Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced the first federal rule to specifically provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protections to people with disabilities who travel on boats and ships. The action comes as the 20th anniversary of the ADA approaches on July 26.

“This Administration is committed to protecting the rights of passengers with disabilities in all modes of transportation,” said Secretary LaHood. “This rule will ensure fair treatment for people with disabilities who travel by ship or boat.”

The rule applies to two categories of vessels: vessels operated by public entities, such as public ferry systems, and vessels operated by private entities primarily engaged in the business of transporting people, such as cruise ships.

The rule will ensure that vessel operators’ policies do not discriminate against passengers with disabilities. Under the rule, vessel operators cannot charge extra for accessibility-related services to passengers, cannot require passengers to furnish their own attendants, and cannot deny access to passengers based on disability. Vessel operators will have to provide information to passengers about the accessibility of their facilities and services and make a knowledgeable person available to resolve accessibility concerns.

Getting out and shaking up life is good for your mind, great for the soul and those muscles love to let it all hang, out every now and then.

I have a passion for great scenery, food and island people. Throw in sunshine and salt water that would make it paradise!

We all find different type activities as “fun”. Eating out in your favorite local restaurant, local pub with friends, hitting the beach and clearing out the cob webs in your mind. I have tried most of them and I am open for many more.

Cruise ships offer the best of all worlds for me. I recommend it to others who want to have a blast, but not travel blocks or take the cab. No risk of DUI or charges of stupidity!!! Oh yeah, sometimes they are just things that “happen”.

Ok, I know that cruise ships are licensed outside of the US and for that reason for years they did not accommodate in a manner that made the experience a good one. Well, I have been on some that the only good places to fit your chair were off the ship!

While away on a trip my girlfriend met up with me in Europe for a mini tour. I was already there on my own at a wheelchair tennis tournament and I finally talked her into doing some traveling with me. After some poking and prodding, I met her in Amsterdam at the Schiphol Airport. I went straight there by train from Salzburg, Austria after the tournament was over. I hopped in a cab at the train station to get me to the airport anxious to see her. We found each other inside after a couple phone calls bantering “where are you?”, “I’m over here”. It had been over a month since I had seen her so I was so happy to see that she had made it unscathed from the flight.

We hailed a cab and headed to the middle of the city to our hotel. I had picked one out but hadn’t made the reservations yet, due to lack of information on their wheelchair accessibility. On the way there we had told the cabby which hotel we were planning to stay at and he recommended a better one in a much more central location so, we opted to give it a shot.