BRIAN'S STORY A QUADRIPLEGIC ABROAD

Hello folks, firstly to introduce myself I’m Brian a quadriplegic due to a work accident in 2009 I was working on a building site in Aberdeenshire down a 3m excavation laying concrete pipes when with a flick of a switch disaster struck and a digger bucket landed beside me causing me to be paralysed from the shoulders down Things could have been much worse so I try to remain positive and live life to the full including my holidays abroad, I love the heat and suffer the cold weather here terribly!

My jaunts have taken me to Tenerife, Majorca, Gran Canaria and my favourite of all Turkey to which I now travel to twice a year for 4-6 weeks at a time I’m sharing my travel adventures with you all in the hope it will benefit others in similar situations to myself

Airports! What I can tell you is it’s certainly an unforgettable experience On arriving at the airport you get straight to the front of the queue I stay in my power chair until I’m about to board the plane, this is where the shenanigans begin! To get you from your wheelchair onto the little aeroplane stool you are manually lifted by the airport special assistance team Team of 4, 2 at the front and 2 at the back, sometimes my carers need to assist if 4 not available To enable my chair to get in the hold a carer usually stays with the chair, reclines it fully and removing the joystick section, arm and footrests securing these to the chair so they don’t get damaged inflight and turn on manual mode so the airport staff can push it manually

My carers put my hoisting sling in so I am being lifted with this rather than being lifted from under armpits, a much smoother transition I’m seatbelted in at the waist however as I can’t support myself and you often need to remind them you need a chest harness

Some airports have an eagle hoist which is similar to your ceiling hoist at home which runs up the middle of the aisle which is fabulous but unfortunately I’ve only had this once as apparently it’s always broken I actually think not many staff know how to use it which is a more likely story so definitely check with your airport if one available You are then taken to your seat and again lifted into it Again no chest strap available, after head butting the seat in front of me when landing and sending the poor gentleman seated here flying (we saw the funny side) I now use a suitcase strap around my chest to prevent further mishaps!

On arriving at destination you are last off the plane and generally your chair is waiting for you to be man handled into once again! Once in chair relax and holiday mode can begin

Accomodation- always says wheelchair friendly and accessible! I’ve came across ramps into hotels at a 90 degree incline, not for the faint hearted, I usually have to get a carer to operate the chair from behind as when I recline too far I can’t reach my joystick I do sometimes wonder where my carers got their driving licence from so where possible I operate it myself

Lifts!! Check the measurements as if wheelchair accessible I am presuming European wheelchairs must be way smaller than ours! I’ve had to remove foot plates etc just to get myself in then someone push the button and try and race the lift up the stairs! As you can imagine with other guests calling the lifts it can be some time before we meet again and I’m a tad sea sick On one occasion my chair wouldn’t fit in a lift at all no matter what we removed, but where there’s a will there’s a way! Bring out the hotel managers plush wheeled office chair! Oh yes hoisted in reception from my chair into his up in the lift, wait for the carers and hoist to arrive and put me to bed, phew!

On one occasion I arrived in a Turkish hotel to discover my hoist wouldn’t work, discussing with the hotel manager me hiring a hoist at 500 euro a week he wouldn’t hear of it! No sir we help you he says and low and behold 4 people were sent to my room to put me to bed and get me up as required, I had everyone from kitchen porters to maintenance men to the manager himself, got to love the Turkish will do anything to help

Getting about - most places pavements are fine for the wheelchair it’s the getting off the pavements and across the road that can be an issue Astounding to see the size of some kerbs/pedestrian crossings with no slope to get off them, sometimes I go on the road with the cars as I find it easier, I have a big flag coming out the back of my chair making sure I’m seen I also purchased a folding ramp which I can carry on my chair for this reason it’s an essential travel companion

If you wish to travel further afield of your destination it’s worth checking out the taxis/ buses first Gran Canaria for example had ramp access taxis but Antalya in Turkey don’t, unless you book the airport transfer ones which are a fortune! I can however access the buses in Antalya which is great

Konyailti beach in Antalya is my favourite place, there’s a promenade that runs the length of the beach around 6 miles with smooth lanes for chairs and cyclists, they also have a disabled section of the beach with direct access for the chair with a Pier out over the sea, for those of you that can brave the sea there’s a seat to lower you into the water, also beach wheelchairs available

We’ve certainly had some disasters and laughs on holiday but this won’t deter me from going, as I say where there’s a will there’s a way! My advice is just go for it but check out the points I’ve mentioned above first and if you have any questions feel free to get spinal to put us in touch I would love to hear your stories and answer any questions you may have

Happy holidays folks!

-Brian