I am so thankful for iLevel® technology when I travel, especially when I am staying at hotels. Each hotel is different. I find that I need to adjust the seat height on my power wheelchair for different things all the time, even if I get an accessible room. Here are a few ways that iLevel helps me at hotels.
Check In
While most hotels do have at least one lower counter at check in, I still find that it’s better for me to elevate when I am checking in. It’s easier to hear the person standing behind the desk (especially when there’s loud music in the lobby) and it’s easier to reach to hand them my credit card.
Bed Heights
There is no standard bed height for hotels. I never know how high the bed will be in my room. Before I had iLevel technology, I couldn’t get into the bed if it was too high. Now, I can adjust my power wheelchair height to whatever height the bed is in order to transfer easily in and out of bed.
Seeing in the Mirrors
Whether I am in an accessible hotel room or a standard hotel room, the mirrors are often too high for me to see into when sitting at a standard wheelchair height. I often use iLevel when putting on my makeup in the morning and taking out my contact lenses at night.
Looking Through the Peephole
In accessible rooms, sometimes the peephole is adjusted to be lower. Yet, when I look out of it, all I can see is a person’s waist. That does not help me at all when I want to know who is knocking at my door. For this reason, I always elevate to use the higher peephole to determine if it is a stranger or someone I know before I open my door.
Grabbing Coffee and Breakfast
Many hotels I stay at offer complimentary coffee and breakfast. Often, the breakfast and coffee bars are too high to reach from a standard sitting position. I know the staff would help me if I asked, but I prefer to grab my stuff myself. So, I always use iLevel in the morning to grab my cup of joe and a plate to go.
About Stephanie Woodward: Stephanie is a brand ambassador advisor for Quantum Rehab® and works as a disability rights activist. She has received many awards for helping communities become more accessible, as well as for her actions in fighting for the rights of disabled individuals as it relates to Medicaid and other support services. Click here to learn more about Stephanie.
