Accessible travel the Home Exchange Way

As regular readers of the GTI Home Exchange blog will be aware, we have illustrated before how home exchange can make the world more accessible for people with limited mobility or other disabilities. In the past members have written telling us how well they coped when undertaking significant journeys such as between UK and Australia, or Canada, accompanied by their scooters, confident in the knowledge that when they arrived at their destination they would find a home that met their specialist needs.

It is always gratifying to learn that the word about home exchange is spreading, and particularly so when it reaches those people with special requirements to whom it can make such a difference and perhaps allow them to take that trip or holiday they have always dreamed of. We were therefore delighted to learn that an article about home exchange appeared in the March issue of the French magazine Faire Face, published by the French Association for the Paralysed, which selected GTI Home Exchange as being one of the most helpful to paraplegic exchangers seeking accommodation with compatible exchange partners. Nos lecteurs français peuvent lire l'article dans le magazine Faire Face, "Séjours: pretez-vous à l'échange?".

Homes which are accessible for disabled people are indicated in the GTI Home Exchange listings with a wheelchair pictogram. Advanced Search criteria allow the listings for homes with Disabled Access/Facilities to be found, and a Free text search can be used for more specific criteria such as 'wheelchair', 'ramp' 'hoist' etc. So please, if you are listing a home which has very specialised equipment to offer, be sure to include as much detail as possible in either the 'Description of the exchange property' or 'Information on the exchange party' fields when completing the membership registration form so that others who are seeking an accessible home are aware of what it has to offer.

GTI Home Exchange can help you take that dream holiday, stay longer, spend less and live like a local! Overseas accessible travel with no surprises...
the way you imagined it should be.

Home exchange for the very disabled - wheelchair and hoist required...

This week we had an enquiry from a potential home exchanger regarding the suitability of exchanges for the 'very disabled' ie for those that need to use a wheelchair and hoist. Unfortunately there is no straight answer to this one. Home exchange is often the best way to travel for disabled people if you can find someone to exchange with that has similar needs to your own, but obviously this becomes more difficult the greater the need for specialist apparatus - this is the reply that we sent...

"You can search listings on the website for disabled access by clicking on the Search tab at the top of the page, and then checking the 'disabled access' box. You can then refine your search depending on what other criteria you require. Currently 147 listings come up as offering disabled access, however unfortunately there is no way of telling whether a hoist can be accomodated or provided. Some members may mention a disability in their own listing, and this may give you a clue as to how well equipped a potential exchange would be for you, but really there is no quick shortcut to asking them directly in most cases.

GTI Home Exchange does have disabled members who exchange successfully and who are wheelchair users, indeed member HE16184 travelled from her home in Vancouver to Australia with her wheelchair and scooter this year, but I don't think she required a hoist. Similarly, GTI Scottish member HE14242 also travelled to Australia, using her scooter. In answer to your question about the possibilities for the more seriously disabled, it would really depend if you can find a match for your own requirements and unfortunately we can offer no guarantees. I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.

You may also find the Accessible Journeys website can provide you with useful advice and links to specialist holiday companies if you are not already aware of it: http://www.disabilitytravelcom."

On the other hand, if by any chance any of you blog readers feel that you could accommodate such a request and are interested in an exchange, or indeed you are aware of other specialist sites that we can signpost people in this position to, please do let us know so we can pass on details to this or other enquirers.

Scooting in Sydney

Talk about timing! I am reading your email at an internet cafe in Sydney. Tomorrow we fly to Brisbane to the home of our swap partners. Thanks for drawing my attention to the article by Jo Chambers. I can make use of her experience.

I have taken both my scooter and wheelchair on this trip, and so far it has been much easier than I expected. Although I have travelled with my scooter previously, I was warned that scooters are not as common in Australia as they are in most of Canada. So far, it has been all good news. We will be returning to Vancouver in mid July. If I can add to what Jo Chambers passed along, I will.

Thanks for writing. Regards, Virginia Krapiec (Joe is climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge as I write!)

Dear Mr & Mrs Krapiec

I hope that you do not mind my writing or feel that it is an intrusion on your privacy, but I see that since joining Green Theme International you have been successful in arranging a home exchange. I also noticed that Mrs Krapiec is of limited mobility. I don't know if you have already read the article by Jo Chambers in the GTI Newsletter and on the Weblog, entitled 'Have Scooter, Will Travel'? I hope that your trip (I'm not sure whether it's to UK or Australia?)is equally as successful as Jo's, and it would be great if you could also write us a short piece
for our next Newsletter similar to that submitted by Jo, as it does so much serve to encourage other people in a similar position to give it a try.

I hope all goes well with your home exchange holiday, wish you a safe journey, and look forward to hearing from you on your return.

Very best regards
Kath Botterill
Green Theme International Home Exchange Holidays
Email: GTI_Home_Exchange@compuserve.com
http://www.gti-home-exchange.com

Making the World more accessible

Overseas accessible travel with no surprises...
the way you imagined it should be.

GO where you want - GO when you want - GO your way
Travel With No Surprises

New GTI Home Exchange members, Virginia & Joe Krapiec,
in Vancouver, Brisith Columbia, Canada, HE16184
were referred to us by the Access-Network.

"Our house is comfortable, bright, two story, open style,
and easy care. No stairs to enter, an elevator for those
who cannot handle stairs and handgrips for the wobbly.
We fiftysomethings have time to travel from May to July.
Our preference would be to spend 4 to 8 weeks in your
area so we can take a good look around. We need a
house/apartment that will accommodate a quite independant
lady (leg amputee) who travels on wheels - either a manual
wheelchair or electric scooter. Stairs, and doorways
less than 27 inches/69 cm wide(especially into the bathroom)
would be obstacles. Other than that, we are typical
travellers. Cat allergy."

Destinations which are of initial interest to the Krapiec's are
Great Britain and Australia.

Have scooter, will travel

Have Scooter, Will Travel - an inspiring and courageous story from Green Theme International Home Exchange Member Jo Chambers

Mobility for me is a problem, but it has never dampened my enthusiam for travel, so when my husband developed a hernia rather than despair because my wheelchair pusher was no longer fit, we went and spent some of the kids inheritance on an electric scooter for me.

We made the decision as we had already agreed on an exchange with a couple and their friends to exchange in August to go to Brisbane. Not having been to Australia before we feel that the Gods were with us as our location was perfect for me. Our exchange home was in Toowong which ment we were 20 minutes by City Cat on the Brisbane River into the heart of the city and 20 minutes by car to Mount Cootah and the Brisbane Forest and National Park plus the main highways to North, South, East and West.

Using the City Cat was ideal for the scooter and enabled us to visit museums, art exhibitions, street markets and shopping plus the outdoor restaurants without the usual hassel of parking and the river itself is a great way to see the city.

We had not only swapped house but cats and car, and the fact of coming home to an animal made it feel very much our own for the three weeks, and our particular cat was the perfect hostess. Our swap neighbours were just the icing on the cake ensuring we saw the very best during our stay and not wasting precious time on things that were not us. A memorable trip was a three night stay at Lake Weyba cottages near Noosa, one cottage is perfect for wheelchair users and as we sat on the veranda at sunset watching the wild kangaroo around the water hole and listening to the frogs and bird song we knew we had made the right choice.

Our stopover in Singapore was great and everyone we encountered was just so helpful and as my scooter is one of the latest light weight ones, we were drawn into conversations with several strangers wanting to know where we and it came from. We have found that my disability has brought the best out in those we meet and I have certainly seen many areas that would otherwise be out of bounds when lifts are only in service areas or private areas of open homes and gardens.

My message to anyone who thinks it is all a bit daunting - go for it - you won't always have the same holiday as everyone else but revel in it and enjoy the differences. We are now thinking where next !

Jo Chambers HE14242
Travel