By way of a little background to those who haven’t read any of my previous travel articles, this trip was part of my travels around the world during my time off from work. I work as a solicitor as at a commercial law firm in the City of London and took up the offer of extended leave when I was offered the permanent role in July. So far I had travelled to Scotland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, US and South Africa, and this Singapore and Bali holiday was to be the last leg of my travels before starting my permanent role in January.

I booked my flights with Singapore Airlines, who I have to say were really good and provided an excellent service.  I had a three day stop-over in Singapore before heading off to Bali. But when reaching Singapore a mini-disaster was encountered, where I discovered that my wheelchair charger was not working and couldn’t be easily fixed. This had the potential to ruin my holiday, as I am unable to walk at all, and I had only about a day of charge left in the wheelchair. I really did not want to spend an entire holiday trapped in a hotel room with a wheelchair on a low battery. In my jet-lagged state, I frantically phoned Otto Bock (the company which makes the wheelchair) HQ in Germany to find out they had a dealership or engineer in Singapore. The contact they provided was unable to help as he all he did was process sales orders for Otto Bock in Singapore. I then remembered that I had used the charger of a friend who is also a wheelchair user when we travelled to California, which was made by Invacare (another large mobility products company). I was able to track down an Invacare contact in Singapore by calling Invacare Asia HQ. Unfortunately, all this contact could do was provide me with the name of another contact, who in turn gave me another number to contact! This carried until person number 8 on the chain of contacts told me of a mobility store he know of which sold powered wheelchair and chargers. I went to this store the following morning, and was fortunately able to buy a replacement charger which worked. Disaster averted! Holiday saved!

Aside from the little drama when I first got to Singapore, I had a fantastic time in the city. I have some good friends who work in Singapore, and it was great to spend time with them. The ease of travelling to and around Singapore made it all the better. Singapore is an incredibly modern and efficient city, thus accessibility and facilities for wheelchair users are as good (or even better) as anything you could find in Europe or the US. I was able to easily find accessible taxis (http://www.smrt.com.sg/taxis/our_services.asp) and a hotel which had the wheelchair access and roll in shower I needed (http://www.meritushotels.com/en/hotelinformation/marina-mandarin-singapore/about). To my surprise, while in Singapore I also discovered that the metro was wheelchair accessible, which meant that I did not have to always book taxis, and hence save quite a bit of cash!

After three great days in Singapore it was time to catch the flight to Bali. As accessible transport and accommodation are not so easy to identify in Bali, Andrew and I managed to find a local tour operator called Bali Access Travel (BAT) (http://www.baliaccesstravel.com). BAT have a wheelchair accessible van with space for two wheelchairs and use two hotels in the south of Bali in a place called Sanur, both of which have specially adapted rooms. We spent the first few days exploring the island, which included a couple of road trips into the mountainous regions of the island where we were able to see the Kintanami volcano and Mount Agung. We also spent a fair bit time chilling out at the beach on the days when we had not hired the van.

During these first few days we also finalised our diving plans. We had arranged an adapted diving session through BAT who in turn used a local diving organisation called the Bali International Diving Professionals (BIDP) (http://www.bidp-balidiving.com). Our dive was to take place on the east coast of Bali at a resort near the small town of Tulamben. The resort of Tulamben is a popular Bali dive site as it is the site of the wreckage of a US Navy transport ship, the USAT Liberty, which was sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II. As I had never been scuba diving before, my dive would be an introductory dive, whereas Andrew, who had been diving many times before his accident and had his PADI diving certificate was able to book a full dive session to see the wreck. As Tulamben was on the other side of Bali, we planned to stay there for two nights at an accessible guest house which BAT had identified.

When we arranged the dive, in all honesty we had no idea what to expect! We hadn’t a clue what “adapted disabled diving” would entail and what kind of accessible facilities would be provided. On arriving at the USS Liberty Dive Resort we realised that in Bali “adapted” meant that there would be lots of strong and friendly people provided by BIDP to help, but absolutely nothing in terms of accessible facilities! At the resort, there were lots of large stairways to navigate which required the help of the BIDP team and about four portable ramps. This was no simple feat as Andrew and I were in two heavy powered wheelchairs, and all this was just to get down to the beachfront. On a patio covered area of the beachfront, our dive instructors went through the safety steps, gave us a basic tutorial of how to use the equipment, and as this was my first dive, taught me how to equalise the pressure in ears. This tutorial also included learning some all important key hand gestures to indicate if there was something wrong!

The next challenge was getting changed into the wet suit. There was no accessible changing area, so we had to improvise! I took my portable hoist with me, so in the end, I got changed on the floor, with a member of BIDP team holding a couple of towels up to give me some privacy while my PA got me ready. The wet suit felt a little strange, but I was very excited, but was a little nervous about the next step, which was to lift me into the water.  Again, some improvisation was required. We basically put the hoist sling on me as if I was to be lifted by the hoist, but taking the place of the hoist would be six very strong Balinese guys and my PA, Jozef, who is also very strong. My two dive instructors were already in the water, and the plan was to lift me out to sea to the waiting dive instructors, who would strap the oxygen tanks to me while lying on back in the water. Here is a video to show you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DLngk4jm2g&feature=player_embedded

Fortunately, all went to plan and I was safely lifted into the sea, where my two dive instructors attached the oxygen tanks to me, and I started breathing via these tanks. We then slowly went underwater with one of the instructors holding on to me, and the other always in front of me to check I was ok and able to equalise the pressure in my ears. Going underwater for the first time and breathing through the oxygen tank was an insane experience. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating and exciting, and I as became more comfortable with short and shallow dives, we were able to dive deeper to a depth of about 5 metres. Being underwater was amazing. The sea life was so colourful and beautiful, and I felt the most bizarre sense of tranquillity just watching shoals of fish swim past me. In the weightlessness of the underwater world I was able to move my arms and legs a little. Apart from when I am asleep, I am always in my wheelchair, so it was a great feeling to escape the confines of my wheelchair and have the freedom to move my body. This is a video of me underwater http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFDETicgipw&feature=player_embedded

In the final few minutes of the dive, I was able to see the distant outline of the stern of the USAT Liberty shipwreck, which was an unbelievable sight as it was teeming with coral and sea life. The dive unfortunately had to come to an end and sadly I had to head back to the surface. To get back into my wheelchair, a mass of people each grabbed a strap on my hoist sling and lifted me out of the water and back onto dry land.

For the rest of the day and pretty much the rest of the holiday, I was on an indescribable high. This was the most thrilling and exciting thing I had ever done, and I simply can’t wait to go diving again. We returned to Sanur from Tulamben the day after, and the last couple of days of the holiday were spent relaxing before commencing the very long journey back to London.

The Bali scuba dive was the biggest highlight of my travels, and I can’t strongly recommend enough anyone with a disability trying a scuba dive as long as it is a medical possibility. As I write this article, my work start date draws near, and in the next few months the only thing I will be diving into, is a busy office with a massive pile of work to do! But nonetheless my aim for 2011 is to hopefully complete my basic scuba diving certification and hopefully go another dive in the not too distant future.

And the BBC article……….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12176854

It terms of adaptations, I really couldn’t find any flaws with the cruise liner. It was easy to move around the ship, getting on and off the ship at each port was straightforward (although the ramp could be a bit steep depending on the tide) and my cabin was of a good size and with all the adaptations I need like a roll in shower and space under my bed for the hoist.  The thick carpet in the room made moving the hoist around a little difficult and the swaying of the ship when in the choppy waters of Bay of Biscay was a bit uncomfortable. But on the whole, you could see that P&O were accustomed to passengers with disabilities and considerable thought had gone into the design of the adapted cabins.

At all stops apart from Florence and Rome, the port area where the ship docks is pretty much a short walk from the port’s town centre, again making it relatively easy to wander around. However, some of these ports, especially Gibraltar and Ajjacio were very hilly and cobbled, with many roads lacking drop downs. Cruise operators organise tours at each stop known as a shore excursion. At some ports, P&O were able to offer wheelchair accessible shore excursions using adapted vans. I went on such excursions at Rome and Florence. Although only whistle-stop tours through cities that you could easily a couple of weeks enjoying, it was a lot of fun visiting the picture postcard attractions such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Coliseum in Rome.

Cruise liners are essentially floating hotels with tons of food and drink available. They are a very relaxing and somewhat indulging experience. There is quite a bit of dead time while at sea where you have to keep yourself entertained. I usually prefer holidays that are a little more “busier” and hectic, rather than one where you end up spending a lot of time sitting around. But the ease of travel and the ability to see so many great places in one go more than made up for the occasional lack of action! While there are many activities available on the ship, I did find myself enjoying nothing more than reading my book on the ship deck. There is something incredibly beautiful and hypnotic about the open seas, which is very difficult to describe in words. It was very easy to simply stare at the sea and watch the world go by.

A cruise holiday from an accessibility perspective is pretty easy and straightforward. I would definitely go on another, but maybe somewhere a little further afield!

If a cruise ship holiday lacked a bit of action and adventure, the next trip I went on to South Africa was nothing but action and adventure!

I love going to the US. Everything always seems so straightforward and simple when it comes to all things “disability related”.  I have been to the US many times before and I find people over there just seem to “get it” when it comes to disability. By this I mean staff at airports know exactly what to do, finding wheelchair accessible cars or taxis is easy, hotel staff know exactly what a wheelchair accessible room is and wheelchair access is the routine norm rather than the exception, and I could go on with many more examples.

Orlando was great. It’s a place that brings out the kid in me that never quite grew up (and probably never will). I loved the beautiful weather, the pristine beaches, the ample quantity of food portions and the unashamed cheesiness of the enormous theme parks. I was even able to go on some of the rides in the theme parks (albeit the less cool and scary rides!), which were adapted to allow a wheelchair to drive right onto the ride.

The only little hiccup was on the first day, when I realised that a UK wheelchair charger requiring 220V supply does not work in the US where voltage supply is 110V. Even though I had been to the US before, previously I had always rented powered wheelchairs and hoists locally. This time however, I brought my own ‘Molift Smart’ portable hoist and Ottobock ‘A200’ collapsible powered wheelchair.  However, this being America, there existed a solution, and we found an electrical store which sold a step up transformer. Problem solved! Panic over! Holiday resumed!

Going to a country where accessibility is the norm rather than exception is a great experience. I did wonder why this was though. Some tell me that this is due to the pervasive and onerous nature of the Americans with Disabilities Act (as I write this post, I am yet to have read  the Act in any detail so can’t really say whether I agree with this or not), others tell me Americans in general are more willing to stand up (excuse the pun) for their rights and hence service providers have to ensure that any service they provide to a person who happens to have a disability is up to scratch. I am not sure what the answer is, and if there is an answer, it is probably due to a multitude of reasons. But what is interesting and somewhat ironic, is that in a country where state intervention and legislation with respect to social issues, which may place further obligations on the citizen or on a business are generally frowned upon (see Obama’s struggle with healthcare policy for a good example of such recalcitrance), the US in my opinion is far more accommodating for the disabled traveller than pretty much any part of “social” Europe. See my previous blog post on a trip to Brussels for a good comparison.

By writing this article, I have probably inflicted upon myself the bloggers equivalent of the “commentator’s curse” whereby next time I travel to the US it will be an utter wheelchair inaccessible disaster! Let’s hope not though as I am planning to go to California in November!!

The next leg of my travels is a two week cruise around the Mediterranean stopping off at various places in Spain and Italy, and no doubt will have some thoughts to share when I get back.

At 12.30 the chancellor took to the floor and began. The next feeling I felt was confusion. The onslaught of self justifying comments and numbers almost made my head implode. I managed to stick with it and draw out some of the main points. It seemed from my need for broader decisions that local councils will see large cuts, employment is preferable over people on benefits, a green Britain is a hot agenda item, social care and personal budgets are not being cut, childrens tax credits are being withdrawn from higher income families and many other points were made.

To home in and analyse some areas close to me would be around social care. The announcement of not cutting any budgets and backing the personalisation agenda is good. The problem is this issue is not just on money but strategy. While the money is vital the government still need to look at where and how they spend it. Furthermore the right support is needed to maximise the benefits of the personalisation agenda. I hope this is seen through as a policy as much as a budget decision.

The general points of getting people into work also concerned me. How a person is assessed is a landmine, especially with individuals who have fluctuations in their impairment. Furthermore even if a disabled person is attempting to find work, they along with many employers only see barriers in the way. It is fine to aim for those well enough to work to do so, but it comes back to education and awareness to the public on facilitating disabled peoples inclusion. Lastly, how about those who really cannot work, despite the fact they may want to, but their disability prevents them. How must they feel about their government today insinuating many negative connotations on them?

The decision around anyone on benefits receiving no more than the average household. This sounds ‘fair’ but what about the fact that being disabled costs more. I need to buy expensive electric wheelchairs every 5 years, if I go on holiday I require an accessible vehicle which costs more and I have to buy more antibiotics in the winter with my chest infections. So if I did not work, earned the ‘average households’ income in benefits, but needed the above – is this fair?

A last fleeting thought was around transport changes and a greener Britain. I couldn’t see any real initiatives to improve the infrastructure for wheelchair users, more details may be needed. However with this green agenda, which I fully support, there is a flaw. Disabled people often cannot access public transport. I can only use 1 in 3 tube stops in my home city of London. So in not using public transport I have a carbon footprint (wheelprint if you like) higher than the average person. So all in all being a disabled person could make me feel a drain on public funds and like a polluting maniac.

Fortunately I know I am none of the above. I am also aware I am looking at the examples to highlight where the decisions today were wrong. The fact is the deficit does need reducing eventually and the decisions could have been worse. A governments worse constraint is that of being in power as they cannot please everyone. The reason I have sensationalised some of the above is  because it is easy to agree with their comments on stopping benefit cheats. The problem is how to stop them without mistakes and adding stress to those who genuinely do need support. There is 2 sides to every coin and I am trying to communicate the other side to Mr O.

I believe with a little investment in myself and other disabled people the future is less expensive and better for the economy. As a supported, happy and understood person I thrive. As an unsupported, unhappy and misunderstood person I am less healthy in body and mind. This costs more to the public purse. When governments realise investment in disabled people, job creation and infrastructure pays off in their own arenas, the deficit will be a problem solved in the longer run anyway, but with less pain on those who least deserve it.

For me, travelling can be a concoction of challenging adventure and painful ordeal. I have many things to take with me such as my wheelchair, portable hoist, foldable shower chair numerous cables and chargers associated with such gadgets, as well as many things to organise such as airport assistance and accessible airport transfer. Additionally thrown into the mix is fear of baggage handlers damaging my wheelchair (which has happened several times previously!) and a nagging worry that quite possibly the accessible hotel room that I booked is not as “accessible” as claimed on the hotel website. Suffice to say, I have to be well organised!

Nonetheless, the trips were great! Everything went pretty much to plan. Nothing broke down, all the equipment I took remained intact and all hotel rooms were fantastically accessible (and had the all important roll-in shower). But even more importantly, it was great to catch up with friends that I met up with in all three cities!

But for this blog article, instead of droning on about how much of a good time I had, I thought I would share some interesting observations and discoveries.

1.       Brussels has dreadful wheelchair access!

Although a beautiful city with many friendly and helpful people, getting around can be really difficult. Much of the city centre is cobbled, which for me wasn’t too much of a nuisance. But what did annoy me was the fact many curbs do not have proper drop downs, most bars and cafe’s have steps to enter and local amenities such as banks and shops were routinely inaccessible.

Now…. I accept it is unfair to request that a historic section of the city be dug up and re-laid in smooth tarmac or small independent cafe’s invest a fortune re-building their premises. But it did seem strange, especially in the “modern” part of the city that is home to many prominent EU institutions, that wheelchair access could be so under par. Crossing a road en route to the EU Parliament should simply not be something that causes a problem!

2.       Warsaw has surprisingly good access…

This was a real surprise to me. While not as accessible as a city in the UK or US, getting around Warsaw city centre was much easier than I thought it would be. My friend also found an excellent taxi service with a fleet of London cabs called WaWa (http://www.wawataxi.pl/ – the site is in Polish, and also note that drivers and the person taking bookings may not speak much English). Additionally, Warsaw International Airport is very new and spacious.

3.       Travelling can be expensive, especially when a PA is needed to travel with you

I guess this is stating the obvious, but interestingly though, the UK hotels in the Holiday Inn chain do not charge for a spare room for a PA. I am yet to find a major chain outside of the UK that operate a similar policy.

4.       Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands are amazing!

Having good weather during my time there (which I hear is rare that far up north!) helped considerably as well! Despite parts of Edinburgh being really hilly and some areas (especially near the castle) having quite a few cobbled streets and inaccessible buildings, it was relatively easy to get around.  All buses seemed wheelchair accessible and all taxis were “black cab style” and this is further assisted by the fact that Edinburgh is quite a compact city.

The Highlands are simply awesome, but naturally, the degree to which you can venture of the beaten track is limited by an individual’s level of mobility. However, many fantastic towns and villages are spread across the Highlands and the places we visited were really convenient locations for venturing around.

I finish writing this entry just after coming back from Florida, but I guess, I shall leave any thoughts on Florida for next time.

Since his accident, Max has learned that, to achieve full inclusion of disabled people in society, 2 barriers need to be overcome: firstly, physical, and secondly, the barriers in peoples’ minds. This has led Max to become involved with many disability-related organisations, in an attempt to overcome real obstacles and prejudices.

Max’s fitness regime (using a reclining exercise cycle) led him to the idea of the Everything Is Possible In Life Cycle – a 714 mile-long campaign, riding a recumbent trike, from Aberdeen to London. He has been training since 2002 – most recently near his London home, on a specially adapted 3-wheeler to get used to cycling with traffic.

Max sees this as an opportunity to change how disabled people are perceived, and to begin to shift the attitudinal obstacles that he comes across daily, by communicating his positive can-do message to the public. So, he will be encouraging the public to ride a leg of the journey with him to demonstrate perception-changing in action.

Max Burt says “People with disabilities are usually perceived as having the common experience of being ‘less able’. This is perhaps the only reason why such diverse people are lumped together into one group called ’the disabled’. After all, what does a blind person have in common with a wheelchair user?

I hope that my journey, as well as highlighting the positive common experience that disabled people share in overcoming obstacles, will also celebrate the often ingenious abilities that disabled people have, and demonstrate that everything is possible. Now, I want to get this message across to as many people along my route as I can”.

So I headed towards the M11 with radio and heater on. 10 minutes later I realised I was cold and my hands were going into that weak claw they do in winter. With the new car, the accelerator is a little tougher but also I can’t reach the heat. So I started to struggle to get above 20 mph going onto the motorway. People were flashing and beeping and I started to crap it.

1 hr left and nothing looked optimistic. So I pulled in on the hard shoulder to calm and think. I tried to set off and now 10mph is hard. Back to the hard shoulder I call mum. We decided I can’t risk it and called 999. The traffic officers arrived while mum, Dave, Robbie and Jamie head to meet me.

The officers were great – we fired the heater, I moved to the next junction and pulled into McDonald’s car park where they bought me a tea. I spoke with Alessandria who put a good positive spin on things. Then the cavalry arrived. Jamie said if I wanted a family reunion there are easier ways.  So with mum I managed to drive back for sky plus Gavin and Stacey.

Then this morning I headed for the dreaded hospital review. I had blood tests, x-rays, stethoscopes, nutritionists and physio. As mentioned I hadn’t had physio in a while and am scared of the physio terrorists. However this time she was very attractive and funny and alleviated the pain somewhat. So I have been discharged, told to rest for another week with new medicine, go back for more physio and monitor it. I would rather have had “u r fine now” but this is probably the best news. At least it’s not terrible news but I do need to kick this 100% before getting back to normality.

Thanks for the get well messages guys. The Xmas period better watch out providing I’m back…

I met with Andy of Andy’s Kars at his garage in Bar Hill on Saturday. He has been working on my vans adaptations in the positive sense through the past weeks of trauma. Not only has he sorted my car after the ongoing problems he is an amazing guy generally. While he runs a garage he also does a lot more. In working with disadvantaged kids he helps them to take responsibility for overcoming their ‘challenges’ as he calls them. While it was amazing to meet Andy and see the great work he does in training these kids to become mechanics, and improve so much more themselves, he said one broader thing around the inspirational talks he gives that has resonated so much I want to blog on this subject. I also met with a director of a disability charity called HAFAD last night who made very similar comments around this. More to come on Kamran and his work soon.

In chatting around my aspirations during a general catch up they both struck on somewhat of a contradiction I and many other disabled people have. Personally I see myself as an outgoing, confident person. I love socialising with good people and have aspirations to one day manage a team of like minded people towards a common goal that will leave a small legacy when I’m gone. Sounds a bit cliché but I want to harness business with disability for a better outcome for all involved. Details are hazy at present but I am thinking all the while what this may actually play out as.

The contradiction is I am not always confident in my ability to achieve something significant and doubt not only myself but how others see me. I have discussed the journey I take people on from meeting and them losing stereotypes, but I think professionally or aspirationally it’s another matter. Having gone to uni, travelled and living independently I sometimes feel that my ambition is too much, or not necessary, and I should stick to being content where I am. It clearly is a balance to strike, but overall it is a contradiction. Would a non-disabled person at 26 with a Masters degree reduce their hopes and dreams so starkly? No, because they can progress with less barriers, but it’s also expected and the norm to move on.

I’ve realised now that while the social model is so important – society needs to make the physical environment accessible and have more open attitudes – there is a lot of need for disabled people to be strong in themselves. “Social conditioning” is when you behave the way that people expect you to. It’s all too easy to fall into this trap. Every disabled person needs to know themselves, their limits and challenges but also to aim high. Everyone can achieve what they set out to; it just takes some planning, patience and time.

For me having felt like such a small fish in a big pond in London, feeling vulnerable with contentious care decisions and other worries I have decided to wipe a clean slate. I’m not going to move at the speed of light but I am going to think on with my dreams in a manageable/attainable way. I am going to be that confident, sociable ambitious person I know I am and enjoy the ride, not question myself as much as I readily have of late.

What I do want to do is an overarching blog on transport bouncing off of an interesting book I’m reading. Its by Ben Elton and called Gridlocked and was recommended by my aunty Diane and her boyfriend Dave at Sibfest. Very quickly Sibfest was the name given by work colleagues to the family gathering I attended Saturday. Beyond this my weekend was minimal due to feeling under par. Diane and Dave have ME and a guest blog on the subject is coming soon.

So without ruining or spoiling the book, it is a thriller about the head of a motor company wanting to kill an inventor for their new invention that could kill the entire road industry. The twist is the inventor has cerebral palsy and the reason for the invention is to win the love of a girl who was put in a wheelchair due to a car hitting her. The invention will allow her to be more mobile.

The point is while the book is well written, with a great plot and hilariously funny, it also explains disability so well. For example the way taht getting a wheelchair on a bus results in people staring the way you do at a person holding you up at the supermarket checkout while they write a cheque (the same as when I am carried on to planes too). Also how taxis are just hit and miss if they stop, but then the tube!

He looks at this as a parallel to apartheid in South Africa, which sounds way OTT. However when you see that a citizen of the UK cannot access the main form of transport in the capital city it is incredulous. Realism says that there’s money and physical limitations to changing the Victorian underground. Flip side is even if it takes 100 years we should seek to practically stop this basic form of segregation.

Outlining these issue here does not show the humour and vigour of the book. Please do read it! It does show how my car breaking stresses me much more. It is my lower stressed route to everywhere. Any other transport thoughts, please do share…