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NEW UNIVERSAL DESIGN GUEST RANCH
Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch is a new barrier-free guest ranch in western
Arizona two hours south of Las Vegas. The ranch is currently under
construction and will be opening November 15th of 2000! Guest ranches, or
dude ranches as they are more commonly known, have been around since the
late 1800's. Guests want a glimpse into the past, and this is a wonderful
way for them to do that.
The ranch will consist of a main lodge and dining room/kitchen with a
beautiful courtyard separating the two buildings. There will be 2 separate
lodge buildings housing 10 guestrooms. There will also be 2 family homes
with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and living rooms in each unit. These family homes
will accommodate up to 8. In addition, there will be a general store, a
tack room, a stable and arena area for the horses, a workroom, basketball
hoop, pool table, horseshoe pit, volleyball court and a swimming pool and
hot tub. The buildings will be located so that they will all have
commanding views of the Hualapai, Mohave and Buck Mountains. Using the
concept of Universal Design they have taken great care to create a ranch
that is accessible without appearing accessible so that everyone will feel
welcome. In other words, the accessibility is subtle not obtrusive.
Each oversized guestroom will be equipped with an accessible bathroom half
with roll-in showers. The family homes will have 2 separate bedrooms, each
with their own accessible bathroom and a living room with a fireplace. The
ranch will be able to accommodate up to 40 guests, just small enough so
everyone will become good friends during their stay!
An overnight stay at the ranch will include all meals (home cooked to
perfection), horseback riding and other ranch activities. The horseback
riding program will vary from slow and scenic, to challenging mountain
rides and advanced loping rides along sandy washes. There will also be
all-day rides, breakfast rides and specialty rides along with a special
weekly "treasure hunt ride". They will even have an arena so that they can
offer supervised rides in an enclosed environment to their more physically
challenged guests who are unable to go out on the trails but still want the
horseback riding experience. Cookouts will be common and evening
entertainment will be provided on many nights.
The owners, Dan and Carrie Rynders along with their family, invite you to
try this new and unique guest ranch! They welcome all able-bodied and
disabled travelers to come and experience their dude ranch where the Old
West blends with the new. There is a special Grand Opening offer of a 25%
discount to all guests between November 15 and January 1,2001. For more
information contact Dan & Carrie Rynders Stagecoach Trail Ranch, P.O. Box
580 Doc Holliday Rd. ~ Yucca, Arizona 86438. Toll Free: 1-866-444-4471
Phone (520) 854-1869 Fax: (520) 854-1920 E-mail:
vacation@stagecoachtrailsranch.com Web Site
http://www.stagecoachtrailsranch.com/
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REQUEST FOR INPUT ON AIR TRAVEL PROBLEMS
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General is conducting
a review of airline customer service. As part of this review, we are
inviting the flying public to share their air travel experiences with us.
The form you will fill out to describe your experiences and supply details
can be found at http://dynamic.tasc.dot.gov/oigsurvey/specialneeds.cfm.
This information will help them evaluate how well the U.S. airlines are
accommodating the needs of air travelers with disabilities and special
needs. The Office of Inspector General will use the information you are
providing as part of its report to Congress due December 31, 2000. This
report will be made available to the public following its release to
Congress. If you would prefer to submit a form in hard copy, please call
1-800-884-9190 and we will mail or fax it to you. If the airline experience
you wish to share does not involve the needs of air travelers with
disabilities and special needs you may want to contact DOT's Aviation
Consumer Protection Division
This request for input was put out by the U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of Inspector General, JA-10 Suite 2310 201 Mission Street San
Francisco, CA 94105
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A TIME FOR CELEBRATION-FIFTH SATH WORLD CONGRESS
AND TRADE SHOW TO MARK SATH'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY
On January 24-28, 2001, The Society for the Advancement of Travelers with
Handicaps will host its Fifth World Congress and Trade Show for Travelers
with Disabilities and the Mature at the Fort Lauderdale Airport Hilton in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The event will also commemorate SATH's 25th
Anniversary as an educational non-profit dedicated to promoting
barrier-free travel worldwide.
This unique travel industry event attracts disability specialists from all
over the world, eager to network, exchange ideas, and learn about the
latest legislation, technology, and accessible destinations. In panels and
workshops, they share their wealth of experience with travel agents and
tours operators new to the market or who want to expand their knowledge
about a particular type of disability, mode of travel, or better marketing
strategy. The intensive educational program, refined year by year, has
something for everyone, and beginners can count on taking away the tools
and resources they need to start planning accessible travel for clients
with disabilities.
Not only are there panels on recent changes in the airline, cruise line and
hotel industries, but also on ground transport, a sector facing real
challenges as new ADA regulations for over-the-road buses come into effect
in 2001 and 2002. One popular workshop covers the dos and don'ts of
disability etiquette and language. Another takes participants through a
detailed access inspection of the hotel, from parking lot to public areas
to adapted guestrooms. Delegates can later put their new knowledge of
access guidelines to work during the cruise ship inspection/luncheon,
hosted this January by Royal Caribbean International, one of the industry's
leaders in disability access.
The exciting Trade Show, scheduled for Friday, January 26th, provides
another opportunity to learn and network. Last January's event sold out,
so those interested in exhibiting are advised to reserve space early. For
industry association members, an "early bird" registration fee of $149 is
available until October 31st. Full details including registration forms
and a preliminary program are available at the SATH web site:
www.sath.org/. Or call the SATH World Congress at (800) 513-1126.
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TRAVEL WORKSHOPS SPONSORED BY CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
Access-Able is still holding workshops about traveling with special needs
at Abilities Expos throughout the country.
OCTOBER'S LOCATION IS DECEMBER'S LOCATION IS
New England Northern California
Oct. 20-22, 2000 Dec. 1-3, 2000
Bayside Exposition Center San Mateo County Expo Center
Boston, Massachusetts San Mateo, California
For FREE tickets to the Expo E-mail us at carol@access-able.com Plan on
attending and don't forget to stop by and say hi. Our booth number is 1056.
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MICRONESIA - KOSRAE VILLAGE
Have you ever dreamed of running away to a tropical paradise? Well here's
your chance! The kosrae Village Resort's island accommodations are
traditional Micronesian style bungalows situated under the shade of
mangrove, pandanus and coconut trees at the ocean's edge. It definitely
qualifies as a tropical Island.
The spacious individual bungalows at Kosrae Village Resort are built in the
traditional style. The floors are raised above the ground, the walls are
constructed of locally woven reed siding, and the thatch roof raises to a
steep pitch about 20 feet above the ground. Timbers are wrapped and tied
throughout the bungalow, from the spacious porch to the large bathroom and
garden shower. The techniques work just as well now as they did 500 years
ago!
Although the look is traditional and construction interesting, modern
amenities have been tastefully added for guest comfort. These include
queen beds (draped in mosquito netting), ceiling fans, electricity, hot and
cold running water, a large table, chairs, in-room refrigerator and coffee
pot.
What's truly unique, each bungalow (indeed the entire resort) is
accessible. 100% accessible, every building, every bathroom, every door,
everything. However it's not concrete and chrome accessibility, but a very
natural approach. Access is with local wood ramps and walks which all have
the proper angle, length and width but are bumpier then a backyard deck.
The paths are hard packed dirt and they do a pretty good job of staying
ahead of the land crab holes. All the bungalows are large with lots of room
to move around the beds, all doors are 36" with lever handles. All
bathrooms are large, 7 ft X 15 ft, sinks are open underneath, toilets are
not raised but raisers are available, grab bars are wood. Roll-in showers
have wood slat floors with wood benches and handheld shower heads installed
on request. The bathrooms in the restaurant and dive shop are also
accessible.
You can sun yourself on the beach, but there is plenty to keep you busy if
you prefer. Some of the activities include Surfing, Scuba Diving, &
Snorkeling, Rainforest Hikes, Fishing, Bird Watching, Canoeing & Kayaking.
The marina's here have floating docks with ramps that go up and down with
the tide but are wheelchair accessible. The boat deck is at the same
height as the dock, about a foot off the water. Entry into the water for
divers is easy, exit requires them to lift a disabled diver back to the deck.
Not to mislead you about the area, when asked about accessible
transportation on the island, one of the owners replied, "There are no
vehicles designed for accessibility on the island, but I can be very
creative, have a strong back, weak mind & pickup trucks. It wouldn't be a
problem." He went on to say, "Think of this place as accessible to sports
people in wheelchairs but not so easy for whimps. Anyone who will do the 7
hr flight on a 737 from Hawaii with 2 stops to get here should be able to
handle it and love it.
For more information contact Kosrae Village Resort, P.O. Box 399 Kosrae
Micronesia 96944 F.S.M. Phone: + 691 370.3483 Fax: + 691 370.5839
Web Site: http://www.kosraevillage.com Email: kosraevillage@mail.fm
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LINKS
WASHINGTON DC DISABILITY GUIDE - Keep your eye on this new access guide for
DC and surrounding areas. Currently it only offers details on inspected
eateries, but with plans to expand. http://www.DisabilityGuide.com/
******************
ENTERING THE WORKFORCE - The Social Security Administration has launched a
new website that offers information aimed at helping people with
disabilities enter the workforce. the site can be accessed from the main
Social Security Administration's website at www.ssa.gov/work or at this link:
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FEATURE DESTINATION - Be sure to check out this month's destination on the
Access-Able web site. It is part one of two of an extensive resource piece
about ITALY. You can check it out at
http://www.access-able.com/featuretours.html
******************************************************************************
Carol Randall
Access-Able Travel Source
http://www.access-able.com
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