Taxi Services

Resources on Accessible Taxi Services
Taxicabs play a critical role in helping to move America, delivering approximately 2 billion passengers a year to their destinations, according to the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association. As much as 10 percent of the customer base for taxi service consists of people with disabilities. Easter Seals Project ACTION offers the following technical assistance resources and links to additional information for taxi operators and their customers. In addition, accessible taxi operators can list their services in a national database used by people with disabilities seeking accessible transportation services.

The following materials may be ordered free of charge in print or electronic format. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view PDF files. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Moving Forward Together: A Workbook for Initiating and Increasing Accessible Taxi Services
This workbook is designed for use by community leaders representing the taxi industry, disability community, transit industry, and local government, and is intended to facilitate discussion and encourage input from multiple perspectives as communities move forward to improve and increase the availability of accessible taxis. The workbook includes nine sections on important issues related to accessible taxi services, including public policy, vehicle design and costs, and contracts and operating agreements. Each section includes a series of discussion points that can be considered by a community and relevant examples of current efforts from communities across the country that have already put much work into improving accessible taxi services, along with contact information so workbook users can learn more about their experiences.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and You: Frequently Asked Questions on Taxicab Service
Jointly presented by ESPA and the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, this 8-page guide compiles useful information for easy reference on the Americans with Disabilities Act provisions that apply to taxicab services, including personnel training, service animals, fares, vehicle fleet accessibility, information accessibility, securement equipment, accomodating mobility devices, driver-provided assistance, contracted service, and other provisions.

The Taxicab Pocket Guide
This brochure, designed for taxicab operators, describes how to better serve individuals with disabilities. Included is information on serving customers who have visual disabilities, who are hard of hearing or deaf, who use mobility devices, who use service animals, as well as some general guidelines and tips on communication.

The Taxicab Pocket Guide is also available in Farsi and Spanish translations.

Order the Farsi version of The Taxicab Pocket Guide (PDF)
Order the Spanish version of The Taxicab Pocket Guide (PDF)

Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) - a non-profit trade association of and for the private passenger transportation industry
Taxis For All North America - a national advocacy effort to promote accessible taxi service
Transcript of “Wheels on Wheels: Wheelchair-Accessible Taxicabs” - As part of Easter Seals Project ACTION's Distance Learning Seminar Series, on July 11, 2006, co-presenters Cleadis Newman, General Manager of Special Services, Yellow Cab, Houston, Texas, and Michael Muehe, Executive Director, Cambridge (Mass.) Commission for Persons with Disabilities discussed wheelchair accessible taxis in a free audio conference open to the public. We also invite you to read Michael Muehe's handout.
Examples of local accessible taxi initiatives

An increasing number of communities across the U.S. are instituting accessible taxi regulations and programs. Examples include:

Please note that these links are provided for information only. Linking to a private business does not imply endorsement by Easter Seals Project ACTION.

Many of the programs listed above are profiled in Moving Forward Together: A Workbook for Initiating and Increasing Accessible Taxi Services.