The Benefits Of Travel Destinations Becoming More Accessible With Dr. Scott Rains

Scott in South Africa with some new friends.

Editor’s Note: The real key to success is taking your disability and turning it into an advantage- it’s about what you can do, not what you cannot do. In the story of Dr. Scott Rains, a consultant on travel and disability, you’ll see that his wheelchair has become his marketing tool. Dr. Rains, “New Mobility” magazine’s Person of the Year, is known worldwide for opening up many countries, businesses and vacation sites to physically challenged individuals and has enabled these places to become more inclusive. Part 2 of a 5 part series.

According to two studies done in 2005 and 2007 for the Americans with Disabilities Act, first passed by Congress in 1990 and later expanded, Americans with disabilities are spending $13.6 billion a year on travel alone. We all know that America isn’t the only country with disabled people who travel. Canada is the first destination that Americans visit. The Caribbeanis the fifth top destination that disabled Americans visit. As other countries start to realize how much money disabled people are spending on travel, then the next questions are, “How do we get these disabled people to come to our destination?” and, “How can we make our destination more accessible for these people?”

They ask themselves, “Can we change our policies or building codes, so that our destination becomes more accessible?” These people realize that if they do, then they can gain more of the market share of this travel. All these needed improvements will be paid for by the new customers attracted to these places.

 

People who are disabled aren’t charity cases. A good number of us are individuals who have saved money, enjoy travel and want to go to accessible places. We pretty much operate like everyone else in society. We want to go out and have fun too.

Scott having a blast in Korea.

What I do is explain and teach businesses that if they make their facilities more accessible to more people, then they can make more money. I decided fairly early after my injury that I could live with a spinal cord injury. I discovered that a tremendous amount of work had been done in this country to make more and more facilities and destinations accessible to people with physical challenges. Then I realized that physically challenged or disabled people represented a huge market for tourism and want to live their lives to the fullest.

The studies from 2005 and 2007 indicated that people in wheelchairs and with other disabilities would travel even more (possibly twice as much) if there were more places that they could go to and be comfortable. When you look at the possibility of doubling the amount of money that disabled Americans spend on travel, you’re talking about a market that’s worth $27.2 billion a year.

Therefore, I’m saying, “Mr. Hotel Owner, Mr. Attraction Owner, Mr. Airline President and Commerce Secretary, you can make more money, if you change your facilities to include everybody, and by doing so, you’ll make America stronger and healthier.” When I show up in Italy, Thailandor any other country, these people can see I’m disabled and that if they’ll make their destinations so that I can be comfortable, then more people like me will come and visit.

Scott in Bangkok, Thailand.

 Here’s an example of a tourism company that has gone the extra mile to assist travellers with physical challenges. Waypoint Yacht Charter Services books the wheelchair-adapted wood-hulled yacht the Sea Wolf.  This picture below is from a May 25-30, 2008 tour that Dr. Rains took out of Gustavus, Alaska.

Glacier Bay on Sea Wolf

Small enough to be intimate (six cabins/ three wheelchair usable) and retrofitted with wheelchair lifts to each of the three main decks cruises in Glacier Bay, Alaska on the Sea Wolf include sea kayaking because the owner has installed …a unique lift system. Scott was out of his wheelchair and into his kayak with the splash skirt fitted down in 60 seconds thanks to a skilled and attentive crew.

To take the trip yourself contact:
Sherri Backstrom
Waypoint Yacht Charter Services
contact@waypointcharter.com
www.waypointcharter.com/accessible_travel.htm
t 888-491-2949 or 360-656-5934 

Please visit Dr. Rains’ blog to learn more!

Next: Dr. Scott Rains Realizes He Can Be A Ski Instructor Even Though He Can’t Walk

About the Author: For the last 12 years, John E. Phillips of Vestavia, Alabama, has been a professional blogger for major companies, corporations and tourism associations throughout the nation. During his 24 years as Outdoor Editor for “The Birmingham Post-Herald” newspaper, he published more than 7,000 newspaper columns and sold more than 100,000 of his photos to newspapers, magazines and internet sites. He also hosted a radio show that was syndicated at 27 radio stations; created, wrote and sold a syndicated newspaper column that ran in 38 newspapers for more than a decade; and wrote and sold more than 30 books. Learn more at http://www.nighthawkpublications.com

Karim Ladki’s 9Lives Adventures Offers High Adventure Activities for Everyone

 Editor’s Note: No one goes through life without problems. However, living life isn’t about the problems you have, but rather what you can do to solve those problems. Once you look around and see the difficulties other people are facing, you’ll recognize that the things you’re dealing with aren’t nearly as important or as tough as problems other people have. But another key part of having a great life is seeing and learning how others have dealt with their physical challenges, overcame them and used those challenges for the betterment of mankind. This is the story of Karim Ladki of Vancouver, Canada, the founder and owner of 9Lives Adventures, Inc., who has decided to give everyone the adventures they seek, regardless of their physical concerns. Part 2 of a 5-part series.

How will you use your 9 lives?

Oftentimes we’re asked, “Are the sports you offer purely for adrenaline junkies?” I say that there’s no such thing as an adrenaline junkie. People who participate in high adventure sports are looking for those pure moments in life that makes them feel the most alive. Our activities are for people who want to push the limits of what they can or can’t do. 9Lives Adventures offers a wide range of activities, including skydiving or bungee jumping as well as the sports that are still full of adventure but not that extreme.

Wind tunnel flying is an adventure that’s not extreme. People in wheelchairs or with any type of disability can do this. They float on a stream of air in a controlled environment and feel all of the excitement and thrill of skydiving, without actually having to get in an airplane and jump out. Or, they can ride a jetboat, a high performance boat with a jet engine that runs fast down rivers and navigates rapids and small waterfalls.

Check out this video of our wind tunnel experiences, we call them “Learn How To Fly Fridays“:

 

One of the trademarks of 9Lives Adventures is we customize every activity to meet the needs and wants of the individual or the group. For instance, we have wheelchair basketball teams who will get together and decide what type of adventure they all want. Then they’ll come as a group and participate in these activities. Currently we have 15 types of activities that people can participate in during the summer months.

Bungee jumping in a wheelchair is totally doable! How fun does this look?

We have a playground here in British Columbia, and we can tailor make sports and activities for almost anyone. Even in the winter, we offer snowmobiling, sit-skiing workshops, bungee jumping and wind tunnel flying.

You can ski even if you cannot walk at 9Lives Adventures.

We want to demonstrate to individuals with physical challenges that they can do almost anything that any able bodied person can do with a little bit of modification and some extra help. We’ve found that identified groups like paralympic teams and wheelchair basketball teams find that these high adventure sports go a long way toward team building. Many people like to participate in sports like these with other individuals who have similar handicaps to their own. We design activities for individuals as well as teams.

You can choose whatever adventure interests you and your guides and instructors are happy to help you.

The best way to learn about what kind of activities you can or want to participate in is to begin an email dialogue with us. There’s other individuals in our company who can talk to people about specific things in which they may be interested. After the initial contact, you can begin to talk with the instructors and guides who will be with you on whatever adventures you may choose.

The best way to get in touch with us is through the 9Lives Adventures, Inc.’s webpage. Please feel free to contact Karim as well.

Next: Explorers in a New World of Extreme Adventures with Karim Ladki of 9Lives Adventures

About the Author: For the last 12 years, John E. Phillips of Vestavia, Alabama, has been a professional blogger for major companies, corporations and tourism associations throughout the nation. During his 24 years as Outdoor Editor for “The Birmingham Post-Herald” newspaper, he published more than 7,000 newspaper columns and sold more than 100,000 of his photos to newspapers, magazines and internet sites. He also hosted a radio show that was syndicated at 27 radio stations; created, wrote and sold a syndicated newspaper column that ran in 38 newspapers for more than a decade; and wrote and sold more than 30 books. Learn more at http://www.nighthawkpublications.com