3 Accessibility Friendly Countries for your Family to Visit this Year

When you are planning a family vacation, a few questions may flit through your mind: do you want a hot holiday or a cold one?

17:01 17 February 2020

Do you want to go for one week or two? Do you want it to be packed with activities or spend the entire time feeling relaxed by the pool? The possibilities for your dream vacation are endless.

If you are planning a family vacation when a member of your family has limited mobility, these endless possibilities suddenly are cut down to only a few choices. You have to ask yourself more practical questions: with there be wheelchair access? Are there disabled facilities?

Luckily though, accessibilities around the world are rising and looks as though it will continue to rise into the future. Having limited mobility should not stop you from having an amazing family trip. Here are just 3 of the amazing cities around the world that are wonderfully well equipped for your family’s mobility needs:

Dubai

Up until the 1990’s, Dubai was mostly desert which means that the majority of the city's high rises and beautiful attractions are less than 30 years old. Transportation around the city is made simple through its easily accessible and thoroughly modern Metro. With dedicated wheelchair spaces in each class aboard the Metro, this makes it an easy way to navigate this gleaming city.

There are no shortages of wheelchair accessible sights to see in Dubai, from the world’s biggest mall to the 124^th floor of the Burj Khalifa each one is designed for wheelchairs.

Amsterdam

A city full of bicycles means that it is a city full of bicycle lanes and drop curbs that are perfect for rolling a wheelchair down on a crisp Dutch morning. The city’s top attractions include the ‘I Amsterdam’ sign and trips along the city’s many waterways. Canal boat trips are designed to accommodate wheelchairs so that you don’t miss out on seeing this beautiful city from the water.

There are also accessible hotels available all over the city, most of which are just a stone’s throw away from the nearest Metro line. The Amsterdam Metro runs 5 lines, all of which are designed to be used by anybody and everybody, whether you have a mobility scooter, walking cane, or wheelchair. The gaps between the train and platform are miniscule which make them easily accessible for all manual and electronic wheelchair users.

Sydney

With its beautiful Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, Sydney is a stunning city in which to spend a vacation. Australia is obviously known for its beaches, and with beach wheelchairs available to loan at one of Sydney’s most visited beaches, Manly, there is no excuse not enjoy a beach BBQ with your family.

And if you fancy heading out of the city, you can spend a day or two in the Blue Mountains with its clean, fresh air and indigenous Australian plants and wildlife. There are also plenty of accommodations with accessibility for wheelchair users.

Accessibility around the world is only going to get better, make sure that you take advantage of this and take your family someone spectacular for your vacation this year.