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Q: How do you navigate travel with all of the medical equipment needed?
A: No matter how much gear you travel with, it can be done! Some people prefer to stick with road trips or travel with an RV to cut back on the hassle of transporting bulky gear or fitting everything on a plane. If you haven’t travelled before, that’s a less intimidating way to start. If you have things that won’t fit into a car or RV, like a hospital style bed, many things can also be rented from local DMO providers. If this is overwhelming to you, consider booking through a disability-focused travel agent.
When you’re ready to fly, it’s good to know that your medical equipment flies for free! If it meets the size requirements, it can stay with you as a free carry-on. If it’s a larger item, it will need to be checked. It’s helpful to have a separate suitcase dedicated to medical equipment both for organization and for showing the airline what counts as medically necessary. I strongly recommend contacting your airline ahead of time, since airlines are notorious for running out of space for wheelchairs and other essential, large items. If you have anything that isn’t obviously meeting a medical need, it may be helpful to travel with a note from your doctor. Getting dish soap for an enema through TSA is no small ordeal!
If you’re visiting family or friends, you can preship anything you don’t want to carry with you. We’ve also had our insurance mail supplies directly to our destination. Just make sure they understand when to switch it back!
Are there destinations that cater specifically to high needs/disability?
Do you have any expertise to share on next issue’s question? Please submit your input, or any questions of your own for future issues, to jennifer@wonderswithinreach.com