Traveling with disabilities in Canada why no place outside of Ontario
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40192)
Canada
January 14, 2009 9:50am CST
I was looking into tours for those with disabilities and it seems that only travel agency that specializes is one in Ontario. Now what about people like my husband who had a stroke and needs a walker? I do not just want his travel be limited to going on the Handi-Transit around the city. I am sure that he would not mind going to Prince Edward Island or to Vancouver again. We have relatives there. So what abut people who had strokes and need walkers or wheelchairs who live elsewhere then in Ontario? When we go shopping, we see all these depressed faces belonging to people who are now unable to leave their city or take advantage of going to see new faces even if it is out of the province.
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4 responses
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
18 Jan 09
that is why you need someone other then just two people who do that. We do have handitransit and it does work, except that sometimes things go wrong. It would be nice instead of having it come from one place, that there be one based in each area. But when our city was joined from several smaller cities, they also got rid of the handi transits in the other areas, so now they just come from one area.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
15 Jan 09
Yes if I only had the money. But we have to pick up the people at their own homes because they cannot walk down to the bus stop, and we have to make sure that their homes all get ramps so we can take them out to the van. So it is more then just a bus line.
@suzzy3 (8341)
•
14 Jan 09
What a pity for you and your husband and your self.Where we are in England we have disabled taxis, the bus doors sink to the floor so anyone who has trouble with walking or pushchairs can get on really easy and have special seats allocated down the front of the bus for them to sit.If you travel by train you can ring ahead and see if someone could be there to help you over the bridge ect most of our train stations in the country are victorian with stone steps and very awkward to get on.The modern stations have ramps and the shops have wheelchairs you can borrow if you go the shopping centres.They have a thing called mobility which lets you hire one of those disabled bikes.I think it is such a shame you cannot get out after all a few trips out a month would help someone recover quicker than being left behind must be so depressing.Most town centres have these facilities and all the shops have to have lifts by law now and ramps,sometimes on the older shops they are not able to have disabled facilities but by law unless you are not to heavy help you into the shops.Over the last ten years or so every local town have to have a disabled toilet and if you apply you can have a key to enter these toilets and so you don;t have to queue or use the normal toilets .
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Jan 09
The only way we can get to the airport if we want to travel is on the Bunny Bus. Or we could get one of our sons to drive us. Sure the buses have lower steps, but it does no good when your husband has a walker. It is all right for people who have canes or are on wheelchairs, but my husband has to watch his balance as well. He has no sense of balance because that is the part of his brain the stroke wrecked and he has arthritis to boot. I know the airport in Vancouver is handicapped accessible, but not to sure about the one here in Winnipeg. But we do have larger stalls for the disabled. It is getting better but it is not perfect yet.
But there should be a travel agency for the disabled. There are a lot of people here in Winnipeg who had strokes and I am sure not all of them want to stay here in the city waiting for God.
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@suzzy3 (8341)
•
14 Jan 09
My Mother in law used to ask the travel agent who is disabled friendly,she used to be picked up by a bus and they all had walkers and frames,the staff on the bus were lovely she and my father in law were able to enjoy many lovely holidays ,they even stayed at Hotels all on one level with lifts.I am sure it was the Warner group who staged the holidays she had to pay a premium for the extra care but without it they would never have had the wonderful times before he passed away.There is another thing you could do,is there anywhere in Winnepeg that does these types of weekends breaks.If you enquire enough it could kick start something being done so stroke victims and their families could enjoy a break.You seem a bit depressed but take heart there will be a way around these things.Winniepeg might not be your idea of heaven at the moment but maybe it could be enough for the time being until your husband is a bit better.My mother in law pays my sister in laws fare and she goes with her to help her up the steps push the chair ect and she is eighty six and has very poor mobility.I hope you sort something out.Or of course to give you a break you could go with a friend so you can have a break.Get someone to look after your husband,I am just concerned for you looking after someone all the time is very tiring please don't shoot me for suggesting this option for you to have a break,best wishs.xxx
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@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
27 Jan 09
Hi suspenseful
Your discussion makes me aware that each public place should be
accessible to people using a wheelchair.
In Malta there was a recent law that each government building, school
and public places should have a ramp and be accessible to people with special needs using a wheelchair.
Even school buildings have been adjusted to accomodate
students with special needs.
(c) ronaldinu 2009
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@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
1 Feb 09
My husband switched from getting his hair cut at his usual place to the one in Walmart because Walmart is wheelchair accessible and has a ramp.
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@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
14 Jan 09
That's a shame. Call that company and see if they have a branch near your city, they may have one under a different name-that happens often here in the States.
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@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Jan 09
I will look into it. They do have an email address onlne.
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