The city awaits you!

For this week’s edition of Accessible Dispatch Driver of the Week, we spoke with Irakli, a NYC taxi driver for about two and a half years now.

Originally from the Republic of Georgia, Irakli started driving a cab out of the need for a part time job: “I also wanted to meet people from different areas of the world and city,” he adds.

He loves to meet new people, which is why he considers that every passenger that gets into his cab is a great experience.

“I try to converse with my passengers just to make them feel comfortable and to get to know them. I enjoy talking to people from different backgrounds and different places of the world. You can learn so much from them.”

When he’s not driving the cab around the busy New York streets, Irakli loves going to church. He also enjoys great food, and swears that the best restaurant in the Big Apple is Lombardi’s Pizza. “I tell all my passengers this. It is located on Spring Street and Motts Street in the little Italy area. Their pizza is always fresh and the cheese melts in your mouth. I have to say, it is the best place I ever tried!”

Asked about his most memorable Accessible Dispatch experience, Irakli remembers this one time when he saw a man in a wheelchair crossing the street. “He stops at the corner and starts waving at me, so I pulled over and asked him if he needed a cab. I said to him sir, you can board my taxi in your chair and I can transport you. He looked confused.”

Then Irakli explained to the passenger that he’s driving an accessible taxi, which the passenger was surprised to hear about. The passenger asked Irakli how many wheelchair-accessible cabs there are in the city and also mentioned to him the hard time he often had getting accessible transportation. He was very grateful to hear about this new service, and asked for more information. When Irakli gave him the Accessible Dispatch number, his eyes lit up with excitement.

“I was glad I was able to transport him to his destination. I hope he uses the taxi service more often. He was a great man to talk to.”

The post Accessible Dispatch Driver of the Week: Meet Irakli appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

As a wheelchair user, Genera uses Accessible Dispatch to get to and from NYC auditions.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Learn more about the program that offers wheelchair-accessible taxis in Manhattan and at NYC airports at www.accessibledispatch.com.

Also, find it on Twitter at @nycaccessible and on Facebook.

The post Video: How I Get Around NYC as an Actor in a Wheelchair appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Called by many the ‘wheelchair meets mountain bike’ project, the Global Research Innovation and Technology or GRIT initiative is meant to bring accessible and most importantly, usable wheelchairs to people in African countries, Guatemala and India.

To this end, GRIT members have traveled to these developing countries to better asses and understand the local disability communities’ needs, which is why they “literally welded an office chair to wheels to test the levers and that actually worked really well,” explains Mario Bollini, the chief technology officer of GRIT for MedCityNews.

This is because, “in a lot of places, the roads are really terrible, so if you have a hospital wheelchair, you can’t necessarily go anywhere in it,” Bollini notes for the online publication, thus they needed chairs that can be adaptable in rugged conditions as well as indoors.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

They found that the removable levers chair is great for rugged terrain and also favors inside conditions well.

The only downside is the price – a chair costs anywhere between $200 to $250 depending on quantity, still a high price for many in developing countries – which is why the “startup is working with nonprofits and charities that buy and donate wheelchairs” to bring down the costs.

To watch a video of the leveraged wheelchair, go here.

The post Redesigning Wheelchairs for Developing Countries appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Credit: Warrior Games Facebook Page

Starting tomorrow till May 16, the Warrior Games will begin in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The six-day event is presented by the U.S. Olympic Committee and Deloitte, with support from the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, USO, Fisher House Foundation, AT&T, BP, Budweiser and the Semper Fi Fund.

The Warrior Games event is meant to introduce wounded, ill and injured veterans to Paralympic sports, in efforts to position them to be chosen for the Paralympic Games, which will be held in Rio in 2016.

According to WUSA9, more than 200 injured service members and veterans will participate, including several from the Greater Washington, DC area.

There will be five U.S. teams to represent the Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force and Special Operations, and one team from the UK. The teams will compete in archery, cycling, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, swimming and shooting.

“We are proud to host the Warrior Games at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the Air Force Academy,” said Charlie Huebner, USOC Chief of Paralympics, in a TeamUSA.org/WarriorGames official release.

“Paralympic sport has a tremendously positive impact on individuals with physical disabilities, and the Warrior Games allow us to salute these fine young men and women who have served their countries honorably.”

Admission to Warrior Games competitions is free and open to the public.

To learn more about the event, go here: http://www.teamusa.org/warriorgames/.

The post The Warrior Games 2013 appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Wheels on Wheels/ WOW Taxi App

In this week’s edition of Accessible Dispatch Driver of the Week we spoke with Mohamad, who has been a taxi driver in New York City for about 12 years.

Originally from Syria, Mohamad started driving a cab out of the need to support his family. He even recalls that very first day as a cab driver: “I was not familiar with the area nor with the outer boroughs, and once I got my first passenger, I was thinking, how do I tell him I am not familiar with Manhattan, not familiar with the streets – he might yell at me, report me, what do I do?”

But to his surprise, the passenger was really nice and gave him good directions – “I noticed if you are honest with your passengers they are always willing to help you and are very friendly.”

Now, he knows NYC so well, he always gives his passengers dining suggestions: “I tell everyone to go to Meat Market also known as Greenwich Village. All of the restaurants there are fabulous, but my favorite place is Pasty’s Pizzeria. I tell all my passengers to go there.”

As a cabbie, he’s seen many things, some of them quite challenging situations: “During hurricane Sandy, I would travel to New Jersey every day to fill up the gas tank. The traffic lights were not working either but the NYPD (New York Police Department) did an excellent job directing traffic and having everything under control.”

When asked about what it means to be an accessible cab driver, Mohamad puts it this way: “Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally. As soon as I receive a dispatch call and I arrive to the pickup address I always smile and make my passengers feel comfortable. Once the small talk happens then it’s a smooth ride from there. I feel honored because I am helping the disabled community. Now everyone can have a NYC yellow cab experience.”

Mohamad wanted to share with us one of the experiences he’s had since driving for Accessible Dispatch: “I remember picking up a very nice woman in a wheelchair who was going to a Broadway show. She told me how much this service meant to her.” The lady explained how she wasn’t always in a wheelchair – a tragic accident left her immobilized from the waist down.

Still, she explained how the dispatch program makes her life easier, as she is now able to go out and see a Broadway play anytime without having to make advance reservations for transportation. It makes her feel more free and able to do more on a daily basis instead of staying at home.

Hearing her story really put things in perspective for Mohamad: “It was a nice conversation and I appreciated her story, it feels good to help people in need.”

The post Accessible Dispatch Driver of the Week – Meet Mohamad appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Credit: Newsday

This past Sunday, Peter Hawkins of Malverne, N.Y. won the Long Island Marathon’s wheelchair race.

This was Hawkins’ 21st win out or the last 22 years.

The wheelchair-athlete – the only wheelchair competitor in this year’s competition, but nevertheless, a winner – finished the race in two hours, 15 minutes and six seconds.

Hawkins rides a red racing wheelchair and runs about seven marathons every year, according to Long Island’s Newsday newspaper.

He’s always had a soft spot for the Long Island Marathon: “It’s where I’m from. I hear my name out there so many times that I can’t possibly yell back ‘thank you’ to everybody. It’s something I appreciate so much. I just love the support of Long Island.”

The 48-year-old athlete started to wheelchair race back in 1985, four years after being critically injured in a car accident.

He knows racing can be tough, especially in the beginning, but says it’s worth the try: “I’ve gotten better from just putting the time in. Knowing that you’re not going to have any competition is definitely tough,” Hawkins says of this year’s race.

“But, it’s a little game you play in your head. I’m looking at the time and am always thinking that a runner is going to catch me. So, it still keeps me pushing hard.”

The post Wheelchair User Peter Hawkins Wins Long Island Marathon appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Credit: JournalPatriot.com

Ashley Tianne Macemore, a Yadkin County, N.C. resident, was recently crowned Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina – a recognition she takes very seriously and intends to use to raise awareness.

Macemore was diagnosed with a progressive disease called Friedreich Ataxia (FA) at age 16, and since then she went through several challenges, but these didn’t stop her from graduating high school and now attending college, while also living life independently.

“My success through college has taught me many traits and brought me to independence. I live alone and continue to succeed as an active member of society,” Macemore said.

Now, she wants to make sure voices life hers are heard by raising funds and awareness for those in a wheelchair.

She mainly wants people with disabilities to have the same opportunities as the ones without any disabilities – and she hopes for full accessibility in North Carolina, “from doors to public restrooms to businesses, since not everywhere has an automatic door opener.”

She hopes to bring this goal in front of the Ms. Wheelchair America jury in Houston, Texas this July, which is why she’s trying to raise $2,500 to represent her state in the national pageant.

To learn more about Macemore, go here.

The post Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina Raises Awareness appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Wheels on Wheels/ WOW Taxi App

In this week’s edition of Accessible Dispatch Driver of the Week, we spoke with Guy, an NYC taxi driver for about 10 years.

Born and raised in Haiti, Guy started driving a cab when he moved to the U.S. – “I needed a job where my schedule could be flexible and I’d be able to serve the public.”

In terms of the most memorable experience as a cab driver, Guy remembers the 2011 snowstorm: “This was about the fourth or fifth time my vehicle got stuck in the snow. I was lucky I just dropped a passenger off. I began to try to get myself out of the snow. It was amazing on how people walking down the street stopped and helped me.”

The solidarity spirit that time really impressed Guy––“passengers that I dropped off even helped me shoveled my car out of the snow!”

Guy defines himself as a peoples-person; he loves to chat and engage in good conversations with his customers. “I say if you woke up this morning, have food to eat [and] a place to live, you are blessed.” He also enjoys a great dinner, and recommends Krik Krak on Amsterdam Ave., between 101^st and 102^nd Street, where everyone should try their cabrit, “because it is in a creole sauce. Cabrit is fried goat.”

When asked about what does it mean to drive a wheelchair-accessible cab, here’s how he puts it: “For me to transport the disability community and get them to a wedding, party, prom, and doctor’s appointment or even to the park, makes me feel great. Now everyone is able to travel!”

As an Accessible Dispatch driver, Guy has had many great experiences. He vividly remembers this time when he transported a lady in a wheelchair.” Upon entering the cab, she seemed upset, so Guy asked her if everything was all right; then he engaged with her in a conversation: “I told her, Ms. Lady, today is a beautiful day because you are in my cab and I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful lady like yourself.” The lady thanked Guy for making her smile.

She also said to him he seemed very humble and that his hospitality service was great. “She asked me if she can give me a blessing. I said sure. I was thinking she was going to pray for me. When I helped her out of the cab, she thanked me and gave me the fare money. Once I got back in my cab, she gave me a big tip and said “God bless you” — I would have never thought she would have given me such a huge tip. I was very grateful.”

For stories like Guy’s, be sure to read our Driver of the Week section weekly!

The post Accessible Dispatch Driver of the Week 9: Meet Guy appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Credit: SmarTrip-Israel

Today, we’re introducing a company that has redefined tourism by making it accessible for all. SmarTrip-Israel is based in Tel Aviv and provides tour packages anywhere from Haifa, the Dead Sea, to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for people with disabilities.

SmarTrip-Israel offers adapted travel programs for wheelchair users, by providing special transportation options on routes that have been previously tested for accessible usage. They also help their customers find great options for accessible hotels, attractions and recreational areas.

According to their website, SmarTrip-Israel has been changing the ways travelers with disabilities visit the Holy Land for over five years, in an initiative sponsored by the Israeli government.

“Our mission is to introduce the Israel itself to the people whose travel activities require special care,” SmarTrip-Israel explains on their YouTube channel.

“So we thoroughly research all the hotels, historical sites and places of interest. And that is to make sure that all adventures we offer would be easy, flexible and smooth for disabled persons.”

For those of you considering a trip to Israel this summer, you’ll be happy to know that the Ben-Gurion international airport is perfectly adapted to meet tourists with disabilities, each wheelchair-user getting a personal escort through the terminal until their exit.

From the airport, SmarTrip provides convenient transportation around Israel via specially equipped vans that can take on board up to six wheelchair users.

For more information on what this company has to offer in terms of accessible tourism, go here.

The post Accessible Tourism in Israel appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.

Whether you are a wheelchair or different mobility support system user, you represent an example of perseverance and dedication to succeed. No obstacles can stay in your way – and we want to thank you and recognize you!

All of us at Accessible Dispatch are hoping to make your daily life a bit easier, by providing you with accessible cabs in Manhattan and to and from NYC airports, so you can get to where you want to go, on your schedule, whenever needed. We want to help people live independent, spontaneous lives to the fullest extent.

According to www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com, “over 18 million people in North America are living with restrictive mobility issues.”

We want to hear your stories! All this month, we hope to hear people’s stories about your lives and how Accessible Dispatch has made a difference for you.

“Nothing makes me more energized than when I talk with our passengers,” says Bill Scalzi, President of Accessible Dispatch. “They are my core concern, and it’s with their feedback that we continue to grow and improve this service.”

Feel free to send us a Facebook message, include all the details you’d like to share, and for the month of May, look for your story to be published on our online blog at www.accessibledispatch.com.

On behalf of the Accessible Dispatch team, THANK YOU!

The post Recognizing National Mobility Awareness Month appeared first on Accessible Dispatch.