Accessible travel: Aids for more mobility and freedom

Traveling is one of the best experiences in life. But for people with disabilities, there are often barriers to overcome that others don't even notice. This makes it all the more important for the travel industry to focus more and more on inclusive solutions. Fortunately, there are now numerous technical innovations that make traveling much easier for people with limited mobility.

Compact towing device for unlimited mobility

The Empulse® F35 from Sunrise Medical is a lightweight and compact electric traction device for wheelchairs. With a weight of 7.5 kilograms, it is one of the lighter models in its category and, according to the manufacturer, is particularly suitable for short trips or journeys. Many electric wheelchair pullers are often relatively heavy and bulky, but the F35 offers advantages thanks to its low weight and practical tube design: It can be easily stored in the car and can be quickly attached to or detached from the wheelchair.

For air travelers, the F35 offers another plus point: the battery is approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which means it can be taken on board aircraft. Whether at work, when traveling or for everyday errands – the F35 could support the mobility of people with disabilities and enable greater independence.

Carla Mertens, Director Marketing & Sales Excellence at Sunrise Medical, underlines the growing importance of accessible air travel: "We are currently seeing a strong increase in demand in the aviation industry to accompany wheelchair users throughout their journey with their own chair. Our aim is for wheelchair users to be able to travel as flexibly and independently as anyone else in the future." The F35 is therefore not only an aid for everyday mobility, but also offers an answer to the growing needs of travelers with disabilities.

Autonomous access to the sea

For many people with limited mobility, the dream of a day at the beach often ends right at the promenade. This is where TOBEA comes in with its independent access to the sea – an aid that enables people to get into the sea independently. The non-fixed device is already being used on over 250 beaches in countries such as Greece, Italy and Croatia and offers people with disabilities the freedom to go into the water and swim without assistance.

Persefoni Bertzou, Marketing Manager at TOBEA, emphasizes the wide distribution and ease of use of SEATRAC: "Interested parties can find SEATRAC on the map at www.seatrac.gr and visit the desired beach. SEATRAC has already been installed on over 250 beaches in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia and the UAE and has been used over 400,000 times in the last 12 years!" These impressive figures show how much this aid has changed and continues to change the lives of people with disabilities on beaches. Technical innovations can really help to reduce discrimination and exclusion on the beach.

Lightweight rollators and mobile breathing aids

Another company dedicated to improving mobility for travelers with disabilities is Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare. The company offers a wide range of assistive devices specifically designed to meet the needs of people with mobility impairments. Particularly noteworthy are the lightweight and foldable rollators as well as foldable e-scooters and electric wheelchairs, which - according to the company – can be easily transported by car, train or plane. In addition, Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare offers mobile devices for respiratory therapy, which are particularly important for people with respiratory diseases when traveling.

Christian Kos, Director Product Management at Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, explains: "Our products are designed to meet the specific requirements of different types of travel. For air travel, we offer particularly lightweight and compact aids that are easy to transport and can be easily stowed in the confined spaces of an airplane." He adds: "For car travel, easy stowability and quick assembly are of great importance, which is why many of our products can be folded or dismantled."

The future of accessible travel

The aids presented are just a few examples of how people with disabilities can travel more safely and independently. However, making travel truly accessible for everyone requires not only technical solutions, but also a fundamental change in the way the tourism industry thinks. Companies such as Sunrise Medical, TOBEA and Drive DeVilbiss are actively committed to developing inclusive travel that meets the needs of all travelers.

However, inclusion means more than just access to technical aids. It requires collaboration between the tourism industry, cities and governments to create a truly accessible infrastructure. Be it through the development of wheelchair-accessible routes, accessible hotel rooms or the provision of information on accessible travel options – the travel industry must be held more accountable so that everyone has the opportunity to discover the world - regardless of their physical abilities. Because as Christian Kos emphasizes: "Accessible solutions should not just be an option, but a standard."

Sunrise Medical (Hall 6/C09), TOBEA (Hall 5/G30) and Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare (Hall 6/D17) will also be exhibiting at REHACARE from September 25 to 28, 2024.

Jennifer Meyer
REHACARE.com