Washington, D.C., is one of the most accessible cities in the world for travelers with disabilities. But before you arrive you have to get here. A lot of resources are available to help you plan a trip to Washington or anywhere.
A World of Options, a 658-page book of resources for disabled travelers, covers everything, costs $35 ($30 for members), and is available from Mobility International USA, P.O. Box 10767, Eugene, OR 97440 (tel. 541/343-1284, voice and TDD; www.miusa.org). Annual membership for Mobility International is $35, which includes its quarterly newsletter, Over the Rainbow. In addition, Twin Peaks Press, P.O. Box 129, Vancouver, WA 98666 (tel. 360/694-2462), publishes travel-related books for people with disabilities.
The Moss Rehab Hospital (tel. 215/456-9600) has been providing friendly and helpful phone advice and referrals to disabled travelers for years through its Travel Information Service (tel. 215/456-9603; www.mossresourcenet.org).
You can join The Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (SATH), 347 Fifth Ave. Suite 610, New York, NY 10016 (tel. 212/447-7284; fax 212/725-8253; www.sath.org) for $45 annually, $30 for seniors and students, to gain access to their vast network of connections in the travel industry. They provide information sheets on travel destinations and referrals of tour operators that specialize in traveling with disabilities. Their quarterly magazine, Open World for Disability and Mature Travel, is full of good information and resources. A year's subscription is $13 ($21 outside the U.S.).
Many of the major car rental companies now offer hand-controlled cars for disabled drivers. Avis can provide such a vehicle at any of its locations in the U.S. with 48-hour advance notice; Hertz requires between 24 and 72 hours advance notice at most of its locations. Wheelchair Getaways (tel. 800/873-4973; www.blvd.com/wg.htm) rents specialized vans with wheelchair lifts and other features for the disabled in more than 100 cities across the U.S.
Travelers with disabilities may also want to consider joining a tour that caters specifically to them. One of the best operators is Flying Wheels Travel, 143 West Bridge (P.O. Box 382), Owatonna, MN 55060 (tel. 800/535-6790). They offer various escorted tours and cruises, with an emphasis on sports, as well as private tours in minivans with lifts. Other reputable specialized tour operators include Access Adventures (tel. 716/889-9096), which offers sports-related vacations; Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/TINGLES or 610/521-0339), for slow walkers and wheelchair travelers; The Guided Tour, Inc. (tel. 215/782-1370); Wilderness Inquiry (tel. 800/728-0719 or 612/379-3858); and Directions Unlimited (tel. 800/533-5343).
You can obtain a copy of Air Transportation of Handicapped Persons by writing to Free Advisory Circular No. AC12032, Distribution Unit, U.S. Department of Transportation, Publications Division, M-4332, Washington, DC 20590. When making your flight reservations, ask the airline or travel agent where your wheelchair will be stowed on the plane and if seeing or hearing guide dogs can accompany you.
Amtrak's (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) services for disabled passengers includes redcap service at Washington's Union Station, wheelchair assistance, and special seats with 24 hours' notice. Passengers with disabilities are also entitled to a discount of 15% off the lowest available rail fare at the time of booking. Documentation from a doctor or an ID card proving your disability is required. Amtrak also provides wheelchair-accessible sleeping accommodations on long-distance trains, and service animals are permitted and travel free of charge. Amtrak publishes a handbook called "Access Amtrak," which tells you all you need to know about traveling on Amtrak when you have a disability; call the 800 number to order it and allow 7 to 10 days for delivery. Amtrak's TDD number is tel. 800/523-6590.
If you are traveling by Greyhound Bus, you should know that a companion can accompany a person with a disability at no charge aboard a Greyhound bus (you must inform Greyhound in advance); call tel. 800/231-2222 for details, or visit www.greyhound.com. Call tel. 800/752-4841 at least 24 hours in advance to discuss other special needs. Greyhound's TDD number is tel. 800/345-3109.
Vision-impaired travelers should contact the American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001 (tel. 800/232-5463), for information on traveling with seeing-eye dogs.
You can call ahead for general information about special arrangements that various Washington sites make for people with disabilities. The Washington, D.C. Convention & Visitors Association publishes a fact sheet detailing general accessibility of Washington hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and attractions. For a free copy, call tel. 202/789-7093 or write to WCVA, 1212 New York Ave. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005.
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority also publishes a free guide on Metro's bus and rail system accessibility for the elderly and physically disabled. Call tel. 202/962-0128 to order the guide, or check out Metro's Web site at www. wmata.com. Each Metro station is equipped with an elevator (complete with braille number plates) to train platforms, and rail cars are fully accessible. Metro is now installing 24-inch sections of punctuated rubber tiles leading up to the granite-lined platform edge to warn visually impaired Metro riders that they are nearing the tracks. Train operators make station and on-board announcements of train destinations and stops. Most of the District's Metrobuses have wheelchair lifts and kneel at the curb (the number will increase as time goes on). The TDD number for Metro information is tel. 202/638-3780. For other questions about Metro services for travelers with disabilities, call tel. 202/962-6464. In fact, it's probably a good idea to call this number to verify that the elevators are operating at the stations you'll be traveling to.
Regular Tourmobile trams are accessible to visitors with disabilities. The company also operates special vans for immobile travelers, complete with wheelchair lifts. Tourmobile recommends that you call a day ahead to ensure that the van is available for you when you arrive. For information, call tel. 202/554-5100.
All Smithsonian museum buildings are accessible to wheelchair visitors. A comprehensive free publication called Smithsonian Access lists all services available to visitors with disabilities, including parking, building access, sign language interpreters, and more. To obtain a copy, call tel. 202/357-2700 or TTY 202/357-1729. You can also use the TTY number to obtain information on all Smithsonian museums and events.
You may also find it helpful to know about the arrangements available at these specific sites:
For tours of the White House, visitors in wheelchairs should come to the East Visitors's Gate (along East Executive Avenue) between 10:30am and noon, and you will be allowed to go to the head of the line; visitors arriving in wheelchairs, and their companions (up to four people) by the way, do not need tickets. For details, call tel. 202/456-2322.
The Lincoln, Jefferson, and Vietnam Memorials and the Washington Monument are also equipped to accommodate visitors with disabilities and keep wheelchairs on the premises. There's limited parking for visitors with disabilities on the south side of the Lincoln Memorial. Call ahead to other sightseeing attractions for accessibility information and special services: tel. 202/619-7222 or TDD 202/619-7083.
Call your senator or representative to arrange wheelchair-accessible tours of the Capitol; they can also arrange special tours for the blind or deaf. If you need further information on these tours, call tel. 202/224-4048.
Shoppers should know that places well equipped with wheelchair ramps and other facilities for visitors with disabilities include Union Station, the Shops at National Place, the Pavilion at the Old Post Office, and Georgetown Park Mall.
And if you're a theater-goer, be assured that Washington theaters are handily equipped: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts provides headphones to hearing-impaired patrons at no charge. A wireless, infrared listening enhancement system is available in all theaters. Some performances offer sign-language and audio description. A public TTY is located at the Information Center in the Hall of States. Large print programs are available at every performance; a limited number of braille programs are available from the house manager. All theaters in the complex (except the Terrace) are wheelchair accessible. The 1997 renovation of the Concert Hall has made it the most accessible venue in the city; improvements include ingenious wheelchair seating, increased to 4% of the seats, and enhanced acoustics. To reserve a wheelchair, call tel. 202/416-8340. For other questions regarding patrons with disabilities, including information about half-priced tickets (you will need to submit a letter from your doctor stating that your disability is permanent), call tel. 202/416-8727. The TTY number is tel. 202/416-8728.
The Arena Stage (tel. 202/554-9066) has a wheelchair lift and is otherwise accessible. It offers audio description and sign interpretation at designated performances as well as infrared and audio loop assisted-listening devices for the hearing-impaired, plus program books in braille and large-print. The TTY box office line is tel. 202/484-0247. You can also call ahead to reserve handicapped parking spaces for a performance.
Ford's Theatre is wheelchair-accessible and offers listening devices as well as special signed and audio-described performances. Call tel. 202/347-4833 for details. The TTY number is tel. 202/347-5599.
The National Theatre is wheelchair-accessible and features special performances of its shows for visually and hearing-impaired theatergoers. To obtain amplified-sound earphones for narration, simply ask an usher before the performance. The National also offers a limited number of half-price tickets to patrons in wheelchairs; seating is in the orchestra section and you may receive no more than 2 half-price tickets. For details, call tel. 202/628-6161.
