While the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has done a lot to promote awareness of and accessibility for people with disabilities, there are still considerable frustrations for those traveling by wheelchair in New York City--especially at mealtime. Here are some suggestions that may enhance your enjoyment of the Big Apple, including accessible restaurants.
History
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 addressed the issue of accessibility to workplaces, transportation, government and public buildings, stores, theaters, hotels and restaurants, requiring that buildings be modified as much as possible to accommodate people with disabilities. Requirements for new buildings are explicit and extensive. If a new building is open to the public, it must be open to the entire public, providing accessible entry and use of all facilities and services. Where problems arise for disabled, and specifically wheelchair-using patrons is in buildings constructed before 1990. The ADA requires what has come to be described as "reasonable accommodation." What may seem reasonable may or may not be realistic, and, try as they may, some building owners are unable to provide full accessibility. Wheelchair patrons report as many frustrations--travel to an upper floor via a freight elevator still filled with store-trash--as pleasant experiences--helpful employees who provide accessibility with grace and respect in difficult situations.
Geography
Many of New York City's accessibility problems are a function of geography and economics. Outside of midtown, much of the city still reflects early settlement. This means many old--very old--small buildings, often attached by common walls. Further--much as it seems to come as a surprise to some residents every year--New York has real winter weather. Snow, ice and heavy rain on rocky soil led early builders to use steps and deep sills to barricade interior space from the elements. Accommodating the large number of people who sought housing from early days on meant stairs both outside and in. To this day, buildings reflect early construction problems. Elegant residences in Greenwich Village still display the remains of highly-inelegant water tanks on their roofs as into the twentieth century, water-pressure was not sufficient to put out fires in buildings over two stories high. One must therefore face the fact that some restaurants housed in old buildings in New York City are and will remain inaccessible for wheelchair-using diners.
Identification
Identifying an accessible restaurant involves three strategies, best described as thinking big, defining reasonable and powder your nose. When it comes to thinking big, generally, the larger the restaurant or the facility in which it is housed, the greater level of disabled accommodations. Old or new, hotels with restaurants have made strenuous efforts to welcome all guests. One online guide for restaurants includes such varied hotels as: Ramada Five Points Plaza. Soho Grand and the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park (downtown); the W Times Square, the St. Regis, the Waldorf Astoria, and the Hyatt (midtown). In New York, hotel cuisine faces stiffer competition than in most cities and therefore tends to be of better quality and higher interest than in cities where there are not restaurants on every corner.
Misconceptions
Given the issue of "reasonable accommodation," asking very direct questions will ensure a pleasant experience in independent restaurants. Staff may be ignorant of how "reasonable" translates for someone using a wheelchair, and "uh, sure" is not an adequate answer to questions about accommodation. New Yorkers tend socially to be very direct (crossing a single street can tell you to what degree), but this also means that a direct question is likely to get a direct answer. Therefore, asking helps. Do you have steps outside, inside? Is there a ramp? Are the bar and the dining area on the same level? Is there room between tables for a wheelchair? How often do people in wheelchairs dine in your restaurant? If you don't get good, clear answers, move up the line--New Yorkers are accustomed to customers who wish to speak only to the maitre d' or even the owner. Their reasons may be far more frivolous than yours, but the request is frequent and will bring someone knowledgeable to the phone.
Prevention/Solution
When it comes to the powder your nose strategy, again, a direct question is the best way to determine whether a restaurant stays on your list. Where is the bathroom? Is there room to get to it in a wheelchair? Here New York construction meets reality. Even experienced resident pedestrians have bathroom stories--getting past waiters on a steep staircase in 4-inch heels, hiking through endless hallways and arriving at a facility that makes airline bathrooms look both spacious and sparkling. Yes, the owner's rent is monumental, and table space is at a premium, and we all know that the price of baby bok choy has gone through the roof, but really. A trip to a New York restaurant bathroom is often an exercise in humility. Direct questions will prevent it from becoming an exercise in futility or humiliation.
Potential
Signs of improvement continue. Zagat--the restaurant bible that owes a great deal of its success to its New York guide--is under great pressure to address accessibility issues in its next edition. The current Mayor takes accessibility issues seriously, both for city residents and for visitors. Changes in regulations that permit more outdoor dining make the meal part of restaurant dining more accessible. There is also that social directness that works in your favor. New York is far from perfect but accessibility and accommodation for all residents and visitors are issues that the city is actively grappling with. Ask questions, expect answers, and enjoy the experience of dining out in New York.
Expert Insight
Online and print resources are beginning to fill the gaps left by Zagat. Early days yet, but you may wish to explore the following:
1) Time Out New York: Go to "Search" and see the lists for "Wheelchair Accessible" and "Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom." Some restaurants have patron reviews as well as the listing.
2) Cheap Thrills advertises a guidebook, which includes a few sample reviews. Accessibility listings are included.
3) Menuism is a new site which may warrant future checking. At present, a small list of restaurants (mostly chains) but the site may grow.
4) The Access-able. site offers two guides to New York. The restaurant guide is under construction, but Big Apple Greeter is running.
One final caution: Whether your restaurant recommendation comes from your sister-in-law, a printed or online guide, or even your hotel concierge, pick up the phone. The New York restaurant business is challenging and volatile. Even experienced residents have arrived at a treasured destination to find it--gone.
Tags: Wheelchair Accessible, York City, York restaurant, accessibility issues, Americans with, Americans with Disabilities