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by Terry Moakley
Since last April, when the Taxis For All Campaign staged a successful “roll-in” in front of Penn Station in New York City to emphasize the lack of wheelchair accessibility to the city’s massive yellow taxi system, significant progress has been made toward our goal of a fully accessible cab system.
Several weeks after the roll-in, the Daily News printed a lead editorial in favor of converting the taxi fleet to full accessibility, as older cabs are retired from service. Immediately following, City Council Transportation Committee Chairman John Liu (D-Flushing) publicly announced that he planned to introduce a bill in [...]
Members of United Spinal Association will now be able to book their vacations without the hassle of assuring accessibility of their airline, hotels and even car service. Rich World Wide Travel (RWWT) in conjunction with United Spinal Association will now be offering accessible travel service for people with disabilities at reduced fees.
Coordinating the corporate travel for the United Spinal Association for five years has allowed RWWT, a member of Virtuoso (providing better access to corporate hotel rates), to expand their knowledge of travel planning for individuals with spinal [...]
On June 7 and 8, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) hosted a Regional Dialogue on accessible transportation in New York City. The focus was to bring together the stakeholders of accessible transportation: the providers and the passengers. For two days, a select group of advocates, activists and passengers exchanged ideas, questions and suggestions with subway, bus, paratransit and taxi service administrators, operators and owners. We discussed compliance with the transportation regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Accessibility Guidelines, customer service and equipment durability, [...]
by Dan Anderson
The Senate and House versions of a major bill that will affect accessible transit for years need a lot of work to be reconciled. United Spinal members can make a difference in getting the best bill out of conference.
The United States Congress has a unique opportunity to greatly improve transportation for Americans with disabilities. Congress is currently creating legislation to “reauthorize” the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), a law that provides federal funding for public transportation and highway programs. What this means is Congress is working on a bill that will provide anywhere from $250 [...]
Despite a new law requiring new accessible cabs, and in face of a civil action calling attention to the problem, New York City has yet to make available taxis for all.
On April 16 and 23, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) opened some 664 bids for a total of 300 new yellow taxi medallions being auctioned by the city.
A law passed by the City Council last year required the TLC to set aside 9%, or 27, of these medallions as restricted to wheelchair accessible taxi vehicles; however, this law [...]
by Terry Moakley and Donna Fredericksen
United Spinal Association recently joined the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington and individual plaintiffs Russell Holt of Maryland and John Folan of Delaware in a suit against the District of Columbia concerning inaccessible parking meters and discriminatory practices in the handicapped parking placard system used in that city. This suit is brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the D.C. Human Rights Law. Defendants in this matter include the District and its Departments of Transportation, Motor Vehicles, and Public Works.
A press conference was held on March [...]
by Nathan Devore
Once upon a time, cruising was for the rich and leisurely vacationer. Today’s cruise vacation opportunities are more plentiful than ever before and more affordable than most people realize. And yet, as affordable as a cruise vacation is, it remains a truly luxurious way to travel.
As cruise vacations have expanded over the past decade, the cruise lines have built and launched a series of new mega-ships that are accessible for travelers with disabilities. In fact, cruise lines have been among the first in the travel industry to make vacations truly accessible for all people.
But not all cruises [...]
Legislation staff continue a long-standing tradition on Capital Hill under our new name.
On February 24 and 25, United Spinal’s Legislative program staff took their annual trip to Washington, DC, to meet with 34 representatives and senators from across the country on a variety of issues that pertain to our membership and to all persons with disabilities. Each visit provided a personalized forum in which specific members of the legislation team could reinforce our new mission and expanded membership in relationship to our issues, while building on our pre-existing reputation [...]
Something else happened here in New York City on December 17, 2003, the centennial anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s historic first flight, but as was appropriate, the famed aviation brothers received all the press that day. The “something else” was the grand opening of the new AirTrain at New York’s Kennedy International Airport. Being a new public transit system, the AirTrain is fully accessible to persons with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
AirTrain JFK is an 8.1-mile long light rail system constructed by the Port [...]
What is your dream destination?
“Alaska’s where I want to go,” you might say, “but can I?”
Yes, you certainly can. Just pick up that phone and call any travel agent specializing in cruises for people with disabilities. You can easily book a cruise to Alaska with shore excursions that are accessible. It’s as simple as that!
Unfortunately, Alaska is an exception, not the rule. Choosing the right destination requires more consideration and planning than just picking a name out of a hat. There are several key elements to be considered: how [...]
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