Travel by air for people with health issues, handicaps, disabilities or special needs, can be challenging. The following air travel tips will help make your flight and trip, whether domestic or international, easier, cheaper and safer.When making your travel reservations, request any carts, wheelchair services or any other transportation you’ll need. Fully describe your limitations and needs. Get your airline ticket and boarding pass well ahead of time so you don’t have to wait in any lines. You’ll be able to arrange travel at a discount, get better travel deals, and avoid last minute travel headaches.Talk with your airline representative or travel agent regarding the type of restrooms that are on the airplane. Call your airport and find out as much information as possible about the restrooms and handicapped parking at the airport.You’ll need to find out how you’ll be boarding the airplane at each of the airports involved in your trip. You may need another type of airplane or alternative route so you’ll have Jetways, or jet bridges, into the plane from the airport and not have to worry about stairs.One year my mother and I were going to fly out of the San Jose, California airport and discovered after we arrived that we had to go outside on the ground level with the wheelchair to the tarmac. Four airline employees had to carry my mother in the wheelchair up the steep steps to board the plane. This might be impossible if there are weight issues.Think about what seat arrangement will work best for you needs. Would an aisle seat make it more convenient to get to the restroom? You’ll want to avoid sitting in the emergency exit row. The passengers in this row may be asked to help others in an emergency situation.Let the airlines and flight attendants know if you have any assisting devices. Find out the best way to store them so they arrive without damage.Always keep in mind what you can do easily and without assistance, as well as situations that would require help.Can you transfer to seats by yourself? Will you need a transfer board or assistance from airline staff?Consider hiring a travel nurse if you have serious health or medical issues. There are traveling nurses networks.Can you describe your wheelchair, scooter or walker, dimensions, weight, type of tires, type of batteries, etc.? You may need to take along spare batteries. You also may need to rent or buy a travel wheelchair.Make sure to mention to your travel agent or airline representative any assisting devices you may need or already have like canes and crutches. Do you need a slow pace or are you a slow walker?If you will be traveling through different time zones, how will jet lag affect your situation?Consider how the following will be of concern during your trip and discuss with your travel agent: upper body strength, communication ability, speech issues, voice issues, vision problems, hearing problems, heat issues, medication needs, oxygen requirements, and dietary requirements such as gluten-free meals.Try to arrange or book your air travel through experienced travel agencies or tour operators that specialize in disabled travel. There are a large number of agencies throughout the U. S., Canada, Europe, Australia and many other countries.Just in case you need them, it’s also good to know if there are any travel agencies that specialize in disabled travel at your destination, for return travel, local resources or travel services.At the airport let airline boarding personnel know that you may need extra time to board the plane. Sit close to the door at the gate so you’re called first and then board at a comfortable pace.After the plane has landed, never get off the plane until you see or have your assisting device, wheelchair, travel wheelchair, etc. Flight attendants have to stay on the airplane until the last passenger leaves. They will help you while you’re on the plane but once you’re off the plane they won’t be able to help you.Make sure you carry your medications and back-up prescriptions with you onto the plane, along with doctors’ names, addresses, fax numbers for faxing prescriptions, phone numbers, medical diagnosis, names and dosages of medications you’re taking and any allergies you have.Photocopy passports, airline tickets, American Express Travelers Cheques, credit cards, any important papers.Carry your health insurance information with you on the plane. Know what you’ll do if you encounter a health problem or medical emergency on your trip. Get travel insurance to ensure less costly medical assistance. These emergency bills may not be covered under your health insurance policy. It’ll ease your mind to have this back-up travel insurance and prevent costly emergency medical charges on your trip. Emergency medical costs can run considerably higher than standard medical fees.These air travel tips should provide good insurance and help make your airplane travel, with health issues, handicaps, disabilities or special needs, easier, safer and cheaper.
Air Travel Tips for Travelers with Health Issues or Disabilities
Stages Involved in the Process of Home Buying
Buying a house is one of the biggest investments in the lives of most people. With the current booming property market and easily available finances, today many people are able to buy their dream home quite easily. Owning a house is not only a huge investment, but also something that can offer you many advantages, like tax savings, forced savings, limited monthly expenses and above all the sense of being a home owner. There are several prerequisites for buying a house, like a stable source of income, a clear credit report, enough cash for the up-front fees and down payment, mortgage application and so on.The process of home buying is quite complicated, particularly for the first time home buyers and might take a number of weeks. To get through this process with ease, it is important to understand the different stages involved in it. The very first stage focuses on identifying the most promising house. For this, loads of factors are required to be considered by the buyer, such as location, neighborhood, amenities, proximity to your workplace or your children’s school etc. To look for a suitable house, you can also seek assistance of a qualified and experienced realtor. Besides, internet, newspaper columns, signs like “house for sale”, friends, family members and relatives are some other common sources from which you can find useful information.The second stage involves identifying one’s credit rating. This means determining if your credit record can get a suitable home loan or not. Those, who are planning to buy a new house very soon, should plan their finances wisely for covering the monthly mortgage payments and make a clear budget to see how much they can actually afford. After this find a reliable mortgage agent and get a mortgage pre-approval. Once you get the pre-approval, making the offer on the house that you want to buy would be a lot easier, as the seller would not hesitate to sell his property to you. Generally, offer documents contain information, like selling price of the house, concessions desired, contingencies for home inspection, financial contingencies and a clear-cut definition of everything, which the sale contains, and also the total deposit amount for the house. To exchange the contracts and complete the deal, you may need the guidance of a qualified lawyer, an experienced home inspector, a reliable appraiser, a credible insurance broker and also an experienced land surveyor.The formalities, which should be completed by the buyer prior to final closing, include settlement statement, loan papers, contract, homeowner’s insurance, title insurance, title or the deed, down payment, closing costs and a few more. Before you sign the final agreement, do not forget to check the reports of home inspection, disclosures the property seller offers and the realtor’s title search service. Besides, there are some general up-front expenses that a buyer has to keep in mind. Some of these costs include appraisal fee, down payment, deposit, home inspection cost, title insurance, property insurance and legal fees. All these stages that occur in the process of home buying should be clear in the mind of a buyer, before planning to go ahead.
How to Apply for International Scholarship
Applying for an international scholarship is probably a big step for your dream career. Your family’s financial incapacity for your education may lead you to give up that dream, but think again. You have a chance to pursue an International scholarship with free scholarship grants. Free scholarship applications are financial aids from the government, private non-profit organizations or simply from wealthy individuals who want to share their wealth. How can you avail of these benefits and follow your dream? Here are a few ways.
Apply to top colleges and reliable sites. You need to survey in advance which colleges and universities offer scholarship for international students. It is also good to know the kind of programs offered for each college. Once, you have picked the university fit to your skills, you need to fill up forms that you can procure from your school or download from the web. You need to take note of deadlines and pass requirements before these indicated dates. Also consider online application. Scholarships like the Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships and AIFS Study Abroad Scholarship allow online application and submission in the web.
Secure needed documents and admission requirements. The requirements may vary in each college and you have to take not of these differences. Take note of the grade requirement for each university. Questions for the required essays may also vary. If you are student applying for your university’s sister school in another country, the school may only need a few requirements for your admission.
Know the provisions of the program. Read the guidelines of the scholarship. Does the amount cover all your expenses for the entire program? Does the program offer free dormitory services? Are your vacation fees covered for the program? If you fail to reach for their quota grade, will the school give you another chance to improve them? These questions are important because you have to be on your own in another country. You might as well be prepared for every possible change that you may encounter in your schooling.
Take the screening and interview. When you are notified for the next step of interviews and screenings, take the chance then! Remember, not all applicants can go up to that round. Ask other scholars for possible questions and type of exams for the screening process. You may also want to search the reviewers and panelists for the test. Consider their personalities, worldviews and the kind of answers they want to hear. Also have a thorough review of the concepts related to your applied degree. If possible, practice your answers for the interview.
Consider other alternatives like applying for student loans. Let’s face it. Not all applicants will pass through the selection process thus you need to have a backup plan. You can still apply for an International schooling program and ask financial assistance from a government federal agency. You can also ask funds and sponsorships from wealthy persons and non-profit organizations.