Tough travels by wheelchair

The Rocky Mount, N.C., Telegram did a feature July 15 on the unique travails when traveling as a wheelchair user.

Increased security, delays, soaring costs and crowds mean travel can be a strenuous experience for anyone, said Theresa Pacione, program director for the Open Doors Organization, a social action research group in Chicago. Adding the extra dimension of traveling with a disability on top of these issues can make traveling even more taxing.

It simultaneously creates the need for a greater amount of planning and the potential for more difficulties, Pacione said.

"I think it is the rare person that will persevere. You really have to want to travel, but it is definitely worth it. I wouldn't give it up," said Pacione, who also uses a wheelchair.

By 2030, Open Doors estimates that almost 24 percent of the U.S. population will be disabled, and 15 percent severely disabled, Pacione said. This will mean about 53 million more disabled people than in 1997.

The organization estimated that about one-third of adults with disabilities fly at least once every two years.

Pacione travels frequently, usually with someone else to make the experience easier, and she always plans ahead to prevent any problems she can.