When it comes to travelling, it can be quite tricky. Travelling is expensive enough and when you have a disability, the costs can mount up. This could be a result of equipment you need to bring, or if you are travelling with a support person. Luckily, many companies offer deals to those travelling with a companion which makes it easier on your wallet.
Here is a list of companies with disability travel programs you can take advantage of!
| Free Companion | Assistive Device Onboard | Medical Assessment | Other Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTC | Yes* | Yes | Yes* | *Support Person Assistance Card required |
| Toronto Island Ferry | Yes | Yes | N/A | |
| Go Transit | Yes* | Yes | N/A | *Support Person Ticket required |
| Megabus | Yes | Yes* | N/A | *Call in advance. Depends on bus. |
| Greyhound | Yes* | Yes | Yes* | *Easter Seals Disability Travel Card required |
| VIA Rail | Yes* | Yes | Yes* | *Easter Seals Disability Travel Card required |
| Porter Airlines | Yes* | Yes^ | Yes* | *Must fill out application ^Must transfer out and stored in cargo |
| West Jet | Yes* | Yes^ | Yes* | *Must fill out application ^Must transfer out and stored in cargo |
| Air Canada | Yes* | Yes^ | Yes* | *Must fill out application. Only within Canada ^Must transfer out and stored in cargo |
And since you’ll be travelling across Canada, you will want to get an Access-2-Entertainment Card. This card allows persons with a disability to get free admission or a significant discount for their companion at a wide variety of attractions across Canada. Once you have the card, all you have to do is present it when you buy tickets with your companion when you go to a movie or attractions. You can find out more about the card here.
Easter Seals also offers a travel card. The card offers it’s holder discounts to their support person when travelling with participating partners. You can read more about that here.
March of Dimes Canada offers one-day trips that allow you to enjoy outings to art galleries, museums, casinos, sporting events, festivals, boat cruises, and beautiful destinations in Southern Ontario. All destinations are wheelchair accessible.
The idea for the charity Wicked World Tours came from Patrick and Ali Knox who wanted to see the ‘wicked world we live in’ and to research what the potential was for wheelchair users. to enjoy adventurous travel. The brothers were diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, which limited their mobility but not their imagination, and with a team of helpers and friends, they undertook a fabulous journey. Between June 2003 and May 2004, they visited more than 50 towns and cities in 10 countries, fundraising for all the stages. They set up Wicked World Tours Charity so that their experiences could help make it possible for others to travel.
Wicked World Tours have benefited from the generous donations of supporters who believe that disability should not prevent people from travelling. The charity has set up a Grants Programme and invites people with disabilities to apply for money to help them undertake adventurous travel.
Hi…my son , who is blind and has cerebral palsy, and myself are hoping to attend my other son’s wedding in Italy in September, 2019. I would like to know if there are any travel grants available for him. Also, what is the policy when traveling with an assistant?