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Transportation

In the past twenty years various laws such as the Air Carriers Access Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act have required all forms of public transportation to be accessible to people with disabilities. These laws have opened the doors for people with disabilities to get to their job or to go to the grocery store. In addition, people with disabilities can now fly across the nation without fear of being rejected by the airline. We have provided a list of websites that will help you take advantage of these opportunities. All of these websites provide information about the nationwide transportation services available for people with disabilities when traveling by airplane, train (Amtrak), bus (Greyhound), or any other form of public transportation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The FAA is responsible for the United States aviation system. They ensure the safety and certification of aircraft and pilots, the security of our airports, and the air traffic control system. Through this website, you can acquire information regarding passengers with disabilities (see the Passenger link). In addition, this website provides toll free numbers for various airlines listed alphabetically (see Airline Links). We recommend calling these toll free numbers to obtain more information on specific airline accessibility.
Home Page: http://www.faa.gov
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/passengers_disabilities/

Amtrak
Traveling by train is an excellent way to get to different places while experiencing a view of our nation’s beautiful landscape. Amtrak is a nationwide railway system developed in 1971. It operates in 45 states and in 1999 served more than 21 million passengers. This website provides information about accessibility on Amtrak's railway system. You will also find information on train arrival and departure, how to make reservations, etc.
Home Page: http://www.amtrak.com/
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/Page/Collection_Page&c=Page&cid=1080080554568&ssid=139

Greyhound Buses
Greyhound Buses have been in business since 1914. They are a nationwide provider of scheduled intercity bus transportation services in the United States. They also provide package express service and charter bus service. The travel planning section of this website provides information for Greyhound passengers with disabilities including free travel for Personal Care Assistants.
http://www.greyhound.com/
http://www.greyhound.com/travel_information/disabilities.shtml

Easter Seals Project ACTION
Project ACTION (Accessible Community Transportation in Our Nation) is a national technical assistance program. They are responsible for promoting cooperation between the disability community and transportation industry. This website, a part of project action, provides contact information for accessible public transportation services within each state.
Home Page: http://projectaction.easterseals.com
http://projectaction.easterseals.com/cgi-bin/traveler_search.cgi

Transportation and Your Rights
The Americans with Disabilities Act: Assistance at Self-Serve Gas Stations
This section of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that gas stations provide equal access to people with disabilities. This includes providing fueling service upon request, letting patrons know that assistance can be obtained by honking or signaling an employee, and that the customer with the disability will not be charged more than the self-serve price.
Home Page: http://www.usdoj.gov/
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/gasserve.htm

Caltrain
Beginning their services in the 1860s, Caltrain is probably one of the oldest forms of transportation. Caltrain operates weekday trains between San Francisco and San Jose, with commute-hour service to Gilroy, whereas weekend service is offered from San Francisco to San Jose. While seniors and individuals with disabilities holding a Regional Transit Connection Discount Card, Medicare Card or Department of Motor Vehicles Disabled Placard ID Card may ride at half price, only 22 stations are wheelchair accessible for boarding. The wheelchair accessible stations for boarding are San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, San Mateo, Hayward Park, Hillsdale, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, San Antonio, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose, Tamien, Capitol, Blossom Hill, Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy.
http://www.caltrain.com/disabled.html

To request a Regional Transit Connection Discount Card application, call Caltrain at 1-800-660-4287 or 1-650-508-6448 (TDD only)
Homepage: http://www.caltrain.com

Tips for Traveling by Air

According to the Air Carrier Access Act, a qualified individual with a disability shall not be discriminated against and denied the provision of air transportation, by reason of a disability. Although all U.S. airports respect and implement the Air Carrier Access Act, they have various policies for accommodating individuals with different types of disabilities. There are, however, some universal guidelines for airport safety and efficiency.

It is recommended you notify the airline in advance if you have special needs at the airport. By doing so, you can have airport employees better prepared to meet your needs, and notify you if needed.
It is recommended that you check with the airline on the procedure for getting a pass/authorization for your companion/assistant to accompany you through the security checkpoint and to your gate. Some airlines will allow you to board with an assistant for free if you provide evidence for your needs and if seats are available.
It is recommended that you check with the airline if you need to bring a wheelchair with you. Some airlines do not allow a wheelchair on the plane, while some permit foldable ones if the size fits.
During the screening procedure, it will expedite the screening process if you let the screener know your level of ability (i.e. what you can/cannot do). In addition, it is wise to inform screeners of the special equipment or devices that you use or where it is located on your body, because this will provide a precaution to the screeners when they are trying to make a search on you. Notify the screener if x-ray inspection might harm your equipment. If that is the case, you can ask for your device to be visually and physically inspected instead of x-ray inspection. Similarly, if your assistive devices and equipment cannot get you through the security checkpoints, you might request a physical body check instead. Always stand up for your rights and convenience when you feel it is reasonable.
Although there is always a limit on how many hand-carry items you can bring with you on board, it usually does not apply to passengers with disabilities who require special medical supplies, equipment, mobility aids, and/or assistive devices. Be sure to ask an airline employee before you get onto the flight.

Transportation Directory

If you are new to a state, you might be looking for transportation to reach your destination. Google offers a web directory for transportation across all 50 states. In the directory, you can search by “states” or “regions” for categories such as “airlines,” “airports,” “railroads,” “buses,” “highways,” “transit systems,” “shuttles,” etc. To supplement your search results, a secondary comprehensive transportation directory is included as well. The second website has divided up the transportation directory into twelve major categories. You can search for information about general or specific transportation by looking up categories such as “Air,” “Airporter,” “Ferry,” “Local and Suburban (Canada),” “Local and Suburban (Eastern U.S.),” “Local and Suburban (Western U.S.),” “Local and Suburban (Other),” “Motorcoach,” “Railroad,” “Resources for the Professional,” “Resources for the Enthusiast,” and “South America Ed.” If you would like to find transportations available in your own region, you should look into “Local and Suburban” and find your state with types of transportation available. http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/North_America/United_States/Transportation/