Hi. I'm relatively new here but glad to see there is a disability issues forum started. My wife is partially paralyzed (OK, really really dystonic) on her right side from a brain stem injury long ago. She can walk some but outside the house usually uses a wheelchair because her balance is really bad. Because she is borderline "able" in some respects we try excursions that may or may not be doable and we find the cruise line excursion descriptions to be very poor with regard to accessibility. There have been many reports of seemingly "OK" excursions turning people away because they don't want to deal with a wheelchair. The spectrum of disabilities is so broad it is impossible for the cruise lines to anticipate them all so they either tend to ignore issues or protect themselves by portraying the excursion as very difficult.
I have a suggestion....
How about a standardized way to start threads in this area for specific excursions and provide accessibility details (good, bad, ugly)? Then others can search for an existing one and learn from it or add their own experience to it. This would keep all the details for that excursion in one place instead of many threads for the same thing over and over. It would make the info easier to find too. It would also allow trends to be observed over time.
A standard thread title format might be:
EAR: <Port/Location> - <Excursion Name>
...where Port/Location is the common name for where it is and then the excursion name or description. Many cruise lines use the same tour operators so the names tend to be pretty similar across all of them. But adding the specific cruise line in the posting would also be good. Also adding a few details of the specific disability involved would also be very helpful.
Example: EAR: Juneau - Glacier Gardens
If this idea is acceptable to the moderators or site managers perhaps this post could become a sticky for future reference?
That is an excellent idea, thank you!! We have a new administrator who will be here a lot more in June!! I will put this in Staff for him to see and we can do it when he gets here!! It is a sticky now, and people can post here with any they know of, and we can make a forum for it in time!!
Wow! That was fast. Thanks Sue. A whole sub-forum would be great too. I was just thinking of posts in the main disabled forum. But a sub-forum would really be better organizationally. I'm sort of a database geek and putting excursion reports for a particular place together seemed to make sense.
Glad to help, It is an important area for the disabled and will help with the frustrations of choosing the excursions!!! Being a computer geek is a good thing!! Maybe you can help us out!!
Sitka is a tender port. RCCL Radiance of the Seas has a wheelchair lift for their tenders from what I have been told by others that have cruised on RCCL before. I wrote the Raptor Center last night and here is their response:
Yes, wheelchairs and or scooters are accessible for a tour here at the Center.
Ange Payant
Member Services Manager
Alaska Raptor Center members.alaskaraptor@alaska.com
(907) 747-8662
http://www.alaskaraptor.org/
The Alaska Raptor Center is located on 17 acres in Sitka, Alaska. Situated on the outside of Alaska's Inside Passage, Sitka is a seaside town rich with history and beauty. Outdoor adventures abound, from mountain hiking to deep sea fishing to wildlife watching. Bald eagles, bears and whales are indigenous to the area, as are deer, otters, puffins and seals.
Like most Southeast Alaska communities, Sitka is accessible only by air and by sea. Downtown is centrally located, and the Alaska Raptor Center - along with most points of interest - is within walking distance of downtown. Many residents travel by foot or bicycle as well as by car.
Information added 3/28/2008 .... adding in just in case anyone wanted information on how far from pier, etc.
We are located about a mile away. As for safety, you will be just fine, hundreds of people will walk the same route as you, so no worries there. Sitka is a pretty safe town. It's a pretty easy walk, however, we do have a hill that leads up to the Center. It is gravel, not paved, so I'm not too sure how easy it would be for a wheelchair and or scooter. The rest of the Center, besides the hill is easily accessed with wheelchairs or scooters. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I'd be glad to help.
Ange Payant
Member Services Manager
Alaska Raptor Center members.alaskaraptor@alaska.com
(907) 747-8662
I know from personal experience that this tour is wheelchair/scooter accessible. We were able to walk into town (just a couple of blocks) to the tramway entrance. It was ramps up to the tram and they have special cover that is put over the walkway to the tram for a wheelchair/scooter to glide over. Trams are wide open spaces and they allow wheelchair/scooters on first.
Up on the Mt. it is ramps off the tram. The building is accessible both main floor (same level as tram) and lower level by elevator (there are also stairs). The outdoor areas are dirt pathways so might cause some issues in wheelchairs. Our friend in a wheelchair thoroughly enjoyed the center. She only went into the building not out on the paths.
Tickets were $25 and were usable all day. You could ride the tram as often as you wished. The view is fantastic from the top.
We were on Princess and the people going on this excursion caught the train right by the ship. They also returned right by the ship. If you book on your own, you have to go into town to catch the train at the depot. It is a good 6 block walk on sidewalk surfaces. NOTE: Skagway has many, many boardwalks in town that are above street level. It didn't make for the easiest walking as the boardwalks were extremely crowded. Our friends didn't go into town here, so I don't know if the main part of town is wheelchair accessible.
My husband and our friends booked this excursion thru the cruiseline. I had contacted the railroad office before our cruise also. The railroad told me to be sure and let the excursion desk on the ship know ASAP (once on board) that my friend would be in a wheelchair. They have special cars that are added to the train that have a lift for wheelchair and scooters. The excursion desk on the ship then is suppose to notify them of the need for the special car.
They did the excursion that was 4 hours --- ride to the top, engine is changed from from to back of train, backs of seats are reversed and you head back down the mountain. On this excursion you do not get off the train. At the top of the mountain, everyone is asked to switch sides of the car you are riding in. So if riding up you were on the left side (best views), then coming down you will sit on the right side.
The three of them really enjoyed the trip and got some great photos.
NOTE OF CAUTION for those with breathing problems: The train is diesel and therefore can have some fumes with it. I have asthma so the chance of fumes concerned me. I wrote the train company and was told that I should try to get a center car rather than trying to get a seat in the end car. At the top of the mountain the end car becomes the car behind the engine as the change the engine from the front to the back and then go back down the mountain. I had read quite a number of reviews ... some said they had problems, some said they never smelled a thing. When we boarded the ship and talked to the excursion desk, they told me there was no way they could guarantee I could be in a center car. They refunded my money for the trip. Husband and friends said they never smelled the fumes, but since I am super sensitive I have no regrets that I ddint' go.
Train goes to an elevation of 4,000 feet on this particular excursion.
The following is the response I just received regarding wheelchair accessible tenders and whether or not they also could handle a scooter.
Good Day,
Please note that it depends on the port that has a tendered stop. There are some ports where there is a ramp down into the tender that is accessible for a wheelchair or a scooter. We recommend that guests bring a manual wheelchair just in case any lifting is required. However, there are other ports where the goverment of the country operates the tender and it may not be accessible. Please note that in the event of rough seas or inclement weather, we do have the right to not allow the disabled guest to disembark for their own safety.
Kindly advise the guests' booking number so that we can provide more information regarding the tendered ports.
The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau maintains a TDD/TYY information line at 415-392-0328. To get a copy of Access San Francisco, download this PDF version. For additional information, visit the Web site of www.accessnca.com. Copies are also available at the Bureau's Visitor Information Center, 900 Market Street. The Mayor's Office on Disability also has extensive resources on its Web site as do many City and County of San Francisco agencies located at Welcome to SFGOV - Official San Francisco Website.
When using public transportation, request a copy of the Muni Access Guide from Muni Accessible Services Programs 1 South Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94115; for assistance telephone 415-701-4485 or 415-701-4730 (TTY) weekdays or 311 anytime. In addition to accessible Muni Metro service, all but 1 Muni bus line are accessible. A Paratransit Taxi service provides discount taxi service to qualified disabled persons unable to use public fixed route transportation (Muni); a certification form may be requested from the San Francisco Paratransit Broker at 415-351-7000, TTY 415-351-3942.
Golden Gate Transit, which operates bus and ferry service between San Francisco and Marin County, has published a handbook on accessible equipment and procedures, Welcome Aboard. For a copy, telephone 415-923-2000 or TTY 311.
Handicapped parking zones are clearly marked throughout The City with signage and blue curbs; disabled visitors may pay a $6 fee and present a state-of-origin permit/plaque with photo ID to obtain a temporary permit from DMV at 1377 Fell Street. There is a special line/window to assist individuals with disabilities.
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We have a new administrator who will be here a lot more in June!! I will put this in Staff for him to see and we can do it when he gets here!!
It is a sticky now, and people can post here with any they know of, and we can make a forum for it in time!!
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