by Kim Anderson, PhD
It can be scary to think about navigating various transportation options while living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), but getting out of your home can lead to some really wonderful life experiences. Start with small steps and build your confidence with each experience. The first step is learning about all the options and from the experiences of others.
BUSES and TAXIS
If you don’t have your own vehicle, using a bus or taxi might be the first transportation mode you might want to try. Most city or county buses have a lift or ramp for people who use wheelchairs to get on and off the bus. There will also be an area inside the bus where you can stay in your wheelchair while riding. Often, this area has folding seats that non-wheelchair users sit in when there is not a wheelchair user on the bus. However, wheelchair users have priority access to those areas, and bus drivers should ask those individuals to move. There should be tie-downs for the wheelchair, but in reality, they might not always be operable, or the bus driver may not know how to use them. So, a good tip is to park your wheelchair up against a dividing wall and face the direction the bus is moving. This will reduce the risk of tipping backward when the bus moves forward. Also, make sure that you are secured in your wheelchair or that you are holding on to a grab bar in case the bus must stop suddenly. Buses that provide fixed-route service are regulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Taxis and Uber/Lyft rides may be more hit or miss regarding whether they have a ramp to enter/exit the vehicle so someone can sit in a wheelchair while riding. If you can transfer in/out of your wheelchair to/from a vehicle, you may have an easier time using a taxi/Uber/Lyft, but you need to make sure to instruct the driver about how to store your chair properly. If you cannot transfer in/out of your wheelchair
to/from a vehicle, you will want to call the company to find out directly whether they have wheelchair-accessible vehicles in their fleet and the procedure for ordering one. The ADA does not require these private companies to have wheelchair-accessible vehicles, but they are required to provide service to people with disabilities who can get in/out of the vehicles, assist with stowing mobility devices, and they are not allowed to charge higher fares for these services.
The websites below provide helpful information about what is covered by the ADA and what your rights are related to these types of transportation services.
https://www.transit.dot.gov/ADA
https://www.transportation.gov/mission/accessibility/priorities/multimodal-accessibility
https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-standards/vehicles/update-buses-vans/executive-summary
TRAINS and SUBWAYS
Your next step out may be to try using trains or subways. Not all cities have a good network of subways or commuter trains, but if you live in or are traveling to a city with a good network, this can be a relatively easy mode of transportation. Using trains for longer-distance travel is also a good option for traveling between cities, for example, riding on Amtrak. Railroads and subways are regulated by the ADA for accessibility. Rail cars are required to have a portion of cars with a door that is at least 32 inches wide and either a level entry from platform to car or some kind of lift mechanism to allow boarding for wheelchair users.
On-board railcars have priority seating areas and wider passageways to get to those seating areas. If the type of railcar has a restroom, then the restroom must meet certain design standards to allow wheelchair access. For longer-distance travel, like Amtrak, there are a few different accessible dining options, depending on which class of service you choose and the type of train. Amtrak provides accessible one-bedroom private cabins for long-distance travel. These include space for a wheelchair as well as sitting
space for a travel companion, an accessible restroom, and 2 fold-down beds all within the cabin. If the route from the sleeping car to the dining care is not wheelchair accessible, the attendant will deliver food to your cabin. On many routes, Amtrak provides a discount for one travel companion accompanying you.
Undoubtedly you may run into obstacles, like the level entry not being level enough for you to navigate on your own or an elevator down to a subway being out of service, but if you do your research online ahead of time to arm yourself with knowledge and maybe travel with a friend a few times to test out the experience you can learn how to adapt and handle any obstacles you may encounter. The websites below can provide helpful information about ADA-regulated accessibility.
https://railroads.dot.gov/americans-disabilities-act-ada
https://www.access-board.gov/ada/vehicles/subpart-e
https://www.access-board.gov/ada/vehicles/subpart-f
BOATS
Boats can be a fun mode of transportation and a great way to see many locations. Cruise ships that operate in US waters are regulated by the ADA. Cruise ships must provide a safe, accessible way for passengers that use mobility aids to get on and off the boat. They are also required to have a certain number of wheelchair accessible cabins on board. Over the last 10 years or so most cruise lines have done a lot of work to make the entire cruise experience accessible for all. The one exception is accessing the ports. If the port requires the cruise ship to ‘park’ away from the dock and shuttle passengers to/from the ship using tenders (smaller boats), these tenders may not be wheelchair accessible. For this reason, it is important to learn about the ports on each cruising route to determine if you will be able to leave the cruise ship or not. Many cruise lines have accessibility specialists that can help you plan a cruise that best fits your needs.
The websites below may be helpful in understanding what accessibility falls under the ADA, but also cruise lines websites can be very helpful in learning about the accessibility details for each ship and route.
https://www.transportation.gov/civil-rights/civil-rights-awareness-enforcement/passenger-vessel
https://www.access-board.gov/pvag
PLANES
Finally, we get to airplanes. You may see postings in the news or on social media about the difficulties others have experienced while using airplane transportation, but you can have successful experiences. The trick is to arm yourself with knowledge, plan ahead, and learn from your experiences and those of others. Airplane transportation is not covered under the ADA. It is covered under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). The ACAA covers accessibility in the airport, accessibility boarding and deplaning, and
accessibility while onboard airplanes. Based on the size of the airplane (the number of seats) there are requirements for moveable arm rests, onboard storage of a folding wheelchair, and bathroom accessibility.
Take advantage of getting help with accessibility while purchasing tickets, arriving at the airport, managing luggage, going through security, preboarding at the gate, and while onboard. It is important for you to advocate for your needs and your rights while flying. There are current efforts further to improve the safety and experience of airplane travel and both the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the United Spinal Association have wonderful websites full of resources to have a successful experience flying (see links below). There is also a significant amount of work being done to enable people to sit in their own wheelchair while flying in the future, but that is still a ways off.
https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities
https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/traveling-disability
https://pva.org/research-resources/tips-tools-resources/
https://www.airlines.org/accessibility
https://unitedspinal.org/accessible-air-travel/
Overall, getting out and trying different transportation options can be scary in the beginning, but the more you try it the more confident you will become. And you are bound to have some amazing experiences, meet awesome people, and see the wonders of the world!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wheeltheworldtravelcommunity
https://www.facebook.com/AccessEarth
