO Box 33054, Christchurch.
Physical Freedom and Manawatu Jet Tours , 235 Cambridge Avenue, Ashhurst
(tel & fax 06/329 4060, mjt@clear.net.nz ). Specialize in outdoor
pursuits (bungy, white water rafting, kayaking, absailing) and have an
accessible bus that accommodates five wheel chairs and offer
personalized tours.
The Paraplegic and Physically Disabled Association , PO Box 610,
Hamilton. Provides information (postal enquiries only) on sporting
activities across New Zealand.
The Saints Host Service , 55 Leaver Terrace, North Beach, Christchurch (tel
& fax 03/388 6283). Provides tours and request hosts.
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