In 1973, five disabled couples from California and Texas came together to form a club which would encourage other handicapped people to travel, meet, as well as exchange ideas and information about making recreational vehicles accessible for disabled travelers. From that meeting emerged the Handicapped Travel Club (HTC).
Originally, the HTC was open only to families where at least one person was handicapped. However, so many people without handicaps started asking to join - motivated by HTC’s principles - that membership was opened to anyone regardless of disability.
Today, the group’s mission of “fun and fellowship” has helped attract over 250 members across dozens of states and even from Canada and England. Their Facebook group is 1,200 strong.
One fan’s enthusiastic comments on the HTC website reflects how well the group is received: “I was so happy to read about your group. I never knew something existed for people with handicapping conditions traveling and enjoying the great outdoor life. So excited to see that you are able to find people that hold your same interest. I am not handicapped, but my daughter has an autoimmune disease that leaves her unable to walk. She is otherwise very independent. She is in still quite young; not yet 40. She would love to travel, but our 5th wheel is not accessible. So I am learning from this site on how she could do this with people her age.”
Benefits of membership include a quarterly newsletter, local gatherings, as well as regional and annual rallies in various locations across the country. Those rallies are great events where folks can meet, ask questions about the RV lifestyle, and get insight into accessibility modifications before purchasing a vehicle. Barbara Gratzke, head of marketing for the group, said one of the benefits of the rallies are, “Opportunities to tour rigs we call Show and Tell, where attendees can see peoples’ RVs, go inside, and see what the owners did.”
Wheelchair lifts are a common RV modification. [Photo/Handicapped Travel Club]
In previous years, rallies have been held in locations as varied as Red Bluff, California, Verona, New York, Rapid City South Dakota, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Last year, near Indianapolis, was a sell-out event.
For 2019, events already scheduled include:
â— July 12-14 - Western Mini Rally in Merrill Oregon, near Klamath Falls for the Lost River Bluegrass Festival. The rally is in good proximity to Crater Lake National Park and Lava Beds National Monument.
â— August 9-11 - The Mount St. Helens Bluegrass Festival in Toledo, Washington.
â— August 19-23 - the Annual HTC Rally to be held in southeastern Washington, five miles from the Columbia River at the Columbia Sun RV Resort in Kennewick, Washington.
Beyond the events and opportunities for fellowship, are the benefits from the members-only areas of the website. Content includes classified ads for people interested in buying or selling accessibility equipment or modified RVs, state-by-state listings of accessible RV parks and campgrounds that have been evaluated by members; and, even guidelines for RV parks to make facilities more accessible for disabled travelers.
The whole point to RVing is that it’s not just a means of transportation, particularly for someone needing accommodations. Rather, the vehicle becomes one’s living arrangements while on the road. Once an RV is been customized to fit the specific needs of a disabled traveler, there’s no longer worry about staying in a hotel or campground, navigating a restaurant, or renting a vehicle where accessibility could be an issue. In effect, the RV allows the traveler to bring their accessible living arrangements with them.
Customization of an RV for a disabled traveler can be involved and goes beyond cosmetic changes. The most common customizations include installing a wheelchair lift and widening the entrance and interior isles to accommodate a wheelchair. Modifying the bathroom and adding carriers for power chairs are other common modifications.
Bill Gratzke noted that no two situations have the same requirements and modifications become a one-on-one, creative process. This is where the information and HTC’s network become so beneficial. According to the book, Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers, many HTC members and other disabled RV travelers have converted their own rigs or worked with private conversion companies for custom-made rigs; those members are happy to share expertise, resources, and information with newbies. The Gratzkes alluded to many unique examples - such as several member couples in which both are disabled; and one couple who towed a 3-wheeled Harley requiring a special lift for the disabled partner.
Fortunately, manufacturers are starting to take notice. Recently, the Commercial and Specialty Vehicles Division at Winnebago Industries introduced a customizable accessible mobile home. In 2010, Bridgeview Manufacturing introduced the Harbor View Mobility travel trailer designed for people with disabilities, available in lengths from 21 to 36 feet.
Consumer response to manufacturers’ introduction of accessible models has been positive and at RV trade shows, there is growing interest in accessible vehicles. The HTC serves this growing market by maintaining listings of RV manufacturers and conversion companies offering accessibility options, along with being a source of information for customizing an RV for those who want to handle their own modifications.
Joining the Handicapped Travel Club is easy and inexpensive. There is an application fee - currently $15 - which includes first-year dues. Annual dues are $10 thereafter and entitle members to the quarterly newsletter, members-only areas of the website, access to local groups and meetings, and invitations to the various rallies (separate fees apply to rallies).
“It’s an amazingly positive group,” Ms. Gratzke says. The club’s moniker G.O.A.L. - Get Out and Live speaks to that, encouraging travelers with disabilities to get out on the road. With all of today’s choices for modified vehicles and accessible campgrounds, there’s a great reason for people with disabilities to join the RV crowd.
Camping Club, Events, Features, Open Road, RV Lifestyle, Travel