Capital District 

Coalition for Accessible Transportation

(518) 273-1110

(A Grassroots Disability Coalition located  in Albany, New York's  Capital Region)

Members of: 

The Council for Community Service of NYS, (CCSNYS)

The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates, (NAPTA)

Americans for Transportation Mobility, (ATM)

 Accessible Taxis for the Capital Region!

CDCAT Accessible Taxi Subcommittee      

Last Updated:  March 19, 2008

Wheelchair Accessible Taxi issues: 

            CDCAT's accessible taxi subcommittee is seeking ways to bring wheelchair accessible taxis into the Capital Region. While we have succeeded in having these taxis available at the Albany Airport and Rensselaer AMTRAK station, these are almost impossible to find elsewhere. We have a active members, including a legal advisor, involved in this subcommittee.  I

Definition:  A wheelchair accessible taxi is a taxi that has a ramp or lift for customers to board while using their mobility aids. Wheelchair accessible taxis always cost the same as a regular taxi by law.   In other words, a person with a power chair simply uses their chair to move up the ramp and into the taxi.  There is no necessity of transferring to a seat, which many people who use wheelchairs or scooters can't do or find it painful or cumbersome to do.   

Currently, all but one taxi in the entire Capital Region only accept customers with wheelchairs and scooters that can be folded or taken apart (2 or 3 parts) and stowed in the back trunk of the taxi.  This by the way has been known to bend and damage manual wheelchairs or scooters as they bump around in the trunk.  Worse yet, scooters, many of which break down into a few pieces for travel, later may not work if something gets bumped that was important.

In this region, it's  rare to find a supposed "accessible taxi" that isn't used only as an "Ambulette" because more money can be charged for an Ambulette.  An Ambulette is in reality a wheelchair vehicle used for Medicaid transportation.  An ambulette driver would go to the customer's door to help them to the vehicle and bring them inside the building (if the person needs assistance) to their medical appointment.  They may even have a manual wheelchair on board to help a customer.  An ambulette company does these things because this is part of their Medicaid transportation agreement.  An accessible wheelchair taxi does not do all of these things, nor do they have to by law.  

 The American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations state that taxis can't charge more for an 'accessible taxi'. Ambulettes are technically non-emergency medical transportation vans, for medical transportation, NOT an excuse to OVERCHARGE and get around a regulation not allowing overcharging and discrimination against people with disabilities who have wheelchairs and want a simple taxicab.  

        Want to know more or help resolve this big issue? These meetings are held MONTHLY at ILCHV and are separate from our every other month regular community meetings. Call if you're interested in working on this important issue! We want taxis in our area accessible to EVERYONE.

         Please call for our sub-committee meeting dates

All meetings are at The Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley (ILCHV) and run from 4:00pm - 5:30pm.

Dates are subject to change, including last-minute change (weather or illness).  Some meetings are held by teleconference.  Please call 273-1110 to obtain and verify meeting dates, location and type.

Want to be more involved? We need all the help we can get. E-mail or call.

Last Updated:  03/19/2008