Travel tips for electric wheelchair users (Part 1)

So apparently it’s 2016 again? Not entirely sure how we ended up back there but I will take any excuse to talk about one of my most adventurous travel moments. Back in 2016, I was fortunate enough to travel Europe for a month. I bought an inter-Rail pass with my mum and travelled to 5 different countries and a total of 10 cities. It was such a fun trip and it really kickstarted my love of travelling abroad and experiencing new things. However, it did have a few snags – inaccessible hotels, inaccessible transport links and running out of euros. I’ve learned a lot in the last 10 years about travelling with a wheelchair so I want to share my knowledge with anyone who is thinking of taking their first trip abroad or wants to know how to make their trip more seamless. These are all my opinions based on my experiences but hopefully you find it helpful!

Location, location, location – do your research

Using a wheelchair is not a hindrance to travel, but it does determine certain places where it might be a bit more difficult to navigate. It’s important to check before you decide on a destination that is wheelchair friendly. The example I use a lot is Venice. When I travelled to Venice, I did not do a lot of research on how tourists get around the city. I knew there were a lot of bridges and canals but I simply assumed that they were like the bridges I’d seen at home. They would be flat or at worst cobbled but I could still get my wheelchair over them. It wasn’t until I was physically there that I realised all the bridges are made from stairs. A vast majority of them required me to be able to get up and down a set of stairs just to get to the restaurant, café’s, landmarks and other tourist attractions in Venice. It meant that I could not do a lot of things and I was there and, if not for the water bus, I would not have been able to see anything in the city.

Now I know better, so before I set my hopes on a particular destination, I read a lot of blogs and reviews online about the experiences from other wheelchair users. Any red flags about finding a disabled toilet? Are people accommodating to wheelchair users? I also look at Google map images of the city to see if there are lots of cobbles or if the pavements have dropped curbs. I can’t find out everything but I look for any major red flags that would affect me in particular.

Know your wheelchair

The horror stories of people taking their wheelchairs on planes can be off-putting but it isn’t as scary as the Internet makes it out to be. You just need to remain calm, savvy and be prepared. Each airline approaches their special assistance slightly differently (I had a really good experience with Jet2 holidays) but they all ask the same things:

• What other dimensions of your wheelchair when it’s folded? (it’s okay if it doesn’t fold)

• Is your wheelchair electric or manual?

• What type of batteries do you have (lithium, dry cell, wet cell or gel)?

• What are the amps, voltage and wattage of the batteries?

• How many batteries and are they removable?

• If the battery cannot be removed, how do you fully disconnect the wheelchair so it cannot turn on during flight?

This is the information the airlines need to ensure that it safe for the wheelchair to travel in hold because it cannot go into the cabin with you. Thankfully, whether your wheelchair was funded by the NHS or bought privately, you can refer to the handbook or manual you received when you first got the wheelchair. If like me, you have lost this once or twice, you can find these handbooks online but you have to make sure that it is fully accurate to the model that you have. Secondly, you can check the labels on the chair itself if they haven't faded as they will have information on there about batteries and motors. However, when in doubt I would check with the company or group that supplied the chair to you in the first place, if you cannot find the information yourself. They can also advise on how to disconnect batteries if it isn’t super clear.

I used to travel with my Quickie Salsa which is a non-foldable electrical wheelchair. It meant that I had to disconnect the batteries from the motor by physically removing cables at the airport. It did give me a little bit of trouble from time to time because of the size of the chair and the battery type (mine were gel which some airlines didn’t have as a category but it turns out gel can be considered as dry cell). It wasn’t impossible but it just meant it took me longer at check-in to explain how the chair worked and why it was safe to travel with. This is why I always carry the manual with me or have all the information on my phone so that I can explain to them in person.

Things are a lot easier now that I travel with my KWK. The batteries are lithium and completely removable and this chair folds down to a size that is smaller than a pram. It’s made check-in so much smoother because the main concerns airlines have are about batteries remaining in the chair and having to be disconnected safely. However, I will reiterate that you do not need to have a special chair to travel if it’s not an option for your health or you cannot afford one. I bought this chair for my own peace of mind because I saw the benefit and could manage. If the only sure you have is a 160 kg, non-foldable, dry cell battery electric wheelchair with big wheels, then you can still travel on an airline. You will just need to choose an airline that accommodates the size of chair that you have and all the information would be on their website or you can call customer service.

Airplane survival – be prepared

I am ambulatory but my ability to walk is severely limited. The best I can do is a side on transfer from one chair to another. Walking down the aisle of the plane is not an option. This means I usually get special assistance when boarding and of boarding. It also means that I need something to help me get from my seat to the airplane toilet. I have done a whole post talking about why I want airlines to do better so I’m not going to repeat that here. However, I will tell you what I do prepare myself when I know I’m travelling for a long haul flight (more than six hours).

• I always book an aisle seat so that I can easily transfer on and off the aisle chair that they offer customers with mobility issues. It’s essentially a very tiny metal frame that I can slide on and off of so that I can get to the bathroom and back to my seat. The cabin crew will bring it to you ask but they cannot help you physically transfer.

• I monitor my liquids very carefully. To all of my non-wheelchair friends reading this, you’re probably shocked to think that I would have to think about how much I drink when I’m flying but it’s a very real thing for me. The toilets and planes are too small so I try and limit their experience as much as possible by not having to go more than once if I can.

• I really struggle having short legs so my feet go to sleep easily on planes because my feet don’t touch the ground and I didn’t realise this until I was travelling to Tenerife because the seats are so far back. From now on, I’ll try and leave something under my feet like a handbag I don’t mind stepping on or I’ve seen these feet hammocks online which I think will come in really handy for me.

• I accept that I need to be fed. I talk about the wheelchair part a lot but I also have limited upper mobility and I can feed myself only when the table height and table size is in the right position for me which airplanes never are. We travelled in business class once on British Airways and I found it awkward because I needed to be fed but my mum was sat in the opposite direction facing me with a divide between us. Now, I have a good look at what the setup for the seating is like so I can decide which class is better for me based on access.

I do love air travel but I’m also a big supporter of travelling by train. Wherever possible, I will take the land-based route because all the stuff mentioned above doesn’t apply! I’m not saying I hate flying but it’s simply not my preferred method of travel. I will say though the last 10 years airlines have gotten so much better at making it less stressful but there’s still a long way to go in my personal opinion.

Okay, so this post is a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. I think I’m going to do a part one and part two. You can read part two next week where I will talk about my tips for researching accommodation, travelling on public transport abroad and a few things where being a wheelchair user can save you money.

Until then, have a good week!

Mary