5 incredible accessible travel experiences in Florida

Over the past few years, Florida’s drive to become one of the planet’s most accessible destinations has accelerated, with the admirable aim of inspiring other destinations to build and promote accessible travel experiences, too. Ultimately, the goal is to make the world a better place for travellers of all abilities, but in the meantime, Florida is the place to come for a wide range of accessible attractions, beaches, parks, and events throughout the state…

Before your trip even starts, head to VISIT FLORIDA’s accessibility travel hub, a resource for travellers with additional needs. The site features over 650 articles on accessible travel, to help you plan the best holiday. And once you arrive at the Sunshine State, you’ll find many services and accessible facilities on offer at the state’s international airports, from parking to arrivals, departures, ground transportation, restaurants and more. All 12 airports participate; here’s what some of the main ones offer: the MyMIAccess portal is an initiative offering a dedicated platform for accessing services, amenities, and information when travelling through Miami International Airport, from Aira, a service that connects passengers who are blind or have low vision to a highly trained, remotely located agent, to the provision of a Sunflower landyard to denote a hidden disability. It also became the first airport in America to install wheelchair charging stations throughout.

Orlando Airport provides an Accessiblity Services Map which highlights all the facilities available throughout its three terminals, from visual paging displays to service animal relief areas and specialised info booths. At Tampa International, in addition to 19 Guest Experience employees and over 100 Volunteer Ambassadors who are specially trained to assist passengers of all abilities, there are hundreds of contracted employees who work directly with the airlines to provide wheelchair assistance from curbside check-in to gates (and vice-versa).

Spending time by the sea lifts the spirits, and Florida’s beaches are becoming increasingly more accessible, with many now equipped with Mobi-Mats and accessible parking. Along Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key, you’ll find Gulf Islands National Seashore, the longest stretch of federally protected seashore in the United States, featuring several paved trails which are more easily navigated by wheelchairs. In addition, you can even hire beach wheelchairs, whose balloon tires make gliding over the sand much more fun. Picture-perfect Hollywood Beach has a 4km-long Broadwalk delivering stress-free pedestrian, bike and wheelchair access to its restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, while Panama City Beach offers a range of powered beach cruisers, regular beach wheelchairs, and wheelchairs that can float in the water from Beach Powered Mobility.

A visit to the Sunshine State wouldn’t be complete without trying one of its many water sports, and there are plenty of accessible options available. The EZRide Surf School, with 14 locations from Cocoa Beach to Miami Beach, offers lessons for all ages and abilities. For deaf participants, instructors use lip-reading techniques to offer an amazing inclusive experience. And The Oceans of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organisation established to offer individuals with limited mobility and spinal cord injuries the opportunity to experience the joy of hanging ten. All their events, including adaptive surfing with their customized surfboards and adaptive kayaking, are free to attend and run by trained and experienced volunteers. Now catch those waves!

If there’s one thing Florida’s known for, it’s incredible nature. With three national and 175 state parks, from the diverse Everglades to the dazzling white beaches of Amelia Island, the great news is that many of them are accessible, providing everything from accessible sailboats and modified kayaks to wheelchair-accessible glass-bottom boats. Not far from Miami, Biscayne National Park is home to a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejewelled coral reefs. It features wheelchair accessible facilities such as parking, bathrooms, and picnic tables, as well as scenic boardwalks and a trolley service, making it easy for all to explore the largest marine park in the National Park System.

You’ll be able to see the marine life at close quarters in Silver Springs State Park near Ocala; they recently added the Chief Potackee Betty Mae Tiger Jumper to their fleet of glass-bottomed boats. Named after the only female Seminole Chief, it has benches which lift up and down, making it accessible for wheelchairs, and easier for every passenger to see the glass viewing area. And don’t miss the stunning Seminole Wekiva Trail; you can take a wheelchair or recumbent bike along the 22.5km of paved pathway which meander through some of Florida’s most alluring landscapes, which are just outside of Orlando. From there, you’re close to the Wekiwa Springs State Park, which now features a swim lift to make the springs accessible for all.

Cities can daunt even the most able-bodied, thanks to traffic, noise, and sets of steps, but some are making a concerted effort to foster a welcoming, accessible experience, such as Jacksonville. Its Cummer Museum offers large print guides, pre-scheduled ASL services and touch tours for those who are blind or have low vision, while the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) provides weighted wraps, noise-reducing headphones, a sensory map, pre-scheduled ASL services, raised versions of sky maps and more. If you’re more of a thrill-seeker, iFLY Jacksonville features All Abilities Night the first Monday of every month, offering individuals with physical or cognitive challenges the opportunity to indoor skydive.

The oldest city in America, St Augustine, on Florida’s northeast coast, recently introduced the St. Augustine Braille Trail. This historic and accessible walking tour features seven sculptures around the Plaza de la Constitución, established in 1573. Wheelchair-users don’t need to miss out on any of the city’s landmark sites; a wheelchair-accessible itinerary takes you to the ancient fort of Castillo de San Marcos, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, which dates from the time of Florida’s Minorcan settlers, and the Fountain of Youth, the supposed mystical site discovered by explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. You can also take an Old Town Trolley tour for an overview of this fascinating city.