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Disabled Facilities Accommodation in Cities
Disabled Facilities Accommodation in Costa Brava
Disabled Facilities Accommodation in Costa Blanca
Disabled Facilities Accommodation in Costa del Sol
Although Spain isn't renowned for its good disabled access facilites both for accommodation, beach access and for access to tourist attractions, things are certainly improving and you'll notice improvements most in some of Spain's older resorts such as Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Benidorm and in popular Spanish cities such as Barcelona. Some of the more relaxing and quieter Spanish resorts are also putting more emphasis on easy access onto beaches, and benefit from flat level beach promenades. Good examples include Roquetas de Mar on the Costa Almeria and Torre del Mar. Both these Spanish resorts have long and wide flat level beaches, with adjacent paseo beach promenades alongside and at the same level as the beach (no steps down.) For Torremolinos, along this old favourite Costa del Sol resort's beachfront you've easy access onto the beach from the beach promenade, and likewise with Benidorm. However both these resorts rise up behind the beach, making it difficult to reach say Torremolinos town centre on foot/wheelchair. However, you've excellent public transport within both Torremolinos and Benidorm, and many local buses now are catering well for disabled travellers. Regular buses run up from the beaches at both these resorts.
The NHS Fit for Travel (see ww.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk) offers good advice on pre-travel arrangements to ensure that travellers with disabilities have the facilities they need. The checklist includes having good advanced knowledge of both your accommodation and facilities available in your location. This is excellent advice, as you may well have excellent access within your accommodation but poor access onto beaches. See the tourist information pages for Spanish Resorts and cities here on Iknow Spain, and do some further research via the local weblinks to see just how accessible your chosen Spanish location is.
Fit for travel also advises checking hotel and medical facilities which are available before booking, have a medical check-up prior to booking and before travel, taking a doctor's letter with you in case of illness abroard may prove useful and ensuring you have adequate medical health insurance in place prior to travel. Fit for Travel also advices on taking ample supplies of your own medications which may not be available easily to you in Spain. They also recommend carrying essential medication on your person or in hand luggage during travel, as well as considering having an influenzer vaccination prior to Travel. Advising your airline of your needs is also crucial. All airlines are usually most helpful, ensuring early boarding, wheelchair availability if need and so on. Other useful points of contact for advice on travel to Spain and elsewhere include the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) at www.dptac.gov.uk and see also The Royal Society for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) at www.radar.org.uk.
Disabled facilities and disabled access to attractions in Spanish cities and resorts is slowly improving, but it's all far from brilliant. Particular Spanish Costa resorts do stick out as being more accessible. These are often the older resorts like Torremolinos on the Costa Del Sol and Benidorm on the Costa Blanca. Both these friendly resorts have easy access onto flat level beaches, and long level beach promenades. See too quieter relaxing resorts such as Roquetas de Mar on the Costa Almeria, Torre del Mar on the east Costa del Sol and Estepona on the west coast of the Costa del Sol. Roquetas de Mar is particular recommended on the Costa Almeria, with its flat level beach access, adjacent endless beach promenade with level easy access onto the beach in most parts, plus navigating around Roquetas main tourist hotel area is good with numerous level crossings and ramped pavements.
The city of Barcelona too is increasingly offering ease of access (see www.accessiblebarcelona.com for details). Most art galleries, museums and public attractions in Spain now offer more accessible access, particularly high profile art galleries such as the Prado in Madrid or newer museums in Barcelona such as the excellent Catalunya History Museum on the Port Vell Waterfront.
Most of the larger Spanish city centre and resort hotels will have lifts to all floors. Check with your individual hotel or apartment/aparthotel just what disabled facilities are on offer. For some excellent advice see www.holidaycare.org.uk. Holiday Care produce a selection of booklet guides on disabled travel and access across the world, and they've a comprehensive booklet on Spain which you can order via their website for just a few pounds.
Disabled travellers can expect access to assistance at airports and during flights. When you arrive at airports, and it's well worth notifying airports on your required needs, expect assistance to reach your check-in desk which could take the form of needing a wheelchair from the terminal entrance, or an escort if you have a sensory impairment, or help carrying your luggage. You can also get assistance with registration at the check-in desk, with staff on hand trained in BSL. Help to reach your departure gate can also be provided. The code leaves the decision to the individual passenger whether to transfer into one of the airline's wheelchairs or to remain in your own whilst waiting to board. You can also get help boarding and disembarking from the aircraft.
Cabin crew on the aircraft should provide you with assistance in stowing and retrieving baggage on the plane should you need it. However if baggage to be stowed in cabin lockers is very heavy, they may refuse to lift it on health and safety grounds. Ask about this if you think your hand luggage may be heavy when you check in. If you need it, an on-board wheelchair can be provided, as can assistance moving to and from the plane toilet. Cabin crew cannot help on any issue involving personal hygiene, again connected with health and safety and food handling. You can also expect assistance transferring between a mobility aid and passenger seat. This again is a health and safety issue. It's increasingly the practice of airlines that this task is carried out not by cabin crew but by baggage handling staff who are trained in manual handling techniques.
During your flight you can get limited assistance with meals, but Cabin crew will only help with opening packaging, and describing the layout of the tray to visually impaired passengers; they cannot assist with feeding. Cabin crew will assist in briefing disabled passengers and their travelling companions on emergency procedures and the layout of the cabin. Airlines can also provide staff trained in BSL or offer an easy to understand explanation. When you reach your destination airport you can expect assistance to the general public area or to a representative of the tour operators. Prior to your travel it's well worth ensuring that mobility transport support is in place. Generally, assistance to passengers in transit is provided as is assistance to the point of onward travel. The rule of thumb for travellers with disabilities is to make clear your needs to airports, tour operators and airlines before you travel. They should then kick in with all support as specified in the code of practice. If any fail to offer the support outlined in the Code of Practice after you have outlined your needs prior to travel, it's well worth complaining to either Tripscope or DPTAC.
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