Author Breaks Down Barriers on Fifteenth Anniversary of the ADA
6-24-05
For more information, contact:
Candy Harrington
Phone: (209)599-9409
e-mail: candy@emerginghorizons.com
Ripon, CA — June 24, 2005 — Since being signed into law in 1990, this landmark federal legislation has proved a remarkable success and has profoundly changed how society views and accommodates its citizens with disabilities. The ADA has not only changed our expectations of what accessibility is, it has redefined the rights of an entire population.
Times have changed, attitudes have changed, the rules have changed, but we still have a long way to go to making in making public accommodations truly accessible to all. So, if you are planning a vacation, you had better collect the proper information first. Candy Harrington’s new book, Barrier-Free Travel, is the first place to look.
When author Candy Harrington published her first book on this subject, she “had to really pound the pavement to find things that were accessible.” Today, however, she has “way too many to cover” and “gets to pick and choose.” Pretty amazing for a span of only four years!
That doesn’t mean it’s easy to plan a vacation in a wheelchair… take the challenge of finding an accessible hotel room. Candy advises, “You can’t just ask for an accessible hotel room; you first need to determine what features a particular accessible room has.” She goes on to say that “Even the term ’ADA compliant’ can be pretty meaningless. Access features can vary depending on when the property was constructed, where it is located, and how large it is. So, for example, if you need a roll-in shower, you have to ask for an accessible room with a roll-in shower. Not all accessible rooms have this feature, and if you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it.”
There is chaos and uncertainty involved in all travel, and this will probably never change. With the proper preparation, however, people can enhance their own travel experiences. Candy’s one-of-a-kind resource, Barrier-Free Travel, can help you make that dream vacation a reality.
Credentials: A writer for over 25 years, Candy Harrington is the editor of Emerging Horizons, an accessible travel magazine. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Access Northern California, an organization devoted to promoting accessible tourism through information and education. Candy has lectured widely and specializes in educating the hospitality industry about the needs of people with disabilities, and by providing useful access information to the traveling public.
