https://archive.md/WhQti
"There is a subway stop two blocks from Quemuel Arroyo’s apartment in Harlem,
but it does not have an elevator.
So he begins his workday by rolling his wheelchair onto an M4 bus. He switches
to an M104 bus after less than a mile, getting off at 96th Street for the
closest accessible subway stop on the No. 1 line, 40 blocks from home.
He arrives at his office near Wall Street about an hour later, a reminder of
the importance of his job: making the transit system more accessible for New
Yorkers like him.
As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s first chief accessibility
officer, Mr. Arroyo lobbies for billions of dollars to build new subway
elevators, knowing that nearly two-thirds of stations do not have them. He
pushes officials to repair the system’s roughly 350 elevators more quickly,
knowing the feeling of helplessness that comes with getting stranded.
It is a monumental and often thankless task that, despite his efforts, has at
times cast him as an adversary to elected officials and disability advocates
who want him to do more, faster.
But to spend time with Mr. Arroyo is to realize just how much his firsthand
experience and dedication has not only fueled his mission, but also given
inspiration to Janno Lieber, the chairman of the M.T.A., whose office is down
the hall from Mr. Arroyo’s and who has become be an evangelist for
accessibility.
“I tell Janno, ‘I need you to ride the system one day only using elevators, and
you’ll understand why this is so impactful,’” Mr. Arroyo said."
Original at
<
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/nyregion/q-arroyo-subway-accessible.html>
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/covid-december-146623928
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
