Tips for Travelers with Special Needs

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Back to San FranciscoSan Francisco: Tips for Travelers with Special Needs

Travelers With Disabilities -- Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. There are more options and resources out there than ever before.

Most of San Francisco's major museums and tourist attractions have wheelchair ramps. Many hotels offer special accommodations and services for wheelchair users and other visitors with disabilities. As well as the ramps, they include extra large bathrooms and telecommunication devices for hearing-impaired travelers. The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau should have the most up-to-date information.

Travelers in wheelchairs can request special ramped taxis by calling Yellow Cab (tel. 415/626-2345), which charges regular rates for the service. Travelers with disabilities can also get a free copy of the Muni Access Guide, published by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, Accessible Services Program, 949 Presidio Ave. (tel. 415/923-6142), which is staffed weekdays from 8am to 5pm. Many of the major car-rental companies offer hand-controlled cars for drivers with disabilities. Alamo (tel. 800/651-1223), Avis (tel. 800/331-1212, ext. 7305), and Budget (tel. 800/314-3932) have special hot lines that help provide such a vehicle at any of its U.S. locations with 48 hours' advance notice; Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131) requires between 24 and 72 hours' advance notice at most locations.

Many travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours and cruises that emphasize sports, as well as private tours in minivans with lifts. Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.accessiblejourneys.com) caters specifically to slow walkers and wheelchair travelers and their families and friends.

Organizations that offer assistance to travelers with disabilities include MossRehab (www.mossresourcenet.org), which provides a library of accessible-travel resources online; SATH (Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality) (tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org; annual membership fees: $45 adults, $30 seniors and students), which offers a wealth of travel resources for all types of disabilities and informed recommendations on destinations, access guides, travel agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals, and companion services; and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB; tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org), a referral resource for the blind or visually impaired that includes information on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs.

For more information specifically targeted to travelers with disabilities, the community website iCan (www.icanonline.net/channels/travel/index.cfm) has destination guides and several regular columns on accessible travel. Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons ($14.95 per year, $19.95 outside the U.S.; www.emerginghorizons.com); and Open World magazine, published by SATH (see above; subscription $13 per year, $21 outside the U.S.).