Travel Tips by Melanie and by you

Melanie, on our Travel Team, loves traveling, and always finds ways to get around in not-so-accessible places. Here’s a few of her tips. Do you have great tips as well? Let us know and we add it to her blog. She really would like to make this blog interactive: travelers around the world – help each other and #dare-to-ask!

Horizontal parrot

A rope on the frame of another bed next to yours can help you to turn around easier and / or to get up.
You can also attach it to your own foot end, bed frame or surround so that you can pull up. This makes it possible to stay in a bedroom without a fixed parrot; a regular hotel room, an ordinary room in an apartment / house.

Small (and thinner) transfer board

An ordinary transfer board is often large and weighs about half a kilo. A smaller and lighter shelf can sometimes be sufficient to bridge a small distance making a transfer. This often fits in a cheap travel bag and is a lot lighter. Sometimes the wood store or a rehabilitation center can make this for you.

Foldable “hand”

Sometimes it is not possible to stick something off the ground, close the curtains, … because you can not (yet) access it yourself. And you do not always want to ask for help. Then a collapsible “hand” or grab is handy. This often fits in a travel bag and weighs almost nothing.

 Nightstand

It is nice or necessary that you have things with you near the bed. If there is no (usable) bedside table, a chair (possibly with a piece of cardboard or tray on it) can often offer a solution.

Threshold help

When she was in Spain recently, she wanted to soak up some sun on the balcony of her apartment. “It was difficult for me to go on to the balcony myself, when I asked  the concierge ( should work at a hotel reception as well) if he could make something, it turned out there were these “auxiliary blocks” available.”

Melanie shares why you should ask for help:

1. It makes my stay more pleasant (because I stay more independent)
2. Questions are free and can offer convenience / great outcome -> so dare to ask!

 

If you have great tips we can add to this blog, send us an email. We always get back to you.

Travel Sheets to cross language barriers

Language barriers

When you travel with your assistance dog, or with medication in your carry on bag, life can be quite challenging, to say the least. Communications is very important at these moments, crucial really. Language barriers can sometimes be difficult to cross.

So we made Travel Sheets, handy to take along when you travel by air or by train. In a few words you can explain your basics, and it can make travelling, crossing borders or finding the right gate in the airport (instead of missing a plane) easier.

Independence

It is easy to take the sheets with you, either in print or you save them on your mobile device and show it to anybody who can help you. Language barriers can be  challenging. The ATO Travel sheets will give you more independence, feeling more confident while traveling.

Free download

Available in English here: ATO Travel Products (and on all sections for English speaking countries)

In Bahasa Indonesia: Indonesia in Chinese: China In Dutch: the Netherlands In French : France In German: Germany

in Italian: Italy in Polish: Poland in Portuguese: Portugal (and Brazil) in Romanian: Romania

In Spanish: Spain, Mexico and South America In Thai; Thailand In Vietnamese: Vietnam

Available in more languages soon, this article will be updated regularly.

Travel with assistance dog, medication, when you are visually or hearing impaired

The travel sheets explain in basic words what it means to have your medications with you, and that you must have them at all times, especially during travel. The info about assistance dogs will help you explain that your dog needs to be with you 24/7. When you are visually or hearing impaired it is good to have this info with you, so you can give it to people and ask for help in their own language. It will be so much easier for you to get directions for instance.

Thank you Asia, Irina, Ivana, Lalin, Laurent, Linh, Melanie, Ridha Aditya Nugraha, Sue, and Viktor for your greatly appreciated work!

Adaptive skiing or surfing: UP!

Adaptive skiing

In October 2017 Unlimited Possibilities (UP) offering adaptive skiing, was founded by Simone Keijsers and Caroline Ooms. With UP, they want to make it easier for people with physical disabilities to ski, snowboard and surf under the same conditions as a regular athlete. 

Skiing, snow, it’s a passion

Since skiing and being in the mountains is a passion for both (experienced in adaptive winter sports), it is no surprise that this is the sport they started with! UP offers adaptive skiing and snowboard lessons, guiding and freeriding in the area of Kaprun and Zell am See, Austria.

Adaptive wintersports for everyone

Every skier or snowboarder, beginner or advanced, can just book their preferred winter sports activity like anybody else whenever they want. Besides, UP happily advices about (wheelchair accessible) accommodations in Zell am See and Kaprun for their guests during their holiday.

In most countries there are organisations that organise adaptive skiing trips in a specific week during the winter. Not everybody fancies a completely organised trip. When people book their lessons at UP they can have a nice holiday with their friends and family. Adaptive winter sports activities are rare in Austria and Caroline and Simone noticed the demand.

UP doesn’t only offer adaptive skiing or snowboard lessons. If a person is not able to learn to ski independently UP can guide him down the slopes in a special sit ski. This way he can still enjoy the snow and being in the mountains. The very advanced adaptive skiers can book a freeride trip. Together with a guide the guest will explore the off piste areas and enjoy the powder, of course within his or her possibilities!

Adaptive surfing

Besides wintersport activities UP also offers adaptive surfing in Aljezur, Portugal, this summer. Together with Surflife Atlantic Riders, UP organises a surfing holiday for disabled and abled bodies! Being taught by experienced instructors and using adapted surfing equipment if necessary, their guests can have a fantastic week. It will be the perfect holiday for everybody who loves the sea, likes to surf and wants to spend time with great people in Portugal.

For more information please visit the website www.upadaptivesports.com.

Facebook & Instagram