Almost all public establishments in Chicago, including restaurants, hotels, and museums, provide accessible entrances and other facilities for those with disabilities. All city buses are equipped to accommodate wheelchairs, but not all El stations are accessible (some can be reached only via stairs). Contact the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) at tel. 312/836-7000 for a list of accessible stations. For more information on facilities for people with disabilities, contact the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, 121 N. LaSalle St., Room 1104, Chicago, IL 60602 (tel. 312/744-7050 for voice, or 312/744-4964 for TTY; www.cityofchicago.org/disabilities). The office is staffed from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday.
Horizons for the Blind, 2 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, IL 60014 (tel. 815/444-8800), is a social service agency that provides information about local hotels equipped with Braille signage and cultural attractions that offer Braille signage and special tours. The Illinois Relay Center enables hearing- and speech-impaired TTY callers to call individuals or businesses without TTYs 24 hours a day. Calls are confidential and billed at regular phone rates. Call TTY at tel. 800/526-0844 or voice 800/526-0857. The city of Chicago operates a 24-hour information service for hearing-impaired callers with TTY equipment; call tel. 312/744-8599.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
