Equipment Preparation
Your wheelchair is not only a replacement for your legs, but when you book your holiday, it will be your wings, providing you with mobility, independence, and safety. Before any journey, it deserves the same meticulous checks as an aircraft before takeoff.
Steps:
- Check tyres, bearings, brakes, side guards and armrests for wear or looseness.
- Take photos of your wheelchair from all sides before you travel (evidence in case damage occurs).
- Protect vulnerable components (e.g., footplates, backrest posts, power-assist mount points).
- Remove anything detachable before handing over at the airport (small parts go in your carry-on).
- Bring your own tools and spare parts you use often (even basic things like tape and cable ties).
- Pre-print a laminated equipment card with chair dimensions, weight and airline staff handling instructions.
Your equipment is worth more than your ticket price; treat preparation like protecting essential medical equipment, not luggage.
Medical, and other Documents
Travel in a wheelchair involves medical complexity that most travellers never have to think about. Planning this early prevents panic later.
Prepare these documents before booking flights:
- Medical letter stating injury level, in my case, T10 complete and wheelchair dependence
- Medication list and requirements
- Any battery/power assist documentation (Dangerous Goods / UN code for SmartDrive, etc)
- Travel insurance documentation (wheelchair coverage written into policy)
- Airline special assistance forms (each airline has its own version)
Always: Keep digital printed copies. Store one copy in your carry-on and one in the cloud.
Medical documentation preparation removes arguments at airports and protects your rights.
Packing
Packing is about reducing risk, protecting your energy, and being prepared for the unexpected, not taking everything you own.
Guidelines:
- Pack light, pack tight, pack smart; weight matters when you self-propel.
- Prioritise what supports your independence (tools, daily function items, skin care gear, catheter supplies, etc).
- Pack comfort/pain management items (since airports/transfers strain the body).
- Ensure battery items, cables/chargers are labelled and separated clearly in your carry-on.
- If something is critical to how you function, it stays with YOU, not in checked baggage.
Packing is not about options; packing is about protecting capability.