Wheelchair Travel Newsletter: Edgar Allan Poe's misfortune and seeing is believing
Wheelchair Travel Newsletter: Edgar Allan Poe's misfortune and seeing is believing
A few notes from Richmond and the big question about airplane accessibility.
Hey, everyone!
It is good that I am not superstitious. During my visit to Richmond, Virginia last week, I knocked over the salt (and pepper) at breakfast, wheeled under a ladder and, upon arriving at the Poe Museum, crossed paths with not one but two black cats.
Though I made jokes about Edgar Allan Poe’s curse of misfortune rubbing off on me at every opportunity, I really did have a wonderful trip — my first visit to Virginia’s capital city since kindergarten.
The Poe Museum, housed inside of Richmond’s oldest remaining residential building, was made partially accessible using a series of portable wheelchair ramps owned by the museum. Through the exhibits which feature the author’s original notes, furniture and other possessions, I was able to learn so much more about his life and legacy than I had previously known.
I left the museum inspired to explore more of Poe’s writing — beyond The Raven, and a few short stories that I had been exposed to in school. I have since ordered a hardcover copy of the Greatest Works of Edgar Allan Poe, and look forward to discovering something new over a cup of coffee on the weekends.
Richmond Region Tourism invited me to visit with the goal of developing accessible travel resources not only for readers like you, but also for the disabled athletes who will converge on the city in April for the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships. The city is working hard to prepare for these important visitors, and I had the opportunity to address a meeting of the region’s hotel managers.
Each time I engage with hotels willing to hear me out, I am reminded of the phrase “seeing is believing.”
The talk gave me an opportunity to demonstrate through description, visual aids and my own presence why the ADA Standards for Hotel Accessibility matter — why handheld shower heads and water controls must be within reach of the shower seat, why bed height is a key concern for many wheelchair users, and why it’s a big problem when other room features are not accessible.
In a past life, I was a high school teacher, and still recognize the expressions people make when a lightbulb turns on in their head. Many more lights illuminated the meeting room than when I arrived, and I hope increased understanding will result in hotel accessibility improvements.
At home this week in Boston, I am also engaging with hotels, in what is a busy schedule of tours and site visits to collect data for a new and improved list of accessible places to stay here (with measurements). There is a lot of time and effort that goes into developing the free wheelchair accessible destination guides that inspire travelers’ wanderlust.
Below, please find some new articles that were published this week on the website, as well as some others that you may have missed. Thank you for your continued readership and, if you are able, please support my work by upgrading to a paid subscription.
Talk to you soon,
— John
Latest Accessible Travel Articles
Is There Space for a Wheelchair Spot and Accessible Bathroom on Airplanes?
The airline industry’s resistance to accessibility mandates should have ended when carriers chose to install showers and suites with doors on commercial jets.
My 7 Favorite Places to Eat in Richmond, Virginia
From Mama J's southern comfort food to an upscale steakhouse, Richmond, Virginia shows that it has the chops to be a foodie destination.
In Case You Missed It
Why Boston’s Silver Line to Logan Airport is one of my favorite modes of accessible transit
The Silver Line's fare-free, frequent and accessible transportation from Logan Airport makes arrivals to Boston easy and hassle-free.
Check out these articles too:
The 23 Most Popular Accessible Travel Articles of 2023 — In 2023, more readers turned to this website for than ever before, a testament to the growing demand for accessible travel opportunities. Here’s what they were reading!
3 Ways to Make Streets and Sidewalks Safer for Disabled People — Wheelchair users are forced to roll in the streets, cross dangerous railroad tracks, and "jaywalk" across a poorly lit roads at night.
Trip Report: One Night in Wheelchair Accessible Spokane — Read my disabled traveler's review of wheelchair accessibility in Spokane, with information on accessible attractions and how to get around.
Enjoy this song, Seeing is Believing, by the one and only Elvis Presley. His skill and control really was amazing.
Can you point me to an airline accepted foldable wheelchair company? I have MS and walk very slowly as a result.
I just tried a mobility scooter for the first time in Savannah, GA. Mobility Bob delivered to and picked it up from the hotel. Savannah is such a lovely, historically interesting city so I would hate to see the brick, slate and cobblestone walkways go away. The curb cuts were very steep and tilted and a couple of times I thought I was going to tip over. Sometimes, I had to skip the curb cut and look for a driveway. I have MS and arthritis in my back, so all the giggling was not really comfortable, but the scooter was better than trying to walk or just staying in the hotel for the whole week of my husband’s conference.