The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is often praised as one of the strongest disability rights laws in the world, and the United States is considered a pioneer in promoting wheelchair accessibility and disability rights. However, in practice, real-world accessibility across the U.S.—including Missouri—is inconsistent. Many sidewalks are broken, incomplete, or missing, forcing wheelchair users to travel in streets alongside cars. Even large cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, or Chicago have gaps in accessible transit, curb ramps, and barrier-free paths, while rural and suburban areas often lack public transportation entirely. This wide variation in infrastructure makes it difficult for the U.S. to rank as one of the most wheelchair-accessible countries, despite its leadership in disability law.

While some European cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, and Copenhagen are often cited as highly accessible, that doesn’t mean Europe is automatically easier to navigate. Much of Europe has historic infrastructure—narrow streets, cobblestones, and old buildings—that can make wheelchair use challenging. Rankings often highlight modernized or dense city centers where accessibility investments have been made, which can overshadow the historic challenges. By contrast, the U.S. relies more on legal protections and ADA compliance than on uniform, citywide urban design, so wheelchair users experience a patchwork of accessibility depending on location. This difference between policy leadership and everyday usability explains why many people assume the U.S. is highly accessible, but studies and rankings often place other cities ahead.

For wheelchair users, the result is that independent mobility depends heavily on the local environment. Trips must be planned around battery limits for electric chairs, distances between destinations, and the availability of accessible transit or charging options. Even small gaps in infrastructure—a missing sidewalk, a blocked curb ramp, or a bus route that doesn’t reach your neighborhood—can make travel risky or impossible. Understanding this distinction clarifies why the U.S. can be a pioneer in accessibility law while still struggling with real-world mobility compared to modernized cities in Europe or Asia.

Your Thoughts

Living in Missouri, you’ve seen firsthand how accessibility often breaks down outside major city centers. Sidewalks are either “invisible” (missing entirely) or inconsistent—sometimes starting and then stopping suddenly. Living just a minute outside city limits can effectively cut you off from public transportation. For wheelchair users, especially those using electric chairs, this creates unique hardships. Trips must be carefully planned around battery range, yet distances between destinations in Missouri’s car-centric communities are often too far for safe travel. Without walkable neighborhoods or reliable transit connections, independence is limited, and small barriers—like a missing sidewalk or a bus route that doesn’t extend far enough—can mean being stranded.

Question to Consider

If the U.S. pioneered wheelchair accessibility and disability rights, why do many European and Asian cities consistently rank higher in real-world accessibility, despite historic infrastructure challenges like cobblestones and narrow streets?

Sources

    •    Kansas City Star – Missouri residents face broken and missing sidewalks     •    Missouri Independent – Rural transportation gaps for disabled Missourians     •    TIME – Cities sued nationwide over inaccessible sidewalks