A Guide For Families With Children With Disabilities In New York City
Research & Plan Ahead
Always make a phone call first. Find out if the toy store, restaurant or movie theater you're planning on visiting will have steps or a ramp in the entrance way. This way, you can know what to expect or even avoid going there in the first place. Also, Mance points out that when you call ahead, people working at the location you're visiting are more likely to want to help you.
Getting Around The City
While navigating the subway system can sometimes cause headaches, Mance admits she's had very few encounters with non-wheelchair friendly subway stations. If you do come across a station stop without a functioning elevator, call 311. All the taxi and car services in the city provide wheelchair accessible service at the same rate as regular service. If you have a situation like that you can call 311 and they'll come pick you up or you can schedule a later pickup.
One creative tip: Make your own maps of wheelchair-accessible sites and subways.
Trips & Traveling
The easiest way to get in and out of the city is the train. Enter Penn Station by using the wheelchair-accessible entrance at 34th Street and 7th Avenue. From there, getting on the train is much smoother than getting in a car and driving, which can be a hassle with the necessary equipment, or flying, which requires excessive security screening for those in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair-friendly Destinations
Coney Island
208 Surf Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 372-5159
For families in the Tri-State area looking for a day trip, try Coney Island. While the old-time park hasn't necessarily been retrofitted to be 100-percent wheelchair accessible, the workers on the different rides are trained to follow a strict protocol in helping children with disabilities on and off the ride.
The Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm
Stroudsburg, PA
18360-9455
(570) 992-6161
quietvalley.org
Just outside the Tri-State area (about an hour and a half from the city) in Pennsylvania is an extremely wheelchair-friendly historical site, the Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. Of interest to children of all ages, reenactors donned in period dress host all kinds of events year round at the farm. Unlike other historical sites which have preserved history all the way down to the cobblestone streets (which can be a nightmare)
