Navigating St. Louis: Accessibility and Resources for Adults with Disabilities
As a disabled individual, navigating cities and finding resources can be a very difficult and daunting task. Though most places have resources and accessible features, they may feel impossible to find. If you are feeling this way about our city of St. Louis and its surrounding areas or just want to find out more about resources that could help you, we are here to help. To help you or a loved one navigate the city independently, here are some of St. Louis’s accessibility features and resources—
Accessible Travel
St. Louis City and County both offer a wide variety of accessible transportation options. All Metro- transportation, including MetroLink, MetroBus, and Metro Call-A-Ride, have accessibility features such as ramp/lift-accessible platforms, priority seating, reserved areas for wheelchairs and scooters, curb-to-curb services, and more. In addition to Metro public transportation, there are buses and transportation services specifically for individuals with disabilities to navigate the City and the County, including town-specific ones like Maryland Heights Van Go, St. Ann Van (seniors aged 62 +), Florissant Flert Bus, and more. For out-of-city travel, St. Louis Lambert Airport offers many accessible van options for transport to and from the airport, as well as making all main entrances accessible.
Disability-Specific Resources
If you or a loved one are looking for support from centers that understand your specific disabilities and needs, St. Louis is a great place to be. The City and the County have a number of disability support services including days services, residential, employment and socialization. Others are more specific, focusing on support for individuals with particular disabilities, such as Deaf Empowerment Awareness Foundation, Lighthouse for the Bline, United Cerebral Palsy Heartland, Center for Hearing and Speech, and more. No matter your disability or the type of support you need, there is a center in St. Louis to help you and Delta Center is here to help you get connected.
Academic and Professional Accommodations
If you or your disabled loved one are attending any kind of academic program or are employed in the St. Louis area, you may be eligible for academic or professional accommodations to help you in your path to success and independence. These accommodations may allow for more time to complete certain tasks, access to specific resources, modified schedules, access to assistive and adaptive technologies, and much more. These accommodations can be requested through your specific academic program and/or school’s disability center. When applying for jobs, if you wish to receive accommodations, indicate on the voluntary disability identification portion of the application that you are disabled. Accommodations can be a vital asset to your success in an academic or professional setting, and knowing how and where to request them is crucial. In addition to academic and professional accommodations, you have the ability to request accommodations in City and County services, programs, activities, and more by filling out the forms on the City and County websites.
Justice Opportunities for ADA Violations
If while navigating your way in the St. Louis area you endure or encounter violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are opportunities to report this and achieve justice. The ADA protects individuals from being discriminated against on account of their disabilities. Any violation of this can be reported to the Office on the Disabled in the City or the County via a specific grievance procedure involving sending written complaints to the Commissioners of these offices. These violations will be investigated and resolved to the best of the offices’ abilities. If you experience or see something, say something.
Like many other places in the US, St. Louis is continuously working to become more and more accessible for individuals with disabilities. We here at Delta Center are proud to be a part of this work, offering care and aid in your path to independence, advocacy services, and the ability to share countless resources to help you live your best life everyday. For more resources in addition to the ones mentioned above, visit our resources page and browse the options.