Column October 2013

Traveling is for many people a source of relaxation, resourcing and inspiration. Changing environment gives mostly a good feeling, even not necessary to the sunny Mediterranean beaches, some prefer the cooling of the far North or hikes through nature. Recently I was on a holiday with my mother, with less mobility and has to be pushed in a wheelchair and I wondered how it would be for ALS patients who want to travel. I mean specially those sitting in a wheelchair to be confronted with this fact wanting to travel far and have to fly. I myself flew to Tenerife with my mother, <s> </ s> a whole new experience for me, flying with a wheelchair and so, and I must admit that it involves a little more than taking a flight myself. Fortunately there is a variant support for disabled at airports and on airplanes, but it’s still a big adventure. We also heard many good things about Tenerife as a holiday destination, and certainly because of the wheelchair friendly spot.

For an ALS patient flying has some implications. For most of them paralyzed and - usually - sitting in a wheelchair, the problem starts with the wheelchair itself. What should be done with it?

The wheelchair is too big and need to be stored in the luggage place of the aircraft. Usually this is done at the last moment, just before boarding the plane when the patient is lifted from his wheelchair by stewards from the airport and placed in his seat on the plane. For this purpose they use the so-called Iron nurse, a kind of stretcher which one person can lift vertically. The wheelchair is then stored down in the cargo, in a cage or not. This also can be different depending on the flight, and specially the size of the plane. The frequently used smaller aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or an Airbus A340-300 is the cargo small, so the wheelchair should be laid flat or decreased to fit through the low loading opening. A certain risk of damage to the wheelchair can occur, some patients can testify. On bigger planes used for long distances the wheelchair can be stored entirety in the cargo. Depending on the airline the wheelchair is then also protected with a cage to avoid damage.

Also the item of space for your legs sometimes necessary for the care during the flight on larger aircraft more features and comfort foreseen. On the smaller planes you find only on the first front seats some extra space. The same on the emergency exit but you need to be able to help in case of emergency and so as ALS patient not possible to sit there. Fortunately the staff on the flights had experience with disabled and if possible take it into account for seats and assistance. You only have to be be sure to arrive on time to check in, preferably at least 3 hours in advance, otherwise having the risk that the assistance at the airport goes wrong, what I experienced with my mother recently in Zaventem, and then it’s a very long trip to get to the gate with the wheelchair and hand luggage.

Something more about the holiday destinations. We hear from all sides many beautiful things about Tenerife. I've been there just now myself and can tell you something more. The weather is very sunny, over the whole year just few rainy days, you can have clouds around the volcano that actually occurs there too from the pine forests. There is a real different climate than we’re used at home. There is a subtropical climate, so it tends to the sultry and always remains fairly constant with temperatures around 25 ° C, up to and just above 30 ° C during the day. Be careful, because I’m speaking now about the South of Tenerife, in the north the climate is less favorable, there is more wind and rain, yet on average 5 ° C cooler. The South was only arranged as a tourist area in the 60s, and started with a Belgian, Michel Huygen, who built the first hotel, an hotel for disabled, Ten-Bel, which may be familiar to many. The holiday village still exists but has fallen into disrepair. The environment there was fully adapted for wheelchair users. I stayed a little further, in Playa Los Americas, and I must admit that also there the attention for wheelchair users was present. There was a public elevator to the beach, and most of the passages were equipped with ramps for wheelchairs. One should not forget that Tenerife isn’t of course the Belgian coast, no, it’s a volcanic island and in fact not quiet flat. Many streets go uphill, downhill, along the beaches but there is always a cove between the rocks where it’s flat. With an electric wheelchair most of the slopes can be done, but for one on muscle strength can be a problem. Most hotels are equipped for wheelchairs but sometimes you notice here and there a particular access ramp is just too steep developed, or that, despite the effort has been done to make the necessary adjustments it didn’t really become perfect as it should. But in any case there’s focus on this and they’re doing all efforts for the – so many - tourists moving around in a wheelchair to make life easier.

It’s also depending on yourself of course, there’re a lot of activities looking at the ocean, dolphins., whales and fish, you can go look for on boat trips, or even underwater with a submarine or a boat with a glass bottom. You can practice all kinds of water sports if you feel you still can, like duo parachute for example. On the other side of Tenerife there’s the volcano, the Natural Park of the Teide. You can get there by bus or jeep joining excursions, but you can also rent a car and driving around. On Tenerife there’re also specialized services for disabled to rent wheelchairs, wheelchair taxi and other appropriate resources. It is perhaps best to inform yourself in advance.

For the rest everything is very touristy and you imagine yourself often more in England than in Spain, you can follow everywhere live track of all football matches in the pub and every other minute approached to buy bling-bling.

But if you like the Sun and the warmth, and love palm trees and banana trees, I would definitely recommend Tenerife. Being an ALS patient I think you could have a pretty big range and autonomy with the electric trolley and getting far making beautiful walks along the coastline.

Traveling can be relaxing, especially having ALS, where the destinations are limited, Tenerife seems to me worth trying. Of course I must say that our Belgian coast here is not bad and is flat as a mirror, and for those interested in culture Tenerife is not really the place to be, but city trips like to London, New York, LA or San Francisco are better options to consider. But don’t hold back, it’s possible and currently you can fly with an electric wheelchair, but maybe it's better to ask for other experiences at the ALS Association and other patients.

Tristan Herftijd,

Sugar Mountain, October 2013

Translation: Marina