One Thing The USA Does Right

Traveling to Europe was an enlightening thing.  All of those people that say the USA is Number 1 really haven't a clue of how far behind we actually are on many fronts.  However, I do have one thing in mind that where the USA is out in front of all the places I visited and that is the Americans With Disabilities Act, also known here as the ADA, not to be confused with the American Dental Association.

If you have a major mobility issue a trip to Europe needs to be carefully planned.  There are cobblestone streets everywhere in the UK. It is rare to find a shop without at least one step to overcome before entering.  Some train stations in Belgium have a lot of steps between platforms and the trains have steps. You need to call ahead for special accommodations which means the station will often reroute the train to a different platform and employ personnel to haul ramps or other equipment to assist the disabled passengers.

London is somewhat better.  The Tube Stations all have lifts (elevators), yet still there is the constant reminder to "Mind the Gap".  There is also room on the trains for wheelchairs park, though most people store luggage there.

We only stayed in thee hotels that had elevators, two of which had stairs to the main entrance.  Two porters would come out to physically hoist the wheelchair up the stairs.  No entrance ramps in sight. Though the B&Bs we stayed in were large enough to accommodate 30 people or more, they all had steps to enter and narrow stairs to each floor. 

I'm sure many places have ways to accommodate persons of diminished abilities and other places just can't.  For many the airport will be the last place with abundant accessibility.