6 Tips for Traveling with a Physical Disability

Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel worldwide, adults with disabilities had been traveling at a clip. In the two years before the pandemic, over 27 million travelers with disabilities took a total of 81 million trips, including nearly 15 million people with disabilities taking over 29 million trips by air.¹ As travel normalizes, it’s likely that persons living with a disability, whether permanent or temporary, will be hitting the road in numbers. 

What should you expect if you are a traveler with a disability? Plan to do research ahead of time, and make special plans to ensure that you and your travel companions have a fun, comfortable, and safe journey.

In the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates a number of measures to make transportation and lodging, among other things, more accessible for individuals with disabilities. However, the U.S. Department of State warns that every country has its own laws and regulations regarding accommodations for handicapped travelers, and enforcement of those regulations can be inconsistent.² On the State Department’s “Country Information” page, you can search for the name of your destination. On the destination country’s page, look for the “Local Laws & Special Circumstances” section to find relevant information for travelers with disabilities. Contacting the embassy or consulate in that location can also be helpful. 

If you are going to a country where you don’t speak the language, Mobility International USA, a nonprofit that aims to advance disability rights globally, offers an accessible-travel phrasebook to help travelers with disabilities explain their needs in 35 languages from Arabic to Vietnamese.³ It’s available in PDF form, so you can carry it as an e-book or a file on your phone while you travel.

When booking your trip, tell the reservations agent about any conditions or accommodations you may need up front. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) bans airlines from discriminating against passengers because of disability, but airlines usually need advance notice if you will need assistance or are traveling with medical equipment/assistive devices or a service animal (more on that later). If you are flying with a wheelchair, especially a motorized one, and expect to board a smaller plane, such as ones commonly used for regional flights, check that it will fit in the cargo compartment before officially booking the flight. 

Most assistive devices – like crutches, walkers, braces, wheelchairs, and medical devices used to administer medications – can be carried on the aircraft only if they fit:

• Into the overhead compartment,
• Under the seat, or
• In a designated stowage area if the device fits and is FAA-approved.

Still, airlines may have different rules, especially regarding bulky equipment, such as wheelchairs, and potentially hazardous items, such as portable oxygen devices. For example, airlines can require up to 48 hours’ notice for passengers traveling with oxygen devices, as well as requiring them to check in an hour earlier and show a medical certificate.

When at the airport, consider requesting to preboard if you need extra time to board, stow equipment, or sit down. According to the DOT, airlines must allow passengers with disabilities the opportunity to preboard, but the passenger must make a preliminary request to the gate agent.⁴

Before your flight, take stock of what you’ll need and find out if the equipment can go in your carry-on or needs to be checked. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a comprehensive checklist of medical devices, showing whether they can be carried on or must be packed in checked luggage. The DOT says that medical devices do not count toward your baggage limit, as long as you are not carrying other personal items in the bag.

If you wear a hearing aid, you don’t need to take it off while going through security. But you should let the TSA personnel know, either by telling them directly or providing a notification card or other medical documentation.

If you are traveling with a wheelchair, airlines can only transport manual wheelchairs in the cabin, but it’s not guaranteed that you’ll be able to safely store one in the seating portion of the aircraft. Similarly, most battery-powered wheelchairs are too large and heavy to be safely stored in the cabin. Wheelchairs that cannot be safely stored are typically stowed in the cargo hold. If stored in the cargo hold, the airline must return your wheelchair as close as possible to the exit door of the aircraft in a timely manner, unless you ask to pick it up in baggage claim.

If you’re traveling with medical equipment or assistive devices, it pays to tell the airline at booking and at check-in. It’s also important to give yourself extra time at check-in to work out any logistics. 

You never know when a hearing aid battery might die or a wheelchair can malfunction. It’s wise not to assume that replacement supplies will be readily available in other locations. Even if supplies are available, language can be a barrier if you’re in a foreign country. If your trip is on a tight schedule, a stop at the medical supply store can disrupt plans. Just as it’s wise to carry extra medication as a precaution against running out, it’s equally smart to bring extra batteries and other supplies for your equipment, as well as a copy of your prescription, if necessary. 

For equipment that must be charged or plugged in, make sure to carry extra plug adapters when you are traveling abroad, since not all countries use the same wall outlets. A surge protector is also a good idea if you are traveling somewhere where the power supply is variable; you don’t want to fry a device you rely on in the middle of your trip.

In addition to giving your airline carrier advance notice if you are traveling with an oxygen device, plan on taking a copy of your prescription with you. Also, while most bus and train lines allow oxygen on board and in checked luggage, the American Lung Association recommends calling your local bus or train office at least three days before departure to ask about their policies.⁵ Similarly, tell your cruise line when you book that you’re traveling with oxygen, as most cruise lines require four to six weeks’ notice. 

Regulations for carrying personal oxygen are tight, especially on airplanes. TSA allows personal medical oxygen cylinders to pass through the screening checkpoint and into the gate area, but the FAA won’t allow them in the cabin or cargo hold because they’re considered a hazard, and airlines are not required to provide medical oxygen service. If you need to fly with oxygen, your best bet is to use a portable oxygen concentrator – but be sure it’s a make and model approved by the FAA.⁶

Individuals traveling with a service animal also need to plan ahead. The ADA says hotels must accept service animals and not charge routine maintenance or cleaning fees, even if pets are charged extra. Airports, tourist attractions, and local transportation in the U.S. are service animal–friendly, following ADA. If you are taking your service animal abroad, the State Department recommends checking the quarantine, vaccination, and documentation requirements for your destination and for any countries you’ll visit in transit.

If you plan to fly with your dog – DOT rules recognize only dogs as service animals, not other species – you may be required to submit forms up to 48 hours ahead to back up your dog’s certification as a service animal and, for flights longer than eight hours, to attest that the dog is trained to “hold it” or relieve itself in a sanitary manner.⁷ Airlines are not allowed to charge extra for a service animal, but DOT rules allow them to set some rules and size limits for animals allowed in the cabin. Check with your airline for its particular requirements.