It is essential, before going on holiday - and preferably at the time of booking a holiday - to ensure that you have an adequate holiday insurance policy.

Finding the right travel insurance can be a real problem when one member of the family has a disability as there are many exclusion clauses or extra premiums for disabled people. 

Any insurance should provide cover for the following types of risk:

• Illness or accident. The costs of medical treatment can be very high and may have to be met in full. Even where Britain has reciprocal arrangements and a completed form E111 is carried, part of the costs of any treatment will often have to be paid.
• Cancellation, curtailment or delay.
• Loss of or damage to personal property, including money.
The following is a checklist of points you should consider in arranging holiday insurance.
• Under the Disability Discrimination Act it is unlawful to refuse to insure a person, increase the premium or reduce the level of cover, simply on the basis of the person's disability. But insurers need to be able to distinguish differences in risk between individuals and, on this basis, are able to justify less favourable treatment.
• Where a tour operator or travel agent offers insurance, make sure that it is relevant to you. The policy terms should not include any exclusion clauses that may affect you. In particular, attention should be paid to the notes below regarding pre-existing medical conditions, cover for which is often excluded by 'off the shelf' policies.
• Policy terms usually call for declaration of pre-existing medical conditions. Always make sure that the Insurer is made aware of any relevant facts; often, they will ask you to contact a free phone medical screening help line and answer a few questions, or will ask for a declaration that a person will not be travelling against a doctor's advice.
• Check that any proposed policy provides adequate cover for any equipment you will be taking with you because of your disability. Standard policy terms often impose a single item limit as low as £150 and the total insured value of your personal belongings may only be £750.
• It is usually wise to include all family members who will be travelling together in the one policy. This will avoid the hassle of having to deal with two or more companies in the event of a claim involving you all. Often, an insurer will offer a lower 'family rate' for such a policy.
• If you belong to a support group relating to your condition they, or many voluntary organisations, may be able to assist you in identifying appropriate insurance.
• If you are going on a group holiday, make sure that the organiser has appropriate insurance both for themselves and for you.