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Hawaii Tourism: Tips for Travelers with Special Needs

Home > Travel Guides > North America & Caribbean > USA > Hawaii > Planning a Trip > Tips for Travelers with Special Needs

Tips for Travelers with Special Needs

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Travelers with Disabilities--Travelers with disabilities are made to feel very welcome in Hawaii. There are more than 2,000 ramped curbs in Oahu alone, hotels are usually equipped with wheelchair-accessible rooms, and tour companies provide many special services. The Hawaii Center for Independent Living, 414 Kauwili St., Suite 102, Honolulu, HI 96817 (tel. 808/522-5400; fax 808/586-8129; www.diverseabilities.org), can provide information.

The only travel agency in Hawaii specializing in needs for travelers with disabilities is Access Aloha Travel (tel. 800/480-1143; www.accessalohatravel.com), which can book anything, including rental vans (available on Maui and Oahu only), accommodations, tours, cruises, airfare, and anything else you can think of.

For travelers with disabilities who wish to do their own driving, hand-controlled cars can be rented from Avis (tel. 800/331-1212) and Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131). The number of hand-controlled cars in Hawaii is limited, so be sure to book at least a week in advance.

Vision-impaired travelers who use a Seeing Eye dog can now come to Hawaii without the hassle of quarantine. A recent court decision ruled that visitors with Seeing Eye dogs need only to present documentation that the dog has had rabies shots and is a trained Seeing Eye dog. For more information, contact the Animal Quarantine Facility (tel. 808/483-7171; www.hawaii.gov). The American Foundation for the Blind (tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org) also provides information on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs.

Many travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours and cruises that emphasize sports and private tours in minivans with lifts. Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com) offers extensive access information and advice for traveling around the world with disabilities. Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com) caters specifically to slow walkers and wheelchair travelers and their families and friends.

Organizations that offer assistance to travelers with disabilities include MossRehab (www.mossresourcenet.org), which provides a library of accessible-travel resources online; SATH (Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality) (tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org; annual membership fees: $45 adults, $30 seniors and students), which offers a wealth of travel resources for all types of disabilities and informed recommendations on destinations, access guides, travel agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals, and companion services; and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) (tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org), a referral resource for the blind or visually impaired that includes information on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs.

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