Planning, Patience, Flexibility

I met a man years ago who prepared for a week long trip on his motorcycle by sticking a toothbrush in his back pocket. For most of us, travel takes more preparation, especially when one of the travelers has a disability. 

When our family took trips with all our kids, my wife Bev used her excellent planning skills to pack two suitcases for our oldest daughter Nicole, who has multiple disabilities and medical needs. Bev put the usual stuff in one and filled the other with supplies—cannulas, probes, tubing, syringes, medications—so that we had all we needed for Nicole’s everyday needs and for potential emergencies. We considered accessibility of our destination attractions and accommodations, proximity to major hospitals, air quality, and more. Still, we enjoyed traveling to the Poconos and the Rockies, to Key West (Florida), and Mackinac Island (Michigan). With good planning, patience, and flexibility, we made these trips work and had great times together. 

RCA and CRC Disability Concerns produces Breaking Barriers to provide our readers with insights into the lives of people with various disabilities. We tell these stories to encourage understanding. In this issue, we hear how a few of us make travel work. Almost no one can grab a toothbrush and travel for a week. Some of us have to do a lot of advance planning and preparation, but most of us can enjoy travel, experiencing God’s gift of cultures and creation—across town or across an ocean.