Disabled, Wheelchair Accessible Travel to London River Bus, France, Hartford, CT, Portland, London Easy Hotel

GLOBAL ACCESS NEWS TRAVEL E-ZINE
VOLUME VI, NUMBER 9, September 2005
Copyright © 2005, Global Access News
http://www.globalaccessnews.com/

Please note: Any Internet links mentioned in this E-Zine were verified as functioning as of the date on this E-Zine. Websites and e-mail addresses, however, change frequently, so changes may have occurred after that date.

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Welcome to the September 2005 issue of the Global Access News Travel E-Zine. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to write us and share your travel experiences.

CONTENTS

1. LONDON: EASY HOTEL
2. LONDON: RIVER BUS
3. FRANCE: ACCESSIBLE TOURS & TRANSPORTATION
4. HARTFORD, CT MARRIOTT MUST BUILD ACCESSIBLE ROOMS
5. ACCESS LACKING WORLDWIDE
6. PERFECTLY PORTLAND, OR

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1. LONDON: EASY HOTEL

London’s Easy Hotel opened in August and receives high marks from Global Access for providing two rooms for disabled travelers in central London at the budget price of £10 a night. Rooms feature a double bed with towels, sheets, duvet and pillows.

These minimalist rooms have a private shower room with toilet, washbasin and shower. To activate the TV, guests need to purchase a remote control from reception (£5 for 10 channels for 24 hours). All rooms are for a maximum of two people and provide heating, cooling and fresh air circulation.

In order to book an accessible room, guests must book it via the web-site in advance. Guests must have a disability that precludes them from staying in a standard room. Management reserves the right to charge guests the difference at the prevailing rate or refuse to check-in anyone who books an accessible room without actually having a disability. When visiting their web site, you may notice that the link to “Special Needs” rooms no longer works, so after viewing the photos to see if the rooms fit your disability needs, hit their “Help” link and send them an e-mail to ask any questions you might have.
http://www.easyhotel.com/faqs/AboutUs.asp?SD=73228363720050808003741

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2. LONDON: RIVER BUS

While in London, don’t miss the opportunity to ride the accessible River Bus (RVI). By using it, disabled riders can catch a 10-minute ride from Covent Garden in Central London to the South Bank district. There they can take a hop-on, hop-off self-guided tour of everything from the London Eye, to the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Bridge, the Tower of London and much more. An all-day Travelcard provides Underground and bus transportation in two zones for about 6£. Service operates 6 to 7 a.m. every 20 minutes, then every 10 minutes until midnight. http://www.londontransport.co.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2005/one-day/

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3. HARTFORD, CT MARRIOTT MUST BUILD ACCESSIBLE ROOMS

The Marriott Hotel in Hartford, CT, had to tear down 15 of its 17 disabled rooms and remodel them to comply with ADA. The hotel’s bathrooms did not meet the state code requiring that the distance between the wall on the side of the toilet and the sink’s edge be at least 60 inches. The hotel was scheduled to open in August.

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4. ACCESS LACKING WORLDWIDE

It is interesting to note the number of newspaper stories that surfaced this month decrying the scarcity of disabled friendly holidays. Two publications citing this concern were in the UK at http://www.travelbite.co.uk/accomodation/holidays-inaccessible-disabled-people-$15033519.htm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4180950.stm

The other publication was a Malaysia newspaper at
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2005/9/3/lifefocus/11921791&sec=lifefocu

However, a Miami-based article points out that the disabled travel market is a large one and still untapped until the accommodations, transportation, services, etc. are available.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/special_packages/business_monday/12487923.htm

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5. FRANCE: ACCESSIBLE TOURS & TRANSPORTATION

Readers of Global Access News frequently seek accessible transportation services in France (and especially Paris). For decades France has lagged behind nations like Britain when it comes to providing accessible transportation to navigate. Thankfully, the private sector sometimes views disabled people as a viable market, so it was heartening to hear of Derek Guzman’s new service.

Guzman writes: “We are based in Paris. Our company creates vacation itineraries for people who want a structured program to follow during their time in the city. The customer has the option to proceed independently, or to also use the services of our wheelchair-accessible vans (with or without driver). We offer tours of Paris and the rest of France and will also take people beyond the French border. We offer travel advice/assistance and van 'taxi' service (pick up/drop off at airport, within Paris, etc). A customer may use us only for transportation/tours, without an itinerary. Our main strengths are a fleet of new, adapted vans and an in-depth knowledge of accessible Paris. We maintain an extensive database of wheelchair-accessible restaurants (over 100!), hotels, attractions, and public places.

I personally do guided walking tours of Paris for wheelchair users during the time I am there. My next stay in Paris will be mid-September through Christmas.” Write Derek at derekfotos@hotmail.com

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6. PERFECTLY PORTLAND, OR

What’s so great about Portland, Oregon? Fabulous transportation, scenic forests and parks and the best bookstore on the planet are just a sampling of the best of this northwest city. Discover more at http://www.globalaccessnews.com/portland05.htm

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Global Access News welcomes your travel reports, tips and comments at clearpath@cox.net Thanks for sharing!

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