John Roberts* has been confined to a wheelchair for 14 years – a condition that has inevitably affected the way he travels and takes holidays.
Now John, who addresses the issue of travel and disability on his website equallywelcome.com, has embarked on a 32-day ‘Disability Travel Challenge’ through Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The aim of the trip is to highlight the issues faced by disabled travellers, but John encountered difficulties before the trip was even booked.
He and his wife wanted to book through a travel agent, so they hit the high street in Plymouth.
He says: “We went into about seven agencies. The majority were really unhelpful.
“I think it’s because of the work they need to do for someone with a disability. It seems to create a barrier because it is difficult.
“We felt that, in most of the agencies, the staff didn’t want to help. They don’t know what to say to you.”
He said some agents have in the past even claimed they have to charge him an administration fee because of the work involved in booking a disabled customer.
However, it was a different story when John and his wife arrived at Thomas Cook in Old Town Street in the city.
“I was so impressed with Thomas Cook,” he says.
“We were looking in the window and a lady came to the door with a big smile and asked us if we needed a ramp.”
The Thomas Cook staff’s warm welcome and excellent service secured bookings from John for the majority of his trip, although he still double checked every detail direct because of his past experiences.
He says that, even if the agent makes a booking, making it clear the customer needs special assistance such as a ramp, this is not always communicated to suppliers such as hotels.
One of John’s major concerns about tour operators is that special hotel rooms are not guaranteed and can only be put through as a request.
He says: “There have been a considerable number of occasions when we have arrived at hotels and an accessible room has not been available.
“In some cases the tour operators seem to [put up] a brick wall and don’t want to help.
“On a trip to Mexico I ended up in a hotel where the toilet was up two flights of stairs and I had to go up and down the steps on my bum. It ruined my holiday,” John says.
“I have arrived at hotels and [the staff] are embarrassed [because the property isn’t accessible] and feel that tour operators are letting them down. If the hotel isn’t accessible, it isn’t accessible, but you can’t rely on the information.”
John believes the problem is the communication between the agent, tour operator and hotel.
“The industry needs a method where an agent can communicate with the operator and the hotel to see if [an accessible] room is free,” he adds.
John also has major problems with flights, especially if he wants to travel long haul. This can be anything from getting onto the aircraft, seat allocation to going to the toilet.
“If the toilets are on the left-hand side I have to sit on the left-hand side of the aircraft. It means I don’t have to turn the wheelchair.
“On one long-haul flight I was dropped out of the wheelchair and they then refused to take me to the toilet.”
“Some airlines won’t allow you to fly unless you have a catheter fitted. Who wants that?”
Despite these issues, John is embarking on this 32-day trip during January to share his experiences with the travel trade. He is a big supporter of using an expert to book his holiday. “Talk to the person who is best at offering travel advice: the agent. Take advantage of their years of experience.”
“If you spend the first four days of a week’s holiday sorting an issue, that’s the trip gone.”
* John Roberts’ name has been changed to protect his identity during his trip
Keep up with John’s progress on our interactive map at travelweekly.co.uk/travelchallenge