Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. There are more options and resources out there than ever before.
For basic Philadelphia information, contact the Mayor's Commission on People with Disabilities, Municipal Services Building, Room 900, 1401 JFK Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19107 (tel. 215/686-2798), or see the excellent website at www.phila.gov/mcpd. SEPTA (the local transit authority) provides special transportation for people with disabilities through the Customized Community Transportation program, offices open weekdays until 4pm, at 1234 Market St., 4th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (tel. 215/580-7145). SEPTA buses are lift-equipped. Market East and University City subway stations are wheelchair-accessible, but many stations are not. Artreach maintains "Access the Arts: A Guide for People with Disabilities," online at www.art-reach.org, with listings for more than 140 area facilities; for more information, call tel. 215/568-2115. The Philadelphia airport's website, www.phl.org, also publishes a guide for travelers with disabilities -- ADA services include 31 TDD telephones, elevators and escalators, Braille ATMs, curb cuts, and wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses. The airport hot line for travelers with disabilities is tel. 215/937-6700 (TDD 215/937-6755).
Travelers with disabilities will find tourist areas accessible. All Center City curbs are cut at intersections. Nonetheless, some streets in Society Hill and around Independence National Historical Park have uneven brick sidewalks, and Dock Street is paved with rough cobblestones.
Parking can be tough, however, as handicapped parking spots -- marked with blue meters -- are in high demand. The Independence Visitor Center has a level entrance and publishes "Accessibilities," a brochure detailing all parking sites.
Virtually all theaters and stadiums accommodate wheelchairs. Call ahead to plan routes. To aid people with hearing impairments, the Kimmel Center and Academy of Music provide free infrared headsets for concerts; the Annenberg Center rents them for $2.
The Free Library of Philadelphia runs a Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, very conveniently located at 919 Walnut St. (tel. 215/683-3213; http://lbph.library.phila.gov); it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. It adjoins the Associated Services for the Blind, which offers transcriptions into Braille for a fee.
The Golden Access Passport gives visually impaired or permanently disabled persons (regardless of age) free lifetime entrance to all properties administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. This may include national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges.
You may pick up a Golden Access Passport at any NPS entrance fee area by showing proof of medically determined disability and eligibility for benefits under federal law. Besides free entry, the Golden Access Passport also offers a 50% discount on federal-use fees charged for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. For more information, go to www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or call tel. 888/467-2757.
Many travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. Among them are Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com); Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com); and Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com). Avis Rent a Car has an "Avis Access" program that offers such services as a dedicated 24-hour toll-free number (tel. 888/879-4273) for customers with special travel needs; special car features such as swivel seats, spinner knobs, and hand controls; and accessible bus service.
Organizations that offer assistance to disabled travelers include MossRehab (www.mossresourcenet.org); the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB; tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org); and SATH (Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality; tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org). AirAmbulanceCard.com is now partnered with SATH and allows you to preselect top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency.
The community website iCan (www.icanonline.net/channels/travel) has destination guides and several regular columns on accessible travel. Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com.); and Open World magazine, published by SATH.
