Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, Second Edition [Paperback]

Candy B. Harrington (Author), Candy Harrington (Author)

Book Description

Series: Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts & Bolts Guide for Wheelers & Slow Walker | Publication Date: April 10, 2005

Authored by the editor of the leading travel magazine for people with disabilities, Emerging Horizons, this second edition of Barrier Free Travel continues to be the definitive guide to accessible travel for those who use a wheelchair, walker, or cane or have any physical ailment that may slow down their gait. It is a well-researched resource that contains detailed information about the logistics of planning accessible travel by plane, train, bus, and ship. Chapters include information on how to find and book an accessible room, cruises, ground transportation, overseas travel, advocacy, disability law and rights, air travel, protecting your wheelchair when you travel, how to find and work with a travel agent, and resources from around the world. This new edition includes a chapter on children's travel issues and — due to popular demand — a much expanded section on cruises. Expanded airport security procedures have changed the way we travel and thus the book offers new information about these security procedures and how they apply to travelers of limited mobility.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Bible for barrier-free travel.

Christopher Elliott -- Ticked.com, July 2002

The brass tacks of accessibility written in Candy Harrington’s straight-from-the shoulder style.

Lucy Gwin -- Mouth Magazine, April 2002

The depth of research and painstakingly careful documentation in this book are particularly useful.

Jane Gershaw -- Inside MS, Summer 2002

This book enables readers to feel ready to pack their bags and make their plans for a hassle-free vacation. -- California Coast & Ocean, Winter 2001-02 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Candy Harrington is a recognized expert on accessible travel. She is a founder and editor of Emerging Horizons, writes for and mainstream publications and is a board member of Access Northern California and the Bay Area Travel Writers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Demos Health; 2nd edition (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932603093
• ISBN-13: 978-1932603095
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,484,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Special Needs

More About the Author

Known as the guru of accessible travel, Candy Harrington has covered this niche exclusively for the past 15 years. She's the founding editor of Emerging Horizons and the author of several accessible travel titles, including the classic, Barrier Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers. Candy's work can also be found in disability-related magazines, mainstream publications and websites. Tape measure in hand, Candy hits the road often, in search of new accessible travel options. Her newest accessible travel title, 22 Accessible Road Trips; Driving Vacations for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, will be available in the summer of 2012. Additionally, her Eating Well on the Road; A Travel Writer's Strategy for Weight Loss, Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Changes, will be released in late 2011. Candy blogs regularly about accessible travel news, resources and industry updates on her Barrier Free Travels blog at www.BarrierFreeTravels.com.

Follow Candy on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/candy.harrington

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Leave Home Without This Book!, December 10, 2001

By 

Karla Hoffman (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers (Paperback)

This is the best how-to guide about accessible travel that I have ever read. I've been traveling for over 10 years in my wheelchair, and this book contains helpful information and resources that I never knew existed.

Every time I pick up a book about accessible travel, it contains all the same trite information. Of course this book is just the opposite. It contains useful information. I don't need to be told to get to the airport early or to remember to pack my medicine. This book covers all the essentials, gives you good solid information and doesn't just give you "common sense" tips. It's the only book on the market that does that.

It's an easy read -- not just a book filled with facts and figures. Real life situations are included in most chapters. The chapter about what to do when things go wrong is one of the most concise and informative advocacy guides I have ever read.

I wish that all travel agents and professionals would read this book too. It's a must for people who travel, but the professionals who plan our vacations also need to know this information!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Helped Us, July 12, 2002

By 

bernie kovar (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers (Paperback)

My wife had a stroke four years ago and now has to use a wheelchair. We both wanted to travel bur I didn't know the first place to look to find out the things we needed to know. The physical therapist said lots of people who have had strokes travel, so we wanted to give it a try. But it was hard to find information. That's where this book helped. It contains a lot of information you need. It should be titled "owners manual" as nobody tells you this stuff when you end up in a wheelchair.

The cruise chapter was very helpful to me. I just figured I could call up a travel agent and book a cruise with a handicapped cabin. I'm glad I read the book before I made that mistake. There is also a very helpful chapter about choosing a travel agent and how to travel on an airplane with a wheelchair.

We just got back from our first cruise and it was great. I wouldn't have been able to do it without this book. If you are even only thinking about travel, I urge you to read this book. We are already planning our next trip.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barrier-Free Travel Saved Me (money), December 11, 2001

By 

Paula Ventura (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book to anybody considering traveling with a wheelchair. I bought this book before my vacation back east and it helped me understand my rights as a consumer. It also gave me helpful tips on how to get the services I need.

For example, did you know that hotels that provide free airpot shuttle service (in the US) also have to provide an accessible option, at no charge to the customer? Well, I didn't -- until I read this book.

A hotel in Boston tried to charge me for this service, but because I read this book, I knew the law and was able to deal with the situation. The result was that I saved (money), and the hotel had to provide me with free accessible airport shuttle service.

That's just one of the helpful tips that I found in Barrier-Free Travel.

This book also contains useful information about how to find and book an accessible room, how to work with (and find) a travel agent, cruises, ground transportation, overseas travel, advocacy, disability law and rights, air travel, protecting your wheelchair when you travel, and resources around the world.

It's a book that I will keep and continue to refer to, as I continue to travel. It makes a great resource book -- I wish more CIL's would add this to their resource library.