Travel for all: 6 of the world’s most accessible destinations
Inclusivity matters. More cities and countries are passing laws and implementing changes so their infrastructure and transportation options are accessible for all. These updates are opening up the world for travelers with disabilities. Introducing a few destinations that are ahead of the accessibility curve.
Berlin
Here in this city that “constantly reinvents itself,” it is “comforting” to realize that inclusivity is a “quiet constant,” said Evangeline Chen of Matador Network. While exploring Berlin, visitors will delight in how “effortlessly accessible” everything feels, thanks to "wide sidewalks" and "barrier-free" landmarks including the Brandenburg Gate.
The Berlinische Galerie is the perfect example. A tactile floor guidance system leads visitors to areas like the ticket counter and permanent exhibitions, wheelchairs and folding stools can be borrowed free of charge, all exhibition panel texts are available in a large-print brochure and guided tours are conducted in German Sign Language. Expect a similar experience at Humboldt Forum, one of Berlin’s “biggest statement pieces.” Housed in what was once Berlin Palace, this “massive space blends history, culture and global perspectives under one roof,” with “tactile exhibitions for low-vision visitors, wide corridors and elevators to every floor.”
Cape Town
The Limitless Cape Town campaign is changing the way people visit the city. This program aims to give visitors equal access, starting with the installation of city-wide braille touch points and an “easy-to-use” wheelchair-friendly bus system, said AAA Trip Canvas. Winston Fani, the first certified blind tour guide in Africa, is “redefining how people discover and connect with Cape Town,” said Cape Town Tourism, leading visitors to the best street art, shops, restaurants and wine farms. He’s also working on putting together sensory-led tours.
Cape Town is one of South Africa’s three capitals — it is the legislative capital and the seat of parliament — and close to both the wheelchair-accessible Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders were imprisoned, and the Cape Floristic Region, “one of the most diverse regions of plant life on Earth.”
Las Vegas
There’s no need to try your luck in Las Vegas. This is one of the “most disabled-friendly and wheelchair-accessible cities in the United States,” said John Morris of WheelchairTravel.org. It’s “filled to the brim with accessible things to do.” Las Vegas is a “getaway for gamblers,” but activities abound, including exploring the Neon Museum and its glittery signs from the early days of Vegas, seeing the city from the top of the High Roller Ferris Wheel, catching a Cirque du Soleil show, watching the dancing Fountains of Bellagio and lounging poolside at your hotel.
The city is home to many mega resorts, so there’s a “mind-boggling” number of wheelchair-accessible rooms, from the more affordable Luxor and New York-New York to the luxe Bellagio and Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. Accessible transportation options include city buses, taxis and the Las Vegas Monorail that sweeps visitors from the MGM Grand to Sahara Las Vegas.
Rio de Janeiro
Thanks to “substantial” infrastructure investments made ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Rio de Janeiro is one of South America’s “most accessible cities,” said AAA Trip Canvas. Public transportation, including buses, subways and trams, and sidewalks are accessible for wheelchairs, as are several beaches and “heritage sites” like Sugarloaf Mountain. The famous Christ the Redeemer statue is partially accessible, due to escalators at the final ascent; power wheelchair users could transfer to a manual wheelchair at this point, if one is available.
Singapore
Singapore’s “excellent” infrastructure and “high degree of accessibility” make it “especially attractive” for travelers who have disabilities, said the BBC. Public transportation is almost entirely “accessible to people living with a variety of impairments,” with ramps, elevators and tactile flooring. Important announcements are delivered over loudspeakers and written on digital screens.
Most attractions are just as universally accessible. The “enthralling” Gardens by the Bay, a floral fantasy filled with horticultural displays, is wheelchair-accessible, as is the National Gallery Singapore, a “model of accessibility.” Before visiting this “phenomenal” museum, filled with thousands of pieces of Southeastern Asian art, visitors can download a “comprehensive” access guide to the facility, developed with the country’s Disabled People’s Association. There is a calm room on-site for those who become overstimulated or overwhelmed, and staff and volunteers are trained how to provide a dementia-friendly environment.
Sydney
In Sydney, public transportation is wheelchair-accessible and many of the city’s most popular venues and attractions are equally accommodating. At the “iconic” Sydney Opera House, for example, there are options for everyone, including attending an accessible performance (open to those who are deaf or hearing impaired, blind or low vision or have sensory sensitivities) and taking a “tailored mobility tour,” said the BBC.
Ferries are a great way to get around Sydney while soaking up gorgeous views of the harbor. Once you’re back on land, there are miles of accessible paths connecting the area’s landmarks. Across the city, more than 2,100 braille and tactile signs are installed at pedestrian crossings with signals, ensuring safer navigation.