Bring the Bathroom out of the Closet
October 13, 2010
Most of our posts are inspirational, talking about the unique charm of destinations we’ve visited, the beauty of nature, or anything else that strikes our fancy. We try to get to the nitty-gritty, but we’ve never spoken about one of our most basic concerns: in our travels, are there bathrooms available that serve our needs? We found a website, www.findfamilyrestrooms.com that addresses is this issue.
Georgette Collins, who created the website with her husband, wrote: “I was born with Cerebral Palsy and as a result, I require assistance from my husband with almost all aspects of daily living. This puts a definite hindrance on travel, especially having to find a family or single-stall restroom that he can assist me in.
“We initially created our website when we grew tired of having to basically map out routes of family restrooms before attempting to go anywhere. The goal of www.findfamilyrestrooms.com is to help anyone who feels that they can benefit from the convenience that a family restroom can offer. We wanted to take at least some of the guesswork out of traveling by placing the locations of these restrooms in one convenient location. Some of the categories that information is grouped into include retail, entertainment, airports, etc.
“We truly hope that our website helps people avoid the many “bumps in the road’ that occur when traveling. New information is always welcome, so it anyone knows of thel ocatin of a family restroom, please feel free to add it to our website.”
Personally, I think this is a wonderful idea. None of us want to worry or spend time looking for a bathroom, yet for many of us, this is a real concern. While we may not want to discuss it openly, it affects many of us. So, I say, “Bring the bathroom out of the closet – use this website and add to it in order to make your travels that much easier.”
Autumn: A great time to visit a National Park
October 4, 2010
Have you visited one of the USA’s superb National Parks lately? Fall is a fabulous time to take in some National Park splendor—the summer crowds have thinned considerably, but the snow and cold haven’t blown in yet. All national parks meet ADA standards, which means you’ll be able to access at least some of the trails, vista points, campsites, museums, visitors centers, and restrooms in each park. What’s accessible and what’s not varies widely from park to park—check your destination parks in advance, then chat with the rangers in the visitors centers to get the best info on what you can see and do with your specific limitations.
For frequent visitors and visitors with disabilities, the National Park Service offers some fabulous passes. Currently, they’re all under the name America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Land Pass.
If your disability is permanent, bring your documentation to any national park to get yourself an Access Pass—for free, good for your lifetime. Documentation can be a doctor’s letter, SSDI or SSI income proof, or a document from a state vocational rehab program. The pass gets you and up to three companions in one car into any national park in the system. Camp sites and hotel rooms still cost extra.
The Senior Pass, available to any US citizen or permanent resident over the age of 62, grants lifetime access to any National Park (plus several other types of recreational land, plus interesting discounts) for the fantastic one-time cost of $10.
And finally, for everybody else—the Annual Pass costs $80 per year and permits access to all Parks and most federal recreation land. If you’re planning to visit more than three National Parks in a single year, the Pass pays for itself.
by Liz Hamill Scott, www.travelswithpain.com, a recommended website.
