Scandic Hotels introduces Mobility Scooters to Borrow

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Image courtesy of Scandic hotels

Scandic Hotels have led the world in their approach and commitment to accessibility and Accessible Tourism.

In their latest initiative, Scandic have introduced mobility scooters for outdoor use to make the local area more accessible for their guests with a disability when staying at their hotels.

The scooters are available from reception and Scandic staff will show you how to use them.

The scooters are available currently from the following hotels in Sweden:

  • Scandic Anglais
  • Scandic Continental
  • Downtown Camper by Scandic
  • Scandic Victoria Tower
  • Scandic Talk
  • Scandic Klara
  • Scandic Frimurarehotellet
  • Scandic Elmia
  • Scandic Opalen
  • Scandic Crown
  • Scandic Triangeln
  • Scandic Visby
  • Scandic Winn
  • Scandic Plaza Umeå
Melbourne Cable Park

Australian Tourism Data Warehouse Enhances Accessibility Criteria

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Image: Melbourne Cable Park Accessible Wakeboarding. Photograher Bill Forrester.

The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) is Australia’s national platform for digital tourism information on Australia. Incorporated in 2001, it is jointly owned and managed by all Australian state/territory government tourism bodies.

The ATDW collects information via its partners then stores and distributes this information.  Data includes product and destination information from all Australian States and Territories, with more than 40,000 listings. This content is compiled in a nationally agreed format and is electronically accessible by tourism business owners (operators), wholesalers, retailers and distributors for use in their websites and booking systems.

.ATDW is collaborating with Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and DNSW to enable Australian tourist destinations, products and services to accurately highlight their accessible facilities to the Inclusive Tourism market.
It will soon become a mandatory component for all operators registered with the ATDW to respond to the additional accessibility questions in the revised data set .

Becoming a feature of the ATDW database in the near future, the new accessibility data will encourage operators to become more aware of the inclusive tourism market and will provide additional info for online distributors to share across their consumer facing websites.

The system will also have the provision to link a detailed Accessibility Guide to the ATDW listing.

The new criteria should be available by the middle of this year now now is the time to start thinking about your accessibility and creating your Accessibility Guide to take full advantage of your ATDW listing.

What is an Accessibility Guide?

An Accessibility Guide is produced by tourism operators to provide potential visitors with important accessibility information about a venue, property or service. The guide enables individuals with accessibility requirements, their family and friends to make informed decisions as to where to stay and visit in view of their requirements. This includes not just wheelchair users but people with hearing loss, visual or mental impairment, older people, families with young children and more.

Why should you produce one?

  • It can help you to appraise your venue’s accessibility
  • It provides essential information for people with accessibility requirements.
  • It’s a marketing opportunity to broaden the appeal of your business.
  • Unless accessibility information is clearly available, visitors may choose to go elsewhere.

How to write an Accessibility Guide

It is important, in wring an accessibility guide to avoid statements such as “we are fully accessible” or “meet accessibility standards”

Every disability is different so it is important to give as much information as possible to allow potential clients to decide for themselves whether your establishment is suitable for their needs. Details should address where the parking is, whether the entry is level, details on door widths, method of opening and paths to reception, rooms, cafes, gardens and other facilities. The information should be accompanied by good quality images shot without people to show the full details. If your camera or phone is equipped with a high dynamic range facility (HDR) switch it on as it will help to bring out the detail in the shadows.

We have detailed measurement and photographic guides that will help you put together the detailed information that should appear in an Accessibility Guide.

Finally the most important thing to remember is that an Accessibility Guide is your marketing tool to the large and growing Accessible Tourism market. It should have the same look and feel and writing style as the rest of your website.

It is not an audit checklist!!!

New Accessibility Questions


Offer multiple options for booking – web, email, phone

Offer a range of contact methods for receiving complaints

Accept the Companion Card

Employ people with disability

Train your staff in disability awareness

Have accessibility information and photos, including of a bathroom, room and/or floor plan on your website (can be emailed on request)

Ask all visitors if there are any specific needs to be met

Website meets WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards

Advise tour guides of the access needs of guests at the time of booking (includes pick up and drop off requirements)

Provide assistance with booking arrangements (includes providing clear  itineraries with written instructions  on what to do at various destinations)

Train your staff in communicating with people with learning or behavioural challenges

Use Plain English / easy read signage and information (includes menus and emergency information)

A quiet space is available at the venue/ facility

Have  Braille and tactile signage on all information and paths of travel

Provide information in large print

Provide information in audio format (includes an audio described map of your venue, audio descriptions of performances and/ or displays)

Provide digital communication materials (hard copy information is also available on line)

Use easy read fonts in your signage and communication materials (Helvetica and Arial)

Train your staff  in customer service for people with vision loss (training would incorporate way finding and communicating with people with vision loss)

Have an appropriate area for toileting an assistance dog

Have audio enabled lifts

Have raised tactile buttons in your lifts

Have handrails on all your stairways

Have Exit signs which are visible at a ground level (high level signs are difficult to see in a fire)

Have a hearing loop

Train your staff in communicating with people who are deaf or have hearing loss

Staff are trained in Auslan

Have telephones which are compatible with hearing aids

Caption all entertainment (TVs, live shows, performances)

Have TVs with captioning option

Have volume controlled phones

Have visual alerts for emergencies (Include flashing light)

Have transmitter receivers for hearing aids on tours

Have a low noise reception areas with hearing loss friendly acoustics and adequate lighting for viewing facial expressions (includes common areas which are free of background noise, background music)

Use floors/ coverings which are slip resistant, firm and smooth

Use non-slip tiles in the bathroom or slip resistant matting

Have grab rails in the bathroom

Provide seating in common areas including reception area

Have step free outdoor pathways (includes picnic areas, barbecues and shelters)

Have a doorbell or intercom at an accessible height and display a contact number (accessible height is 900mm-1100 mm)

Have a step free main entrance to the building and/or reception area (includes ramps or slopes with a maximum gradient of 1:14, otherwise are too steep for wheelchairs)

Have step free access to restaurant, lounge and bar

Have step free access to the conference or function room

Have accessible seating areas in theatrette

Have lifts with enough space for people using a mobility aid to enter and turn around to use the lift buttons. Buttons are at accessible height.

Have doorways which are easy to open and have lever handles (doorways 850mm or wider when open and not heavy)

Have an accessible public toilet which is unlocked

Have a wheelchair accessible toilet / shower and change room

Provide wheelchair access to spa/gym

Have wheelchair accessible picnic tables (picnic tables require 720mm knee clearance and 800mm maximum height)

Have wheelchair access to amusements and activities including boats and bush trails (includes tour rides, skyways, trolley cars, flying fox, amusement rides and boating)

Have a wheelchair/scooter charging station (power point) in an accessible location

Provide beach matting and beach wheelchairs for people to access the water

Provide portable hoist

Provide portable commode chairs

Provide portable ramps

Have at least one wheelchair accessible parking space with wheelchair accessible signage clearly displayed (International standards are 3200mm wide x 2500 mm high)

Provide valet parking

Have wheelchair accessible transport options available in the general vicinity (provide information on name of the operator, phone and website link to individual providers for private vehicles, community transport train, mini vans, hire cars, buses, taxis, ferry, tram, light rail etc in your access statement)

Provide a choice of wheelchair accessible accommodation rooms (Guest may wish to know if you have a choice of wheelchair accessible rooms, such as  single room / studio apartment / apartment / cottage / quality / views, etc. Wheelchairs require a 1600mm x 2200mm width area to turn around and require step free access.)

Have step free access to room  (Entrance to the room wheelchair accessible with step free greater than 5mm or has a doorway threshold ramp not exceeding 1:8 for 450mm length)

Have a lever handle on the door (easier to use)

Have enough space for a wheelchair to move around three sides of a double king sized bed (A pathway of 1200mm minimum width is required for wheelchair access)

Provide a bed with adjustable height

Have a kitchen area and desk which is accessible for a person at seated height or is height adjustable

Have a wheelchair accessible bathroom (Entrance to bathroom must have step free greater than 5mm or a doorway threshold ramp not exceeding 1:8 for 450mm. Bathrooms dimensions must be no less than 2000mm X 2500mm. Have a hobless (step free) shower recess. Shower recess must have at least 1100 x 1100mm clear area for wheelchair access (no door). Have a slip resistant fold down seat or fixed seat in shower .Seat must be at least 900mm long.)

Have a lever handle on bathroom door

Have a shower curtain (no door)

Have grabrails in shower recess (can be removable and height adjustable)

Have a handheld shower hose (should be at least 1500mm long)

Allow space around toilet for a wheelchair (A space of at least 900mm width beside the toilet pan and 1200mm clearance in front of the toilet pan is required)

Provide grabrails provided adjacent to the toilet

Have a bathroom which is fully accessible and equipped with ceiling hoist and adult change table

Have twin beds available on request

Have rooms which are interconnecting

Have a Changing Places or Lift & Change toilet with a hoist and adult change table

Provide room for hoist under the bed (minimum 100mm required to store a hoist)

Train staff to use a DeafBlind Communicator (a portable device consisting of a DB-Phone and DB-Braille with QWERTY or Perkins keyboard)

Have options available for easier communication for people with dual sensory loss (Includes adapted telephones, adapted mobile telephones and Telephone Typewriters (TTY’s).  For some people the fax machine is useful for sending messages in large print)

Have a place to store medical equipment (eg oxygen)

Modify your cooking and cleaning practices to cater for people with food allergies or chemical intolerances (could include menus with meals free from: nuts, dairy, seafood, eggs, gluten etc)

Train your staff to respond to allergic reactions

Adhere to The Food Authority requirements for allergy management in food preparation

Have equipment to respond to anaphylactic shock such as epi–pens and defibrillator

Provide toiletries which are chemical and fragrance free (if requested)

Provide linen that is chemical and fragrance free (if requested)

Use organic (chemical and fragrance free) cleaning products

Use organic (chemical and fragrance free) deodorisers in public areas and rooms

Provide the URL link to your access and inclusion statement on your website

Moonlit sanctuary

Understanding the opportunity for Australia in Accessible Tourism

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Overview

In the first piece of new research into the Australian domestic Accessible Tourism market in nearly 10 years, MyTravelResearch were commissioned to do both a qualitative and qualitative study with the aim of determining the current value of the market, the latent demand and the key barriers preventing travel for people with a disability.

The research has placed a total value of the domestic market at $8 billion, when added to the estimated inbound market for accessible tourism of $2.8 billion (not part of the research) the contribution of Accessible Tourism to the Australian Visitor Economy is $10.8 billion. That is greater than the $10.4 billion spend by Chinese tourists inbound to Australia.


Research Report Executive Summary

Introduction

Tourism Research Australia, in partnership with Tourism, Events and Visitor Economy branch of the Victorian Government, and Tourism and Events Queensland, commissioned a study into accessible tourism in Victoria, Queensland and Australia. The research was conducted between April and August 2017. This document is a summary of the research undertaken by MyTravelResearch.com. If you require more detail on the methodology and sources used, please contact tourism.research@tra.gov.au for the full research report.

With an estimated 20% of Australian adults having a disability or long-term health condition, and an ageing population, the disability sector is set to grow. By 2050, it is estimated that nearly one-quarter of the population will be aged 65 or over. In 2015, five million people had long-term health conditions in Australia and this is also predicted to grow. Although the Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers suggests that people over 54 are healthier than previous generational cohorts, the overall growth in the ageing population in both volume and longer life expectancy is expected to lead to greater numbers of travellers who may need extra assistance.

This report provides an understanding of the current situation and potential of Australia’s domestic tourism market for accessible travel, including the:

  • current size and future potential of the market for accessible tourism, especially for Victoria and Queensland
  • drivers of, and barriers to, accessible tourism
  • needs of travellers with a disability and those who travel with them
  • experience delivered – including during the planning phase – both as a measure of satisfaction, and to identify new areas for experience and product development or supporting infrastructure
  • most effective communication channels to reach this audience including the role of advocacy in travel for this segment
  • best ways to support businesses to become (more) accessible
  • opportunities to grow the market.

Wilsons Prom


The study used the following definition for ‘disability’:

An on-going condition, requiring special care, that substantially inhibits a person’s ability to participate effectively in activities, or perform tasks or actions unless they have aids or support.

This would include a condition which is permanent but may vary in intensity (e.g. multiple sclerosis) or a long-term temporary disability (lasting more than 6 months).

A person with a disability might face special needs when travelling, in accommodation, and in using other tourism services.

Value and size of the sector 

There is a sizeable, growing and diverse range of travellers with accessible needs. For simplicity in this report they are referred to as a sector. For simplicity, in this report they are referred to as a sector. Eighty-four per cent of travellers with a disability or their carers have taken an overnight trip as defined in Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey (NVS), that is, an overnight trip least 40 kilometres from home. Around one-quarter have also taken overnight trips closer to home. Approximately three-quarters of those with a disability travel, with more people stating they would like to if the products or technologies existed to enable/support their travel. The following estimates are based on the domestic market only, therefore do not include estimates of international travellers and spend.

Australia

An estimate of the size of the current accessible tourism sector for overnight and/or day trip travel is around 1.3 million individuals, or 7% of the total Australian adult population. However, as many people with a disability travel with others, especially when they need to travel with a carer, a multiplier of 2.45 (overnight) or 2.62 (day trips) needs to be applied. By this measure, 14% of the Australian population (an estimated 3.4 million people) has need of accessible tourism experiences and services for an overnight and/or day trip.

An estimate of annual expenditure by tourists with a disability (both overnight and day) based on NVS data would be around $3.2 billion annually (of which $2.7 billion is overnight spend and $546 million is day trip spend). Again, the multiplier of those travelling with a person with a disability means the true value of the sector could be as high as $8.0 billion.

Victoria 

Travellers with a disability who had taken at least one domestic trip (overnight and/or day trip) represented 7% (349,000) of the Victorian adult population.

When considering the average travel party size was 2.24 for a Victorian resident with a disability (including adults caring for a child with a disability), this represented 12% (784,000) of Victoria’s total population.

Estimated spend for travellers with a disability was $680.1 million (approximately 4% of total domestic spend in Victoria), of which 80% was overnight spend.

Estimated spend for the travel party (including the person with a disability) was $1.7 billion (approximately 10% of total domestic spend in Victoria), of which 79% was overnight spend.

Queensland

Travellers with a disability who had taken at least one domestic trip (overnight and/or day trip) represented 8% (289,000) of the Queensland adult population.

When considering an average travel party size was 2.28 for a Queensland resident with a disability (including adults caring for a child with a disability), this represented 13% (657,000) of Queensland’s total population.

Estimated spend for travellers with a disability was $781.0 million (approximately 4% of total domestic spend in Queensland), of which 84% was overnight spend.

Estimated spend for the travel party (including the person with a disability) was $1.9 billion (approximately 10% of total domestic spend in Queensland), 84% of which was overnight spend.

There are a number of Australians with a disability (including adults caring for a child with a disability) who are not currently travelling, but who would likely travel with certain industry improvements (in accommodation, transport, current technologies). The potential of this sector is approximately $735 million (an additional 1% in spend). When travel party is factored in, this comes to $1.8 billion, or an additional 2% in spend for the travel party (including the person with a disability).

Although people with a disability generally have lower incomes than the average for the population as a whole, not all need to be considered as low income. More than one-quarter of those who identified as having a disability were in the top two income categories (disposable income above $900 per week).

Sydney Australia


Inbound

The research looking at Australian domestic tourism only. Early work by Simon Darcy looked at both domestic and inbound and if the same parameters are applied to current NVS data the current estimate for inbound accessible tourism is $2.8 billion.

If domestic and inbound are added together the total accessible tourism market for Australia is 10.8 billion, which is larger than the Chinese inbound market for the same period ($10.4 billion)


Understanding the accessible tourism market 

The research highlighted that the profile of travellers with a disability is diverse:

Many people with a disability may face multiple challenges with a high overlap between mental, cognitive and physical conditions. For example, 24% of people with a mobility issue requiring a wheelchair or scooter also had difficulty with memory, learning or understanding, while 13% had difficulty hearing.

Conditions range from requiring very high levels of support to ‘hidden disabilities’ that require support in less obvious ways.

Mobility issues were the most common type of disability identified in this study, with 55% reporting difficulty with mobility in some way.


There is substantial opportunity to better utilise existing assets to meet the needs of those with mobility issues (e.g. hotel rooms could have more categories beyond the standard ’fully accessible’). Within this diverse sector, there are also many opportunities to meet the needs of specific groups. For example, Wi-Fi is vital to those travelling with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to an even greater extent than for most travellers, as interacting with phones and tablets is an important tool to help manage a changing in environment, using entertainment.

Short (single night trips or day trips) and/or local trips (within 40 kilometres of home) are major growth opportunities, potentially because it’s easier to get there, less planning is required, and/or more is known about the area (and therefore less information searching is needed). This could also be an opportunity for those who find travel ‘so stressful it’s not worth it’ or ‘just too hard’ (23% and 22% respectively).

  • Intrastate travel forms a significant part of the accessible tourism market and provides a cost effective local option that might be easier to navigate, given the level of organisation that some disabilities require prior to a trip.
  • Day trips to iconic locations close to home would be particularly engaging for those with very high support needs.
  • In common with Australians in the general population, most travel by people with disabilities and their carers is for leisure (travel for holiday, and to visit friends and relatives (VFR) combined), with holiday being the largest motivator. However, VFR is also important and VFR hosts are a key conduit for information about what to do in the destination.
  • Importantly, respondents noted that knowing the layout of the VFR accommodation helped with planning the travel, and resulted in a less stressful trip. This highlights that accommodation providers could be offering more information on their website that shows layout and helps the traveller determine if this is suitable for them and/or the best accommodation options for their needs.


Travellers with a disability share many characteristics with the broader traveller population:

  • Many of the key tools they used in the travel decision-making were the same. Internet search was the number one tool used by travellers with and without a disability when purchasing travel services, with word-of-mouth second. Building trust and reputation in this sector could use the same approaches, if not exactly the same content, as any other sector.
  • Reconnection and unwinding are core needs for all Australian travellers, and this was just as true for travellers with a disability. Approximately 40% of travellers with a disability sought to meet those needs through either more active, or more emotionally and/or intellectually stimulating experiences.
  • Although travellers with a disability did slightly fewer activities, many of the experiences they participated in matched those of the broader traveller population: eating out, visits to the beach, and nature and cultural experiences.
  • Overall, they tended to stay in the same types of accommodation and visit the same destinations as the broader population.


Specific needs of the market

Despite the similarities to the general population, there were some important differences and specific needs. Travellers with disabilities had a strong tendency to manage the stresses and uncertainties of travel by returning to destinations they knew well. Consequently, they appeared to have a higher incidence of repeat visitation and were loyal customers.

Information

Travellers with a disability need more support in planning their experiences if they are to travel as much as they wish to, and for it to be an enjoyable experience, rather than a stressful one. Overall, more detail in the information that is currently provided was the highest priority for travellers with a disability, particularly for those with limited mobility. While this primarily related to digital sources such as websites and review sites, it could also refer to information anywhere travellers look including in destination (e.g. on tours).

They need information that is: 

  • related to their disability
  • easy to find and absorb – this specifically relates to accessible tourism information which is often not prominently displayed an is often very complex
  • well structured
  • relatable – when choosing accommodation, attractions or experiences, including a range of images that covers a breadth of disabilities would help the potential traveller feel they were choosing an option that they can be a part of.

Specifically:

  • 18% of respondents said that they thought information provision was the number one priority to drive accessible tourism – the highest number of overall mentions
  • 41% wanted information contained on review sites like TripAdvisor that were relevant to travellers with specific needs
  • 36% said that it would be great to have accreditation that shows businesses that have made the commitment to accessible travel
  • 23% wanted specialised review sites for their needs
  • 19% would like case studies that ‘encourage’ them by showing what is possible.

In addition, priorities for improvement included: 

  • more practical information (e.g. location of toilets), with 86% rating this as important
  • more prominent information on tourism and transport websites (83% for both).

Planning

Forty per cent of respondents stated that ‘not knowing what to expect’ was a barrier to travel, highlighting the benefit of more and/or more detailed information being available for trip planning.

They need more expert advice at the planning stage if they are to convert to visitation. Disability forums, peak bodies for their disability, specialist travel agents and even National Disability Insurance Scheme co-ordinators are all used at the active planning stage.

There was a preference for personal contact to answer specific queries (although this could increasingly be handled via BOTs – computer programs designed to stimulate conversation with human users, especially over the internet). Specifically, the research highlighted a strong preference to connect with a business or destination personally, either by phone or email.

Traditional travel agents with a strong service ethic could also be important in driving conversion, particularly for older travellers and those who have lower support needs. Many clients had low expectations, so this advice could expand their interest and create demand for new products. Travellers with a disability find it hard to be inspired when they don’t know what is possible.

Service

There were still many challenges with regard to the attitudes and understanding from both tourism and hospitality staff and those of the public towards travellers with a disability. This was especially a challenge for younger travellers with a disability, and for those with ‘hidden disabilities’ who required support in less obvious ways. Conversely, quality of service by staff was a key driver for recommendation across all travel categories.

Cost was very important for many travellers with a disability, as many need to travel with a carer which makes costs higher. Assistance with these costs (including potentially via the National Disability Insurance Scheme) or via special deals for those with a carer, would assist with removing barriers to more travel.

Facilities and transport

Respondents rated some of the following priorities for improvement as important9:

Figure 4: Top 10 priorities by improvements 

Growing and enhancing the market

Building on the opportunity for accessible tourism is a multi-faceted task, categorised below by stage. All key stakeholders have a role to play in the process:

Consult – this should be the foundation of driving accessible  tourism. It should ensure that what is offered is built on a rich  understanding of what travellers with disabilities want and  need. This is a responsibility for all parties, but government and  destination management offices can take a lead, as they have  the resources and skills to undertake projects or guide others.

Inspire and educate – ensure that the industry has an  understanding of the potential of this sector and is  provided support on how to start targeting it.  Government, destinations and peak bodies should all  have a role in driving this. Further, many travellers with a  disability have low expectations of what is available, while their aspiration  for travel is high. The task here is to encourage them to explore and test  their boundaries. Peak bodies and service providers can play a strong role here, as can individual operators.

Collate – bringing the experiences together to provide a holistic offering in  some key destinations will help the traveller plan and navigate their trip.  Government, peak bodies in both the tourism and disability sectors, and  service providers can all potentially play a role to help identify new areas of  experience and product development or supporting infrastructure.  Governments can work with the sector in a number of ways, including improving accessibility standards in the industry and developing infrastructure that considers the complete user experience.

Promote – many travellers are not aware of what is on offer, therefore promoting what is available to generate demand is important. The information needs to be easy to find, well-structured and provide the opportunity to delve further for planning and to build confidence in the experience/trip. This is the responsibility of individual businesses and destinations.

Build – while not the highest priority for now, new infrastructure needs to be the subject of ongoing focus. Ensuring that any new infrastructure employs universal design principles will make widening this opportunity more cost effective in the future. This is a cross-industry responsibility.

Methodology

This research is based on a combination of desk research, qualitative and quantitative research conducted between April and August 2017, and National Visitor Survey data (quarter and year ending March 2017, from Tourism Research Australia). The qualitative research covered both key stakeholders (including service providers, disability specialists, key destinations and airports) and consumers (face-to-face and online). In order to make the research as inclusive as possible, both people with a disability and carers were included. A small proportion of the study included non-travellers with a disability to understand whether a larger potential market existed beyond current travellers. The quantitative research covered n = 1,001 travellers with a disability, and n = 405 carers of travellers with a disability.

Travability Pty Ltd, Tourism Events and Visitor Economy branch of the Victorian Government and Tourism and Events Queensland, provided expert advice on design, contacts, analysis and reporting.

Download the full report

Deborah in the Everglades

The Spirit of Inclusive Travel – a Personal Story by Deborah Davis

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I travel because I want my mind and my heart and my soul to overcome the boundaries that my body now feels. I travel in spite of the fact that it is “inconvenient” in that I am unable to walk onto the plane or to simply stand up and use the bathroom when needed, or that I have to spend innumerable hours planning and seeking out where I may be able to go in a wheelchair; what I will be able to see and where will accommodate me once I reach my chosen destination. I travel because to do so puts me in the realm of saying “HA! Look at me now!” I can do and be and see and experience this wonderful world. I CAN taste, smell, delight in the people and remarkable sights and win in the battle of my body over my spirit.

Deborah in Sweden

Deborah in Sweden

I was a dancer and I was 18 when I crashed my car in front of the Mormon Chapel on the Maryland beltway. I broke my neck and was told I will never move from the neck down again. Yet, I heard a voice as I lay alone in the night..-

”you will not be able to move your legs..but it will not be permanent and there is a purpose”

I accepted this, moved on and regained the use of my arms and hands…just like the voice said.

So I go–and I relish in the next trip–the next challenge that I WILL over come. I am not a wheelchair sports jock-never raced in my chair or played tennis or rugby or wheelchair basketball. Travel and love is how I survive. I take my love and my will with me and I look strangers in strange lands in the eye as I roll by and I am saying to myself and to everyone who sees me that WE are not pathetic, sad, miserable cripples…

WE are here and we want to share the world with you….it is up to me to show you I will come–it is up to you to show me I am welcome.

Deborah Davis