Jean Ryan says NYC Ferry has regressed on wheelchair securement
The Disabled in Action president says the 2005 law required four-point securement, but Hornblower ferries have only two-point and workers never secure wheelchairs; nothing changed after meetings.
Thank you for your testimony.
Hi, I'm Jean Ryan, President of Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York.
I use a wheelchair and I ride NYC ferry.
In 2005, DIA got the City Council to pass the Trailblazing Accessible Ferry Bill that required all NYC
commuter ferries to be wheelchair accessible because the ADA did not cover commuter ferries.
At that time, there were few commuter ferries in New York City, and the ones that were here had steps and steep ramps to get to them,
while the boats had upright boards across the bottom of the doorways and bathrooms with doorways that were above the floor.
We couldn't get into the cabin.
The law required two dedicated wheelchair spaces with a four-point securement in the front of the ferries, and we had that with the previous vendor.
We also worked with them to design and test safe docks and piers.
Once Hornblower took over the contract, the ferries only had a two-point securement, which is not safe, and the workers never secure us.
There is no specific...
space for wheelchairs on the ferries.
On one trip with many senior citizens on the ferry, I had to ask people in front and in back of me to move because if the ferry jerked, my wheelchair could move and badly injure their legs.
In 2021,
I met with Hornblower, DOT, and EDC in a virtual meeting about safety and the wheelchair requirements on NYC ferries.
Nothing changed.
Over the years, I testified before this city council about ferry safety, and nothing changed.
We met with EDC about ferry safety for wheelchair users and people who are blind, and it seems that they have no will to follow the law or provide safe conditions for people with disabilities.
Safety and following the law are not optional.
Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony.