Ever wonder if Niagara’s newest attraction is wheelchair accessible?

The answer is yes we are! Accessible Niagara was onsite at Hornblower Niagara Cruises on Saturday, October 4, 2014 for the filming of the first ever Accessible Niagara video. The movie debut will capture a number of Niagara Falls attractions that are wheelchair accessible including one of the most recent to the attraction list, Hornblower Niagara Cruises.  

Despite the rain and chilly October temperatures, the day began at 4pm outside at the Hornblower Ticket Plaza.  The guests and participants for the video arrived in a number of means of mobility including an electric scooter and wheelchairs. Within no time the filming began, showcasing many areas including, the ramp from the Niagara Parkway road to the entrance of the attraction, the boarding ramp from the Ticket Plaza to the elevators and the entrance ways from both sides of the sails.

As the filming continued guests were filmed entering and exiting the elevators, followed by the entranceway to the Hornblower Landing. Much of the filming took place at the walkway leading to the boats where guests would access the ramp that would later lead to the gangway, followed by the boats. Due to the frigid and wet temperatures the guests were eager to make it down the ramp to the boat ride where they later stayed warm behind the boat’s glass retractable walls.  Once the guests were on the boat they were able to enjoy the comfort, ease and flow of the catamaran as it glided on the water. Some of the other Niagara Falls attractions that will be included in the video are, the Skywheel, Journey Behind the Falls and many more.

Although the name of the video and date of release has not been confirmed, the video will benefit guests travelling to Niagara Falls, Canada in wheelchairs and scooters. It will allow guests to learn how to access attractions with mobile means of transportation

About Accessible Niagara

Accessible Niagara was founded by Linda Crabtree in 1990s who began writing columns about businesses and attractions that are wheelchair accessible. Eileen Zarafonitis joins Linda as a colleague who also writes for local newspapers. Both journalists have covered a number of Niagara Falls businesses primarily in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Travelling to Hornblower Niagara Cruises? We’ve answered a few questions we thought you might want to know before you arrive at Hornblower Niagara Cruises

Q: Is Hornblower Niagara Cruises Accessible Friendly for guests?

A: Yes, Hornblower Niagara Cruises is AODA compliant.

Q: Are there on board accessible friendly washrooms?

A: Yes there is one on board accessible friendly washroom on the boat and multiple washrooms on land located in the Hornblower Landing across from the Visitor Pavilion tent.

Q: How deep are the ramps at Hornblower Niagara Cruises to access the boats?

A: The sizing and length of the ramps vary. The longest ramps are 84 meters in length. The widest ramps are 12.7 meters and the narrowest ramps are 5.2 meters.

To learn more about Accessible options at Hornblower Niagara Cruises, visit: http://www.niagaracruises.com/aoda-policy

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To view images of the Accessible Niagara Video, visit our Flickr page.