AIRLINES HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO TRULY SERVE WHEELCHAIR USERS

AIRPORTS MUST ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Gratified to see well-displayed disability services hubs in each terminal at Orly Airport Paris.

I have seen the same, as well as very accessible restrooms at Charles de Gaulle airport Paris.

Kudos.

PUBLIC TRANSIT IS A GAME CHANGER FOR MOBILITY, HOUSING, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, RECREATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE METRO SYSTEMS MUST ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

METRO SYSTEMS MUST ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 

Glad to see poster (on Paris M14 line to Orly Airport) supporting wheelchair access on train transit.

Sadly, a tiny fraction of other Metro lines have elevator access. I hope transit operator/authority RATP and IDFmobiilites improve this.

MAMDANI WILL REBUILD THE BQE TO LAST UNTIL 2080

DESPITE CALLS TO TEAR IT DOWN

All I can think of is tens of thousands of people with disabilities virtually trapped because of terrible sidewalks, crosswalks, curbramps in NYC.

I thought Mamdani is the mayor of the marginalized. 

This action makes him more like the lobbyist for the more than trillion dollar per year auto industry.

$4 billion in pedestrian/wheelchair mobility is game changing. 

Spent on an expressway = failure.

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/08/24/mamdani-bqe-plan-august-2026?utm_source=streetsblog-nyc.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-triple-cantilever-is-here-to-stay

EVERY CITY SHOULD HAVE AVENUES WITH SIDEWALKS AS WIDE AS NEW YORK’S

MIAMI’S TYPICAL SIDEWALK, EVEN IN IT’S MOST DENSE URBAN AREAS, IS NOT EVEN HALF AS WIDE AS MANHATTAN’S

The width on the older parts of Lexington Avenue is 13 feet.

New buildings provide 20 feet of sidewalk width, as per updated zoning rules.

This provides a safe path of travel for wheelchair users and all pedestrians.

Wide sidewalks provide space for outdoor café seating, bike racks, benches, waste receptacles, signs and other urban needs – while still providing more than six feet of unobstructed pedestrian pathway.

Along with safety, wide sidewalks encourage people to visit mom and pop visits and to take in the beautify of the city.

Here, the sculptural Chrysler Building shrouded in fog and framed by the polished awning and unfurled flag of the equally splendid Waldorf Astoria.

We love the walkable, rollable sidewalks – that serve early 20th century NYC Art Deco architecture.

PARKING THAT BLOCKS THE SIDEWALK IS MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE

IT PUSHES DISABLED PEOPLE AND PEDESTRIANS INTO TRAFFIC

MIAMI TRAFFIC, EVEN ON A SIDE STREET, CAN EQUAL A DEATH SENTENCE

Blocking sidewalks is a serious matter.

This is Andrew Loretta, a beloved father of 2 children.

He was killed in a hit-and-run crash while jogging in the street in Shenandoah a year ago.

People run and walk in the street when sidewalks are broken, missing or obstructed.

Cars frequently block the sidewalk on the south side of historic William Jennings Bryan Park in the Shenandoah section of Miami.

This destroys wheelchair access and safe pedestrian mobility.

Violators MUST be ticketed and towed.

But 99% of Miami police walk around pleading with people to move.

This inspires lawbreaking.

Heavy fines and towing would stop illegal sidewalk parking.

Those who block the sidewalk with their cars are a prime example of selfish, dangerous Car Brain.

I point out the danger to people with disabilities.

They say "I have nowhere else to park."

Mind you, most violators are driving less than 10 blocks--a distance they could walk.

Deplorable.

DISABILITY VISIBILITY PROJECT – PHOTO IMAGE NUMBER 100

CONEY ISLAND JULY 4, 2026

Disability Visibility July 4, 2026 at the original Nathan’s hot dogs Coney Island. Celebrating diversity as part of our nation’s 250th.

Annual hot dog eating contest took place right around the corner.

NU STADIUM: HOME OF INTERMIAMI CF

GREAT SIGHT LINES, LOVE TO ROOF CANOPY PROTECTION FROM RAIN

I can now say I saw Lionel Messi play in live in MLS competition.

Great time at my first game at NU Stadium.

InterMiamiCF played to draw vs. my former hometown Columbus Crew.

Great sight lines, concessions, restrooms.

Canopy roof saved us from the rain.

While waiting years for the pedestrian bridge, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County MUST do a better job for pedestrians walking from the north parking lots.

The sidewalk on 37 Avenue over the Miami River branch is narrow and dangerous for pedestrians.

Close the westernmost south bound lane of 37^th/Douglas Road – to create a safe pathway to the stadium.

I am still evaluating wheelchair access at the stadium.

For the record, I still think it was a boondoggle for City of Miami to give up precious park land for a mega development of hotels, retail, etc. that happens to have a soccer stadium.

I also believe the billionaire developers got a sweetheart dimes on the dollar deal.

But I still want to see a games.

DISABILITY VISIBILITY PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT

WHEELCHAIR USERS IN DIVERSE PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD

Disability Visibility Project: The High Line New York. 

Internationally acclaimed linear green space created from a former elevated railway. 

It features multiple elevators and ramps for wheelchair access.

ARCHITECTS THAT WANT TO HIDE WHEELCHAIR RAMPS TO THE SIDE

OR BACK OF BUILDINGS ARE BIGOTED ABLEISTS. PERIOD.

Wheelchair ramps are an abomination.

They ruin the façade.

Fire escapes.

So sculptural, they enhance the façade.

If the same architect makes both of these statements, they hate disabled people.

Only ableists reject access ramps.

BARELY 25% OF NEW YORK’S ESSENTIAL SUBWAY TRAINS

ARE ACCESSED BY ELEVATORS – FIX THIS MAYOR MAMDANI

The MTA's 2025-2029 Capital Plan commits nearly $7.1 billion to station accessibility.

This phase of the plan will make 60 additional stations newly ADA-accessible while modernizing dozens of older elevators.

Long overdue.

The MTA is not under the New York mayor’s office, but its high profile progressive Mayor Mamdani MUST ensure this work does not fall behind.

FAULTY CURB RAMPS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE

THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO INCLUSIVE MOBILITY WITH DIGNITY

Too much patchwork, narrow & dangerous curb ramp in one of the busiest places in Manhattan.

E. Union Square & E. 16 St. — next to the Union Square subway station, the 4th busiest in all of New York.

Mayor Mamdani must make wheelchair access a priority.

PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY MUST BE MAINTAINED

DURING SIDEWALK REPAIRS AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

This is a great way to safely maintain wheelchair accessible pedestrian mobility when the sidewalk is closed.

New York uses these all the time, but they are virtually nonexistent in Miami.

REFUSING TO DESIGN CITIES FOR ALL IS NOT HEALTHY

IT IS TOXIC ABLEISM

Many ableists think now that we have home delivery of food, medicine, clothes, etc. — there is no need to make the built environment wheelchair accessible.

But isolation prevents chance encounters/diverse experiences that maintain mental health.

Only 25 percent of MTA subway stations are accessible.

Adding broken down lifts and people with disabilities are denied chance encounters and societal immersions that other commuters enjoy.

THE HIGH LINE NYC GETS THUMBS UP FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

PATH OF TRAVEL IS LEVEL, GENTLY GRADED, UNOBSTRUCTED & OVERALL OUTSTANDING & RAMPED/ELEVATOR ACCESS IS GOOD

The High Line has five public elevators for barrier-free access.

This one is at 14th Street and 10th Avenue.

At any given time, at least one elevator is out of service.

Check https://thehighline.org/elevator-status

“THAT SILLY WHEELCHAIR USER IS PLAYING IN THE STREET/BIKE LANE”

NO, THEY ARE THERE BECAUSE THE SIDEWALK IS NOT SAFE

99 times out of 100, when a wheelchair user takes the bike lane instead of the sidewalk—risking injury from cyclists/adjacent traffic—

the sidewalk is buckled, blocked or otherwise obstructed.

LES— Chrystie & Stanton. 

Sure hope NYC Mayor Mamdani's campaign to go to bat for the marginalized includes  millions of disabled constituents.

CITY OF MIAMI COMMITS TO KEEPING SIDEWALKS PROTECTED AND OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION

NO MORE CLOSED SIDEWALKS FORCING WHEELCHAIR USERS AND ALL PEDESTRIANS TO UNNECESSARILY CROSS DANGEROUS TRAFFIC

“…the City Commission approved our legislation requiring overhead pedestrian protection instead of simply closing sidewalks during construction.

Thank you to my colleagues who co-sponsored this important safety and quality-of-life initiative.” -- Miami City Commissioner Damian Pardo.

Kudos to Commissioner Damián Pardo and fellow Miami City Commissioners for approving this.

It is a crucial element of mobility for people with disabilities. 

I was proud to discuss this with Commissioner Pardo during a Miami DDA downtown block walk, to offer Universal Design insights to Alexandra Alexieva and to speak about the economic benefits of a walkable city in front of Mayor Eileen Higgins and the Commission at the first reading of this legislation.

I stand with this leadership to convince Miami-Dade County to adopt similar legislation to prevent the dangers of closed sidewalks on County streets.

 

ALL MOBILITY DEVICES ARE COOL

WHEELCHAIRS = FREEDOM, NOT LIMITATION

Industrial Designer Kazuo Kawasaki's goal was to create a wheelchair that felt as good, and looked as cool, as the newest pair of sneakers.

The Carna, on display at MOMA, is colorful & has high–tech style.

Since it had to be light and easy to carry, an improvement over most collapsible wheelchairs, Kawasaki used a titanium frame, with aluminum honeycomb–core wheels and rubber seat and tires.

DISABILITY INCLUSION IN TOWN PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN

IS NOT AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH TO BE IGNORED

My impression of the typical town planner who neglects wheelchair access as part of multimodal mobility:

The sidewalks are narrow & obstructed.

“It has a bike lane.”

Most shops are inaccessible to people with disabilities.

“Pretty green bike lane.”

To make things abundantly clear.

I support cyclists and bike lanes.

I love cities where a major amount of people commute by bike and transit.

What I can't stand is so-called bike-ped experts who look at wheelchair access as an inconvenient truth to be ignored.

STREET DESIGN: THE SECRET TO GREAT CITIES AND TOWNS

MY EXPERTISE IS CITED IN THE SECOND EDITION

James Dougherty's fabulous and inclusive cover painting

I am gratified to be quoted as an advocate with expertise in Universal Design and mobility for people with disabilities in Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns, 2nd Edition.

I will share my insights, based on working on inclusion and better policy around the world, at a Universal Design summit this fall.

I am honored that my urban/architectural photography is featured in The Art of the New Urbanism Volume 2 published by Wiley.

The book is by James Dougherty, Charles C. Bohl & Victor Dover.

It features my Street Photography from Istanbul, Morocco and Cairo.

I am proud to collaborate with Victor Dover.

He has been a friend and mentor for more than two decades.

He has sought my guidance on matters of Universal Design and Wheelchair Access.

We both are featured in the disability positive film Mark -- A Call to Action:

https://youtu.be/M-TBzsOK5VY?si=knwhkRossJlW7xT-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLOBAL DISABILITY INCLUSION HONORED ME ON ITS LIST OF THE TOP 3 DOZEN

DISABILITY ADVOCATES, ACTIVISTS, LEADERS & CHANGE MAKERS

It is the honor of a lifetime to make Global Disability Inclusion's "list of 36 people to know who are advancing accessibility and disability inclusion."

I have used my urban design and storytelling skills to create a better built environment for all.

"Steve Wright - a universal design expert helping cities and organizations understand that accessible design benefits everyone. A world traveler who is seeking out some of the world's most accessible and innovative designs."

--Bio by Meg O'Connell, CEO, Global Disability Inclusion.

Being recognized as one of the top 3 dozen disability-forward leaders/influencers is special, coming from a great inclusion expert such as Meg O'Connell, PHR.

Award winning Global Disability Inclusion is the premier firm for organizations creating more inclusive, accessible and engaged workplaces for people with disabilities.

I am the only town planner/storyteller on the Global Disability Inclusion list.

Humbled to be in the company of: John D. Kemp, James LeBrecht, Maria Town, Jack McElaney, Tiffany A. Yu, the Hon. Mike Lake, M.P.,  and the late Judy Heumann.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7487479566723198976/