Headed to Jamaica!
The Blind Travels crew is headed to Couples Tower Isle in Jamaica tonight. You can follow the fun and adventure on my twitter feed @nedskee When I return, expect a full accessibility accounting for American Airlines, and of course a Resort Review of Couples Tower Isle. If you would like to see my review of Couples Sans Souchi, you can click here.
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/nedskee
Accessibility in Yellowstone National Park
Ever wonder how our oldest national park stands up in terms of accessibility for blind and visually impaired guests? Wonder no more – see my full review after spending two weeks wandering all over the park here
Finding your suitcase
I recently bought a new Samsonite hard-sided suitcase for an upcoming trip. The suitcase was for sale at a local big box store as a two piece set, but it broke my cardinal rule about never buying a black suitcase. Being visually impaired, I am adamantly opposed to black suitcases because there are so many of them, and they are incredibly difficult to tell apart as they come down the conveyor belt in the baggage claim area. I liked the weight, and the way the bag rolled, so I decided to purchase it and challenge myself to make the bag easily discernible from other similar bags without making it gaudy. If you have read my articles on suitcase identification, you know that my go-to is bright tape on the sides and ribbons or other adornments on the handle to really make my bag stand out in the crowd.
The local Michael’s craft store had plenty of options for colored tape, including fun ones with logos of comic book characters and such. Just look in the children’s craft department. I settled on this fluorescent green Duck tape – there were yellow and orange colors which would have been equally appropriate for my project, but I thought the green would stand out against (and compliment) the black suitcase. I didn’t have a coupon, but the very nice cashier offered hers which brought the total price to $3.65. The toughest part of the project was figuring out how to cut the tape in somewhat equal size strips so my suitcase didn’t turn out looking like it was decorated in a kindergarten class.
My wife loves to scrapbook, so I borrowed her rotary cutter. This was also a good option as it reduced the possibility of stabbing myself with scissors or a knife. After taking the tape off the roll I followed the guides when sticking it to the cutter, and easily slid the blade to make the tape pieces smooth and even. This method made cutting a breeze.
I alternated the lengths of tape strips in the grooves on the front and back of the suitcase, and even used the tape to put my initial on the top and bottom of the bag. I did this in case the bag comes out the luggage chute at an awkward angle. I wanted the bag to look cool, but not trashy – I’m interested to hear what you think about my final product, and if you would consider this idea for your suitcase. A photo of the final product is below, let me know via twitter if you have any ideas for making bags easier to spot.
I love to hear from my readers! you can follow me on Twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee Don’t let your vision hold you back, book a trip somewhere you haven’t been and make an adventure of it.
Research is the key to success
When traveling to a new location, be sure to take plenty of time to research your destination thoroughly. Familiarize yourself with the area, getting to not only know the streets in the area, but large and common landmarks in the vicinity. I can’t count the number of time I have asked for assistance but the person I was asking didn’t know the street names nearby, but were intimately familiar with larger landmarks and monuments around the area. Knowing the locations of the landmarks can save you a ton of frustration when you are turned around and looking to get back on track. Steer away from navigating my Starbucks, and fast food – there are a ton of them, and someone giving you directions can easily not be aware of the location of a specific food or coffee place. On the topic of asking people for directions, I always suggest asking a second person the same directions to make totally sure you are headed in the direction you think you are. This can be done politely well after you ask the first person so there are no “you don’t trust me” kind of situations.
Phone apps like BlindSquare (40 dollars in the app store) are incredibly useful tools, and make our lives easier, but always research so you have the knowledge of your area as a backup. My biggest fear in relying on a app for navigation is that there would be a signal interruption and I would be stuck. Go with the boy scout mantra and always be prepared. I personally enjoy researching my destination, not only for the locationally aware knowledge I gain, but I also love to learn about the history of the area. No amount of technology will replace good orientation and mobility skills.
Speaking of navigating around a place you haven’t been, schedule a trip – it doesn’t have to be across the country, it can be across town to an area you haven’t visited. Challenge yourself and don’t let your lack of vision hold you back – I don’t.
I love to hear from my readers! drop me an email and tell me about your adventures! You can follow my travels on Twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee
Carry your cane!
If you are visually impaired, have some vision, and have but don’t usually carry your white cane when traveling, might I take a moment to give some reasons to consider bringing it on your next adventure…
Communication is important when traveling. Asking for help can be light years easier if you are carrying a white cane and the person you are seeking assistance from can immediately see that you have low vision. In my experience, the cane can derail many snide or condescending comments that busy people can make. It generally reduces the number of pointing to a specific location and them saying “its over there”, which we all know doesn’t help the visually impaired. Best of all, if you have the cane and look lost, often times people will come up to you and offer to assist you. Embrace the cane – I didn’t for a long time, and just spent my traveling time frustrated. I use it every time I travel and could not be happier with the results.
As it is intended, the cane can be invaluable in getting around in a new location, streets are not always even, especially in smaller or older European towns. Cobblestones can be a killer, and are very easy to trip on. Stairs are not always clearly marked, and if you are like me – I need the bright markings on the edges of the steps to safely navigate them if I don’t have my cane. This is especially true if the stairs you are traversing are not of uniform size or height, which is common in older towns and parishes as well. You never know what might happen when traveling, consider packing an additional cane or at least an additional cane tip when traveling.
Sure, dragging a cane around can be inconvenient, but the positive benefits outweigh the potential for a trip to the local urgent care. Believe me, I have been there and done that and learned my lesson. What are you waiting for? book a trip somewhere you haven’t been before. Make it an adventure, and don’t let your lack of vision hold you back – I don’t.
Thanks for visiting my blog! you can follow my adventures on Twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee Drop me a message, I hope the tips here have helped, and I would love to hear about your adventure!
Tips for getting to the gate at the airport
If you have some vision, like I do – make sure to bring a magnifying implement so you can read your boarding pass. I always travel with a hand-held magnifier, but I have also used and love the Mag Glass app for my iPhone. I am not as familiar with the magnifying programs available for Android, but I am sure there are plenty. I do always make sure to have the hand-held magnifier with me in case I can’t use my phone or if the battery is dead.
I always have my earbuds with me as well, and I often record a voice memo on my phone so I can remember the gate. The more options you have to resolve a potential problem, the smoother things will go. As a final backup, I generally carry a sharpie with me, and write the gate number on the boarding pass so I ca easily see it after I have inevitably forgotten the number.
Remember, don’t let your lack of vision hold you back! Take a trip somewhere you have never been – make it an adventure! Drop me an email and let me know how your trip went, I love to hear from my readers!
You can follow my travels on Twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee
Housekeeping stuff…
All of the images on the site have been updated with descriptions that should now work properly with screen readers. If anyone is still having issues, please feel free to drop me an email and I will get it sorted out. I need/want this site to be as accessible as possible, so if you notice something that is missing or not working correctly in regards to accessibility please do let me know. Thank you for all of your great comments, lots more content is coming soon! This is looking to be an incredibly busy travel season between now and the end of the year so stay tuned!
Carriers who go the extra mile for ADA customers part 2
Note: I am not affiliated with Amtrak nor is this an advertisement for Amtrak. I am sharing my good experience with the company.
Earlier this week, I talked about carriers who provide additional ADA support for their customers. I have had great experiences with other carriers and their ADA support, but these last couple articles are about providers who have ADA information built into their ticketing system, making the communication part of any trip (that you are traveling with a visual impairment in my case) seamless. Today we are talking about Amtrak, have you ever decided to take the scenic route and travel by train rather than air? At the end of the day, the cost is generally about the same or in some cases cheaper. I looked at a comparable flight from Denver, where I live to Chicago’s Midway Airport. Both the flight on Southwest and Amtrak were around 100 dollars one-way, the big difference in the train is that it takes 18 hours to travel form Denver’s Union Station to Chicago. Now, full disclosure, I love to take the train when I can, I see it as part of the experience and challenge. When you fly, generally you get on and off when the plane lands, with the train you have to listen and make sure you are getting off at the right station. It can be more work, but it can be very cool in terms of the things you experience. I have found the conductors aboard incredibly helpful, and happy to confirm that your stop is coming up. In my case, Chicago is the final stop of the California Zephyr line, so taking this particular route is incredibly easy.
Lets talk about ticketing, when booking a ticket for an Amtrak ride, there are check boxes in the system alerting Amtrak staff that you are an ADA customer. They offer assistance to get you to the right train, board the train, and you can even alert them if you are traveling with a guide dog or other service animal. In the get-there-now world we all live in the train may not be the most convenient way to get to your destination, but if you give it a chance you might enjoy the leisurely trip and the interesting people you will meet along the way.
You can follow me @nedskee on Twitter and @nedskee on Instrgram. Don’t let your lack of vision hold you back from traveling someplace you have never been. Take a trip, make it an adventure!
@Amtrak #Amtrak #blind #travelinfluencer #travel Amtrak and the Amtrak logo are owned by Amtrak
Tip on plane reservations
Note: this is not an advertisement for Southwest, nor am I affiliated in any way with them. I have had good experiences with Southwest Airlines and I wish to share them.
Traveling when partially sighted can be challenging at times – finding the right gate, getting checked in and retrieving your baggage when you land can be all anxiety-inducing prospects. This tip focuses on getting you checked in and to the proper gate with as little hassle as possible. Whenever possible, I try to fly with providers that are proactive about meeting the needs to their disabled customers. Southwest Airlines is an excellent example of a company who goes the extra mile when dealing with their passengers who need extra help. When booking your flight, there are buttons you can check if you are an ADA customer. The menu will walk you through determining your disability, and what services Southwest can offer. In my case, with low vision, there are options to assist me getting to the gate, getting through check-in and (I don’t have one but if I did…) alerting the crew that I will be bringing a guide dog aboard with me. Communication is key in a successful trip when visually impaired, letting the staff know of your inability to see will undoubtedly make your trip smoother.
This is not to say that Southwest is the only airline who provide additional services for their ADA customers. I have had excellent results traveling on other providers such as American, Delta and United as well, but because their ticketing system doesn’t presently include adding ADA information, an additional step is required to ask for assistance. Not a big deal. In the event that their other carriers update their ticketing system to provide for ADA information I will update this post.
You can follow me @nedskee on Twitter and @nedskee on Instagram. Don’t let your lack of vision hold you back from doing new and exciting things! Take a trip, make it someplace you haven’t been before, and have an adventure.
Blind and visually impaired Baggage Tip
Travel Tip for the day:
Getting to the airport is generally easy – whether Uber, Taxi or getting dropped off by a friend, and I find that if I ask for assistance getting to the gate, and to baggage claim after I land, a huge amount of stress is removed. However, one aspect of travel triggers my anxiety more than any other and that is waiting for my bag to come off the carrousel. Being visually impaired, I usually place a large strip of yellow tape on the front and back of my bag (make sure to do both sides because you never know how it will come out of the chute!), so it can be easily identified when it comes down the belt, but the problem is those darn fully sighted people are also employing our secret! They put tape and ribbons on their bags too. To ensure that I get MY bag, I employ the over-the-top identification method. First off, I buy a bag that is not black – mine is green and hard-sided, so right off the bat, I have an advantage when identifying my bag from all the others coming off the belt. Besides the yellow tape, I also tie a contrasting color ribbon on the handle of my bag, so I just need to remember my colors and I am all set. In my case, I have a green suitcase and a red ribbon – easy. This method works well for me because I can see color very well, your individual situation may vary. If you can’t see color, consider something that will stand out more – perhaps a sticker from your favorite sports team or band. Anything that sets your bag apart will help.
That’s it for today’s tip. You can follow me on Twitter @nedskee or Instagram @nedskee I post often about my travel adventures. Don’t let your lack of sight hold you back, get out there and travel someplace you have never been, make it an adventure!