South Africa

Meet my friend, Pam Taylor. She and her husband Jeff are independent Specialist Tour Operators based in Cape Town and operate in the Western Cape, Namaqualand, Garden Route and Eastern Cape. Flamingo Tours arrange self-drive tours through South Africa and the Kruger Park area. Pam and Jeff know how to take the hassle out of travel for people with disabilities. Book a tour and see for yourself. They are the best!

E-mail: info@flamingotours.co.za

Seeing "Invictus" brought back meaningful memories of visiting South Africa.
Nelson Mandella spent 27 years in this cell for protesting apartheid. Sadly, when they turned the prison into a museum, all the pictures and text painted on the walls were painted over. What a story they would have told. One of Mr. Mandella's prison mates, Eddie Daniels is a friend of mine. He wrote his autobiography, "There and Back" and was on Robben Island from 1964-1979. Eddie and I collaborated on how to make the museum wheelchair friendly using portable ramps and lifts. I hope to get Muhammad Ali interested and see this dream realized through his new Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville.

President Manadella's Cell

Eddie and Sharon discuss making Robben Island more wheelchair user friendly..

Shamwari Game Reserve

Here I show the safari guide a unique wheelchair transfer I developed to get me inside a vehicle like a jeep or van without a lift! Tilted back, the rigid footplates on placed on the running board. Placing pressure against the back of my chair with his body, helifts the chair using the push handles holding it steady while I move onto the seat.