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Tips for Traveling Safe in San Mateo with a Disability

Disabled travel is on the rise as more and more people want to get past the restrictions imposed on them by their bodies. San Mateo is also waking up to the special needs of such travelers by offering friendly transportation services and better accommodation.

Here are a few tips that physically challenged individuals must follow to ensure safe travel in San Mateo:

Call ahead: In several cases, service providers are obligated by law to have proper facilities for travelers with special needs. But, most require some time to make the arrangements. Hence, it’s best to call them at least two days before the arrival date to verify if proper arrangements have been made.

Detailing the disability:

Not all providers understand the "lingo" of disabled travel, or the medical terms for some conditions. Hence, the patient must offer as much details as possible about what he/she can and can't do, and should never downplay the severity of the disability. The more info a provider has, better the accommodation and travel experience. Several companies can also arrange for state-of-the-art medical transportation vehicles that comprise of the best life sustaining equipment, and GPS system that ensures complete safety and comfort to the person travelling. 

Using a non-emergency medical transportation van for travel:

There are several companies in San Mateo that provide services to people who require non-emergency transportation.  These providers strive to offer safe, comfortable and reliable wheelchair and stretcher vans to their customers.  The fleet of vehicles, stretchers and lifts are designed for both safety and comfort. Such vans can also be booked with a travel companion who is an expert in offering medical assistance. 

There are different types of automobiles made specifically for non-ambulatory clients. One of such inventions is wheelchair accessible vans. With such vehicles, family members no longer have to struggle loading a wheelchair in a trunk and risking injury. Instead, the patient remains seated while hydraulic lifts, and ADA approved safety equipment do the work of loading and unloading. The main aim of such vans is to provide comfortable transportation, irrespective of the physical challenges. The friendly, trained drivers can bring the patient safely and on time to the destination.

It is extremely important to contact a reputed service provider to ensure complete safety. There are several companies out there that claim to offer cheaper rates but may also compromise on the quality of service. They may not perform proper background checks on their drivers which may put the passenger in danger. Hence, a transportation provider must be chosen intelligently. Here are a few factors that must be kept in mind:

    Drivers must be well trained and should have a legitimate driving license.

    The vehicles must be insured.

    The vans must be in excellent condition.

    The service providers must be friendly and sympathetic towards the needs of the disabled person.

Another way of finding out about the reputation of a company is by contacting BBB. One can also research over the internet. There are plenty of online forums that provide valuable information and reviews about businesses.   

Most visitors explore San Mateo without any difficulty as the place looks after their needs extremely well. Popular tourist attractions and areas are very safe, though, as in most places, tourists are asked not to flaunt expensive jewelry or cash. In general, people are requested to avoid leaving expensive things in parked cars and are advised to use areas that are well-lit. Also, to get that extra bit of confidence about a given attraction or region, visitors can get in touch with the local tourism office; contact information is normally available online.