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 We have returned from a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica! And we’d like to thank you very much for your help in making arrangements that worked out perfectly! The tour that [ABLE to Travel] set up…went off without a hitch…We did not encounter any really big problems traveling with a wheelchair.
–– Agnes & Herb Bullock
Excellent service and the best part was the planning that was done by you guys. Everything went well and was taken care of by the time we got [to San Juan, Puerto Rico]. I have referred my friends to become [United Spinal] members. Everything included was very accessible.
–– David Corning
I have multiple sclerosis and need a wheelchair to get around outside of my house. We're from Southern Indiana and this was the first trip to New York City that my husband and I took by ourselves and our first time using ABLE to Travel. It was so nice to have someone experienced and knowledgeable about the needs of people with disabilities and, while I was nervous at first, the whole trip turned out better than I ever expected. We had a lovely vacation. We would definitely use ABLE to Travel
for future trips.
–– Sallianne Zody
Jolly,
Thank you for all your assistance on my trip to Edmonton. Without
your help, I don't think I would have made it. Well I promised you an
article on my trip along with pictures so here it is.
I went to Edmonton, Canada at the end of August 2006. I wanted to see
the West Edmonton Mall (WEM). It is currently the largest mall in the
world. I also got to see some friends from Calgary that we had met on a
cruise about six years ago.
I planned this trip through United Spinal's travel agent, Yojerdi Rodriguez. They call her Jolly. Well I can till
you any trips I may take in the future will be planned by Jolly. She
was great. All details were taken care of and re-checked before and
during my trip. I have MS and can not walk. I use a power wheelchair
to get around with my wife as my care giver.
The trip involved taking a NorthWest Airline (NWA) from Phila. International to St. Paul. Then
transferring to another NWA plane to Edmonton. We started the day about
3:30 am EST and arrived in Edmonton about 1:30 pm Mountain Time. There
is a 2 hour difference. We arrived there 3:30 pm EST.
We stayed at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. The Manager was outstanding. The room was
accessible and met my needs. It had a tub with a transfer bench. A
hand held shower and a roll under sink. There were grab bars in the
shower and near the "John". Any problems we encountered were addressed
by the maintenance staff very promptly. The manager helped us with
everything from getting schedules for express buses to and from the
mall, to picking up passes so we wouldn't have to have exact change for
the bus. She even offered to walk us to the bus stop to make sure he
got the right one. It was only a block from the hotel. Most of their
buses are what they call low level buses. What they have is a ramp that
is folded down on the floor and raises up and out to let any one that
needs boarding assistance onto the bus. Disabled people, mothers with
strollers and seniors get priority seating. Several of the seats lift
up allowing you to park your chair or stroller.
The WEM is very accessible. It has an amusement park, full size skating ring, World
Water Park, Deep Sea Adventure, and many more attractions. It has 900
stores, 21 movie theaters, 100 eating establishments, and miniature
golf. There is a chapel, a Sea Lions show and a casino. We were at the
mall for three days and I think we saw most of the attractions and
stores but I am not sure.
The two people that made all this possible
was Jolly and the manager of the Hotel. Her staff treated us like
royalty. I do want to mention if you are looking to cut costs, the
Fairmont is a highly rated hotel. With this label is associated certain
costs. The Harvest House, the Hotel Restaurant, was excellent. It also
cost more than most of the restaurants in the area. The manger and her
staff are more than willing to help you get reservations for those
restaurants and give you directions on how to get there.
Besides having a great time, I guess the most important thing is I went there. I have
not traveled for several years due to various reasons. One was getting
to the airport. It was always a nightmare from my house in South
Jersey. Jolly made it possible for a handicap transportation system to
pick us up and take us back from the airport. She also arranged the
same type of transportation in Edmonton. Both systems were reliable and
very timely. That removed one reason why not to go from my list. I
think I just was afraid of what would happen to my chair. I didn't want
my wife to pack mule my stuff on and off planes. But everything worked
out. I guess you just have to take the chance if you want to see places
that seem beyond your ability to get there.
I did and was glad I made the effort. I hope you get to see some of the pictures my wife took of
the mall's attractions [included below].
Frank Armentani
United Spinal, 11 year member
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