Travelling with a powerchair – Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

When it comes to travel, “go for it!” says Ray.

Now that the chance to travel locally and abroad is once again on the radar, you may be questioning how you can travel easily and safely with your powerchair.

There are some important tips and information we have learnt from our many powerchair users that we would love to share with you to make travelling with your powerchair a breeze.

Long-time Magic Mobility user and global jet-setter Ray Jordan’s advice is:

“Go for it!”… but make sure that you’re always fully prepared.

Ray owns a Frontier V6 C73 and keeps himself busy by running his own business from Melbourne, Australia whilst travelling regularly internationally for both work and pleasure. He often travels with his wife who is also a powerchair user and a US citizen. Ray spends about half the year in either the US or Australia, often travelling to other exotic places in the meantime.

Travelling without carers, Ray and his wife have learnt a lot about self-sufficient travelling as powerchair users.

According to Ray, his Magic Mobility powerchair has all the features he needs to take him safely and comfortably wherever he wants and needs to go. But he finds that he and his wife need to be well prepared for a world that’s not always designed with powerchair users in mind.

Here are some helpful tips and things you might like to consider before you go:

Ray’s powerchair being loaded into the cargo hold of the plane.

• Planning ahead to consider where you will find suitable, accessible toilet facilities – and using them whenever they are available
• Removing your joystick, headrest or other fragile components to protect them before checking in your powerchair with an airline
• Providing clear instructions on the wheelchair for how to load the wheelchair under the plane to minimise damage and save time
• Perhaps even finding where to get reliable powerchair repairs at your destination, in case anything goes wrong whilst travelling.

Ray’s other advice is that it’s always a good idea to get your Magic Mobility powerchair checked over by a skilled technician to make sure everything is A-OK before you embark on your trip, and to avoid any issues that might arise when you are travelling away from home.

It might all sound like pretty common sense, but some of these considerations could be easily overlooked in the excitement of getting ready to travel.

You can read more on Ray’s travel adventures here, and find more tips and advice on travelling in your powerchair here.

If you have travel plans in the future and have any questions about how to keep yourself and your powerchair safe, feel free to contact us for advice. We’re here to help!