went recently to New York with my sister, we were going to see Ellis Island, but across the road from it was a Starbucks, said to sister lets go to the toilet get a coffee recharge our batteries and then go to Ellis island. Walked across to Starbucks, saw there was queue, thought it was for the coffee went to go to the toilet and had the whole line scream at me there is a queue, they don’t have many disabled toilets(they call them handicap) in new york and by god you have to wait in line, guess the fact i was using my walker gave them no clues, needless to say went back and went to the Rockefeller centre and used their facilities instead, also had to calm down sister as i thought she was going to throttle them
Yes NY is not particularly disabled friendly, they actually have a ‘disabled’ lift in Macy’s…well, they have signs stating that, but nobody takes any notice and Bloomingdales has a floor that is impossible to access at all, taxis will not stop when they see a wheelchair we just used the bell captain’s cousins car service, which was lovely, clean with working a/c and cheaper! Having said that we have plenty of bad examples here too!
That’s a shame Trish. I got back last week and had a really positive experience. Most places we visited had a disabled loo and I just went to the front of the queue, it seems to be expected and I found everybody to be really helpful and friendly.
There is an excellent accessible taxi service called Accessible Dispatch which I used everyday.
I would really recommend it for anyone thinking about it, just do LOTS of planning in advance and don’t be shy about being assertive and asking for whatever you need, the New Yorkers expect it!
i had a good time but have found on my last two holiday you get considerate folk and you get the idiots and i came across a line of idiots , in starbucks.
Saying that i went into grand central station mall and a lovely woman held the door open and told me take your time , also my sister is like the Tasmanian devil and if i had let her lose god knows what would have occurred, may have been fun though