May 4, 2005 – Taxi and Limousine Commission public hearing | Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York

far view of Jean Ryan speaking at a podium at TLC hearing — The person wearing a hat with her long coat resting on the back of her motorized wheelchair is Jean Ryan (pictured lower right, her back to our view while sitting in her wheelchair). Ryan is shown speaking to the some of the members of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, who are seated behind their tables (pictured center).

On the wall of the room are the letters “TLC” with an indentified logo to the left of the “T”. Also at the wall, four flags are seen standing, two on the left and two on the right – the leftmost being the American flag. Taped on the back of Jean Ryan’s back is a paper sign reading “Mayor Bloomberg First Things First – Taxis for ALL”.

The TLC plans (as of May 4, 2005) to upgrade the city’s taxicabs with satellite global positioning systems. Ryan asked at the hearing “What good is an information screen or credit card machine or other high-tech feature, if we can’t even get into the cab in the first place?”

closer view of Jean Ryan speaking at a podium at TLC hearing — Jean Ryan (pictured lower right, her back to our view while sitting in her wheelchair) is shown behind a podium, speaking to the some of the members of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, who are seated behind their tables (pictured left, in background of photo).

Jean Ryan’s Testimony at the TLC Hearing

Hello, I am Jean Ryan of Disabled In Action and the Taxis for ALL Campaign. This hearing and meeting of the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to approve proposals to require high-tech features in all yellow taxis stands in stark contrast to the need for a fully wheelchair-accessible taxi fleet. We can go out this building and see many cabs, but not one will be wheelchair-accessible. What good is an information screen or credit card machine or other high-tech feature if we can’t get into the cab in the first place?

Somewhere in this city there are 29 accessible cabs (out of a total of 12,787), but where are they? It’s like an Elvis sighting. So far, I haven’t seen Elvis or an accessible cab, so the 29 aren’t much use to me or any of us here.

Ironically, right at this moment, NYC and Company, New York City’s official tourism department, is hosting a huge and lavish convention of travel suppliers and buyers from around the world in a gamble to bring more foreign tourists to our city. We can’t help but wonder what the foreign travel buyers will think when they find out that our fine city does not have a 100% wheelchair-accessible taxi cab fleet like London does. How many more bookings will our city lose out on because the DOT and TLC are more concerned with high-tech features than with wheelchair access for ALL our residents and visitors? We also wonder how our city’s taxi inaccessibility will play out in New York City’s Olympic and Paralympics bid for 2012.

We want people to flock to our city for tourism and business purposes. We want people to feel welcome here. We ourselves want to feel welcome here.

We call upon Mayor Bloomberg, the DOT, and the TLC to rectify this lack of wheelchair access to yellow cabs and to make one hundred percent wheelchair access a number one priority. Cost is not an issue. As cabs need to be replaced, the cost difference for a wheelchair-accessible van is negligible; in fact, it would be about the same as installing these high-tech gadgets. Tax breaks are available, too, for anyone making a vehicle wheelchair-accessible.

Now is the time to act.

Jean Ryan, Vice Chair, Taxis For ALL Campaign and VP, Disabled In Action