When many of us plan a holiday our toughest decisions are about when and where to go. For people with disabilities the complexity and difficulty in finding a holiday that is suitable for their individual needs means they often miss out on seeing places of the world we take for granted. This is particularly hard for people with mobility disabilities.
People with disabilities should not be overlooked when creating travel experiences. In fact, according to the World Health Organization 2020 Disability Report, “almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. Over one billion people – about 15% of the global population – live with some form of disability and this number is increasing.”
In an effort to assist this movement for accessible travel, Supported Travel eXperiences (STX) specialises in designing personalised holiday and travel experiences to suit the unique needs of all people with disabilities and their families. STX works with clients directly as well as with registered NDIS service providers and plan managers to book holidays and travel arrangements.
Yann Charavel, a director of STX commented: “The concept was formed from our individual experiences and the realisation of the significant barriers for travel when it comes to traveling with disabilities. We needed to support the deeper focus on inclusion and accessibility. Combined with our deep expertise in crafting unique travel experiences, we wanted to focus on providing choice, care and creative travel experiences to all.”
Wanting a night away to celebrate not only Samuels successes but his 15th Birthday, STX assisted the Thorne family in organising a stay at the Meriton Suites Herschel Street, Brisbane. While for most people, booking a night away is as simple as checking into a hotel last minute, incredible attention to detail had to go into finding accommodation that suited Samuel and his family’s needs. STX had to ensure the lift and door widths were suitable for Samuel’s tailor-made power wheelchair, rearrange bedroom configuration to create additional room for equipment and support workers and ensure proximity to emergency medical facilities in case Samuel required assistance.
Furthermore, STX engaged a specialist equipment relocation company to pack and transport essential medical equipment to and from the hotel, as well as negotiated early check in and late checkout to facilitate the installation and disassembly of Samuel’s medical equipment. This was arranged at Samuel’s home as well as the hotel and gave the family much valued additional time to enjoy their getaway, without having to consider the extensive packing time required.
“We recently enjoyed a night away at the Meriton Suites Herschel Street, Brisbane staying on Level 73 with an impressive view. This night was supported by Supported Travel Experiences who sourced accessible accommodation and also a relocation company; Blue Lion Moving Services. Samuel’s Support Workers navigated their way to the Meriton to ensure he had the necessary support while away from home. Very grateful for the work done by Yann, Andrew and Mandi at Supported Travel eXperiences. Looking forward to the next time we can head away for a break a little further away from home.”
STX also assisted the Thorne’s with a holiday to the Sunshine Coast. The family is now planning to attend the National Boccia Championships in November 2021 in Hobart. Eventually Samuel’s goal is to make the Paralympics in Paris in 2024. Follow Samuel’s progress at campaignforsamuel.org.au.
Andrew, STX director says: “Our mission is to help families such as Samuel’s achieve their dream. We want to open up parts of the world they previously thought impossible to see”.
If you would like to learn more about STX, contact us here.
