Wheelchair Accessible Cities To Visit Across the US

On our last trip to CA, we saw a game at Angels Stadium and booked a hotel room near the stadium to be closer to the airport (wonderful CA traffic and all, lol). Not sure how it happened, but somehow we ended up with a wheelchair accessible room. Didn’t realize it until we checked as it was a hotel with suites and I thought maybe we had just gotten a free update since we checked in after 11. I did like the fact that it had a removable shower head and handrails. I am short, so it was nice to be able to use the removable shower head instead of trying to fight with a standard showerhead that I can never reach  🙁  I also liked that the bathroom was a little bigger than a standard room. Again, I thought it was just because it was a suite room.

As we checked out and found out it was indeed a handicapped room, I felt bad that we may have taken an accessible room from someone who may have needed it. She reassured me that they didn’t have a need for it that night, but it made me start thinking. I wondered how people in wheelchairs get around while traveling, and which cities are the best cities for people in wheelchairs. Thus I decided to do some research and find some of America’s most wheelchair accessible destinations. Here are the 7 top cities I found that are wheelchair accessible (these are in no particular order).

Las Vegas

You can try your luck at the slot machines, place your bets at the table games, and set your wager in the sportsbooks — it’s all easily accessible. Jump between casinos using the city buses and trams. In a city that is made for rolling, you’ll get to experience exciting displays along The Strip, from the Volcano eruption at The Mirage to the Fountains at Bellagio.

Washington, D.C.

We don’t have to tell you what there is to see in America’s capital city. Rest assured – the District of Columbia is easy to navigate, with perhaps the most accessible public transportation system in the world. Uncle Sam has also made it easy for you to visit the national monuments and museums. Don your red, white and blue and prepare to unleash your patriotism.

Chicago, Illinois

Despite the colder climate, the Windy City ranks high for making 90 of all 145 rail stations ADA compliant, and the Healthy Community Mapping System that the University of Illinois is creating for the city to track the actual accessibility of buildings, fitness centers, sidewalks and stores is a big boon.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

With 3 major hospitals in tow, mild winters, and the city’s 100% ADA compliant ABQ Ride bus and bus rapid transit services, this city is hard to contend with for wheelchair accessibility. There are actually quite a few wheelchair accessible attractions in the Albuquerque area.

Portland, Oregon

Transportation is king in Portland. The city’s buses, MAX light rail trains, and streetcars all Seattle accommodate wheelchairs, but the TriMet transportation system’s Lift service provides riders more than 250 minibusses and more than a dozen cars to take them around the city.

Denver, Colorado

All transportation options in the Mile-High City give wheelchair users priority seating. The Access-a-Ride program offers to take wheelchair users anywhere within a three-quarter-mile radius of the transit system as well. The 16th mall is a great place to roll up and down the street while window shopping.

Seattle, Washington

Harborview Medical Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, and the VA all call Seattle home, and all 5 are made wheelchair accessible by Sound Transit’s bus and light rail lines. Paratransit van service supplements this service as well. Metro Transit, meanwhile, offers a shared ride program, a map of accessible downtown routes, and reduced fares.

I hope this list can help of few of you out there when looking for places to go with people who are in wheelchairs. I tried to find cities where you can go and be able to see and do as much as possible. After doing this research, I would have to say that if I were wheelchair bound, I think Las Vegas would be where I would head. Find a lower blackjack table, hit the slots, or just roll up and down the strip to see that sights. I have been to Vegas many times and have seen quite a few people rolling around in Vegas. If there is a city that you have found wheelchair friend, please feel free to comment below and I will add it to my list 🙂 Thanks and happy traveling.