My curriculum work has me focused on accessibility for all learners, taking into account design that accommodates those who have different visual, auditory, and dexterity needs. My recent travels with a mobility challenged person (my mom), however, have me thinking of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how businesses often do the minimum to meet ADA compliance. For example, while in LA the ADA room at our hotel had a compliant bathroom but the room layout and low furniture was not conducive for someone with limited mobility due to weakened leg joints, and who does not use a wheelchair. With these thoughts fresh in my mind, I've created a travel page highlighting the accessibility of places I visit.
While my mom doesn't use a wheelchair to get around, she does benefit from ADA accommodations that increase her independence - this is the whole idea behind universal design. When design is thoughtful, it considers the needs of everyone, providing access and independence for all types of abilities. Furthermore, the accommodations made for those who are viewed as differently abled are often used by those who society considers to be able-bodied (e.g., closed captioning, voice to text, ramps, etc.). Thoughtful design is inclusive, yet not all design is thoughtful.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I traveled fairly frequently; we are a Multi-generational travel family. Since cancelling my family's Summer 2020 trip to Prague, Madrid, and Barcelona, I've spent nearly all of my time in NYC and on Long Island. That finally changed in Summer 2022, when my family resumed International travel with a trip to Montreal.
We were all two years older and three years removed from travel, and the pandemic shutdowns made us far less active than we were when we last travelled to Budapest, Vienna, and Milan in Summer 2019. This was made obvious by the difficulties my mom had getting around. She has always been somewhat mobility challenged - walking slower than the rest of us, occasionally using a cane to steady herself when using stairs, and struggling with arthritic knees and swollen feet that were affected by weather conditions - but now she can't walk more than a couple of blocks without getting winded, needs a cane to steady herself on flat ground, and uses a rollator for longer treks. We are now traveling when mobility challenged.
Now that we're traveling again, I have become more mindful and aware of the lack of accommodations made available to those who are differently abled. On this page I will offer reviews of places we've visited based on my mom's limited mobility experience.
The front of the orchestra section is step-free. The other sections of the orchestra require going up one small step every two rows. That second row in each step pair has its own step to enter the row.
The first row of the orchestra is very close to the stage's first steps, offering less leg room than the other rows. It could be a walking hazard for some (most people walk across the steps). There is an accessible bathroom on the right side of the front orchestra section.
Shows:
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The last row in the orchestra is step free. If you can do a few steps, you can move a little closer. The theatre is very small with just the orchestra section.
Accessible bathrooms are available via an escort by elevator.
Show: Just In Time (2025; Jonathon Groff)
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The orchestra level is split on the left and right sides (no rows I & J). Up to Row I is step free; after row I there are two steps up to each row. If you can do some steps, Rows K and L on the left or right orchestra are good.
There is an accessible bathroom in the main lobby area.
Shows:
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The theatre was transformed into the round as the Kit Kat Club for Cabaret, so this might not be typical for all shows. The orchestra section close to the center stage was step free. The theatre was very dark pre-show, so consider using your phone's flashlight to find your seat.
Show: Cabaret (2024, Eddie Redmayne)
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The orchestra is fully accessible. The Hudson Theatre also has an elevator to the Dress Circle, but there are steps to the seats. However, just note that the right "aisle" seats in the split center section of the Dress Circle aren't actual aisles. You cannot enter or exit from them.
Show: Merrily We Roll Along (2024; Jonathon Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, & Lindsay Mendez)
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
This theatre is in the Marriott Marquis Hotel and is accessible via elevator from the hotel. The orchestra aisles have steps, so the back row is best if you can't do steps. Otherwise, there's one step per row.
Show: The Wiz (2024)
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
The entire orchestra section is step-free from the lobby.
Show: New York, New York (2023)
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The entire orchestra section is step-free from the lobby.
Show: Gutenberg! The Musical! (2023; Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells)
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The orchestra section is completely step-free and there is an accessible bathroom at the back of the orchestra section.
Show: Sweeney Todd (2023; Josh Groban)
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Newport is quaint and old. The town is a typical New England coastal town, with wharfs, Victorian homes, and lots of bed and breakfasts.
The crown jewels of a Newport trip are the Gilded Age mansions, and they did not disappoint. Not all are accessible, but it's easy to find and navigate those that are.
Newport is an easy weekend trip from the NYC area and can be done on a budget if you stay outside of Newport proper.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
We stayed at the Residence Inn Middletown, which is about a 15 minute drive to the heart of Newport. We had a two-bedroom, two--bath suite, complete with a kitchen and living room.
The hotel was nice and offered free breakfast, but the room was musty smelling and damp. It was a handicap accessible room, which was apparently the only one in the hotel.
The wheel-in bathroom had no shelves for toiletries and no mats for the floor, which inevitably gets soaked because there are no shower walls (the curtain does little to contain the water on the floor).
We drove into Newport, but there seems to be a shuttle offered for a small fee.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The Breakers is partially accessible via elevator operated by staff. The parking lot is across the street and not nearly large enough. The walk from the parking lot to the mansion is significant, but there are some benches along the way as well as a welcome center with a cafe and restrooms. The final path to the mansion is all gravel.
The elevators goes only between floors 1 and 2, so the mezzanine and basement are not accessible. The bathrooms are in the basement of the main house (and at the welcome center). The gift shop is also in the basement and accessible via stairs or the service drive from the outside, which is a long walk downhill (and then uphill to leave).
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Marble House is partially accessible via a small elevator operated by staff. The parking lot is across the street and the walk from it to the house has uneven pavement. There is an accessible bathroom on the second floor, otherwise bathrooms are in the basement. The elevator does go between the basement and second floor. This was the only gift shop we could access via elevator, so buy your souvenirs here.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Rosecliff is partially accessible via a small elevator operated by staff (limit of 2 guests). The parking lot is next to the main house and is a little bit of a walk for those with limited mobility. There is an accessible bathroom on the first floor; otherwise the bathrooms are in the basement (only accessible via stairs).
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
We purchased tickets on the wharf for a boat tour. The boat's main cabin is accessible, but the upstairs outside area is not. This didn't diminish the tour in any way, as the windows in the main cabin fully open for clear views and the tour guide can be clearly heard via speakers. The bathrooms and the bar are also in the main cabin.
The tour was more than an hour, which was a nice way to end a long day.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Possibly the best part of the trip thanks to a great and knowledgable tour guide. We did the 90 minute tour around Newport, which starts and ends at the bus depot. There's plenty of garage parking (~$12) at the depot so it was an easy trip. There's also public bathrooms.
The tour was a historical tour of the entire town, including all the mansions we didn't get to visit.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Newport is quaint and old. The town is a typical New England coastal town, with wharfs, Victorian homes, and lots of bed and breakfasts.
The crown jewels of a Newport trip are the Gilded Age mansions, and they did not disappoint. Not all are accessible, but it's easy to find and navigate those that are.
Newport is an easy weekend trip from the NYC area and can be done on a budget if you stay outside of Newport proper.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The Lord Elgin Hotel had great accommodations, although they weren't prepared for the mass arrival of guests and were short staffed for porter services. Typically this doesn't matter, but we had a lot of luggage (7 people) and only 5 of us were capable of helping with the luggage.
There were no accessible issues, except the lack of safety bars in the shower.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The Omni King Edward hotel was great; there were only two minor things regarding accessibility:
There is a "step-free" entrance around the corner, but this entrance is a wheelchair lift over steps - so it's not really step-free.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Like both the Lord Elgin and Omni King Edward, the DoubleTree Fallsview did not have safety bars in the shower. One safety bar would make a world of a difference for anyone in the shower, so I don't know why ($$$) hotels just don't add a bar.
Otherwise, there were no accessibility issues at this hotel.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Casa Loma is a castle/mansion (?) in the middle of the city. It is accessible via an elevator operated by staff that goes to all levels. My mom used a rollator on this trip to Canada and it was permitted at Casa Loma. Some doors were too narrow for it, so I just folded it up and carried it through, but for the most part she was able to use it throughout the space.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
There are a lot of steps to access the locks part of the Rideau Canal. My parents opted out of this because of the number and unevenness of the steps. If you can make it down there, it's a pretty cool experience to watch them open and close the locks to lift boats (the locks are basically steps for boats).
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
The Medieval Times was a lot of fun and there are accessible areas towards the back of the first section. My mom insisted on being in the first few rows, so she and my dad carefully and slowly went up and down the arena steps. There is a railing, so just take it slow.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
All of the museums and other attractions we went to were fully accessible and some had wheelchairs you could borrow.
Ottawa:
Toronto:
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Those with limited mobility beware: Niagara Falls requires a lot of walking. We opted to go to Niagara-on-the-Lake instead, where there was still walking, but on flatter ground and within a two block radius. There is municipal parking with handicap spots; the NYS handicap tag was accepted there. Very cute town.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
First and foremost, Florence is my favorite place on the planet. I've been there 4 times and love everything about Florence...except the things I don't. Florence is great for the able-bodied, but it presents significant challenges for those with limited mobility or joint issues. It's an ancient city and comes with ancient cobblestone streets and narrow sidewalks and unadapted buildings. Also, strangely enough, I could never find decent cannoli. But, the street vendors and Florentine steaks make up for the lack of decent cannoli.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
We stayed at Hotel Spadai for about a week. It's a stone's throw from The Duomo; the church bells are audible - particularly if you open the windows. The breakfast was fantastic! There is a large assortment of pastries, fruits, cereals, breads, and cured meats. As is typical for hotels, there was also scrambled eggs and bacon. But - they'll also do made-to-order eggs - so go ahead and place that omelette order with your cappuccino.
The rooms were good, but the hallways aren't suitable for those with limited mobility as there are steps and a lack of hand railing. The "hand rail" was a large rope that had a lot of slack in it so it was not stable. More on that in the blog.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
If Florence is a mecca for the arts, then The Uffizi is its central piazza. I've visited the Uffizi three times and probably still haven't seen everything it offers. The Uffizi houses a vast collection of Renaissance art - works from Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo are all there. The outside of the museum also boasts beautiful sculptures.
Wheelchairs are available at no charge. You must enter at Door 1, where the chairs and a lift are available. There is also priority access at Door 1.
Pro tip: go early and take advantage of the combo ticket so you can also visit Palazzo Pitti and Bobli Gardens across the Arno.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Florence seems pretty small because the "touristy" stuff is fairly concentrated in one area. However, there's a whole different world outside this small area. Neither of my parents are be able to walk far distances anymore, so we went on a golf cart tour of Florence. The drivers are also tour guides, so you learn lots about different areas. They took us all the way up to Piazzale Michelangelo, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the city. I highly recommend taking a golf cart, even if able-bodied.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
Florence is small, and so is its airport. We flew in from London - it was under 3 hours, so a pretty quick flight. We deplaned via steps down to the tarmac and loaded onto a bus to take us to the terminal. Those who couldn't take the stairs had to wait for a bucket lift to be brought down and were taken to the terminal by an accessible vehicle.
While this is an international airport, there are no direct flights to NYC. Instead of doing a connecting flight (we have two travelers for whom direct is best), we took the train to Milan and departed from Malpensa. I don't think I'd do this again without staying a few days in Milan. The train ride is nice - we had done it before - but it makes for a much longer trip home and there's a lot of walking.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
I don't know which has more churches, Rome or Florence. I love visiting churches, which might be why I love Florence. I am not very religious by ceremonial standards - I don't attend mass and I do take issue with the Catholic Church as an organization - but I do have a strong faith and believe in living in service of others, as embodied by Christ. I always feel calm and centered when I visit a church (but not during a mass, which is why I don't go). Those who practice a different religion, or no religion at all, will still find enjoyment in the architecture and art of the many Florentine churches. I can't recommend a favorite because they're all so beautiful.
The churches are mostly accessible via ramps, although some catacombs are inaccessible.
-Review by Katherine Pauletti
If traveling through Heathrow, be sure to request wheelchair access via the airline used. After checking in with your airline, they will direct you to the wheelchair assistance area upstairs; you will have to walk some distance to enter the terminal, check-in, and get to the wheelchair area. An attendant will wheel you through security to another waiting area, where you will take a mobile cart to your gate. Some attendants accept tips, other do not.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
By far the best way to see all of London is via a private taxi tour. We used Black Taxi Tour London for three tours totaling 13 hours: Christmas Lights Tour, Hidden London Tour, and a Bespoke Tour. All were wonderful! The driver guides are licensed Black taxi drivers who are very knowledgable of all of London. We covered it all: from the South Bank, to Notting Hill, to Little Venice and Camden, Shoreditch, Dalston, Mayfair, Central London. We highly recommend Black Taxi Tour London - particularly Stella and Frank!
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
We went here for Sunday Roast in April and it was great. The restaurant is at basement level, but there's a lift so my parents were able to access it with no issues. However, when we returned in November, the lift was out of order so we had to give up our reservation. It was very difficult to find a restaurant with both dining room and bathroom access for those with limited mobility. We wound up at The Prince of Wales pub near the Gillian Lynne Theatre, which worked well because that's where we were headed.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
We love the theatre! However, not every theatre loves those with limited mobility. Prior to booking any show, I visit Seat Plan to learn about the accessibility of the theatre. This has been invaluable in that it helps us to find appropriate seating sections - sometimes the stall are step-free, other times it's the dress circle, and yet other times an alternate entry point of the theatre is required. It also informs us as to the lack of accessibility, as was the case for some of the shows we were interested in seeing.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
The shows that we saw were:
All the shows were fantastic!
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
The Clermont, Charing Cross is our go-to hotel in London. It is centrally located, with easy access to the tube, buses, and a taxi rank. For those with limited mobility, there are only a few wheelchair accessible rooms that must be booked directly with the hotel. My parents don't need such a room because every other room we've had includes a walk-in shower. Just to note, the tubs in London have very high sides that make it more difficult for those with limited mobility to get in and out. The staff is also friendly and helpful. We recommend the The Clermont for hotel accommodations.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
The Westin has valet parking right in the front of the hotel where you can use either a ramp of steps to enter the hotel. The hotel was great for mobility. My mom had a junior suite room, which had a tub in the bathroom and no handheld wand. This was a difficulty for her, but we've since learned to ask for a walk-in with a handheld to make showering easier for her. We would stay here again.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
Old Montreal is beautiful, but I had forgotten how hilly it is. This made it difficult for my mom to enjoy the area, as it's difficult for her to walk long distances on flat ground let alone up and down hills. The cobblestone also posed a problem due to the unevenness of the stones.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
This exhibit was fully accessible, including the bathrooms. There was a step-free entrance and a single level. The exhibit was also an interesting way to experience Van Gogh's art.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
We went to the archaeology museum to see the special Vikings exhibit and it didn't disappoint! From a mobility standpoint, the museum offered free wheelchair rentals, which my mom used. My SIL wheeled her around the museum and they were able to access all levels thanks to the main elevator and the wheelchair lift that went to the mid-levels. The only thing we found strange was the the end of the museum trail wound up being across the street from the start, so we had to wheel my mom back across the street to return the chair. My brother's family walked to the museum, but I drove my parents. The parking garage was a 5 minute walk (at mom's speed) from the museum.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
If you want a fantastic American breakfast while in Montreal, this is the place to go. However, the ADA is an American legislation, not a Canadian one so there were some mobility obstacles. This particular location was not wheelchair accessible; there were a few steps to enter the building and then a few more steps into the restaurant. Although the bathrooms are located in the basement (more steps!), my mom was able to us the employee restroom that was located on the main dining floor. We found it strange that the employee restroom was more conveniently located than the guest restroom, but were appreciative that she was able to use it.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
Since walking in Old Montreal was tiring for my mom, we decided to do a boat tour. Once on the boat, it was a nice way to spend an hour. Getting to, onto, and off of the boat was another story. The boat is not wheelchair accessible and was nearly inaccessible to my mom who was using a cane. There is a series of long ramps down to the boat landing, which was easier for her to navigate down than up. Once there, there were some seats in the waiting area but not a sufficient amount. There was no ramp to get on the boat; you had to climb a series of steep steps that led to the top outside level. We were unable to go to the enclosed, air conditioned area because that required descending another staircase that brought you back to the landing level, which would've required another climb back up. Needless to say, the stairs and ramps were not user friendly for those with mobility issues.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
We spent one night in Salem on the way to Montreal. No mobility issues were encountered at the Hampton Inn in Salem. The parking garage is street level and offers direct access to the hotel via a ramp. The self-park garage had sufficient handicap spots available near the ramp. The double queen room also posed no mobility issues for my mom, particularly the bathroom had a walk-in shower with a handheld wand so she didn't have to worry about clearing the height of the tub.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
First, the trolley tour was so good! We highly recommend it. With regards to accessibility, there was a bit of a step up to enter the trolley but my mom was able to do so with the help of her cane and the grab bar. I'm not sure if there is an ADA accessible trolley available for those in a wheelchair; the one we were on was not wheelchair accessible. We chose to walk from the Hampton Inn to the trolley stop, which proved to be a little far for my mom so it took us a while to get there with some breaks. There is a parking lot adjacent to the trolley pickup/drop off area that is ideally located for the mobility challenged.
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
Finz seafood restaurant is located outside of the city center, so I drove my mom to Finz. There's a small parking area in the wharf with some handicapped parking distributed throughout. We were able to find one such spot, but it was the last available. As with many parking locations, there are far fewer ADA spots than non-ADA spots. The restaurant itself was accessible for our needs, however I can't speak to the needs of wheelchair users. The pathway to the outside seating area didn't seem to be sufficiently wide for a wheelchair. (BTW: food was great!)
-Reviewed by Katherine Pauletti
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