Barrier-poor holiday accommodation

An accessible holiday home is suitable if the personal requirements from the parking lot or train station to the bed and bathroom are met. The name alone is not enough. Before booking, you should Compare paths, door widths, steps, movement surfaces, equipment and the environment with your own measurements and tools and have open points confirmed in writing.

Brief facts on the subject

• “Barrier arm” is not a uniform promise in accommodation advertisements and does not automatically mean wheelchair accessible.
• It is necessary to inspect not only apartment or house, but also parking, entrance, elevator, paths and the surrounding area.
• Door widths, thresholds, turning surfaces, bed and toilet height as well as the duo appearance are often more important than general equipment words.
• People with a wheelchair, walker, walker, visual or hearing impairment have different requirements.
• Photos can hide perspectives, heights and narrow spots; Dimensions, floor plan and an exact directions are more reliable.
• Also beach, restaurant, shopping, stop, medical care and excursion destinations must be reachable.
• Important information should be confirmed in writing by the provider before booking and kept together with the booking.

Setting your own requirements first

Start with the actual travel group and the aid used. A foldable wheelchair, an electric wheelchair, a walker and a walker do not require the same movement surface. Also visual and Hearing impairments change the requirements for lighting, contrasts, bells, smoke alarms and personal support. Before searching, write down what absolutely must be fulfilled and what restriction in the Exceptionally, would be acceptable.

• What aid is brought, and what dimensions does it have?
• Is a completely stepless access necessary or are individual levels with support possible?
• What door width, turning surface, bed and seat height are needed?
• Is a floor-level shower sufficient, or are handholds, a shower chair or an underpassable sink needed?
• How important are elevator, parking at the entrance, storage area and good lighting?

General terms for accessibility explain the Federal Agency for Accessibility. For the booking, however, the concrete accommodation with its actual dimensions and paths counts.

Check access from the car park to the apartment

Check the entire chain: approach, pitch, path to the building, entrance, hallway, elevator and apartment door. Ask about the number and height of steps, the width of doors and hallways, thresholds, slopes, slippery coverings and lighting. A stepless entrance helps little if the parking lot is on coarse gravel or the apartment can only be reached via a too small elevator.

In an elevator, interior dimension, door width, load-bearing capacity and the accessible floor are decisive. Also clarify whether the door opens automatically and whether the aid can be turned in the hallway. The Arrival and departure planning should include the path with luggage, a possible pickup and key delivery. In case of uncertainty, ask for a photo of the entrance area and a full-scale description; a single symbol does not replace this information.

Compare rooms, bathroom and equipment with measurements

The most important test takes place in the rooms. In the bathroom, door opening, movement area, dump, shower width, toilet height, handholds, sinks and the possibility of using a shower chair. A shower Without a high threshold can still be too narrow. In the bedroom, bed edge, free area on at least one side of the bed, light switches and space for the aid are relevant. In the kitchen should work height, table, Stove, refrigerator and cabinet access to fit the person.

For families or several generations, additional information on Apartment with children be useful, for example to stairs, balcony, bathroom and safe paths. The requirements of children and people with reduced mobility are not identical, but can overlap in spatial and path planning.

The surroundings are part of the accommodation

An accessible room is not enough if supermarket, restaurant, beach or stop can only be reached via steep paths, cobblestones or high curbs. Check the specific route to the places that are regularly needed on holiday. This also includes public toilets, a pharmacy or medical care. For a trip without a car, the distance to the stop, the entry situation and the Last connection is especially important.

Anyone who relies on a wheelchair or walkator should not only look at the crowline. Elevation differences, construction sites, missing lowered curbs and uneven coverings can make a short walk impractical make. For a stay on the coast, additional beach access, promenade, beach aids and accessible toilets should be checked directly at the place; There are their own references to Barrier beach holidays. General accessibility information, such as Action people, do not replace current information of the specific provider or the municipality.

Ask questions in writing and secure answers

Don’t just write “Is the accommodation accessible?”, but also name tools and minimum requirements. For example, a short request may read as follows:

“We travel with a walker / wheelchair with the dimensions .... Please confirm the clear width of the entrance, bathroom and bedroom door, the number of steps from the parking lot, the dimensions of the elevator, the bed and toilet height” As well as the duo. Is there a fixed space at the entrance and a safe place for the aid?

Ask for an answer on each individual point. Keep messages, photos, floor plan and confirmation together. If a response remains evasive or argues only with a general label, the accommodation can be checked further before a binding booking. For the general Examination of a holiday accommodation before booking This includes these proofs as well as location, equipment and house rules.

Costs, contract and travel

Additional costs may arise if a parking space, a special equipment, a transfer or a cleaning is arranged. Therefore, compare the full price including final cleaning, bedding, Deposit and possible fees; to Costs and additional costs Supports this comparison. Cancellation policy and the question of what applies to a non-applicable equipment indication should also be understandable before payment. The Booking and deposit conditions should be kept together with the written commitments.

Allow sufficient time for parking, walking, key handover and setting up aids for arrival. Ask if a late arrival, personal handover or pick-up is possible. Who is a Holiday home without car In addition, you should check the last route, shopping opportunities and accessibility in bad weather. The Travel arrangements should include medications, spare parts, chargers, emergency contacts and the written accommodation confirmation.

When the accommodation fits and when not

A booking is more reasonable if all indispensable points are answered with specific information and the paths to the accommodation and in the place realistically fit. Remaining entrance, bath, bed or return unclear, the uncertainty should not be covered by an advertising statement. For several possible accommodations, not the longest equipment list counts, but the comprehensible conformity with your own requirements.

1. Record your own dimensions, tools and indispensable requirements.
2. Check display, photos, floor plan and location for open points.
3. Inquire about missing dimensions and ways in writing from the provider.
4. Compare answers with your own checklist and clarify contradictions.
5. Check total price, contract, cancellation and handover.
6. Only book if the decisive properties are verifiably confirmed.

Further practical topics from the choice of accommodation to arrival and contract bundles the For holiday accommodation. Decisive always remains the concrete examination of the booked house or apartment.

Frequent questions about accessible holiday accommodation

Is “barrier” the same as “wheelchair accessible”?

No. “Barrier arm” often describes only individual areas of relief in advertisements. Check access, doors, movement surfaces, bathroom, sleeping area, elevator, parking and surroundings based on your own requirements.

What dimensions should I ask before booking?

Important can be clear door and hallway widths, threshold height, turning surface, dump, shower width, bed and toilet height, elevator interior dimension and parking width. What values are required depends on the aid.

Are photos of the apartment enough?

Mostly not. Photos can hide perspective, heights and narrow spots. For crucial points, ask for concrete measurements, a floor plan or a comprehensible description of the path.

What is especially important for a rollator?

Check low threshold paths, elevator, storage area, seating, bathroom access, bed height and slopes in the area. Also the way from the parking lot and the distance to shopping and medical care count.

How can I properly request special requirements?

Name tools and measurements and query each critical point individually. Have the answers in writing and keep them with the booking confirmation.

What do I need to check for a trip without a car?

Check the route from the train station or stop to the accommodation, boarding aids, climbs, final connections, shopping and a plan for bad weather. A short path on the map is not automatically usable.

Can an accommodation with individual steps still be suitable?

This depends on the person, the aid and the possible support. Steps, height, railings, subsurface and safe handling should be assessed in a concrete manner; A blanket commitment is not sufficient.

What else should I check when booking by the sea?

Ask about the way to the promenade and water, beach mats or beach wheelchair, toilets, slopes and the season of assistance offers. Even an accessible stretch of beach says nothing about the way to the accommodation.