Spinal Group Supports City Council Transportation for the Disabled Report
The Jackson Heights-based United Spinal Association joined City Council members in support of the Council’s new report, Moving Forward: A Roadmap to Improving Transportation for New York City’s Disabled Population.
United Spinal Association announced its strong approval of the report’s short-term and long-range recommendations.
The report highlights the need for improved customer service from MTA/NYCT and Access-A-Ride personnel, and better maintenance of accessibility equipment that passengers with disabilities depend upon, such as subway station elevators and bus wheelchair lifts.
United Spinal Association’s Terence J. Moakley, a wheelchair user and a plaintiff in the 1979 state lawsuit which compelled MTA New York City Transit to begin making buses and subway stations accessible, noted that “NYCT started purchasing accessible buses in 1981, and they began subway station accessibility improvements in 1985. If the bus wheelchair lifts and subway station elevators are not adequately maintained, we don’t get to our jobs, to school, or to visit family and friends like everyone else.”
Moakley continued, “we urge MTA/NYCT and Access-A-Ride leaders to act on this report’s short-term recommendations immediately, and to begin the planning process now to meet the report’s long-range objectives.”
United Spinal Association also announced its agreement with such recommendations in this report as expediting efforts to make all subway stations accessible to people with disabilities, and eventually making all of New York City’s yellow taxis accessible.
United Spinal Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Americans with spinal cord injuries or disorders. Our initiatives in research and education, government policy and legislation, civil rights and advocacy, accessibility and architectural design, and competitive athletics ensure that veterans and all Americans with spinal cord injury and disease live healthier, more independent and productive lives as active members of their communities. For more information, please visit www.unitedspinal.org or call 800-404-2898.