Road Trip With Disabilities: Part 2 of 5

 

We had our moments...

Traveling when you have a disability or with a person with a disability is doable, but more work and effort—for everyone involved.  Overall, our trip was great and enjoyable for several reasons.  Earl and I packed as light as possible, planned carefully, and zipped our lips whenever the urge to snipe at each other arose.  We used yoga to calm our minds.  Earl went for a bike ride, walk, or run every day by himself.  Initially, we thought it was just routine daily exercise. In retrospect, it was actually therapeutic.  We were mostly Pollyanna and Dr. Jekyll with occasional appearances of Elphaba and Mr. Hyde.*  Getting home after a month on the road, with neither of us injured or dead, was a major accomplishment. 

We learned early in the handicap game, that it's important to go anywhere early or all the parking spaces are gone.  This was especially true in the national parks.  I never passed up a bathroom and did a mental 'happy dance' when encountering a great rest stop.  We also learned not to stop wherever we saw a tour bus.  Female bathroom lines are guaranteed to be long.**

Skeeter in the Parks

I've said this before, but the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)*** makes travel in the US feasible and more convenient than other global destinations.  Most rest stops have good access.  US parks and visitor centers are very accommodating to the handicapped–ramps, information, grab bars in bathrooms, etc.  No question that hiking is the favored of park activities and there were places I couldn't go, but Earl with camera and Skeeter enhanced my range and enjoyment of the various areas.

Awesome viewing!

There has to be some upside to having a disability.  Handicapped placards and permits are a big travel aid and we thought we had them all—my parking tag, the Lifetime Senior National Parks pass (biggest bargain ever), etc.  But we were pleasantly surprised at the Grand Canyon.  Seeing me on Skeeter, the park ranger gave us a special permit that allowed Earl to drive the van only where park shuttle buses were allowed. This meant that the breath–taking canyon vistas were viewable from the car and made for a memorable experience for me.

Also memorable were my middle–of–the–night treks to the bathroom. Some motel bathrooms were big, some small, some had grab bars, some didn't.  Each one presented its own challenge.  The goal was simple—no untoward exits**** and no fall injuries.  Not having packed nightlights or wanting to turn on a big light and noisy fan, I used the screen light from my iPhone to guide my way.  That worked pretty well and to our relief, I didn't fall. 

Relocating every other day means that a familiar environment is a luxury.  I think I underestimated how much that contributed to coping with a disability.  I didn't exactly crave routine, but some predictability would have made me feel better prepared for the next destination.

There is usually a division of labor in any kind of travel.  It's not always equitable for a couple, but close.  Earl and I weren't even close.  He did most of everything (driving, loading, unloading, shopping, cooking, laundry) and never complained—verbally. We understand my ataxia is what it is and each of us did all we could do.  I appreciated Earl's effort, but had to depend on only him for everything.  After a time, that was a source of personal irritation.  It was another 'travel trade–off' thing, but a challenge that faced me daily.

Over the course of the month, it became clear to us that it was time for me to transition from a walker to a wheelchair.  Earl and I got tired of dealing with anxiety when I ventured into a restaurant, rest stop, or motel bathroom.  When fear influenced what I could do and where I could go, it was a sign to move to the next level of assistive device.  That's been a reasonable benchmark and I have an appointment this week to evaluate my need. 

The lesson: Disabled travel takes more planning, but there are some surprising benefits as well.  It is so worth the extra effort.


*Previous post: Pity Party––Underrated??
**Previous post: Public Restroom Etiquette
***Previous post: Testing the retirement–planning the road trip
****Previous post: Untoward Exits