There are a lot of beautiful cities in the United States that are perfect for
students, young adults, tourists, foreign business executives, companies, and even
criminals, but there are only a handful of cities in the USA that are
actually wheelchair friendly.
Just in case you don’t know what a wheelchair–friendly city is, a
wheelchair-friendly city or wheelchair accessibly city is an environment
that has structures and facilities that meet the needs of disabled people and
people that rely on wheelchairs or scooters for mobility.
These cities allow wheelchair users to move around or travel without stress.
In this article, we hope to reveal some of the most accessible cities for wheelchair
users in the United States.
Yea, since I enjoy traveling, I can boldly tell you I’ve done the works and triple
checked the facts to ensure that every detail on this page is accurate.
Best Wheelchair
Friendly Cities In The United States
These places come with a lot of perks like ramps or easy to access in public and
private buildings, parking space for the disabled, wheelchair-accessible cabs and
taxis, and well-paved roads.
After months of quantitative research, we found out that these cities are
overall the most accessible cities for disabled people in the United States of
America.
1. Washington, DC
Washington DC stands as the most accessible city in the USA for both
wheelchair users and people with other physical disabilities. The
nation’s capital sets a high standard in the word accessibility and lays down a
perfect example for the rest of the world.
The sidewalks are wide enough to accommodate three wheelchair users with
ease, and the transport system is top-notch. Washington DC has
the best
wheelchair accessible transportation systems in the world.
No matter the route you choose to travel, the state ensures that you enjoy a
very comfortable trip in your wheelchair whether you are traveling by air, bus,
train, or boat. How great is that?
Plus there are a lot of affordable apartments close to the city center and other
urban areas. If you don’t like the apartment, I bet you will find a better one.
Best of all, most of the apartments and accommodation in Washington have
also be adapted to suit wheelchair users.
I think the city of Washington is the best place to live in the United States
as a wheelchair user. Even if you don’t plan on staying long, there are
several accessible restaurants, malls, parks, and restrooms in the city.
2. Los Angeles,
California
Aside from having one of the most beautiful weather, Los Angeles is one of
the most accessible cities in the USA for disabled people
that rely on wheelchairs and scooters for mobility.
LA has a lot to offer in terms of accessibility and standard of living. The
standard of living here is just above average and there are lots of wheelchair-friendly parks, stadiums, and
neighborhoods across the city.
You can easily get around in the city, even if you’re stuck in a wheelchair. Every
metro rail station in LA is wheelchair friendly, you can enter and exit trains on
your own.
Metro buses and taxis in LA also come with an automatic lift. If you are not
comfortable with public transport, there are lots of agencies and companies
that have perfectly working wheelchair adapted vehicles for rent.
3. Seattle,
Washington
You already know that Seattle is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United
States. What you don’t know is that Seattle is one of the most accessible
cities in the US for disabled people.
In May 2017, Wheelchairtravel.org ranked
Seattle as the Best Wheelchair Accessible City in the United States. Even
today, Seattle still comes on top as one of the best places to live if you’re
disabled.
Despite being the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific
Northwest region of North America, this elegant metropolis still caters to the needs
of the disabled populace.
Some of the most important places in Seattle including The VA, the University of
Washington Medical Center, Seattle Aquarium, Harborview Medical Center, The Space
Needle observation deck, Puget Sound harbor cruise, and the Experience Music Project
Museum (EMP) is 100% wheelchair accessible.
What makes Seattle extra special is the fact that there are lots of
employment opportunities for you whether you’re abled, disabled, white, or
black. As long as you qualify for that position, I’m sure that you’ll
be employed for that role.
If you are not moving to Seattle for the job or accessibility options for wheelchair
users, you should know that Seattle is a truly beautiful place.
Settle is one of the most popular cities for tourists residing in the United
States.
4. San
Francisco, California
At a glance, San Francisco may not seem very accessible for wheelchair users because
of its mountainous looks and rocky landscapes. But truth be told, the City
by the Bay is an excellent place to live if you rely on a wheelchair for
mobility.
The transport system in San Francisco is excellent for
wheelchair transport. The major transport services in San
Francisco: Caltrain, BART, and MUNI accessible ensure that their drivers complete
intensive training in wheelchair travel before they can be allowed to transport
passengers on wheelchairs.
Besides other iconic landmarks like Alcatraz, Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, and
Fisherman’s Wharf are all wheelchair accessible.
Unlike other cities on this list, there are lots of cheap apartments that are
perfect for people in wheelchairs.
5. Chicago,
Illinois
Chicago is perfect for people that use a Power wheelchair, but you can still
enjoy life in Chicago in your manual wheelchair or scooter. As
America’s third-largest city, Chi-town has a lot of accessible neighborhoods and
destinations across the city.
There are a lot of affordable accommodations for the disabled and wheelchair adapted
buses and taxis. Then there are Open Taxes.
Open Taxis is a centralized dispatch service that operates around the clock
to provide wheelchair accessible vehicles to customers.
To make Chicago even better for wheelchair users, the state installed over
7,000 ramps
for wheelchair users across the city and
added a handful of wheelchair-accessible services at a
Loop CTA station.
What we liked about Chicago was the fact that it is cleaner than New York and safer
than Los Angeles. This beautiful city is perfect for you if you want to
enjoy life in an urban area with little stress, noise, or cost.
Chicago is buzzing with culture and beauty. If you are not moving to Chicago, you
should visit The Sears Tower, 360 Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, and
the Chicago Theatre whenever you travel there. But know that nothing beats the
Ferris wheel.
6. Denver,
Colorado
Denver defines the true meaning of accessibility for both disabled people and
wheelchair users. Denver is completely wheelchair friendly.
The Mile-High City’s Metro is extremely accessible for the disabled and users of
wheelchairs.
Everyone visiting Denver for a vacation would love the city because the state
has made a lot of renovations make a lot of areas comply with the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
I find the smoothest and best sidewalks are situated in the central business
district, the civic center, and near the state capitol, and Wheelchair taxis charge
the same rate as normal taxis. How cool is that?
The public transportation system is accessible to the disabled and wheelchair users.
All vehicles that can convey wheelchair users have lowered floors, ramps,
and wheelchair restraints.
Although Denver doesn’t have a lot of wheelchair taxis that can accommodate both
manual and powered wheelchairs, the service is still amazing. If you plan on
traveling soon, you can reserve any ADA accessible taxi at least two hours before
your journey.
If you are touring the city, there are lots of fun places that you can visit like the
Colorado State Capitol Building, Larimer Square, Denver Art Museum, City Park,
Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, or the Denver Aquarium.
7. Orlando,
Florida
Orlando is an excellent place to live if you use a wheelchair to move around. Aside
from the city’s landscape, Orlando has a lot of light rails, water ferries,
city buses, taxis, and airports with wheelchair ramps and lifts to make traveling in a
wheelchair easier for you.
The Orlando public bus service, LYNX, have installed hydraulic lifts and
restraining belts on all their buses to encourage wheelchair users.
There are tons of wheelchair-friendly accommodations in the city.
The standard of living in Orlando is excellent for everyone, but it can be a bit
harder for a person that relies on wheelchairs for mobility.
The steep streets will strain your hands and make you burn out faster than you know.
However, purchasing a power chair or scooter would solve half of your problem.
The other problem is that Orlando is a bit expensive compared to other similar cities
in the US. But if you have no problem with the high cost of living, then you
should consider moving to Orlando.
If you are visiting Orlando for a vacation, visit Disney World or Universal Studios,
since these places are popular and very accessible.
8. Las Vegas,
Nevada
I didn’t know that Las Vegas was wheelchair friendly until I visited the city
in March last year. The two months I spent in Vegas was worth it and I
enjoyed every second I spent in the city.
Las Vegas is super accessible, especially for wheelchair users. As
required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a lot of hotels and strips in the
city are wheelchair accessible.
Most of their rooms have features like roll-in showers, transfer showers, tubs with
built-in seats, and tubs with portable seats.
Since there are so many strips and hotels in the area, most of them have
renovated their facilities to make their facilities wheelchair
friendly. This means that you can still have a lot of fun in the
Entertainment Capital of the World even if you’re stuck in a wheelchair.
That’s not all. If you are moving to Vegas, you’d see that most of the
apartments are wheelchair accessible. If you can’t find one that is
wheelchair friendly, you can tweak it a little till it suits you.
The transport system in Vegas is also top-notch. The Regional Transportation
Commission and Las Vegas Monorail have wheelchair-accessible vehicles with
lifts, ramps, and wheelchair securement areas. They also give discounts
to people with wheelchairs.
9. Albuquerque,
New Mexico
Albuquerque is perfect for wheelchair users that enjoy exploring and spending
time outdoors. There are hundreds of wheelchair-friendly trails across
the city.
One of the most attractive sides of Albuquerque is the fact that it has the warmest
sun and freshest air in the region.
Albuquerque’s transport system is completely accessible for both wheelchair
users and other disabled people living in the city. The Sun Van
Paratransit Service is known for its ability to transport wheelchair users with
optimum comfort.
There are also state-of-the-art schools across the city to accommodate
students that rely on walkers, scooters, or wheelchairs for mobility.
Most of the hospitals, restaurants, malls, and banks in Albuquerque is 100% ADA
compliant.
All these are more makes Albuquerque one of the most wheelchair accessible cities for
disabled people living in the United States
10. Birmingham,
Alabama
Birmingham is the most populous city in Alabama is filled with a lot of
accessible destinations and attractions. Birmingham is perfect for
wheelchair users looking for a quiet place to live.
There are loads of wheelchair-accessible trails and campgrounds in Alabama including
the Birmingham Botanical Garden, Avondale Park, Jones Valley Trail, Crestwood Park,
or the High Ore Line Trail.
You can also visit other attractive destinations like The Birmingham Zoo, Talladega
Superspeedway, USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, and the Alabama Jazz Hall of
Fame, Birmingham.
Birmingham and Alabama were poorly rated on the WalletHub’s List of Cities for People
with Disabilities because the editors have never been to Alabama.
Birmingham has a long list of outdoor and indoor attractions that are perfect for
wheelchair users.
Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit’s authority even has a lot of
para-transit buses to transport wheelchair users in the city.
Whether you’re rediscovering yourself or starting a family, you’ll see that
Birmingham wheelchair-accessible destinations and resources are built to the fines
standards to ensure that you enjoy your stay.
What
Makes A City Wheelchair Friendly?
There are lots of factors that can help you determine if a place is wheelchair
accessible or not. If you want to know if a city is wheelchair friendly, here
are some key features that you should look out for.
Quality of life
Health care
The employment rate for disabled
Climate (extreme temperatures and annual snowfall)
Air Quality
Number of Physicians
Number of Rehab Centers
Economic situation
Number of Rehab Specialists
Wheelchair Accessible Transit
Number of Disabled Living in the Area
Medicaid Availability
Age of the City (older cities are harder to renovate)
The effectiveness of the state’s Medicaid programs
Which City Is Not Wheelchair Accessible?
Since we’ve reviewed the best wheelchair-friendly cities, it will be nice to
point out the worst cities for wheelchair users. Let me rephrase that,
the least wheelchair-friendly cities in the United States.
There are lots of cities that are not wheelchair accessible in the
USA. This doesn’t mean that you should never think of visiting or
staying if you are a wheelchair user. It just means that if you move around in
a wheelchair, life in these cities would be a tad harder for you.
The least wheelchair accessible cities in the United States is San Juan, St.
Louis, Detroit, and Louisiana.
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issues concerning disability, mobility, accessible travel, and
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