Wheelchair travel insurance can be a great safety net financially whether you travel by car or plane. If your wheelchair gets accidentally damaged (or stolen) your insurance can help you cover the costs. For example, if your custom lightweight folding wheelchair for travelling is broken in transit, insurance helps you have it repaired faster, with fewer needless delays.

If you’re flying or driving with your wheelchair, having it insured can be a great buffer against damage or theft.

Each year, more inclusive travel destinations are launched in Australia. This means travelling is gradually becoming more accessible for anyone with limited mobility and other disabilities. Whether you’re travelling for work, holidays or other reasons it might be worth considering insuring your mobility equipment.

In this article, Blue Badge Insurance explores the benefits of having wheelchair travel insurance.

Accessible travel in Australia and beyond

Travelling can be wonderful and Australia is building up a solid list of accessible destinations. Of course, accidents and theft can happen anywhere, whether travelling or at home and on one’s usual routes.

However, moving from new one location to the next and in and out of vehicles with luggage when travelling can increase these possibilities. As you’ll see in the next section on air travel, Australians frequently experience wheelchair damage and loss when travelling by plane. Just another reason for considering wheelchair travel insurance.

Before we dive into the risks and safeguards of air travel and car travel with your mobility equipment, here are some useful accessible travel resources.

Accessible destinations

• Pet friendly wheelchair accessible accommodation
• Best wheelchair accessible restaurants in Australia
• Wheelchair accessible accommodation on the east coast
• Disability friendly holiday spots
• Accessible holiday stays for Valentine’s Day 
• Accessible accommodation options in Australia

Check out these wheelchair travel blogs and more tips for travelling with disability further down in this article.

Wheelchair travel insurance for air travel

Some of the most common incidents of wheelchair damage in Australia happen during air travel. This can include wheelchairs getting lost, stolen and broken. No-one wants to lose their luggage during a flight. Worse, if that luggage is your wheelchair than it’s also crucial to your mobility and independence.

Your wheelchair is one of your most valuable assets. It’s likely custom to your figure and needs. You might even have invested in one of several lightweight folding wheelchairs designed just for travelling.

What happens when you crack a fender or bend an armrest while away from home, let alone overseas? Or worse, if you’re in an accident and your wheelchair is damaged beyond repair?

Thankfully if you have wheelchair travel insurance, you can get your chair repaired or even replaced more quickly. Not only can you then rest assured knowing the costs will be covered according to your policy but you’ll have immediate access to Blue Badge Insurance partner networks of specialist repairers.

If you travel with an Assistance dog, find out more about flying with an Assistance Dog.

Wheelchair travel insurance for road trips

Maybe you’ve opted for a wheelchair accessible road trip. This can afford far more freedom for stop-offs, restroom breaks and a more flexible schedule. Whether you’re travelling as a driver or passenger of a wheelchair accessible vehicle or modified car, keeping your wheelchair safe is important.

• Stowing your wheelchair

Mobility equipment stowage and transfer options such as a wheelchair and mobility scooter trailer can provide good protection for your wheelchair and other equipment. However, there’s still ample movement during transfers, often in new and unknown locations.

• Travel risks

That means different accessible parking spaces, maybe different pathways, steps and any number of potential risks. Along with these wheelchair accessible vehicle travel and road trip tips having comprehensive wheelchair insurance that covers travel before you set off on your big adventure can be a good idea.

If you’re on a cross country road trip, read the answer to, “Can I use my disability parking permit in another state?“

Wheelchair travel insurance for accident and theft

A wheelchair is a highly expensive piece of equipment that’s not easy to replace.

You may have insurance already on it, but that’s not to say you’ll be insured if you decide to travel. If you’re comprehensively covered by a company like Blue Badge Insurance, we’ll ensure you get back on a roll as quickly as possible.

Blue Badge Insurance covers accidental damage and theft of your wheelchair as follows:

• Wheelchair damage. Wheelchair travel insurance is great for covering damage that is accidental. Read more about what accidental damage means for a wheelchair. We’ll even help you and your chair get home after an accident – even if you’re on the other side of the world!
• Wheelchair theft. Wheelchair theft is also not uncommon, so read our tips to help prevent your wheelchair being stolen. Then seriously think about safeguarding your wheels.

We’ve been around many years as a disability equipment insurance specialist so we’ve seen a lot of precarious situations. We know what frustration and heartache a damaged wheelchair can cause. That’s why we want to help you get your mobility equipment repaired or replaced as quickly as possible with wheelchair travel insurance.

Wheelchair travel insurance with third party cover

Blue Badge Insurance automatically covers your wheelchair for accidental damage and third party liability for the first 21 days of overseas travel (excluding third party liability in the USA and Canada). Thereafter, you can extend the period of cover for an additional fee.

Blue Badge Insurance is different from other wheelchair travel insurance providers in our offering of third party property damage cover and personal injury cover.

• Market value cover

We also repair or replace a damaged wheelchair or a chair that’s been lost or damaged due to theft, vandalism, fire or flood. Plus, we do new for old replacement for wheelchairs up to two years old. Our insurance cover extends to $50,000, based on market value.

• Wheelchair accessories

We also cover manual wheelchair accessories such as power wheels, rear power assist, add on hand bikes and third wheels. With us, you can also get car insurance for wheelchair accessible vehicles and disability converted cars.

You never know when our promise to cover the costs incurred to get you and your wheelchair home following an accident could come in handy.

Lightweight folding wheelchairs for travelling

Depending on where and how you’re travelling you might switch out your usual chair in favour of lightweight folding wheelchairs for travelling. Or maybe you have one already.

Moving about in novel destinations, in and out of cars or planes and finding accessible restrooms can be simplified if you’re travelling with the right mobility equipment.

That’s why we’ve listed some lightweight folding wheelchairs for travelling:

• Q50R Carbon electric folding wheelchair
• Freedom Chair
• Carbon Ultra Freedom Chair A10

Carbon is an incredible material because its strong and incredibly lightweight. Along with bicycles and cars, lightweight folding wheelchairs for travelling are often made from carbon. Whether or not you’re travelling with one of these, consider getting your chair covered with wheelchair travel insurance.

Tips for travelling with disability

Travelling can be stressful, but having the peace of mind that your valuable asset is insured can make it less so.

Here are five tips for travelling with your mobility equipment:

1. Tips for travelling with a wheelchair or mobility scooter
2. Top tips for travelling with a disability
3. Your guide to travelling with a disability in Australia
4. Top tips for travelling as a carer
5. New guidelines for disability access in travel and tourism

When you take out wheelchair insurance that covers travel as well, be sure to ask the right questions. Here are six questions you should ask before you get wheelchair insurance.

Wheelchair travel tips across your journey

Travelling with such an essential piece of equipment can be nerve-wracking but doesn’t need to be. You’ll want to plan your trip well to ensure it’s as smooth as possible.

Here are some tips that will hopefully make your wheelchair trip as accessible as possible:

Enquire ahead across all touchpoints

Expecting the best and planning for the worst is the way to go when travelling with a wheelchair. If you leave things up to fate you might encounter avoidable issues along the way. Don’t be shy to contact your travelling touch points well ahead of time with your questions.

This could, for example, include the following:

• Transport picking you up from the airport
• Wheelchair accessible vehicle rental company
• Accommodation host
• Tour operator

Apart from ensuring your accommodation is accessible, you’ll want to do research on the sites of interest you’ll be visiting. Are they easy to reach via your mode of transport? What are the on-site accessible facilities like? And once you’re there, will you be able to navigate yourself around the site?

Also look into disability equipment supplies stores near your destination/s. If you need to grab some useful wheelchair accessories, for example, where will you go to find them?

Be aware of the terrain

Some wheelchairs can’t handle rough terrain or cobbled and rutted roads. Try do so as much research as possible to find out what the paths to and around your desired site will look like. Your wheelchair travel insurance will cover you for accidental damage but the more you can decrease your likelihood of it happening, the better!

Enjoy others’ accumulated knowledge

Again, wheelchair travel blogs, social pages and forums are indispensable in accessing shared knowledge. Here you’ll be able to get a clearer picture of what your destination will look like and what to expect. The experiences of people who’ve already ‘been there, done that’ can help guide you towards a much smoother and enjoyable experience for yourself.

You’ll likely find enthusiastic knowledge sharers who will gladly share their insights in answering questions you have in the lead up to your visit. You have to love the internet for crowd sourcing expertise across a wide range of topics.

Pack extra essentials

It’s difficult to predict when you might need to do a bit of wheelchair maintenance while on the go so pack things like a spare battery and inner tube for your wheelchair. You know your equipment best and which bits and pieces may need some attention while you’re away. You may not have access to suppliers specific to your model that could help you at a moment’s notice.

And just like your parent always said – pack for all seasons. You may expect sunny weather at your destination/s but what if there’s rain here and there? What if the wind picks up while you’re out and about? What’s the temp going to be overnight – will your accommodation have powerful air con that cuts through any conditions?

If you’re unsure then prepare for any eventuality – even just one outfit for each season, an umbrella, sunscreen and a blanket will go a long way. A comfortable trip is a much happier trip. Speaking of packing the right clothing, check out Christina Stephens adaptive clothing and other adaptive clothing in Australia.

Thinking of wheelchair travel insurance? We can help!

As Australia’s disability insurance specialists, we know how important your wheelchair is to your everyday life. That’s why we offer year-round, cost-effective comprehensive wheelchair insurance that includes cover for overseas (and domestic) travel. And we offer mobility scooter insurance too.

We know you may be travelling with an Assistance Dog and that dogs can become sick or injured too. You’ll be happy to know we offer up to 25% off Assistance Dogs Insurance and 15% off regular pet insurance for disability parking permit holders.

Find out about getting up to 25% off our disability car insurance with your disability parking permit (whether your car is modified or not). Click below to get a quote to suit your needs.