Travel Insurance
If you have a chronic medical condition obtaining affordable travel insurance can be a problem, but is important you have an appropriate level of cover for your holiday.
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society provides a list of travel insurers that its members recommend – this can be obtained by called the NRAS Helpline on 0800 298 7650.
WHICH also has some useful information on travel insurance: https://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/travel-insurance/medical-conditions-travel-insurance-reviews-axcdp6q6q4zz
You can also find information on travel vaccines on the NRAS website: https://www.nras.org.uk/immunisation-for-people-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-
Transport
There is a lot of help available for people with mobility problems or disabilities when flying, using trains, buses and other modes of transport. You have legal rights to receive assistance – click HERE for more information.
The government website offers some great information and advice on how to plan your trip – Transport support services for disabled people: Trains – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Flying
The UK Civil Aviation Authority offers advice on what services are available and how to access them, to those traveling by air who may require ‘special assistance’ – Passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility | Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk)
Train
The National Rail offer a ‘passenger assist’ service – Passenger Assist | National Rail. Call the National Rail information line on 08457 48 49 50 at least 24 hours before travelling.
For taxi, coach and ferry travel, you will need to contact the specific carrier to obtain advice and arrange support.
Taxis near train stations http://www.traintaxi.co.uk
Accessible Days Out
The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain
This guide has 180 reviews of accessible and inspiring days out. The Guide aims to inspire and support people with diverse needs in enjoying the best of Britain’s attractions – whatever their disability.
https://www.motability.co.uk/news-and-events/rough-guide-to-accessible-britain/
Accessible Leisure Destinations in Cornwall
Disability Cornwall have developed a directory of accessible places in Cornwall – this includes beaches and walks accessible to wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility. It also lists accessible toilets and other facilities: Information and Advice – DIAL – Disability Information Advice Line (disabilitycornwall.org.uk)
Cornwall Mobility has a wide variety of equipment to help you get around while you are out and about, including wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walkers:
https://www.cornwallmobility.co.uk
The following link takes you to a map, showing where sand chairs are available for beach access: https://www.disabilitycornwall.org.uk/PDF/Sand_Chair_Map.pdf
Accessible Walks
Walking is a great way to get in to the outdoors and remain active, for little or no cost. We are blessed in Cornwall with our beautiful countryside and coast and many National Trust properties and gardens. Finding information on how accessible some of these walks are can be tricky, but the 2 websites below offer good information to help you. We are also working with the National Trust, to see how we can improve information that is available to the public. Some gardens now offer the use of walking poles (free of charge) – these are a great way to help with stability and confidence if you have mobility problems.
Iwalkcornwall has devised 306 walks in Cornwall, ranging from 2 to 13 miles. Nearly all of these are circular and the majority are in the 3-6 mile range. Walks packed with local history and nature information can be purchased for less than £3 via the app, which guides you around the route using detailed, heavily-tested hand-written directions tracked via GPS. The app includes information on ‘easier’ walks, providing length and steepness grade to assist with walk planning, descriptive information about the gradients on the route is also included – how far around the route the climbs are and if there are any particularly steep descents. You also get regular free upgrades. https://www.iwalkcornwall.co.uk/walks/easier
The South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA) is a registered charity, providing information for the National Trail and raising funds to improve access for all. This link takes you to their website, but below are some links that take you straight to a few of their recommended easy walks in Cornwall. Home – South West Coast Path
North Cliffs, Portreath – accessible to wheelchairs and mobility scooters http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/33/
Godrevy Head – accessible to those with impaired mobility http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/67/
Stepper Point, Padstow – suitable for mobility scooters http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/78/
Penzance to Marazion – suitable for wheelchair users http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/71/
(Please also see our page on walking)
Getting out and about
Travel Concessions
If you or a person you look after have mobility problems, getting around can be more costly. There are several schemes that give transport discounts for carers and people with disabilities. On the buses older people and people with disabilities can travel for free anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm Monday to Friday, and at any time during the weekend and on bank holidays. Older people and people with disabilities can apply for a free bus pass from the local authority. Some authorities offer free travel for longer periods, and some allow a companion to travel with the pass holder for free.
To apply for a free bus pass you must be of pensionable age (the age of eligibility for women is their pensionable age, and for men it is the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day). You can also apply if you have a disability which means you:
Further information on applying for a disabled person’s bus pass can be found by clicking here
Further information on applying for an older person’s bus pass can be found by clicking here
Local information on the National Concessions Bus Pass can be found at: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/transport-parking-and-streets/public-transport/
On the trains
You may be eligible for a Disabled Person’s Railcard, which allows up to a third off the price of rail tickets. A carer, or anyone else who travels with the disabled person, will also get this discount. The Railcard is issued for either a one-year or three-year period. To be eligible, the person you are caring for must:
Children aged five to 16 with disabilities are eligible for a Disabled Person’s Railcard, allowing an adult to travel with them for a third of the cost of an adult fare while the child pays the normal child fare. To apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard go to:
https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk
Driving
If you hold a current driving licence and develop arthritis, and the illness affects your driving and has lasted more than 3 months, you must inform the Drivers Medical Group at the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea. When applying for a provisional licence you must declare that you have arthritis. People with arthritis are not exempt from wearing a seat belt – if you find it difficult to fasten your seat belt there are adaptations available, an Occupational Therapist can advise you on this and on how best to adapt the seat and seat-belt height for your comfort
Further information can be found from Versus Arthritis : click Driving and arthritis | The law, car buying and comfort (versusarthritis.org)
You must inform DVLA if you have any medical conditions that may affect your driving. For more information, click HERE
Car Adaptions
The Cornwall Mobility Centre in Truro offers an assessment service to identify any difficulties with driving and to recommend and fit adaptations. For more information, either visit their website by clicking HERE, or call 0333 305 3398.
Motability Scheme
This is a government scheme which enables disabled people to obtain a car, powered wheelchair or scooter by using their government-funded mobility allowances. Customers exchange their allowance for a mobility package which includes insurance and servicing. The webiste helps you check eligibility and guides you through what support may be available to you. Click on the link to take you to the website Motability Scheme | Lease a car, WAV, scooter or wheelchair
Parking – Blue Badge Scheme
The Blue Badge scheme provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for registered blind people and people with certain disabilities. It allows people to park closer to the shops and services they need to use, whether they are the driver or a passenger in a car.
The blue badge is recognised in some European countries, and allows you the same parking concessions as residents of the country you are visiting.
Blue badge holders may usually park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours except where there is a ban on loading / unloading. You can use any disabled parking bay. The blue badge must be displayed, together with the special blue parking disc showing the time of arrival. You must not park where it would be obstructive or cause a danger to others.
You don’t have to be a driver or a car owner to apply for or have a blue badge. The badge is issued to you as a person and it can be used in any vehicle you travel in.
For details of eligibility and how to apply for blue badge go to Who can get a blue badge Easy Read (publishing.service.gov.uk)
You can apply for a blue badge by clicking this link Apply for or renew a Blue Badge – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
A good website that helps support all the information above is – Financial help if you’re disabled: Vehicles and transport – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Transport Access People (TAP)
A range of schemes providing bookable transport for individuals and groups to access health care and Social Services and for social transport. TAP has a large number of volunteers with private cars and accessible vehicles suitable for manual and electric wheelchairs. Age UK’s minibuses are available for excursions and group hire. TAP also provides transport out of county. You can contact them on 01872 223388.
West Cornwall Community Wheels
A community based transport scheme that offers members (over 60’s, people with disabilities and those with no transport) a flexible service at realistic prices. Services Offered:
The Dial-a-Ride covers Hayle, St Erth, and Gwinear-Gwithian, this provides a journey-to-work scheme feeding into local bus and rail services. During the day, passengers can use the service to get into Hayle for shopping, doctors’ appointments and other reasons. There is also a Dial-a-Ride service that covers the ‘Six Parishes’ area (Breage, Crowan, Germoe, Perranuthnoe, Sithney and St Hilary). This service provides weekly shopping trips to Camborne, Helston and Penzance. It also provides access to doctors’ surgeries at Helston, Marazion and Praze-an-Beeble.
The third service serves the residents of Helston and the nearby communities (Lowertown, CoverackBridges and Trannack). This service provides a weekly journey into Helston. It can drop you at the Hospital, shops, surgery or most obvious destinations in the town. The fourth Dial-a-Ride service covers the ‘East Lizard’ area (Mawgan, Manaccan, St Anthony, St Keverne and St Martin). This service provides a weekly trip with two drops each day into Helston. It is ideal for shopping, appointments and any other visits. It can drop you in the town centre, at the Hospital, doctors’ surgery or most other destinations in the town.
The voluntary car scheme service operates with volunteers using their own cars giving lifts to passengers, including schoolchildren, social services clients and patients. If you need help getting to Hospital, your doctor or other appointments. A wheelchair accessible car is also available. Contact Details:
Manager
Units 1 & 2, Foundry House
Foundry Square
Hayle Cornwall
TR27 4HH
01736 757364
communitywheels@gmail.com
For further information and support on getting around locally, the following link may be useful:
https://www.supportincornwall.org.uk/kb5/cornwall/directory/adult.page?adultchannel=3