Many believe that physical disabilities can severely limit our mobility and life experiences. That’s not true anymore because travelling with physical disabilities is now a lot easier, more fun and more convenient.
Back then there were no systems or processes in place to properly assist disabled people when travelling. It’s also possible that there were very few disabled persons who dare to explore the world despite their limitations. The good news is that people with disabilities can now take advantage of modern systems that allow for easy travel even in relatively difficult to access locations.
This is more than just a trend. It’s the right thing to do. People from all backgrounds and abilities will one day receive equal job opportunities. This equality will similarly apply to travel so that even people with disabilities can explore breathtaking sights whether individually or with families and friends. It will certainly be an awesome experience for everyone because there will be no one left out and everyone will have a great time.
A wheelchair is a way to get somewhere else
Often many people see wheelchairs as tools that limit mobility. If someone is using the wheelchair, it means the person has restrictions on what he or she should be doing.
But the truth is the wheelchair is only a tool to get from point A to point B with minimal assistance. It actually improves mobility because the person using the wheelchair can now reach other places without exhausting someone else. It’s not a prison because in reality, it gives people some level of freedom, access and mobility whether at home or outdoors.
This goes beyond the home or community environment. That’s because wheelchairs also allow disabled persons to go further and beyond. They can now visit and explore the Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach, Sydney Cricket Ground and even the Blue Mountains. The barriers keep falling which is why more and more disabled people visit various sites. The physical constraints are still there, but it doesn’t mean the experiences should be limited as well.
For instance, the Sydney Opera House runs accessible tours and offers Auslan interpreting, low vision access, closed captioning and audio descriptions on select performances. People with disability can even enjoy a highly specialised interactive theatre experience. This is made possible through audio-described tours. In fact, Sydney Opera House even offers a complimentary wheelchair accessible shuttle bus to and from performances to support their less mobile patrons.
As a result, less mobile patrons can now enjoy world-class performances. This is equality at work because people with physical disabilities can have awesome experiences outside of home or a healthcare facility.
More barriers are actually coming down because more entertainment facilities now have specialised systems that cater to people with special requirements. For example, the Sydney Theatre Company provides accessible performances so that everyone can participate and enjoy their productions. Their commitment is on equal access to performances, which is why their current facilities cater for a wide range of access and special seating requirements. The Sydney Theatre Company also includes hearing enhancement and headsets, audio-described performances, captioned performances, wheelchair access and Auslan interpreted performances.
This is a huge step towards giving equal access to all patrons regardless of their abilities when it comes to world-class performances. For instance, the audio-described performances allow for a live commentary interspersed with the actor’s dialogue. There are even touch-tours before the production so that less-abled patrons can somehow capture the atmosphere and action before and during the course of a performance. There are also wheelchair seats available in the Roslyn Packer Theatre and Drama Theatre.
The wheelchair seats allow less mobile patrons to get a nice view or experience (in fact a better view) of the characters, stage and the overall performance. Mobility is not an issue anymore when it comes to access to world-class entertainment.
What about having a great outdoor experience?
Indoor entertainment facilities could be easily modified so that less mobile patrons can still enjoy the shows. However, it’s an entirely different case when exploring the outdoors (e.g. Blue Mountains). After all, we don’t have the power or authority to alter the natural features for us to have an easier time navigating and exploring the natural beauty of Blue Mountains.
The good news is that it’s still possible to explore the outdoors because of specialised accessible tours now available. For instance, we can design a tailored tour (with input from our less mobile customers) so that our clients can experience comfort and travel in the comfort of their own private and exclusive wheelchair accessible vehicle. The driver guide will also adapt the tour to suit your interests and personal space. Our less mobile customers can also request to stop and pause the travel anytime so that they can get a longer view of the scenery that captivated them.
After all, it’s about savouring the experience (and not just visiting as many places as you could). Although the tour is long enough to visit the most captivating and natural areas, we also ensure that clients can decide on where to spend more time. Whether it’s looking at the Three Sisters rock formation or visiting the wildlife park and looking at the koalas and kangaroos, our clients always take the shots during the tour. They gain absolute control on how to experience the entire tour.
Experiencing Sydney
Although there are a lot of other attractions in Australia and other countries, Sydney is still preferred by many. Perhaps it’s because of the relatively friendly climate and the balance between nature and modernity.
For instance, the Sydney CBD has a busy and ambitious atmosphere because of high economic activity. But not that far from the highrises is the beachside and the ocean which clearly shows that everyone is still close to nature no matter how modernity has taken over their lives.
As a result, it’s always a great experience to explore Sydney and visit its main attractions. For example, our less mobile clients are happy when visiting the Sydney Opera House, NSW Art Gallery, The Gap (it’s an ocean cliff in eastern Sydney) and Bondi Beach. Aside from these popular tourist attractions, our clients can also have that local experience because their guide is a local Sydneysider passionate about his city. You will know and visit where locals actually live and play. For example, many of our less mobile clients have visited Double Bay, the Queen St cafe set and historic Paddington iron lace terraces.
The experience is quite similar with the Blue Mountains tour because the clients can choose to pause or stop anywhere safe and appropriate. They can stay longer on one area (e.g. they prefer the “local” experience to know what makes Sydney unique). Also, they can even better experience the Bondi Beach because we have available beach wheelchairs.
The experience is likely to be very convenient and enjoyable not just to the less mobile client, but also to the entire family and companions of our customer. Indeed, happiness multiplies when shared. This has always been our goal here at Australia in Style because we want the experience to be amazing for everyone.
Travelling with physical disabilities is now easier and more convenient
We understand that people with disabilities (together with their families and friends) have special requirements, which is why we have carefully designed our service to make it easier for our clients to have a great time in Sydney.
From airport transfer up to the Blue Mountains tour, our clients have been able to experience ease and convenience in the entire tour. Moreover, we also give our clients a high level of control on which sites to visit and how long to stay at a particular site. This way, travelling becomes more intentional and probably much more enjoyable.
It’s all about the experience, which is why we work hard to make it smooth as much as possible. Our goal is also to make each experience unforgettable so that our less mobile clients can see more of the world and gain more interesting experiences.
Easy access and barrier-free tourism have been our commitment here at Australia in Style since 1995. With humble beginnings, we’re now able to service thousands of local and international visitors whether they want to watch world-class performances, experience nature at the Blue Mountains or get a clue of what makes Sydney an attractive place for almost everyone.
If you, your friend or family member also wants to gain that experience, you can contact us here at Australia in Style. We will study your specific requirements and tailor the entire tour so that everyone can have a wonderful experience they can cherish for years to come.
