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Since its signing in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has helped protect and improve the lives of many Americans and paved the way to make transportation more accessible for everyone. Progress for disability advocacy is still being made today, with just this last November Philadelphians voting on a ballot measure to make Mayor Kenney’s initiative for a Philadelphia Disability Office a permanent fixture for the city. With December 3rd being International Day of Persons with Disabilities, let's take a look at a few of the initiatives and ways infrastructure stakeholders throughout the city have been taking steps to increase accessibility for all Philadelphians.

Pedestrians

With the passing of the ADA, PennDOT District 6 and the City of Philadelphia have taken great strides to improve accessibility for differently-abled pedestrians. New projects and projects adjacent to or impacting existing right-of-way with pedestrian facilities must install or upgrade facilities to be ADA complaint. Such measures include designing sidewalks and curb ramps with accessible cross slopes for individuals with mobility aids and installing ADA warning pads at crosswalks, which with their high contrast color and varied texture improve accessibility for visually impaired individuals.  Projects such as the (in planning stage) Castor Ave Safety Improvements Project propose the installation of curb extensions/boarding islands and Accessible Pedestrians Signals (APS). Curb extensions, which are used where there is on- street parking, extend the curb line past the parking to the edge of the traveled way. In addition to being a traffic calming measure, they also shorten cross walks for improved safety, and in the case of Castor Avenue, should aid individuals boarding the trackless trolley. APS systems utilize pedestrian push buttons with vocalizations that indicate when and which crossing points are safe to cross, aiding individuals with visual impairments.

Trains

SEPTA, PATCO, and Amtrak have also been working in this space to best serve their riders. In just the last year, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and PATCO installed elevators for their 12/13th street station, and now all 13 of the PATCO stations are ADA accessible. SEPTA has several resources, including various training programs which allow occupational therapists and service animals to become better familiarized with their facilities, and is developing a program to help employees recognize and assist disabled riders. SEPTA also has free travel aides and a trip planner, and has been working on several structural improvements. Both the Conoshocken and Wawa Regional Rail Stations are fully accessible, and the Broad Street Line Tasker Morris Station is currently in the process of adding elevators. In FY 2023 Amtrak implemented $129 million in ADA compliant infrastructure, which included: station improvements, upgraded information displays, accessible boarding, and accessible restroom retrofits. These improvements brought the total number of fully ADA compliant stations up to 119 in the past year.

Philadelphia Airports

While the City’s airports (Philadelphia International and Northeast Philadelphia) are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, accessibility is embedded in every department:  from Guest Experience to Capital Development, Concessions, Operations, and Maintenance.  Every improvement helps to elevate the experience and smooth the travel of the millions of guests that they see each year.

Some of the current areas of focus include:

• Embedding accessibility, knowledge and understanding.  At least once a month, PHL’s accessibility staff are spreading the word about accessibility in a relevant way to those on the front line of the airports.
• Partnering for meaningful programming.  This November, PHL partnered with The Seeing Eye’s puppy training program and two airline partners to train 25 puppies to help guide passengers through the airport.  You can see more of the day’s activities and the importance of this program at https://www.phl.org/newsroom/seeing-eye-phl.
• Facilitating the airport-experience practice.  This November, the Philadelphia International Airport launched Wingmate, a program that allows non-ticketed guests to experience the airport.  While there are many benefits to this program (greeting or seeing a loved one off from their trip, shopping and dining, etc.) one big benefit is to allow someone to do a test-run of what their experience will be before they take their trip.   More info can be found at https://www.phl.org/wingmate.
• Being intentional in design.  From new SEPTA platforms, to the renovation of all restrooms, to a focus on handrails and doors - the Department of Aviation focuses on enhanced accessibility in their capital projects.  Airport accessibility representatives partner with capital development personnel to review designs and suggest ADA-focused projects - with the goal of going beyond mere ADA compliance to include enhancements and best practices that benefit all of those that use their airports.  As one example, PHL opened its first adult changing room in 2022.  The facility features an adult changing table, accessible toilet, sink and baby changing table.  Currently only 18 airports in the US have adult changing tables.
• Maintaining and enhancing existing accessibility efforts. While it is important to always look towards the future, the Department knows that maintaining existing tools for their passengers is important.  The airport website contains up-to-date information such as a contact form/email address/phone where questions and comments can be submitted; information on accessibility tools such as the Sunflower Lanyard Program (for hidden disabilities) and the Aira App (to connect blind and low-vision people to remote agents).  All applicable information is available on the airport’s Accessibility website: https://www.phl.org/at-phl/accessibility.

Making infrastructure accessible to everyone is an immense undertaking and an ongoing process. Disabilities can manifest in many ways and accessibility looks different for everyone. You may have noticed while reading this article that improvements targeted at one demographic are actually beneficial for other groups or even the general public.  When we try to make a system accessible to everyone, we often make it better for everyone too! With the various projects and programs moving forward by our infrastructure owners, from structural improvements, education and outreach programs, to open new dialogues, Philly is heading in a more equitable future. Let's all do our part to be kind, listen to others and keep dialogues open so that we keep heading in the right direction.