Some are born with a disability, others through illness, or, as a result of an accident some become disabled in later life, irrespective of the origin of ones disability its true to say that all of us with disabilities daily face numerous barriers that have to be overcome and conquered. None more so in some respects than when wishing to travel.

For some the onset of a disability has been a life changing experience that has opened new horizons for them and for Alan Broadbent (51) the onset of MS in 2000 led to a period of change that finally culminated in moving from the UK to Spain and creating Disabled Accessible Travel.

Recognising that in Barcelona there existed excellent facilities for the disabled following on from the successful 1992 Olympics and Paralympics Alan noted that these were under-utilised and not promoted to the travel sector at large.

Locating transport providers with wheelchair accessible transportation and hotels with accommodation that included roll-in showers coupled with well researched accessible routes that enable the disabled to enjoy all that Barcelona has to offer led to the successful creation of Disabled Accessible Travel.

Alan soon realised that there were a number of barriers to be overcome in promoting Barcelona as an accessible destination not least of which was the lack of reliable information to be offered by travel agents to their disabled clients regarding the City so he set about redressing that issue by successfully petitioning the World Travel Market organisers to offer him a seminar space to address delegates to the 2010 event, on the day dedicated to Travel Agents.

Another barrier Alan encountered was sourcing wheelchair accessible vehicles in cruise ports as these are not readily available and costs vary wildly between ports and countries. Disabled Accessible Travel has been at the forefront in moving forward a change in attitude of suppliers of transport by educating them as to the benefits of supplying accessible transportation to an ever-increasing population of disabled cruise passengers seeking shore excursions.

Starting from small beginnings with accessible services for wheelchair users visiting Barcelona, Disabled Accessible Travel has slowly expanded to offering shore excursions for wheelchair users cruising the Mediterranean in Portugal, Canary Islands, Spain, Balearic Islands, Malta, Italy, Greece, Turkey and from 2013 Israel. In addition through active networking and advocacy for change Disabled Accessible Travel has created a network of suppliers of accessible transportation and services across the Globe with travel opportunities for the disabled in 51 countries.

Disabled Accessible Travel in 2012 moved into two new markets concentrating initially on Barcelona as its prime destination, namely Study Abroad programmes for disabled students from the USA and consultancy for Professional Congress Organisers. Both markets are still in their infancy but already Alan has been a speaker to the authoritative voice of the Congress profession, IAPCO (International Association for Professional Congress Organisers) at their 2012 World Congress in Paris, plus Disabled Accessible Travel have partnered with Pacific World in organising the first ever accessible services to be offered to business delegates attending the November 2012 EIBTM event in Barcelona.

The role of Disabled Accessible Travel is unique in the travel industry, all of the services offered are bespoke and are designed to bridge the information gap between clients and suppliers of accessible services, be those clients travel agencies, corporate entities or private individuals.

Finally what do the clients have to say about Disabled Accessible Travel ?

Dr S. Gold
"Commendable and memorable were the five days that we spent with you and your drivers while in Barcelona. …........We all appreciate your wonderful and professional service though it was more like spending four days in Europe with a long lost friend!"

Michel NEIJMANN (Mr.), Managing Partner, K2 Conference & Event Management Co.
"On a personal note I wish to thank you for your inspiring presentation at the IAPCO Annual Meeting last week."

Donna Ralph
"You offer a valuable service to the handicapped, with your knowledge of the various agencies that provide service to the handicapped. I spent hours researching tours with wheelchair accommodation, before finding your listing on the Internet. Had I found it first, I would have saved myself a lot of time."

To find out more about Disabled Accessible Travel and how they can make your holiday or business trip more comfortable visit http://www.disabledaccessibletravel.com.

Sharing Alan's aims but from a different perspective are CareVacations & Commerce UK (agent for CareVacations Ltd., Canada). They also want to promote travel for everyone, whether you are temporarily or permanently immobile. They can assist you in making your cruising holiday more relaxed and enjoyable by offering a professional service renting quality mobility products with the latest design in portable oxygen.

CV&C UK offers you a complete service, taking your reservation, arranging for your product(s) to be delivered to your cabin/stateroom on the day of embarkation, and collecting it after you disembark. This service is available from the following UK Ports. Harwich, Dover, Southampton and London.

To find out more visit http://www.carevacations.co.uk or call them on
+44 (0) 7821 614803 or contact them by e-mail at [email protected]