The Traveling Wheelchair

Water Street
Plymouth, MA 02362
Phone: 508-746-1622
Website: http://www.plimoth.org/features/mayflower-2/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvZheBJBFHU

The Mayflower II, owned by The Plimoth Plantation is a replica of the original Mayflower that sailed from England and landed in Plymouth in 1620. This replica ship recently underwent major work in Florida; then brought back to Plymouth Harbor in March. The Mayflower II is NOT accessible for visitors and tourists seated in wheelchairs. When I first heard this a few years ago, I thought to myself, ‘Wow the Pilgrims must have left behind all the disabled in England’.

The Mayflower II is docked at Frazier Memorial State Pier at Pilgrim Memorial State Park. The ship is docked behind a tall blue fence. When my mom, Ric, Tony and I were visiting Plymouth on Monday to see the Peacemaker – The Twelve Tribes Tall Ship which was also docked at The Frazier Pier, we decided to stop by Mayflower II to do a full accessibility review.

A Mayflower II ticket booth is located in front of the pier. The cost of a ticket to tour the Mayflower II is $3 per person. The cashier window to purchase a ticket is a little high but reachable. The cashier told me I wouldn’t be able to tour the Mayflower II because it isn’t wheelchair accessible.

My mom purchased a ticket; Ric and Tony didn’t because I couldn’t access the ship and they were going to stay behind with me. We wanted to accompany my mom to the ship so we proceeded to enter the area of outdoor exhibits you travel through before boarding the Mayflower II. The exhibits are interesting displays about the ship, the voyage and the pilgrims.

A male employee stopped us and asked for our tickets; we explained only my mom was going to tour the Mayflower because I couldn’t in my wheelchair. He asked Tony, Ric and I to wait outside the fenced area while my mom toured the ship. He did let Tony take one picture of me in front of the first exhibit. Wow – we all thought – was he afraid I would try to sneak onto the ship :>) We were surprised because in the past other employees have kindly let my friends bring me inside to view the exhibits.

My mom continued on her way while Tony, Ric and I stayed behind the blue fence. My mom could see us sitting on the other side of the blue fence and took this picture of us. We all felt like outcasters sitting on the other side. She also took a lot of pictures of the exhibits and ship to show us when she got off the Mayflower II.

After my mom toured the Mayflower II she told us there are two ramps; one for tourists to cross over to the main deck of the ship; the other ramp is located at the opposite end for tourists to exit the ship. She said neither ramp is too steep for a wheelchair; yet at the end of both ramps are a few steps to go down to the deck. My mom told me these ramps would be much easier to get up then the one I wheeled up to access the Captain John’s Boat-Whale Watching for that ramp was very steep yet I made it onto the top deck.

Wheelchair access at either ramp would ONLY be possible if they installed a wheelchair lift. Then all other areas of the ship would not be accessible for steps lead to all other decks. I wouldn’t mind if I couldn’t get to all areas but would love to just sit on one of the decks of this ship for it has so much history of how are nation began.

With today’s adaptive wheelchair lifts, it could be doable to get a wheelchair on at least one of the decks where one of the ramps led. We found a great Bruno Deck/Porch lift online and the price is approximately $5,000. ( http://bruno.com/bruno-vertical-platform-lifts.html).

And if they don’t want to permanently install a wheelchair lift, they could use a portable wheelchair lift to get their wheelchair-seated visitors/tourists on a deck like the Boston Duck Tours. Their wheelchair lift is portable and got me from the sidewalk to the top deck of the duck boat :>)Kenny & Company believe there is always a way to make a place wheelchair accessible as long as the management has the will to do it!

With nearly 1 million visitors every year, you would think there would be a way to allow some wheelchair access to this ship; especially with all the new technology and adaptive equipment; and especially since it recently underwent major work .

It would be such a wonderful experience for wheelchair seated visitors & tourists to be able to get on at least one deck of the Mayflower II and feel what it was like as a Pilgrim coming to America on the Mayflower.

I give Mayflower II ZERO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn any Stars, they would need to provide wheelchair access to at least one of the decks of the ship.