Disabled Travellers: Plan, Prepare And Protect Your Policy

You’ve booked your holiday and you know exactly where you want to go and what sights you plan on seeing, the question is; are you fully prepared? As a disabled traveller it is important you attempt to anticipate as many hurdles that could potentially present themselves to you as possible. From contacting the airline to ensure they can cater to your needs as well as ensuring the receiving airport can receive you successfully and with as few hiccups as possible. nnIf you are a wheelchair user it is important to make sure you choose a carrier that will take into consideration your limitations. Similarly it is important to check that your entire journey is accessible, it is not about planning the perfect trip only to find out that at the other end the airport cannot receive you. Consider the more remote areas in the world or the less developed nations, a lot of them do not have ramped access and so if you have not taken this into consideration prior to the purchase of your ticket and it comes to your attention just before you are due to travel you may feel your travel insurance should cover you and compensate you the cost of a cancellation.nnYou may find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation when you find the provider refuses to honour the claim. Being aware of your limitations you are expected to take the necessary steps to ensure the seamless nature of your vacation. By not carrying out the necessary checks prior to your departure you are proving to be negligent. nnSimilarly if you were a driver but could only drive an automatic and failed to mention that when placing a reservation for your rental vehicle, subsequently on your arrival the only cars available were manual, your failure to mention your limitations is likely to automatically make you ineligible for a refund. In such an instance, your insurer is highly likely to agree with the rental company and will refuse to honour any claim related to the cancellation. nnBefore travelling it is vital you cover as many bases as possible, this should be of the utmost importance to any traveller who suffers from an impairment. Whether it is limited sight or weak limbs you should make sure you inform the various institutions involved in your travelling expedition of any factors that may affect your trip and your enjoyment of it. nnWhen it comes to taking out travel insurance it is vital you are completely honest as any discrepancies will be noted and may nullify the entire policy. When it comes to making a claim, knowing that insurers do not actually want to hand over any cash to their customers it is in your best interest to make sure you are never to blame. Negligence is one of the main reasons travel insurance claims are refused, extra preparation on your part therefore is required to ensure it is not something the company finds you guilty of.nnNeglecting to inform your travel insurer of any ongoing health conditions for which you need cover for while you are abroad will mean if your condition flares up while you are aware and you attempt to claim the cost of treatment from your insurer, the very insurer you neglected to inform of the condition is almost guaranteed to refuse your claim, leaving you to pick up the tab. If you have enough foresight to take out life insurance you should try to do all that you can to protect that investment.n