Wheelchair travel difficulties — Scope | Disability forum
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Wheelchair travel difficulties

mparry16
mparry16 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
Hello

Im just conducting some research for a project Im currently doing and wondered if some of you guys could help me.  My main question is what are your main difficulties when travelling with a wheelchair?  And what do you think could be done to help resolve these issues?

Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • swilber
    swilber Community member Posts: 26 Courageous
    I always try Community Connections or have to ring a taxi.  Both require advance booking and do not work weekends.  Some friends can help with a lift if I feel safe to transfer, availability, room inn boot and capability of indvidual (loading/unloading).  Cheap alternative and not a bus is needed and someone available weekends.
  • Antonia_Alumni
    Antonia_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 1,780 Pioneering
    edited May 2019
    Hi @mparry16 welcome to the community. I am sure our members will share their experiences with you. Good luck with your research. :)
  • mparry16
    mparry16 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thanks @swilber ! Have noted down your thoughts on the matter.  Can I ask why you don't like to use the bus? (Just guessing you don't from your message)

    Hi @Antonia_Scope.  Looking forward to reading the replies!
  • Matt_Scope
    Matt_Scope Scope Posts: 56 Pioneering
    I think the difficulties are often linked to wider issues,   Your own condition, the type of chair you have, the type of support you need (if any) and where you live are all significant factors in accessing bus and train travel, as well as the costs incurred in obtaining the best mobility equipment and / or the costs of taxi's were alternatives are unavailable.
    It varies so much too, which makes planning travel in areas that you don't know difficult to be confident about.
     
  • swilber
    swilber Community member Posts: 26 Courageous
    Matt covered the main problems
  • mparry16
    mparry16 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thanks for all your input so far! No info is too much info for me.  Im looking at all aspects so good to see other real life struggles and annoyances there! Thank you!  

    I have a few more refined questions with regards to travel:  how do you manage in airports etc with transporting your luggage etc? what are the main difficulties you face? 

    And a bit more personal: does it affect you that you can't always move your bags yourself?

    Thanks
  • Kate_Scope
    Kate_Scope Scope Posts: 74 Pioneering
    Airport travel is usually really good in all honesty, they have special assistance and they help with all aspects of travel throughout the airport. 

    My daughter is a full-time wheelchair user and although I am with her at the airport, she could potentially travel on her own. Getting to the airport is a bit more hit and miss (not accessible buses, etc have had to lift her on numerous times) I tend to get the meet and greet element of parking now. Of course, this is an extra cost. 

    if she was to carry bags in the airport they would move the cases for her once she gets to special assistance, as for her passports etc she could then carry them on her person. 


  • jolew
    jolew Community member Posts: 26 Courageous
    @mparry16, I agree with most of @bendy_bonnie says about obstacles getting  around in a wheelchair. Cars on pavements was a huge problem on the brand new housing estate we lived on.

     Developers like tandem driveways as they can cram more houses on, but the owners of these driveways tend to only put one car in the driveway, and if they have another car they put it on the pavement because they don’t want to block the other car in.

     I haven’t tried using a bus as the nearest stop is too far away. Although there are dropped kerbs  (on the 70s estate we now live on ) where residents driveways come out there are no dropped kerbs. I therefore have to use the road and I am nervous of doing that on my own, so I have no independence unless I get a taxi.

    On a more positive note, I used travel assist on the train for the first time on Friday with my wheelchair and it was brilliant!

Brightness

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