Activities with handicapped

Does anyone have any ideas for activities on The Big Island for travel with someone with severe arthritis and may be in a wheelchair?

Thanks

Activities with handicapped

I would not have chosen the Big Island.

Activities with handicapped

I have a girlfriend with some mobility issues who recently travelled to BI. She was glad she went but said that Oahu had been much easier for her to have a good time. Even getting off the plane, she had to be on the luggage lift in the wheelchair. She really enjoyed the helecopter ride!

Last year there was a traveler who had very good questions and recieved excellent advice - he then followed up with a trip report that was lovely.

I hope this pastes right, if not try doing a search on the forum for ';wife in wheelchair'; -

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29217-i268-k19170…

Very true about the planes - the smaller airport and smaller planes mean a flight of stairs, but it can be negotiated with chair lift.

Activities truly do depend on your personal likes/dislikes and what you hope for on your vacation. It might be of help to know a bit more about what you would like to do.

hawaii.gov/health/dcab/docs/TravelHawaii.pdf (loads very slowly in pdf format) The host website has information pertaining to all the islands, http://hawaii.gov/health/dcab/travel/

And here is TaoTaro%26#39;s trip report after he and his wife went to the Big Island:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29217-i268-k20354…

They had a great time!

I have arthritis in my knees, so I keep an eye out for mobility issues whereever I go. Walking level-ish ground is not an issue, rock hopping and steep downhills are issues.

A noted issue for me is that Kua Bay is lovely but although they have handicap parking spots, I do NOT see how a wheelchair user can get to the sand. I cannot go down the regular path from the paved to the sand because it is rocky with big steps down. I have to walk an additional 10 minutes on the old jeep road there at the north end of the parking area to get to a less-steep spot. So I%26#39;d say skip Kua if you both want to get to the water.

Sea Paradise can accommodate a wheelchair-bound person on their snorkel tour, but I don%26#39;t know if the person would be able to get into the water. Still, it%26#39;s a fun trip with a actual sailing on the way back.

HonuOhana - thanks for posting the additional link to his trip report, I got sidetracked by reading it again!

pzp - Sea Paradise was the boat they went out on, with successful entry and exit to the water.

This is all good to know.

Sea Paradise has a wide staircase with fairly shallow steps that go into the water. To get up, I swim/float over, take off my fins and hand them up to the waiting crew member (they always come over to help everybody since you cannot walk up sfely in fins!), sit on a step a few steps from the bottom, stand up, turn around, and walk up. When I went 6 weeks after knee surgery, I went up and down one step at a time, sort of sideways. You can also scoot up and down on yoor rear using your arms to raise/lower yourself (people with knee issues will know what I mean). But she will have to stand up at some point.

Getting into the water, actually, they may let her go in off the side deck if she talks to them about it.

Dear New Jersey:

Start with the airlines and car rental and hotel to see what accomodations are possible.

Definitlely call ahead to public places you want to visit. To attempt this type of trip your gonna have to have allot of patience and plan ahead (don%26#39;t just show up).

For example the Hawaiin Tropical Botanical Garden has golf type carts that take you all the way back up the hill from the bottom. Their page does not fully explain if they do cart tours or not (worth checking). I%26#39;m thinking there will be an upcharge for that type of service.

http://www.htbg.com/index.php?page=directions

If you are willing to get in out of car w/ a wheelchair the Volcano National Park has some limited wheelchair access and wheelchairs to borrow.

Most of the main public building are wheelchair accessible and many of the road side pullouts as well but very few trails if any are suitable even with a powered outdoor type chair.

nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm

I%26#39;m willing to bet you can put that type of trip together if you are well motivated and willing to do the extra effort.

Best Wishes and Many Blessings, TheodoreJay

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