Wheelchair accessible ? what would you think ?

[JoKen1]

Thank you for all the help everyone has offered. It sounds like we will not be able to tender on a cruise so that is something we will need to think about before we book a cruise.

 

Sad that the ships can't find a better way to help people in a wheelchair get on a tender. Like a ramp of some sort.

 

I do worry about an emergency. It's easy for the ship crew to say "Oh don't worry, we will come and help" but then when it really happens would they really show up? I don't know.

 

My brother is just in a rental manual chair for now.

 

The thing with eating is not the arm rest, its the foot rest that seems to get in the way while trying to push the wheelchair up to the table.

 

It would be nice if tables didn't have that center bar.

 

Also, I guess the arm rest is also a problem as my brother can not move his one arm so it does sit on the arm rest.

 

Perhaps it is the wheelchairs that need to be changed someway.

 

I never knew 1/2 of the problems people in wheelchairs faced until my brother was forced into one.

 

It's very hard to get along in one.

[DesrtDrmr]

JoKen, my manual wheelchair has foot rests that can be folded up and then out to rest on the outside of the frame of the chair, so my feet rest on the floor. That way I can pull right up to a table..............maybe your brother's does too, or maybe you can exchange the one he has for one that does have foldable footrests. If not foldable, and you don't exchange, maybe you can just remove the footrests during a meal. (When we gate check the wheelchair on a flight, we take the footrests off and put them in the overhead so they don't get lost or damaged in the cargo section of the plane.)

I don't know much about marine matters, but I think that the reason the cruiselines cannot use ramps for the tenders is due to the changing tides. When the tide is higher, the ramp would have to be shorter. When lower, the ramp would be longer and steeper.

[WEELYNCRUZER]

If you use a certified travel specialist they will do all the work for you. I went to Alaska on Princess and it included a 6 day inland tour. I am in a chair and can't walk at all. Didn't run into any problems. All my tours were accessible even the helicopter.

[uppitycats]

Thank you for all the help everyone has offered. It sounds like we will not be able to tender on a cruise so that is something we will need to think about before we book a cruise.

 

Have you ever cruised before? There is lots to do on the ship if you get to a destination where you can't get off the ship. I often stay on the ship, allowing my husband to go off on an excursion by himself (I'm the one in a wheelchair). He doesn't have to worry about me getting something to eat (as a last resort, there's always room service!) or dealing with my meds, or looking for an accessible bathroom, or getting me in to a restaurant, or whether the weather gets bad, or any of those things.

And there are MANY ports where tendering isn't necessary. It all depends on where you're going, and then "shopping" for the ships that get priority berthing, sometimes, and get right up alongside the shore.

 

Sad that the ships can't find a better way to help people in a wheelchair get on a tender. Like a ramp of some sort.

I think someone already answered this. Getting on a tender has a lot to do with tides, and currents. The small boat is..well..small. Choppy water and an unsteady person can make for a serious accident! Being able to line up a ramp in those kinds of conditions is risky at best.

 

I do worry about an emergency. It's easy for the ship crew to say "Oh don't worry, we will come and help" but then when it really happens would they really show up? I don't know.

 

Sure...there COULD be an emergency. But they are VERY rare. I've been on 5 cruises so far, and other than a 15 minute period one night when the power went out on the entire ship, I've never experienced anything so serious that there was a need to evacuate. And the last time I heard of this happening on a cruise ship -- it was an "explore the antarctic" cruise, a specialty cruise, where you had to be medically certified to even apply for passage (none of us would qualify!). So I really think you don't need to worry about this so much.

 

My brother is just in a rental manual chair for now.

 

The thing with eating is not the arm rest, its the foot rest that seems to get in the way while trying to push the wheelchair up to the table.

 

It would be nice if tables didn't have that center bar.

He'll need to get fitted and measured for his own chair soon. And get some occupational and physical therapy that'll teach him how to manipulate the chair himself (yes, even manual chairs can be operated by a person who only has the use of one hand...but it might also be that he gets a power chair, which might give him much greater mobility), and how to tell someone who is pushing him what they need to look out for.

But in the meantime, indeed if you're pushing your brother in a wheelchair, you need to be cognizant of what kinds of conditions you're encountering. What is under the table is a small issue; you need to watch for curbs, ruts in the road, gravel, sand, all sorts of obstacles.

Most chairs do have footrests that can swing to the sides, if he's able to put his feet on the ground. Otherwise you need to avoid table legs and find the "ends" of tables with enough space underneath for his feet and the footrests!

 

Also, I guess the arm rest is also a problem as my brother can not move his one arm so it does sit on the arm rest.

 

Perhaps it is the wheelchairs that need to be changed someway.

Yes, there are a lot of improvements that can be done with wheelchair. But there also is a learning curve for your brother, and for you (and whoever else is around to help him). Over time these obstacles will seem pretty minor.

 

I never knew 1/2 of the problems people in wheelchairs faced until my brother was forced into one.

 

It's very hard to get along in one.

 

Cruising really is a pleasant way to travel, and easy for a person in a chair. Think about this: your brother gets to one place (his handicap-accessible cabin) where he can unpack. He'll always know he has an accessible bathroom with plenty of space and grab bars. Food is available 24/7. He can see different cities, even if it is just from the deck of the ship, without having to be transported somewhere. He doesn't have to worry about getting on/off a plane, train, cab, handicap-accessible van, other means of transportation -- just roll on out to the deck and watch the water go by. And have friendly people stop to chat (the crew will almost always stop to chat) and ask if they can be of assistance -- at which time he simply asks for food/beverage, and they'll fetch it.

He doesn't have to worry if he can get in to a restaurant, and if there's a bathroom in there he can use. He doesn't have to worry if he gets to a part of town where there are no curb cuts, and he gets "stuck", unable to travel in his wheelchair. If he's in a manual chair, he doesn't have to be dependent on having someone push him somewhere -- he can get to one of the restaurants on the ship, and very often a crew member will offer to assist him...and push him back to his room (I know..it happens to me regularly).

It's MUCH easier on his companions, as you don't have to worry about arranging all those accessible features to make his..and your..trip enjoyable, as they're all there, on the cruise ship.

So think about cruising again. It's really a pretty convenient way to travel.

[Texalana]

...We have also arranged our own through private companies in these ports:

 

Santiago, Chile

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Acapulco, Mexico (although the tie-downs did not work)...

 

Splinter, could you tell me the company you used in Puerto Vallarta? Would they be able to lift a scooter? My mom uses a scooter and usually cannot do any shore excursions. If there is a van/bus with a lift this would be great! Even if it cannot lift a scooter, we could buy a lightweight transfer chair if the van/bus can lift that. Thanks in advance! :)

[Splinter]

Of course the size of the scooter makes a difference in fitting on a lift. We have taken my mother in her manual chair (we never use the power chair ashore in Mexico because there are so few curb cuts). Don't get a transport chair!! Nearly impossible to get up a curb, and miserable on cobblestones. In addition, the person is totally trapped in the chair where-ever their "pusher" parks them...can't even turn themselves around. You can get a light weight manual wheelchair with big rear wheels inexpensively, or consider renting.

 

Here is the company that we use. There is one other in PV, but their van is not nearly as nice, and these people have given us great service on three different excursions. Book early, as they often are booked up: http://www.accesiblemexico.com/