• NYC Scooter Rental
• Dependable Ambulette
• Scooter Depot NYC
• Vega Transport
• American Mobility Rentals
• Chelsea Medical Scooter Rental

Wheelchair Accessible Taxi

There are five ways to request a New York City wheelchair-accessible taxi:

• Call 311
• Call the dispatch center directly: (646) 599-9999
• Text a request to: (646) 400-0789
• Use the mobile app “Wheels on Wheels” (WOW), powered by Taxi Magic and available free at the Apple iTunes Store
• Order online at www.nycaccessibledispatch.org

 

[page_title] – Other Resources

• www.nycgo.com/accessibility
• inclusioninthearts.org
• Accessible Opportunities in NY for Athletes

 

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[page_title] – An essential guide to getting around New York in a wheelchair

By Barbara Mcmahon –  DailyMail.co.uk

New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world.

I should know, as I have lived and worked in Manhattan for the past three years, and still thrill at its concrete canyons, fast pace and big city buzz.

Yet many people with mobility issues decide to give the Big Apple a miss as a holiday destination.

It seems too big, too overwhelming, just too darned difficult to get around. And that is a pity.

When my sister Margaret, who uses a wheelchair, and her family decided to make a trip from the UK to visit me, we found it a safe and friendly city for people on wheels – with only a few frustrations.

And what we discovered is that the key to a successful break in NYC for physically-challenged people is advance planning – and lots of it. Here is my guide on how to do it…

First things first: Where to rent a wheelchair

Ideally, you want to arrive at your hotel to find a wheelchair, scooter or power-chair waiting.

The Scootaround rental company (0800 520 0450; www.scootaround.com) makes sure travellers are completely mobile on a trip to the Big Apple, delivering and picking up equipment from their hotels.

In the case of my sister’s holiday, this meant a scooter.

This proved to a positive boon, since pushing a wheelchair up and down New York’s streets can be tiring for any companions. Her family were also delighted to be able to dump a few of their shopping bags in the basket of the scooter after a particularly fruitful trip to Fifth Avenue.

My sister alternated between the scooter and her wheelchair. She got used to the scooter quickly and, after test-driving it in New York, is thinking of buying one now that she is back at home.

She loved the fact that the scooter was waiting for her on arrival and that the company picked it up after she left. Choose from a range of models to use on your holiday on the Scootaround website.

Getting around the Big Apple by taxi…

Manhattan has 13,000 yellow cabs – but the available leg space varies widely, depending on which cab pulls up. However, no cab can refuse to take a person in a wheelchair, and drivers are mostly friendly and obliging.

This was one of the most annoying aspects of the trip – New York cabs are shockingly cramped compared to British ones, and sometimes we had to let cabs go by and wait for something more spacious to come along.

Frustratingly, we only found out afterwards that a programme introduced last year offers wheelchair accessible taxis 24 hours a day, with no advance reservations necessary.

Once you are in the city, you can call 311 or the dispatch centre directly (on 001 646 599 9999), or text a request (to 001 646 400 0789). Before your trip, download the free mobile app ‘Wheels on Wheels’ (WOW) from the iTunes store – or order it online at www.accessibledispatch.com.

We have also bookmarked Vega Transportation, which offers customised vehicles for wheelchair users, along with trained staff. Vehicles have wheelchair lifts, high-top roofs and doors and wheelchair locks. Their service can be booked in advance, or as you need it on a daily basis.

For full details, see www.vegatransportation.com.

…and by public transport

It is possible for people with limited mobility to get around on New York’s subways, since many stations have elevators and ramps.

But buses are a much better option as a mode of public transportation, because all of them have automatic ramps, which allow people in wheelchairs to board easily

[page_title] – Tourist attractions: The city is your oyster

Roaming the city by wheelchair or scooter is perfectly possible, since most of the pavements have low-cut kerbs. All of the big department stores, such as Saks and Bergdorf Goodman, are wheelchair accessible – but take care to go into Macy’s through its east or west entrances, avoiding the southern entrance, where the pavement is difficult to negotiate.

The city has made great strides in making its most famous venues wheelchair-friendly.

For example, the Empire State Building has disabled restrooms on the 86th floor, and lowered viewing walls. And remember that tourists on wheels always get to go to the front of any queue – and that includes jumping the long line for immigration at the airport.

All city museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Historical Society, the Guggenheim and the Frick Collection are wheelchair-accessible.

All Gray Line double-decker sightseeing buses are also wheelchair-accessible. Circle Line cruises are a great way to see the island of Manhattan, and the bottom deck is wheelchair-friendly.

[page_title] Let a real New Yorker show you around

Big Apple Greeter, a volunteer welcome service, will happily show people with mobility issues around any of the city’s many culturally and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.

These native New Yorkers are well aware of access problems and are very helpful and friendly.

Such outings will give you a personal view of parts of the city you might not otherwise see. These usually last between two to four hours.

“Our volunteers are experienced in dealing with people with a range of disabilities and we welcome the chance to show visitors our city,” says Gail Morse, director of programmes.

Guided tours are free and must be booked three to four weeks ahead, at www.bigapplegreeter.org.

Grabbing an accessible seat on Broadway

Seeing a show on Broadway is a big part of the New York experience. But because of the age of some theatres, not all have the same facilities.

Use the following link and scroll over the accessibility hyperlink for each theatre – www.entertainment-link.com/broadway-theaters.asp – to find out what is available.

When ordering tickets, it is a good plan to contact the theatre directly, because they will be able to sell you an accessible seat (and in some cases, one companion seat) at the lowest available price offered by the theatre. Some theatres direct you to a ticket vendor site like Telecharge but it is always a wise decision to call the box office first to establish an idea of the pricing for accessible seating.

The Lincoln Centre is an especially splendid option. Not only is it home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as several other performing arts companies – but it is completely wheelchair accessible.

Picking the right hotel

People with mobility issues will know that what you are promised does not always live up to expectations. On my sister’s holiday, we discounted some hotels because, although they had walk-in bathrooms, the bedrooms were so small that it was hard to move around.

My sister and her family stayed at The London on West 54th Street. The rooms are large by New York standards, with separate sitting areas and walk-in bathrooms that proved ideal.

However, the sofa and chairs in the living room were too low for my sister to use – and, with a modern backless design, they were uncomfortable for everyone else too. We asked for a sturdier chair that my sister could sit in after a day’s shopping and the hotel could only come up with a dining room chair, which was not great for relaxing.

However, staff members were very pleasant and eager to help.

More details on 001 866 690 2029, or at www.thelondonnyc.com.

Feast on Manhattan: the best restaurants

There are thousands of restaurants in New York, and they will all do their best to accommodate you.

However, the standard of access and the quality of the facilities varies widely. Expect a few problems.

For example, we booked a pizza joint and telephoned in advance to check that it would be OK for my sister in a wheelchair. When we got there, there were five steps to go down to the dining room and then they expected us to sit on high seats at a bar. We cancelled and went elsewhere.

On other evenings, things went superbly and we were taken to an upstairs dining room by elevator.