Accessibility Issues

As we travel around visiting different places in this country we notice more and more people who are challenged by some type of accessibility issue. We are , of course, more aware of this because my wife has this problem. Her knees are bad and a replacement would not solve her problem so she is very limited on how far she can walk. About 18 months ago we bought a mobility scooter, that is now our traveling companion, that has freed her to go most places. There are, however, still places that cannot be accessed. Many by no fault of their own.

Case in point, we recently spent time in Williamsburg VA. Many of the historic homes cannot be accessed because they were built 250 years ago and have stairs to enter the home and very narrow hallways and doors. I do need to give Colonial Williamsburg credit for everything they have done to help with that issue. In some of the larger buildings, including the Capitol, they have installed lifts allowing access to at least the first floor. They also offer a discounted ticket to folks they know will not be able to access all their buildings. And we found the people who work there were all very willing to go out of their way to help by opening back doors that may have been more accessible and offering other help where they could. Again high praise to them. Just recently we found that Luray Caverns in VA is now completely accessible. Who would think that you could use a scooter to tour a cave? They opened a new entrance this spring allowing this to happen. We plan on a visit there this fall. 

On a recent visit to Virginia Beach we found that the Back Bay nature preserve had 2 hiking trails that were completely accessible as well. The trails were gravel covered and boardwalks traversed any wet area. Another great place to spend a morning exploring.

So we are now planning our trip for next year. We are going to be heading west to visit many of the National Parks. Along the way we are planning our stops based on places we find that will have access for us.

Our question for you is simple. Do you or someone you love have this issue? Leave a comment here about that issue and how you have been able to travel with it.