London gets an A for access

Tourists with mobility issues will find that what there is to see and do in the city can be done from a wheelchair.

By STEVE WRIGHT and HEIDI JOHNSON-WRIGHT
Published March 20, 2005

	[Photo: AP]
	The London Eye, which is wheelchair accessible, carries passengers about 450 above the ground for spectacular views of Big Ben and other landmarks.

LONDON - Overseas air travel, no ADA requirements and a city so ancient it still has remnants of a wall built during the Roman Empire: What could present bigger challenges to a wheelchair-user on vacation?

We planned our trip to London with some trepidation because of the expected lack of access for Heidi, who uses a wheelchair for mobility because of limitations resulting from rheumatoid arthritis. But the city, with its plentiful curb cuts, goodly number of accessible transportation options and myriad barrier-free attractions, won us over.

Our first problem was just getting there: Long plane trips, requiring lots of sitting, can wreak havoc on Heidi's joints. But we flew from Miami to London on Virgin Atlantic airlines and were quite impressed with access, and Virgin's staff was very accommodating, offering assistance along the jetways and onto the aircraft.

They made sure Heidi's manual wheelchair was safely stowed on board the plane, where it was safe and at-the-ready upon arrival. Virgin does not have a first-class cabin, but our Upper Class bulkhead seating allowed Heidi plenty of room to transfer into her seat or to intermittently stand and stretch.

Once at Gatwick Airport, we headed for the Gatwick Express train into the city; the station is convenient to the terminal. A conductor adroitly put a portable ramp in place so we could board with ease. We sat in a designated area for a wheeler and companion. Nearby was a large, accessible, unisex restroom with an automatic door, grab bars and plenty of room to accommodate a wheelchair.

The Strand Palace Hotel, near Covent Garden and the theater district, featured satisfactory access, with a portable ramp at the side entrance, an elevator and a portable bath bench for our room's shower. The room itself had plenty of space to negotiate Heidi's wheelchair around the furniture.

On our sightseeing, we found curb ramps at nearly every intersection, and wide, smooth sidewalks along many streets. We navigated easily the Embankment, with its parks along the River Thames, Covent Garden with its colorful labyrinth of indoor and outdoor vendors, and Soho, which maintains its legendary bohemian quality, though many of the shops are decidedly upscale.

For many wheelchair users, London's wide-bodied cabs would be a viable option. Most are equipped with ramps that pull down from the chassis, or the drivers have portable ramps that can be quickly installed. While the ramps are a bit steep, they allow wheelers to roll up directly into the cabs and remain in their chairs.

We also traveled across the Thames to the South Bank, using the iconic red double-decker buses. The newer ones are quite accessible, with an automatic ramp, controlled by the driver. Inside, special areas are reserved for wheelchairs, and these even feature a lower placement of a button for signaling a desired stop. There are no tie-downs for wheelchairs, but drivers generally know to avoid jackrabbit stops and starts.

The London Eye, the huge Ferris wheel erected for the millennium celebrations, is totally wheelchair accessible. The Eye takes visitors on a gentle, 30-minute ride in transparent capsules 450 feet above the ground. The staff is well-trained in boarding wheelers.

The Millennium Bridge is a barrier-free way to cross the river. Accessible via elevator, this pedestrian bridge provides sweeping views of the city.

Back on the north side of the river, we headed to one of the world's finest repositories of history and art, the British Museum.

Here is the place to see such treasures as limestone blocks from the Egyptian pyramids, the Rosetta stone, artifacts from Roman Britain and artworks from Asia and the Middle East.

As we entered the main gate on Great Russell Street, a guard pointed us in the direction of a self-operable lift; there was even a bell to summon assistance. There are many levels to the museum, but elevators and ramps provide access to most displays.

We'd had several outstanding meals on our trip, but we couldn't depart without enjoying high tea. We headed to the Savoy Hotel, where the staff does an amazing job, in a facility built in 1889, to accommodate guests with mobility impairments.

When we made reservations by phone for our tea, Heidi mentioned her special needs. Upon arriving in the lobby, a bellman escorted us through several halls, down an elevator and through a small part of the kitchen. We then arrived at the Thames Foyer, an opulent setting with a view of the river.

Servers attended to our every need, and when we were ready to depart, a staffer seamlessly escorted us back to the lobby.

- Wright is a freelance journalist; Johnson-Wright, who has used a wheelchair for 25 years, is an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator. They live in Miami. You can contact them at takingflight@msn.com

GETTING THERE: British Airways flies direct from Tampa International Airport to Gatwick; Virgin Atlantic flies there from Orlando.

STAYING THERE: The Strand Palace Hotel is at 372 The Strand. For information or reservations, call 44-020-7836-8080, or go to Reservations@strandpalacehotel.co.uk The Web site is www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk

BUSES: For information, go to www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ or contact the Customer Services Department at London Buses, 44-020-7918-4300.

DOING THE TOWN: Thames Foyer at the Savoy: call 44-020-7836-4343; www.savoy-group.co.uk/Savoy London Eye, Jubilee Gardens South Bank; www.londoneye.com The British Museum, Great Russell Street; information desk: 44-020-7323-8299; main Web site: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk Web page with access information: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/visit/access.html

FAST ACTION: To save time standing in line, consider purchasing the London Pass, which provides fast entry to more than 50 attractions. The Web site is www.londonpass.com

KEY ACQUISITION: The nonprofit organization RADAR, which seeks to integrate people with disabilities into the community, operates the National Key System. This provides keys to people with disabilities so they can use more than 4,000 accessible restrooms in the United Kingdom, which are otherwise unavailable to the public. Write to RADAR, 12 City Forum, 250 City Road, London, EC1V 8AF; call 44-020-7250-3222; e-mail: radar@radar.org.uk

FOR MORE INFORMATION: London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau, 1 Warwick Row, London, SW1E 5ER; call 44-020-7932-2040; www.visitlondon.com

For an excellent guide to accessible travel in London, contact the Access Project for a free copy of Access in London. Send an e-mail to gordon.couch@virgin.net or write to Access Project, 39 Bradley Gardens, West Ealing, London W13 8HE. The Web site is www.accessproject-phsp.org

[Last modified March 18, 2005, 10:15:04]