Special Needs at Sea becomes first accessibility preferred supplier for CLIA

Special Needs at Sea, a Special Needs Group Inc. company, is now a preferred partner benefits supplier for the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise line association, becoming the first accessibility partner registered with this international organization.

The announcement was made February 18, by Andrew Garnett, founder and CEO of Special Needs at Sea. “We are proud to be affiliated with CLIA, an organization that works to ensure a safe, secure and healthy ship environment for all passengers, and an organization that has consistently addressed the needs related to passengers with disabilities,” says Garnett.

“The Special Needs Market represents a large and diverse demographic,” says Bob Sharak, executive vice president of marketing and distribution for CLIA. “An organization like Special Needs at Sea, helps to facilitate those who require customized accessibility to ensure that everybody has access to the great cruise product we offer.”

According to Garnett, while the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has not yet implemented regulations for accessibility standards on passenger vessels, CLIA and the cruise industry have pro-actively taken steps to accommodate passengers with disabilities and physical limitations both in ship design features such as wider hallways, accessible cabins, lifts and Braille signage, and in services.

“For travelers with limited mobility, oxygen requirements or other disabilities, a cruise vacation leads other vacations choices in thoughtfully accommodating such needs,” says Garnett.

Special Needs at Sea works with, and is recommended by, all major cruise lines. The company provides a full range of special needs equipment for cruise travelers, including motorized scooters, power chairs, oxygen equipment, battery-powered concentrators, patient lifts and other mobility aides, delivering directly to cruise ship staterooms at ports around the world. All services are customized, and in addition to providing services to cruise passengers, Special Needs at Sea also rents and sells equipment to cruise lines.

“Our goal, consistent with CLIA’s is to make cruising enjoyable and accessible for everyone, especially passengers with disabilities who may not have thought that they could see the world,” adds Garnett.