Travellers With Disabilities
The disabled traveller in Ireland is not well served, and wheelchair users in particular are likely to find the lack of ramps, lifts and wide doors inconvenient. With this in mind, it is well worth contacting Comhairle in the Republic and the Northern Irish Tourist Board (NITB) for information before you travel. Comhairle publishes very useful and comprehensive survey guides of accommodation, tourist amenities and restaurants/pubs in the Republic. They also have listings of accessible toilets and provide the keys to them. Another useful publication is their Dublin: A Guide for People with Disabilities, with has detailed information on access to transport, toilets, public buildings, accommodation, shops and nightlife in the capital (all of the above publications are free). Wheelchair rental can be arranged in advance through the Irish Wheelchair Association. Most of the major ferry companies offer good reductions to disabled drivers coming from mainland Britain: generally you need to be a member of the Disabled Drivers Association (DDA) or the Disabled Drivers Motor Club (DDMC); it's well worth enquiring about these in advance as they tend to vary considerably according to season. In Northern Ireland , the very helpful NITB publish a guide to accessible accommodation, and their general guide to restaurants throughout the North highlights those with wheelchair ramps and facilities for disabled people (a nominal fee is charged for both publications). It is also worth contacting Disability Action for their holiday fact sheets which cover access to restaurants, accommodation, equipment and useful contacts.
Your Tip for Ireland
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