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Things every person with a disability should know when traveling to Israel
By Fred J . Maahs , Jr .
I have been fortunate to have traveled to Israel a few times now and absolutely love the country , the people , the food , the sites , and of course , the deep , rich history of Israel . Each time I travel there I want to stay longer and I find it more difficult to leave . As a person who is paralyzed from the chest down , uses a manual wheelchair , and typically travels alone for business , I have some tips for people with disabilities when traveling to Israel .
1 Plan well in advance and ask questions . While Israel has made great strides to be more accessible and inclusive for all , you still have to do your pre-trip homework . It is required by law that each hotel has at least a couple of accessible rooms for people with disabilities . BUT , Israeli standards may be different than what you ’ re used to . Contact the hotel directly and ask for pictures and
measurements of the guest room and even the hotel property . Avoid surprises once you get there !
2 When arriving or departing from Tel Aviv ’ s Ben Gurion International Airport , give your self plenty of extra time . This is especially true for departures . When leaving Israel give yourself a good three hours time at the airport . Trust me , it gets quite confusing there especially during peak travel times . When you arrive at “ Departures ” go to Door # 32 and look for the “ PRM ” Kiosk . “ PRM ” stands for “ People with Reduced Mobility ” – or , generally , People with Disabilities . I ’ m still not quite sure why they do it this way , but once you get to the kiosk , there is an attendant who will manually write down your passport information and flight information into a three-ring binder and then call one of their colleagues to alert them you have arrived and what type of assistance you require . I do not know why this is a manual process and why you are held in queue until the attendant decides it ’ s your turn . Be prepared to wait a long time and even longer during holiday travel . It can be overwhelming and confusing .
3 Once you survive the “ PRM ” corral , you are off to the ticket counter and greeted by very friendly and helpful personnel . BUT , don ’ t let that fool you because now you are off to TSA and this is where it gets even more overwhelming . They ask a lot , I mean a lot of unnecessary and repetitive questions . They ARE trying to catch you in a lie as it seems there are a lot of dishonest travelers out there who claim to have a disability who actually don ’ t . I don ’ t understand it personally because there are NO additional perks