This July, the United States is proud to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary
of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Since being signed into law in 1990, this landmark federal legislation has
proved a remarkable success and has profoundly changed how society views and
accommodates its citizens with disabilities. The ADA has not only changed
our expectations of what accessibility is, it has redefined the rights of an
entire population.
Times have changed, attitudes have changed, the rules have changed, but we
still have a long way to go to making in making public accommodations truly
accessible to all. So, if you are planning a vacation, you had better
collect the proper information first. Candy Harringtonıs new book,
Barrier-Free Travel, is the first place to look.
When author Candy Harrington published her first book on this subject, she
³had to really pound the pavement to find things that were accessible.²
Today, however, she has ³way too many to cover² and ³gets to pick and
choose.² Pretty amazing for a span of only four years!
That doesnıt mean itıs easy to plan a vacation in a wheelchair take the
challenge of finding an accessible hotel room. Candy advises, ³You can't
just ask for an accessible hotel room; you first need to determine what
features a particular accessible room has.² She goes on to say that ³Even
the term ADA compliantı can be pretty meaningless. Access features can
vary depending on when the property was constructed, where it is located,
and how large it is. So, for example, if you need a roll-in shower, you
have to ask for an accessible room with a roll-in shower. Not all
accessible rooms have this feature, and if you don't ask for it, you won't
get it.²
There is chaos and uncertainty involved in all travel, and this will
probably never change. With the proper preparation, however, people can
enhance their own travel experiences. Candyıs one-of-a-kind resource,
Barrier-Free Travel, can help you make that dream vacation a reality.
CREDENTIALS: A writer for over 25 years, Candy Harrington is the editor of
Emerging Horizons, an accessible travel magazine. She is also a member of
the Board of Directors of Access Northern California, an organization
devoted to promoting accessible tourism through information and education.
Candy has lectured widely and specializes in educating the hospitality
industry about the needs of people with disabilities, and by providing
useful access information to the traveling public.
For media book review copy of Barrier-Free Travel or author interview please
contact:
Noreen Henson
Demos Medical Publishing, (800) 532-8663,
nhenson@demosmedpub.com#######
