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americanabroad
americanabroad Community member Posts: 11 Courageous
edited July 2021 in Children, parents, and families
Hi everyone! I am hoping to take my son to the USA with me at Christmas- it's where I'm originally from and where my family still are. The last time we travelled there, he was 6 and now he's a strapping nine year old wheelchair user. I'd love to find a specialist travel agency which would help me with flying, hiring a car, and accommodation in America- but all I seem to be able to find are package holidays providers!

my question is, does anyone know of a travel agent/agency who specialise in helping those with special needs and could help me organise my own individual travel-- not a package holiday? 

Thanks so much in advance!

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  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hello @americanabroad

    I hope you are well.

    This is always a tough subject to navigate because the support out there for disabled holiday goers isn't brilliant as you are likely finding out at the minute. 

    I'm not aware of any specific travel agents that specialise in travel for disabled people, but I hope that others do have knowledge in that regard. 

    I would advise reading this Scope page around planning an accessible holiday, it includes some useful tips such as to ask on the Accessible Travel Club Facebook page. Have you made contact with any organisations in the area where you are going in the US? They might be able to advise you on any travel arrangements you could make in that area. 

    It sounds like it will be a super trip, and I'm sure your son will love it.
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  • Garza
    Garza Community member Posts: 149 Pioneering
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    i have always found it easier and often cheaper to shop around and build your own bespoke package as there is so little specialist provision available and also the standards and experience within that provision can vary wildly 

    I hope you find a suitable solution and have a great time in the US 
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  • americanabroad
    americanabroad Community member Posts: 11 Courageous
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    Ah thank you so much! It's really helpful to get some ideas- was just worried I was missing something obvious!
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  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
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    No worries @americanabroad

    It's a tricky one to navigate.
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  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,103 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @americanabroad - nice to talk to you. You mention about missing something obvious as regards your travel plans to the USA.......perhaps. :)  My daughter was a travel agent for many years, just literally making a career move at the end of last month. She started off with Thomas Cook, then went on to work with an independent travel agency. Altho I don't remember her mentioning anything specifically disability orientated, I do remember her mentioning often that she put together whatever the customer wanted, not 'just' package holidays (including phoning abroad to ensure everything needed was put into place). So, perhaps worth trying an ABTA member; visit your local travel agents to see what they may put together for you too, &/or try your local facebook page for recommendations as to travel agencies, if not travel agents. I lost track of the number of bouquets of flowers, letters praising her to her manager, etc. that my daughter received, so there are good travel agents out there.
    I also looked online today, & there's some info here that may prove helpful, or prove that the travel agents you already know about, could, & should, prove helpful. Please see: https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/accessible-travel
    There's also some advice from the government's website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-travellers/disability-and-travel-abroad        This also reinforces that planning is going to be essential, as I'm sure you know. I hope you can find the travel agent that can really help with this. Kindly let us know how you get on. :)
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