Wednesday, January 30, 2019

What To Consider For Special Needs Travel Customer

By Kenneth Baker


We all tend to have our own special needs and wants especially when we are traveling. However, there are people who require specific needs and wants that require extra planning, understanding and sensitive treatment for them. Such people require special needs travel arrangements to be done for them to ensure that they are comfortable throughout their journey.

There are very many types of people who require this special treatment. They include those who are physically impaired needing wheelchairs, those with visual and hearing impairment and even speech. Others include people who cannot speak English or those with special dietary needs and even those traveling with young ones and minors traveling alone. All these are people who need some special need to be addressed during their travel.

Anyone traveler in this group requires some level of sensitivity and additional customer service for their journey to be bearable. In this case, it is best to make plans for such a traveler in advance and notify the transport company of any special needs that may have to be met throughout the journey. The travel agent or company can, therefore, make the necessary adjustments well ahead of time and also notify the transport crew of the presence of the traveler.

There are laws and guidelines that have been set up to ensure that special needs individuals are treated equally and get the same opportunities as the ordinary folks. The guidelines and laws have made it possible for them to access public transport and accommodation easily. A lot of changes have also been made on the different modes of travel such as air, road, and water to accommodate the different special needs.

Most of the transport companies such as airline companies have made tremendous adjustments to cater for different types of special needs travelers. Some have included aisle seats with removable arms that make it easier for travelers with mobility issues have easy access. They also provide meals that cater for those with special dietary needs.

The airline companies have also gone ahead to make it easy for the travelers with wheelchairs to get checked at the gates easily. Their wheelchairs are also made accessible for them when they reach their destinations or when switching planes during their trip. They are usually offloaded first before the rest of the luggage and taken to the passengers. Another tip that can make travel bearable for a traveler using a wheelchair is the use of direct flights. But when this is not possible, there should be ample time to allow for the passenger to switch planes.

In terms of communication, the special needs have been catered for by some of the transport companies by providing a way of communicating to the respective travelers. Trains, for example, have included braille systems for their passengers who may not get the announcements made. For those who must travel with their guide dogs, the transport companies allow them to travel with their guide at no extra cost.

When using road transport, the special needs of the traveler can also be catered for through the use of the right car. For example, vans that have wheelchair accessibility and hand-controlled cars are available to those that need it from the transport companies. Cruise ships and boats have also adjusted accordingly and made cabins for those that need wheelchairs and also made it their public areas more accessible for those that have special needs.




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