A must-read about accessibility, kindness and a window into navigating confusing mega events with mobility challenges.
I am the parent from this story and I want to bring an important lens. The object in the bottom right of the photo is a pediatric wheelchair. My son is disabled - he has a spinal cord injury. We were gifted 2 tickets to a World Cup game by an org that helps kids with disabilities attend major sporting events. We traveled 4 hours to NY and booked a hotel right next to Penn station, specifically bc - as anyone who is disabled or cares for a disabled person can tell you - getting around the city in a wheelchair is hell.
Bc of the knicks game viewing at MSG, navigating lines, police barricades and narrow passageways where my son had to continually get in and out of his wheelchair was incredibly difficult. We were consistently given wrong info about accessibility and where we could or could not enter. NJT volunteers were so kind but wholly unprepared to help wheelchairs navigate. Elevators were either broken or added an extra 10 minutes of transit time every time we needed to use one, which was often bc the trains to MetLife were running on several different tracks. Lyfts weren’t allowed within a mile of the stadium and even people with handicap tags weren’t able to be dropped off in a private vehicle. We had atleast 10 different issues we had to troubleshoot, ask for help or rely on the kindness of strangers.
I empathize with all the commuters and frustration with transit. I especially empathize with any commuters who use wheelchairs and are navigating barriers at every possible moment. Disabled people have to overprepare and overthink things that the rest of us get to underthink. I dont take any of this for granted and am grateful for the officers who heard how frustrated I was that we missed the last train by 2 minutes because of these barriers, and chose to spend 15 minutes helping a pediatric cancer survivor go have an experience of a lifetime.
I also need to acknowledge that at every turn, bystanders and fans were quick to help us navigate trains, carry the wheelchair up the escalator, hold the elevator, carve pathways for us in a crowded stadium, and high five my son for being as brave as he is. Please do your part to carry this spirit forward and i hope transit systems and FIFA examine how to do better to make games every bit as accessible for disabilities as for everyone else. Being vocal and visible is the only way for things to change.