We are part of a coalition of disability rights groups that oppose S.7833-A and A.6201-A. This is a backdoor attempt to overturn a long-awaited New York City Taxi and Limousine (TLC) regulation intended to get wheelchair-accessible for-hire vehicles (FHV) on the road across New York City.
The TLC regulations these bills seek to do away with are the result of years of advocacy by the disability community. They passed after more than a year of study by the TLC and after extensive public input.
These bills would isolate people with disabilities into a separate, unequal service. Like most New Yorkers, we want full integration of all people, no matter who they are, into daily life.
- The dispatch system S.7833-A and A.6201-A propose was tried by the TLC and by the FHV industry before and failed.
- FHV companies have opposed any attempt to get them to offer accessible service for at least two decades. These bills are no different.
- The TLC rules are a crucial first step toward providing wheelchair-accessible service across the city. They have widespread support in the disability community.
Dozens of individuals and organizations spoke in support of the TLC proposal at a hearing on September 2017. Wheelchair users described how the ability to travel by accessible yellow taxis changed their lives for the better.
Call your NYS Senator now and insist that they oppose these bills. Find your Senator here. Let’s not move backward on progress!