The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), introduced in 1990 and enforced in 2008, is an excellent step towards empowering people with disabilities and enabling them to enjoy everyday life.
Here we will show you the top 10 most wheelchair-accessible cities in the United States.
San Francisco, California.
As per the San Francisco Human Services Agency, almost 49,773 people suffer from mobility impairment. However, San Francisco has shown remarkable cooperation with the increasing population of wheelchair users.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAV) don’t come under the ADA act; therefore, you cannot expect them in every city. Fortunately, San Francisco offers the facility of Uber WAV and Lyft WAV.
In San Francisco, Lyft WAV provides better services than Uber WAV.
Moreover, Lyft WAV enables you to consistently connect with a local WAV to have a ride available.
The beautiful mountainous and rocky terrain could’ve been a problem for wheelchair accessibility; however, San Francisco has to be the best accessible city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfsSu__yuoE
The open streets that provide spacious passage for wheelchair users are also equipped with several low-priced hotels that serve to be the perfect stay for people with disabilities.
Check out some fantastic wheelchair-accessible hotels in San Francisco that can be an ideal place for your next visit:
Hotel Nikko San Francisco
The entrance of the hotel is connected by an elevator and wheelchair ramp. You get a handicap push button on every door. Also, there’s a facility for handrails and stairlifts.
Directions:
- Phone number: +14153941111
JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square
Step-free access to the building and the entrance is connected to elevators. You’ll also get step-free seating areas in the hotel.
Directions:
- Phone number: +14157718600
Hotel Emblem San Francisco
The opening of the lavish hotel is at ground level.
Moreover, every door is facilitated with a handicap push button.
Rolling on the streets of San Fransisco can be fun since it’s one of the best tourist locations in the United States. Several attractions for visitors are fully wheelchair-accessible, including
Directions:
- Phone number: +14154334434
The Golden Gate Bridge
The bridge walkway is wheelchair accessible on the Eastern side, which faces the city of San Francisco.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The museum’s collection comprises 29,000 works of architecture, design, painting, photography, and sculpture.
You can easily book wheelchair-accessible vehicles towards the airport. The booking is hassle-free and quick.
Washington, DC
The capital, also known as the third most wheelchair-friendly city, offers a variety of places and facilities for wheelchair users, including monuments, hotels, and other attractions. Here I’ll show you some of the fantastic places where you can roam around, so let’s dive right in.
The White House
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a wheelchair user, added accessibility features to the White House in 1930.
The National Mall
The National Mall comprises shopping hubs and various museums you can’t miss. Several hotels perfect for accommodating wheelchair users include:
The LINE Hotel DC
The building access is step-free, with a lobby at the entrance. You’ll also find handrails for easy access to rooms.
Directions:
- Phone number: +12025880525
St. Regis Washington, D.C
The building access is step free with a considerable door width. Here, you’ll also find a designated seating area specially designed for people using wheelchairs.
Directions:
- Phone number: +12026382626
The Watergate Hotel Georgetown
The building access is step-free, and doors can be opened with a handicapped push button.
The wide streets of D.C. provide a spacious passage for the mobility of more than one wheelchair at a time, and the territory perfectly illustrates what ideal wheelchair-accessible places in the world should look like.
Almost 11.5 percent of the population of the District of Columbia is differently-abled. The city offers a fully accessible transportation system with wheelchair-accessible vehicles, including Uber WAV and Lyft WAV. Also, you should prefer using Uber WAV in the capital due to its good availability.
The wheelchair users quickly access airports, including Reagan National, Dulles International, and Baltimore/Washington International. The airports are facilitated by the availability of wheelchair-enabled Metros and WAV. The DC offers easy access to trains connected to wheelchair-accessible elevators for public transportation.
Directions:
- Phone number: +18446171972
Las Vegas, Nevada
If you are planning a vacation or looking for an apartment, Sin City has to be the perfect place for wheelchair users. The city gives you many options for entertainment, live shows, and exceptional nightlife, all with wheelchair-accessible space.
The place offers a variety of hotels and attractions, like the road to the Grand Canyon, all with the connectivity of wheelchair-accessible buses.
The ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’ never sleeps. You can explore several wheelchair-accessible casinos and bars at two past midnight. The city is crowded with wheelchair-accessible hotels and restrooms directly connected to city buses with wheelchair ramps.
Wheelchair-accessible hotels and casinos in Las Vegas include:
ARIA Resort & Casino
The modern designs and spacious rooms of ARIA are quite amendable. The entrance is connected to elevators, and wheelchair ramps are also available.
Directions:
- Phone number: +18663597757
Bellagio Hotel & Casino
The beautiful rooms and premises of the hotel are designed as per ADA.
A few blocks from the Strip, the airport is connected by public transportation and provides wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Las Vegas is a pedestrian-friendly place and offers spacious streets offering enough space for the movement of three wheelchairs in a single lane.
Directions:
- Phone number: +18889876667
Salt Lake City, Utah
The city is hovered around Salt Lake and is a beautiful place enabling wheelchair accessibility. The town, surrounded by nature, has Oquirrh and Wasatch mountain ranges.
The city offers good facilities of wheelchair-accessible public transportation, which connects to several outdoor attractions like the museum of fine arts, Hogle Zoo, and many more.
The city has beautiful botanical gardens, which people with disabilities can visit on weekends. In 2020, a brand-new airport terminal was established in the city, fully equipped with numerous newer accessibility features.
You can also visit rocky terrains, which are perfect for spending Sundays outdoors. SLC has several options for beautiful and budget-friendly wheelchair-accessible accommodations, including:
Salt Lake City Marriott City Center, Downtown
Located downtown and within walking distance of restaurants, museums, and a light rail stop, the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center is an excellent choice for tourists and business travelers. The hotel has a modern design, with hard floors in guest rooms and accessibility features that set it apart from most other hotels.
Salt Lake City Marriott City Center is connected to restaurants and shopping malls. The hotel is fully accessible and suitable for wheelchair users.
Directions:
- Phone number: +18019618700
Courtyard by Marriott, Salt Lake City
Courtyard by Marriott is one of the most accessible hotels in SLC, situated near the airport.
All of these destinations are connected with facilities of wheelchair-accessible vehicles and public buses. The wheelchair-accessible trails of the city are rollable and perfectly spacious for easy movement of manual and motorized wheelchairs.
Directions:
- Phone number: +13852906500
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is known for its largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region. The emerald city situated in Puget Sound and Lake Washington is a perfect place to pay a visit, especially when you are using a wheelchair to travel.
The only problem with Seattle is the steep streets. However, power wheelchairs do the work perfectly. The city is connected with wheelchair-accessible public transportation, water ferries, Link Light Rail, and private cabs with wheelchair ramps, including Uber WAV and Lyft WAV.
The city has something to offer everyone. From Seattle Aquarium to MoPOP, all attractions are wheelchair accessible.
The city is the birthplace of massive companies like Google that offer excellent airport facilities. The SeaTac Airport is widespread and provides several facilities for wheelchair users. In order to travel to places in Emerald City, you can use wheelchair-accessible taxis.
Wheelchair–accessible hotels where you can stay include:
Lotte Hotel Seattle
The building is facilitated with step-free access, and the doors are connected to handicap push buttons.
Directions:
- Phone number: +12068008110
Graduate Seattle
The entrance of the hotel is without any steps. You can also use handrails to enter inside. The lavish hotel is designed as per ADA.
Directions:
- Phone number: +12066342000
Denver, Colorado
In search of the most accessible city in the United States, Denver will never fail you. The mid-high town is situated at the foot of the hilly terrain, and the city is more than 5,200 feet above sea level. The town offers lush green spaces and beautiful aesthetics, and its fantastic climate attracts several visitors.
The city complies with the Americans with Disability Act and provides accessible areas and spacious rolling spaces for wheelchair users.
A combination of the light rail and bus services that will take you to all the wheelchair-accessible locations like the Denver Art Museum, Larimer Square, and the Colorado State Capitol building makes it the most comfortable wheelchair-accessible city to reside in.
Several taxi and shuttle options for wheelchair users connecting to the Denver International Airport (DEN). The City’s Skyride public transport enables wheelchair users to travel without fuss. The taxi fares inside Denver city include Flag Drop & first 1/9 mile, which will cost around USD 2.50, to an extra USD 1.00 for every additional ride. Wheelchair–accessible hotels in Denver have:
The Crawford Hotel
There is a lobby at the entrance of the building. Also, the hotel floor is very smooth to enable easy rolling of wheelchairs.
Directions:
- Phone number: +17204603700
Hotel Teatro
The stairs of the building are connected to the handrails. Moreover, the entrance is also wheelchair-enabled.
Directions:
- Phone number: +18887271200
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is a growing city fully equipped with wheelchair-accessible transportation connecting Dallas-Ft. Worth International and Dallas Love Field airports. The town welcomes wheelchair users with open arms.
Dallas offers several wheelchair-accessible restaurants like Maple Leaf Diner and Kenny’s Italian Kitchen and attractions to visit.
Maple Leaf Diner
Kenny’s kitchen offers excellent Italian food.
Hotel accommodations like The Adolphus Hotel and Aloft Dallas Downtown are fully accessible and cheap. Have a look:
Directions:
- Phone number: +12144341626
Aloft Dallas Downtown
The pools inside are connected to lower lifts and low steps.
Directions:
- Phone number: +12147610000
The Adolphus Autograph Collection
There is wheelchair access to the building without the need to climb steps. Also, the stairs of the pools have handrails.
The city offers renovated streets perfect for rollers, and the Lyft WAV is available for pick-ups from a number of locations in Dallas. However, the airport feature is limited to a few airports only.
Directions:
- Phone number: +12147428200
Georgia, Atlanta
The ninth-largest metropolitan city offers a hub for airlines and airway connectivity. With massive strides for wheelchair users, the city has vast spaces for newer wheelchair explorers. Some wheelchair-accessible hotels include:
The Westin, Buckhead
The hotel offers a step-free entrance with fine ceramic and hardwood flooring for easy mobility.
Directions:
- Phone number: +14043650065
A.C. Hotel by Marriott Atlanta Airport Gateway
The entrance of the hotel is step free with automatic door access.
The city is quite impressive in terms of wheelchair accessibility. You can do many things in Atlanta, including visiting attractions and wheelchair-accessible restaurants. Do not forget to purchase a City Pass, from which you can get up to 40% off.
Restaurants you can visit in Atlanta include:
Directions:
- Phone number: +14046650309
Desta Ethiopian Kitchen
The food and ambiance of the restaurant are fantastic, with delicious Ethiopian food.
Directions:
- Phone number: +14049290011
Ray's in the City
Here, you can have a variety of flavourful local American cuisine. Also, do not forget to try the seafood here.
Directions:
- Phone number: +14045249224
Skyview Ferris Wheel
It’s best to explore places using wheelchair-enabled taxis, and their availability is quite good. Visiting the Skyview Ferris Wheel and enjoying the view from air-conditioned gondolas will cost you around USD 12 to USD 13. Therefore, Atlanta can be your next go-to option for a vacation.
Directions:
- Phone number: +16789499023
Chicago, Illinois
The massive architecture of the Windy City is fully wheelchair accessible and offers larger spaces for motor wheelchairs and rollers. The third most populated place Chicago is home to huge buildings, music hubs, and sports playgrounds. The city, known for its growth in the areas like commerce and finance, offers excellent work opportunities with fully equipped wheelchair office presses and comfortable wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
The city’s art, cuisine, and sports culture attract many visitors worldwide. This city has to be on the top ten list of most accessible towns in the United States. Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports are connected by wheelchair-accessible trains and Taxis.
Do not forget to get your wheelchair through the passage of the gigantic Bean in Chicago.
Also, Do not miss to take the wheelchair-accessible elevators, which will take you to the top of the massive Willis Tower.
Here are some fantastic hotels in Chicago for your next stay:
Ambassador Chicago
This beautiful hotel with a snow-white vibe has a lobby at the entrance. Moreover, the rooms are connected to an elevator, ensuring easy movement for wheelchair users.
Directions:
- Phone number: +13127873700
Four Seasons Chicago
With a royal touch, the Four Seasons Chicago hotel is a must-visit. The hotel is entirely wheelchair accessible. However, you might have to cross a single step to enter the hotel.
All of the hotels are connected through public transportation and Taxis. If you wish to roam alone, there are spacious sidewalks best used in snowy winters, connected with ramps and subways.
Directions:
- Phone number: +13122808800
Portland, Oregon
The largest city in Oregon, Portland, has the smoothest cuts and curves to roll over. The downtown place known for its small city blocks offers a great place to explore.
The city is full of beautiful bridges and gigantic attractions.
Portland Art Museum
Oregon History Museum
Portland Art Museum and the Oregon History Museum are one of the most accessible attractions where all the wheelchair-users can pay a visit.
It’s better to book an Uber WAV or Lyft WAV in advance (both options are available) as they might take time to reach. However, if you wish to travel by public transport, the TriMet bus system is an excellent option as it covers almost every corner of the city. The buses are equipped with wheelchair ramps, and the fair is pocket-friendly. The best public transportation option to take in Portland has to be Streetcars. You can book one in advance, and you are good to go. The MAX light rail is another classic train service that can be quickly boarded to travel from the airport to your apartment.
Portland is crowded with aesthetic places and accessible attractions, so the hotel chains and apartments for tourists are remarkable. All of them are fully wheelchair-accessible, and the prices are also reasonable. My favorite ones include the following:
Holiday Inn Express Portland S.E. - Clackamas Area, an IHG Hotel
The hotel offers a step-free entrance connected by an automatic door.
Directions:
- Phone number: +15037227777
The Nines
The doors of the hotel can be opened manually. Also, the rooms are connected with elevators for easy movement. The bathrooms are equipped with toilet grab bars, which are best for wheelchair users.
The process for booking an Uber WAV or a Lyft WAV is almost the same everywhere. The only difference can be your location. I’ll show you the steps to do it.
For booking a Lyft WAV or Uber WAV, you can simply follow the steps:
Step-1 Download the application from the app store.
Step-2 Add your drop location and select the ‘wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV)’ option.
Step-3 Press the ‘book a ride option,’ which will help you to connect with a nearby wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
Directions:
- Phone number: +15032229996
In a Nutshell
All the above-listed places are fully wheelchair-accessible and great if you plan a vacation or shift permanently. Try to make pre-booking for WAV as they might take time to arrive or can be unavailable. Some hotels may also provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Make sure you go through all the maps and directions before opting for public transport facilities. Also, plan your visit correctly before booking a hotel.
