More travel advice...lightweight wheelchair?

[azgirl]

I will be traveling to Hawaii soon and I've now learned to request a wheelchair at airports (even though I can still walk short distances fairly easily) however, I'm wondering if I should just go ahead and purchase a chair to take on the trip so I can join my family on walks down the ocean pathway and use at airports. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[dalvin]

Maybe contact an equipment dealer there and ask about short term rental of a pwc. That way you can conserve your strength for the fun stuff. I believe they have chairs they use as loaners when a clients chair needs to go in for major repairs and they probably rent them out, especially at a major tourist area like Hawaii

 

[Barbie]

you could also buy a small lightweight scooter. that was a life saver for my husband. they are very common, so do not have a Wheelchair stigma attached. they fold up and fit in the trucks of cars. they are easy to maneuver , relatively inexpensive and actually fun to drive! if you can still walk and are not ready for a PWC, your vacation will be much more fun if you can get around easily.

 

[Barbie]

Oh BTW, I have always wanted to go to Hawaii! have a great time!

 

[Nikki J]

Or rent a scooter there? Sister did that before she was fulltime in a chair. ( just protect from rain if you get caught in a shower). Later rented a pwc while traveling but the company would only rent those if you already had a pwc at home. Don't know if that is a common restriction. A lightweight wc is great to have as long as you have plenty of willing pushers. You can't interact as well with your pusher which might detract from experience?
Have a great time!

 

[texastracy]

Maybe your local MDA closet could loan you one for a short time.

 

[MaxEidswick]

>I will be traveling to Hawaii soon and I've now learned to request a wheelchair at airports

which island? They may have a local MDA that might have loaner scooters, pwc's etc...

 

[azgirl]

Going to Maui with a fun group. Hoping to be able to snorkel, one of my favorite activities. I will check with the local MDA to see if they have anything to offer. I kind of like the idea of some sort of scooter...seems like a lot more fun than the wheel chair, which is coming soon enough anyway.

 

[MaxEidswick]

alsa too .... Working Together For Hawaii's ALS Community - The ALS Association Golden West Chapter

 

[minnesota]

Oh those light wt scooters are great and they'll store it on the plane without hassle--ours was called a go-go scooter and we borrowed it from the als loan closet!

We also used a manual wheelchair for travel but when the plane attendants took it at the end of galley before getting on the plane I took the pedals with me!

The scooter needed the charger repaired once and thankfully there was a scooter dealer nearby! The manual wheelchair just needed our cushion (roho) for comfort! It was easier to pop into restaurants and switch to a seat vs finding a spot for the scooter!

Ah good travel memories! Have a wonderful time!