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How households with disabilities journey collectively
Bethany Hildebrandt is meticulous about planning journeys round her household’s wants as her eldest youngster, Kaylee, has cerebral palsy.
Payton Kirol, USA TODAY
- Sandy Springs, Georgia, is the state’s first vacation spot verified as accessible by the journey firm Wheel the World.
- Local motels supply options like roll-in showers, decrease counters, and braille signage to accommodate company with varied disabilities.
- The metropolis offers distinctive leisure choices, together with adaptive swings, kayaking, and accessible nature trails.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Cory Lee has visited over 50 international locations and all seven continents, however he was stunned by one thing he noticed in his house state of Georgia: a playground swing he may roll onto in his energy wheelchair.
“I have really never seen that anywhere else that I’ve traveled to,” mentioned Lee, who shares his experiences on his accessible journey weblog Curb Free with Cory Lee. “I wish that when I was a kid, we could have had something like that. I think it would have really just created a more inclusive environment.”
That’s the purpose for Sandy Springs, Georgia’s first vacation spot verified as accessible by accessible journey firm Wheel the World.
Here’s how the Atlanta suburb is welcoming guests of all skills.
What does it imply when a lodge is accessible?
At least one in 4 U.S. adults has a incapacity, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The word accessible means something different to each person with disability,” mentioned Lee, who has spinal muscular atrophy. “To be able to find a place that can really accommodate a variety of disabilities is really a treasure.”
He was invited to Sandy Springs on a press journey and stayed on the Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center, which USA TODAY toured individually.
“The hotel staff was super friendly and really went above and beyond to just ensure that that room would work for my needs,” he recalled.
The lodge, which soft-opened in 2021, options eight accessible visitor rooms, significantly well-liked on account of its proximity to a cluster of prime hospitals simply down the road.
These rooms have plenty of further house for wheelchairs to navigate simply.
Everything is organized with wheelchair top in thoughts.
Curtains might be drawn with the contact of a button.
Some bogs have roll-in showers. Others have bathtubs with decrease lips, seize bars and chairs accessible upon request.
Other forms of lodging embrace doorbells that sync with lights for company who’re deaf. Also, lodge indicators have braille, and the elevator has audio settings.
Nearby Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Atlanta Perimeter Center, which was renovated in 2016, greets company with computerized doorways and curbless entry. At the entrance desk, there are each standing and seated choices for company.
A raise is obtainable for the pool.
Accessible visitor rooms maintain wheelchair top in thoughts with decrease local weather management panels, clothes racks and extra.
The desks are movable.
Some rooms have roll-in showers with built-in seats, whereas others supply tubs for various visitor wants.
“There’s no one-size-fit-all,” mentioned Sofia Bravo, head of buyer success at Wheel the World. “Someone like a senior, like my father, he needs a high bed, but (Wheel the World CEO and co-founder Álvaro Silberstein, who is quadriplegic) needs a lower bed, and that is crucial for both of them.”
Both the Hyatt House and Fairfield invite vacationers with disabilities to name them straight with any particular questions. Other space motels additionally supply accessible lodging.
Wheel the World measures and publishes information, like mattress top and door width, on associate companies inside the locations they confirm. The firm additionally helps them assess accessibility, establish areas for enchancment, and practice workers on greatest practices.
“It’s about providing the detailed accessibility information so people can travel and know what to expect, be prepared,” Bravo mentioned.
What is leisure accessibility?
Accessible motels aren’t sufficient, although, to make a vacation spot accessible. For Wheel the World verification, locations additionally want to supply accessible transportation, eating, actions and sights.
“Museums are great, but I can go to a museum in pretty much every city,” Lee mentioned. “When a destination offers something that’s truly accessible and unique to that destination, I think that that really makes it stand out.”
He beloved getting open air at Morgan Falls Overlook Park, which has that adaptive swing.
The playground additionally encompasses a communication board with illustrated icons for guests who could also be non-verbal.
The park additionally presents adaptive kayaking.
Nearby, there are wheelchair-friendly spots for fishing.
There’s additionally a paved path for taking in views or birding.
“Springway Trail 2A was one of my favorite things that I did in Sandy Springs,” Lee mentioned. “It was just super smooth and accessible for me to roll on in my wheelchair. To be able to find accessible outdoor experiences like that is also really rare.”
The metropolis hosts adaptive recreational activities year-round.
“It’s all about inclusivity and those three Is: make sure everyone’s invited, included and involved,” mentioned Jane Jarrett, program supervisor and authorized Adaptive Recreation and Sports specialist on the Recreation and Parks Department for Sandy Springs.
Lee hopes extra locations will observe town’s lead.
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