Accessible Travel and the Special Needs Family: A Discussion with the Founders of Special Globe – 065
Summary: <a href="http://specialmouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/unnamed.jpg"></a> Today I'm chatting with Jonathan Yardley and Meghann Harris, founders of an innovative special-needs travel site called Special Globe. They have created a site "that will allow parents the ability to book custom trips, book hotels and share their experiences and learn from other parents and experts through forums and written articles about everything from tips and tricks, top ten things to do and basic travel advice." They plan to develop their own itinerary guides for Special Globe members that would include comprehensive information about special needs travel. Where to stay, where to eat, what wonderful activities would be available to you that your whole family could enjoy, where are the hospitals, where are the pharmacies, where can I get a beach scooter, where can I get a certified aid that could help my family while on vacation in each of these locales and much more. All of it completely free of charge. Meghann has two children; her daughter was diagnosed with atypical Rett Syndrome when she was one year old. Meghann's love of family travel and her strong desire to provide that same experience to her family was the driving force behind the creation of Special Globe. <a href="http://specialmouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AtlantisPhoto_17.jpg"></a> You can visit the Special Globe website <a href="https://www.specialglobe.com/">HERE</a> and connect with them on social media on <a href="https://twitter.com/specialglobe">Twitter</a> , <a href="https://www.facebook.com/specialglobe">Facebook</a> , and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY0i29xQ5ltPZ4RkC794fKA">YouTube.</a> Mousekeeping: Well, the feedback keep pouring in on the Facebook Group for the cover image for my upcoming book, Walt Disney World with Autism: A Special Needs Guide. I posted the top three images, asked you all to vote, and you’ve been no help at all because there’s a hundred comments and the votes are all over the place! So, it’s back to the drawing board for the illustrator who will be tweaking the design based upon your suggestions. (I should probably run some kind of a contest or something, I’ll have to think about that a bit.) Naturally, I’m really excited about bringing this book to you. Our family’s been enjoying WDW pretty much every year for the past 12 years and so we’ve learned a lot about navigating the parks with our son, Billy, who has Autism. We’ll be into the April in a couple of days and, if you are not aware, April is Autism Awareness Month in the United States, and World Autism Awareness Day will be celebrated on April 2nd. Unfortunately, I will be celebrating World Autism Awareness Day by increasing my awareness of our state’s judicial system, as I was called to State Grand Jury selection on that very day. Yuckk! The real celebration for me will come sometime early in April – I don’t have the exact date, yet, but I promise I will let you know – when I launch the Kickstarter campaign to help me publish the book! If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter, it’s a crowdfunding platform for creative projects like books, films, music albums, etc. Essentially, it’s a way for you to pre-order the book AND support the project in general. I’ve set up a page here on the website and also a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Walt-Disney-World-with-Autism-A-Special-Needs-Guide/829689777073816?ref=hl">Facebook page </a>for Walt Disney World with Autism: A Special Needs Guide; please visit either of those if you’d like more information. Opinion: DAS Rumors! My take on this week's rumor; please see this <a href="http://bit.ly/1G2FJPH">blog post.</a> Let's not begin yelling "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater. Tip of the Week: This week’s tip addresses concerns about TSA Security and air travel with pre-filled medication syringes. <a href="http://specialmouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TSA."></a>
