Accessible Caribbean Travel

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are ideal Caribbean destinations for travelers with mobility restrictions or in wheelchairs for one simple reason: since these islands are part of the United States, hotels here must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so you'll find wheelchair ramps, elevators, and handicapped-accessible bathrooms just like in the U.S. The same standards apply to other public places, such as museums.

Other Caribbean islands with a reputation for accessibility include Barbados, which recently launched its island-wide Fully Accessible Barbados initiative; Aruba, Jamaica, and St. Martin. The AbilityTrip website has some good information on Caribbean destinations, as well.

Cruising is one of the most disability friendly ways to travel, and most cruise lines have made special accommodations for handicapped and mobility-limited passengers. Not only have cruise ships traditionally served an older clientele -- who tend to have more mobility issues -- but U.S. law requires cruise ships operating in U.S. waters to comply with the ADA.

When picking a cruise itinerary, look for port calls with docks that can accommodate large cruise ships, since tendering from the ship to shore can be an obstacle for some disabled travelers.

A number of online resource centers for disabled travelers include databases of hotels worldwide that are handicapped-accessible, such as Travel Intelligence.com's list of accessible Caribbean hotels.

Nearly every U.S. airport unloads aircraft via wheelchair-friendly jetways, but that is hardly the case in the Caribbean. At many smaller island airports, passengers get off the plane the old-fashioned way, by climbing down a staircase, which poses obvious challenges for disabled travelers. Also, shorter hops between islands often take place on aircraft that are quite small and may not be able to accommodate a wheelchair. If you're not flying to a big airport like San Juan, Kingston, or Nassau, make sure you check out the facilities before you fly. 

The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality has links to airline accessibility policies online. 

First, get travel health insurance that provides for emergency medical evacuation when necessary. In the Caribbean there are vast differences in healthcare quality from island to island -- and an equally big gap between the care offered to wealthy clients at private clinics and that available at public hospitals. Many smaller islands have no hospital or clinic at all -- some even lack a doctor. The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs has healthcare information on Caribbean destinations, as does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Travel Health and Safety section of my website.