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Easy Access Travel is off to Europe!
Are you one of the lucky 43 that are traveling to Europe with us on September 7? We are meeting up in Barcelona and spending three nights there. We have two day trips planned including a city tour and a visit to Montserrat. We will board RCCL's newest and largest ship, Harmony of the Seas on Sunday, September 11 for a Western Mediterranean Cruise. We have accessible shore excursions planned in Palma de Majorca, Naples, Rome, Florence and Marseilles. Many of us are renting mobility scooters and other medical equipment from Special Needs Group, our exclusive provider. This trip has taken many months of planning and preparation and we are all more than ready. This is a first trip to Europe for most of our participants and I am so excited to be escorting everyone. I feel like I'm taking a group of kids to Disneyland for the first time! I will be posting pictures on Face Book and will write a full report for our September Newsletter.
We are spreading our wings and seeing the world! Hope you can join us next time.
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Let's Talk a Little About Talk
Terminology Tips
Put the person first. Say "person with a disability" rather than "disabled person". Say "people with disabilities" rather than "the disabled". For specific disabilities, saying "person with Cerebral Palsy" or "person who has had a stroke" is usually a safe bet. Still, many individuals have their own preferences so do not be afraid to ask which words they like best.
Avoid outdated terms like "handicapped, crippled or retarded". Be aware that many people with disabilities dislike jargony, euphemistic terms like "physically challenged" and "differently abled". Say "person who uses a wheelchair" rather than "confined to a wheelchair" or "wheelchair bound" (this one makes me cringe). The wheelchair is what enables the person to get around and participate in society; it's liberating, not confining.
With any disability, avoid negative, disempowering words like "victim" or sufferer". Say person with post-polio syndrome instead of polio victim or person who suffers from post-polio.
It's okay to use idiomatic expressions when talking to people with disabilities. For example, saying, "it was good to see you and see you later" to a blind person is totally acceptable. They use these expressions themselves all the time.
Information courtesy of United Spinal Association, Tips on Interacting with People with Disabilities.
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75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
Come to Honolulu with us and celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and enjoy accessible shore excursions in Maui, Kauai and Hilo as we sail around the Hawaiian Islands on NCL's Pride of America. One last opportunity to sign up for this incredible trip. Please call no later than Wednesday, August 31 for your chance to join us.
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