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What I Did on my Summer Vacation

© Michelle Struik

Holiday planning for the disabled can be a bit of a challenge. Even with the best intentions things sometimes just don't turn out as you planned!

As a disabled person finances somewhat dictate what you can and can not afford. Sure we'd all like to lay on a beach in Mexico or Hawaii.... but my Lotto ticket still hasn't paid off yet!

Buck and I decided to do some local travel this year, the first week we decided to visit my mother who we haven't seen in two years. She lives in a small town in the interior of British Columbia. Merritt is a ranching community, population approximately 7,500. Now you wouldn't think this would be a mecca for disability sensitivity but boy were we surprised! While visiting a small chain store (Fields) I was looking at some mark down racks of t-shirts and my cane fell down, it had barely hit the floor when the cashier came running across the store telling me on route "I'll get that for you ma'am" with a smile on her face! Every store in town had easy wheelchair access and/or those automatic door openers. Every sidewalk had ramps built into them at the end of each street! When I commented on how "handicapped friendly" the town was my mother told me that the local paper had covered in a series of articles where the mayor and his aldermen had to use wheelchairs for a day without getting out of the chair.....maybe more mayor's should participate in this type of "experiment"!

The second week we decided to head to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, a short car ferry ride away from Vancouver. The ferries operated by the government are very handicapped friendly, with elevators from the car decks to the main deck where facilities are available. Easy access to cafeteria, comfortable seating and washrooms.

Now the Sunshine Coast is considered a tourist Mecca in British Columbia, and with that thought you'd think that they would be somewhat "disabled friendly" there. Unfortunately that isn't the case! I had phoned the bed and breakfast where we were planning to stay on two occasions prior to booking with them. I was very honest about my mobility impairment and was assured that the lodging was perfectly suitable for me. I was told there was a short flight of stairs down to the beach cabin we were booking and that I shouldn't have any problems at all. Unfortunately when we arrived this was NOT the case, the small flight of stairs turned into 3 flights of stairs set at a 25% angle down a steep embankment. You guessed it! The second day I fell down the stairs approximately 20 feet and landed in a rather large blackberry bush! Fortunately I didn't break anything besides my pride, but I do have some rather impressive bruises on my "bottom" and look like I was a losing "umpire" in a major cat fight! Buck took one look at me and calmly said...."that's it! we're moving!". We managed to find a lovely main floor motel room with a pool to help me nurse my bruises!

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