We all feel like a break every so often, but sometimes the thought of all the planning makes it seem too much of an effort. Just like other forms of leisure though, there’s plenty on offer. There are holiday companies that specialise in providing breaks for people with specific disabilities or access requirements and mainstream travel agents are getting better at providing information on facilities for disabled people. There are plenty of sources of useful information that will help you plan a holiday. And there are grants and subsidies that can help keep the cost down if money is very tight.

Here are some pointers to get you started.

Be clear what’s on offer. If you’re planning to book a holiday, double check your child’s needs will be catered for and consider asking the company to confirm arrangements in writing. It’s remarkable how many people still think that an entrance up half a dozen steps is accessible for a wheelchair user!

Insurance: are you properly covered? Make sure holiday insurance is appropriate; in the small print you’ll probably find for example that ‘pre-existing conditions or illnesses’ aren’t covered. If this affects you, look for a policy that suits you better.

Money too tight to mention? If you’re really struggling to afford a break, there are subsidised holidays around, or grants that may help you pay for them. Locally, Brighton & Hove Council’s Children’s Service has a specially adapted caravan in the New Forest for families who have children with special needs and the cost is subsidised. Call 01273 295530 for details. The 3H fund runs subsidised group holidays for physically disabled children and provides grants for holidays in the UK when funds are available. The Family Fund can provide grants towards family holidays and the charity Happy Days funds and organises holidays and days out for families with children with special needs aged 3-17. The Family Holiday Association is another charitable organisation that can help to fund breaks for disadvantaged families.

Finding information. The national charity Tourism for All (TFA) is a good place to begin when you’re starting to think about taking a break. TFA’s web site has travel advice, transport information, a useful directory that lists places to visit and accommodation to stay in – and much, much more. You’ll also find some really useful web links to other organisations that can help.

RADAR, the disability campaigning charity, and TFA compile ‘Open Britain’, a directory of accessible accommodation and travel in the UK. It’s available online on the Open Britain website or you can order it in book form.

Disability Now Magazine has a travel section with lots of holiday information.

Contact a Family publishes a booklet, ‘Holidays, play and leisure’. It lists organisations that provide holidays and holiday accommodation for families with disabled children. You can print it off their web site or call them and ask them to send you a copy.

You can find more details in our useful contacts.

“It has taken me quite a bit of time to adjust to the need to do all this preparation, but then it's been worth it because it's made our holidays easier and I'm less stressed.”

If you want to travel abroad and you have a child who is dependent on oxygen, you can download this really useful factsheet written by a local parent, Sonya Pettigrew.

Taking oxygen dependent children abroad

• Date: 06.05.2008
• Author: Sonya Pettigrew
• Format: pdf - 2284kb
• A parent's guide to travelling overseas with oxygen dependent children.