If you’re a person with a disability (PWD), you’ll probably love the access features of our city.
I’ve been a Chicagoan for about 30 years, have made my living by traveling around the United States and Canada and, incidentally, I’m paralyzed from the chest down after a childhood bout with polio.
I know what questions to ask to avoid finding the door to the bathroom is too narrow at 3 a.m., after finally arriving at a hotel that’s 40 miles from the airport — with no transportation other than an inaccessible bus.
Please allow me to share some of my insights with you, so getting around town will be as easy as possible.
Where will I arrive?
Most flights arrive at O’Hare Airport. The terminals are accessible — but very long. Airport guides and carts are available if your gate is too far from the baggage claim and exits for you to push. You’ll find Braille signage, audio announcements, lowered pay phones and accessible washrooms in all of the five terminals.
You’re about 15 miles from the Loop — not as bad as being in Kansas, Dorothy, and you can get downtown easily. Cabs, the CTA Blue Line elevated train (Chicago Transit Authority 312-836-7000) and Continental Air Transport airport express vans (312-454-7799) all have services for PWDs. The Blue Line has only a couple of accessible stations, but one is at Clark and Lake, right downtown. Continental wants 24 hours’ notice to have their lift-equipped van available for you. Lift-equipped vans from the CTA take at least a week to arrange and you must send a copy of your ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) Paratransit Certificate. Call 312-521-1154 (V), 251-1153 (TDD, Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).
If you arrive at Midway, the CTA Orange Line (there’s an elevator connecting the Sky Bridge to the CTA station), Continental Air Transport or a friendly cabbie will take you downtown.
Arriving by Amtrak, you’ll be at Union Station, just a few blocks west of the Loop. Some CTA buses are accessible, but you might have to wait quite a while for one to come your way. Personally, I’d rather push all the way to where I’m going than try to figure out the bus system in most cities, and Chicago is no exception.
You could arrive by intercity bus, but don’t even think about it unless you’re able to walk up steps, have a lot of time and are totally broke. You’ll arrive in a very dreary part of town, to boot.
Where can I stay?
If you’re attending a conference, you may stay in one of the suburban conference centers. The hotels all have wheelchair accessible rooms and in-hotel restaurants. Unfortunately, the local scenery will look just like Des Moines or Pittsburgh and you won’t even know you’re in Chicago. Many conferences are held at the Rosemont Convention Center, and accessibility-wise, it is superb. Vehicles carrying PWDs park within a few feet of the exhibit floor. Restaurants and shops are part of the center. The nearby Westin O’Hare hotel (847-698-6000) is very accessible and has a lift-equipped van to take you to the Conference Center.
Many conventioneers going downtown have events scheduled at McCormick Place. For wheelchair users, this facility is one of the tougher conference centers in the nation. Miles and miles of aisles are located in four different buildings — although rarely are all used for one conference. Arrive by taxi if possible. The police may let you park by the front door of McCormick East, but if not, it’s a long push to anywhere. Restrooms are accessible. Restaurants are typical of conference centers — $6 buys you a sandwich.
Choices in downtown hotels range from the ultra-international Hotel Nikko, where you can have a suite with a rock garden and a futon, to the utilitarian Best Western on Ohio Street, where there’s good access and reasonable restaurants but few frills. Consider what activities are within a short push or walk. The Chicago Hilton and Towers, across from Grant Park, has views of Lake Michigan and is within pushing distance of a couple of theaters. But if you want convenient shopping, the large, accessible Marriott and the little European-style Omni on Michigan Avenue are good choices. If you choose the Ritz Carlton, you don’t even have to go outside to enjoy Water Tower Place — a vertical shopping mall. The Hyatt Regency, Sheraton, Fairmont and Swissotel are among the new, very accessible hotels that offer a view of Lake Michigan and the heart of downtown within a few blocks.
All Chicago hotels will tell you they are accessible, including the Drake — which isn’t, unless you like riding the service elevators. Call first. Since some hotels think “near the elevator” equals accessible, I’ve learned to ask a short list of questions: “How wide are the bathroom doors in the guest rooms?” They should be at least 30 inches — 32 inches is better. “Are there grab bars next to the toilet?” Grab bars around the tub probably won’t do you much good if you can’t stand. Some hotels have bath benches available for guests who need them. Your chances of accessibility are better if the reservation people say something like, “Let me check our access guide.” At least you know they’ve made an effort.
What can I do for fun?
If you want it, Chicago has it. Need some drama in your life? Many theaters are located in or near the Loop or not too far north. The simplest way to have a happy theater experience is to call TicketMaster (312-559-8989). Ask about wheelchair seating and you’ll probably be switched over to a special agent who knows not only what’s playing and where the theater is, but also what wheelchair seating is available at what prices.
Music? Check out Lyric Opera, the Chicago Symphony or, in warm weather, outdoor concerts at Grant Park and Navy Pier. All have wheelchair seating. Some venues have special sound systems for the hearing impaired. The Lyric Opera has the equivalent of closed captioning — English supertitles projected over the stage during performances.
Art? The Art Institute is accessible through the east entrance, on Columbus Drive. The Museum of Contemporary Art’s accessible public entrances are at the northwest and southwest corners.
Sports? The new, very accessible United Center is home to the Chicago Bulls basketball team and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) and Comiskey Park (Chicago White Sox) have seating for baseball fans who use wheelchairs, as does Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears football team.
Family fun is economical at Navy Pier, with restaurants, shopping, a Winter Garden, the Chicago Children’s Museum, Ferris wheel and tour boats. Most of the boats are accessible. All restrooms and pay phones meet access requirements. (Phones must be low enough to reach from a wheelchair, and have volume adjustment and a TDD available.) Lincoln Park Zoo, on the Near North Side, has free admission and access to the exhibits, restrooms, restaurants and pay phones.
What and where can I eat?
Decide what type of food you want by using MetroMix restaurant listings. The city offers endless selections of ethnic, exotic and down-home foods. Like the hotels, Chicago restaurants pride themselves on being able to say they’re accessible, but it’s wise to ask questions, so call first. “Where’s the nearest parking?” “Are there any steps into the front of the restaurant? Into the dining room?” “Is there a bathroom on the same level as the dining room?” “How wide are the doors to the stalls?” If enough people ask these questions, maybe the management will give the person answering the phone a little card with the answers.
What if I need help or my wheelchair breaks?
Chicago has thousands of citizens with disabilities, which means the city offers visiting PWDs support in times of trouble. Some handy numbers:
Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD): 312-744-7050 (V), 312-744-4964 (TDD). MOPD offers information and referral. They may not be able to help you, but they’ll know who can.
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago: 312-226-5900 (V), 312-226-1687 (TDD). Can assist you with personal care and other help.
Progress Center for Independent Living: 708-524-0600 (V), 708-524-0690 (TDD). Can assist you with personal care and other help.
Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: 312-666-1331 (V), 312-666-8874 (TDD).
Apria Medical: 1-800-809-9899. If you need a part for your wheelchair or want to rent a bath bench, call Apria.
How do I make my visit easier?
Traveling with a wheelchair can be challenging but also rewarding. Your attitude determines whether your visit to a different city will be wonderful or full of woe. When I joked about the lack of access at a San Francisco hotel instead of threatening to sue, I was given a limousine and driver to take me to a nearby hotel with an accessible room — and anywhere else I wanted to go in town. A friendly attitude and a willingness to explain how to handle wheelchairs got me first-class seats and all kinds of extra goodies on the airlines — before fare wars took over.
Having done informal research on the topic, I can report that the times I’ve blown up and shouted, “Don’t you know the ADA says you have to do such and so?” has resulted in as little service as possible. The times I treated cabbies, reservation clerks, waiters, airline personnel and other service people as people, I’ve been treated like visiting royalty.
