Information for Visitors with Visual Disabilities
A Florida Keys vacation means a great getaway to one of the most unique places on earth. Most lodgings, attractions and recreational activities are specially equipped to enhance the participation and enjoyment of everyone, yet in some cases visitors with visual disabilities may need the assistance of a member of their party to fully utilize these areas.
Accommodations
Florida state statutes require hotels and motels to provide at least 5% of the guest rooms with certain handicapped accessible criteria, including allowing service animals in the rooms.
Features vary depending on your selected hotel/resort. Visitors are encouraged to discuss their accessibility needs when they contact the individual establishments. Please advise if you will be traveling with a service animal.
For a complete list of Florida Keys accommodations, visit our Places to Stay page.
Attractions, Arts & Culture
Florida Keys attractions have accessibility for all our visitors. Each of our attractions is designed to offer fun for everyone, with resourceful staff to help visitors with visual disabilities enjoy the activities, as well as provide, where available, literature printed in Braille or where elevator-access areas have Braille buttons.
As special cultural events and attractions for each region of the Florida Keys become available and provide special features for travelers with visual disabilities, they will be listed here.
For a complete list of events throughout the Keys, please visit the Calendar of Events.
Dining
All our Florida Keys restaurants are ready to welcome you in our friendly and laid back dining venues. Although most restaurants do not provide Braille menus, servers in each establishment would be happy to read the menu to you.
For a complete listing of each region's restaurants, visit:
Service Animals
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities.
Florida Keys businesses allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed, and not be segregated. Individuals with a disability are not required to post a deposit as a condition to permitting an accompanying service animal, even if such deposits are required for pets. Establishments with a "no pets" policy must modify that policy to allow the use of a service animal by a person with a disability.
Veterinarian offices are conveniently located throughout the Florida Keys should you require medical attention for your service animal. You may wish to inquire about their availability of portable kennels, if needed.
Transportation
Ground transportation in the form of shuttle buses is available from the Key West airport to area hotels. If an area accommodation does not provide its own shuttle, on your behalf they can contact a local taxi company that does provide transportation either between the hotel and airport or your island destination.
We encourage you to confirm such transportation with your individual lodging property.
For getting around the island(s), local shuttles, bus service, and public tour transportation such as the Conch Tour Train and Key West Trolley Tours are equipped with an announcer for each destination stop; your friendly driver will be happy to assist you in reaching your desired stop. The City of Key West provides public bus service. Click here for a schedule and more information.
For an interesting day tour, you can board a ferry to the outlying islands of the Dry Tortugas, or between Key West and the unparalleled beauty of Sunset Key.
To see more areas of the Florida Keys, you can find information on bus, shuttle and other public transportation with downloadable route maps and schedules for the Florida Keys on our Brochures & Newsletters page.
Destination Information
The Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Development Council
P.O. Box 866
Key West, FL 33041
800-FLA-KEYS (352-5397)
Florida Keys Visitor Center/Key Largo Chamber of Commerce
106000 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
800-822-1088
(305) 451-1414
Islamorada Chamber of Commerce
83224 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
800-322-5397
(305) 664-4503
Marathon Chamber of Commerce
1222 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
800-262-7284
(305) 743-5417
Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce
MM31/Overseas Highway
Big Pine Key, FL 33043
800-872-3722
(305) 872-2411
Key West Chamber of Commerce
510 Greene St.
Key West, FL 33040
(305) 294-2587
Florida Keys Council for People with Disabilities
Lower Keys (305) 292-4500
Middle Keys (305) 743-0079 ext. 4562
Upper Keys (305) 852-1469 ext. 4562
Other Resources
- Able Trust offers helpful links to disability resources throughout the state of Florida. Contact direct at 888-838-2253
- Florida Disabled Outdoors Association is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and enhancing the opportunities for outdoor recreation. Contact for more information 850-201-2944
- Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH) provides recommendations and resources for travel agents and to help travelers with disabilities plan their vacations. Contact direct 800-513-1126