My research project analyzes the social and legal tensions that make up the contemporary debate around transportation accessibility in New York City. How did urban planning in New York City historically exclude disability communities? How does New York’s built environment continue to marginalize disabled people? What is the relationship between disability and technological design? Focusing on the subway system, I argue that the subway elevator, as a subject of contestation and activism, is a central technology in the history of and current battle for transportation equity. My methodology includes archival materials, advocate expert interviews, auto-ethnography, and secondary literature.

I grew up in and around New York’s disability communities. Moving around the city was always a persistent concern, for both disabled and able-bodied people. As an undergrad MSH and Anthropology major (AS ’23), I conducted an MSH Senior Honors thesis on walkability and disability in Baltimore. I spoke to local residents of East Baltimore and walked block-by-block to determine whether the sidewalks were navigable for people with disabilities. I further communicated with Baltimore-based disability advocates to gauge how they perceived walking/navigating Baltimore. At that time, it was my hope that my research in Baltimore could help me understand my relationship to the streets of New York. Once I entered the CAST-M program, I was excited to see that there was space and support to expand on these interests through my own independent research project.

Over the summer, I spoke with disability advocates around New York City to learn more about their experiences with the MTA’s public transportation system. Going into the project, I imagined that the subway was the top choice for moving around the city, especially due to the attention devoted to accessibility initiatives by the MTA and the sheer dominance of the subway system in the media. I was surprised that, on several occasions, my interviewees responded with ambivalence when asked about using the subway. My interlocutors explained they did not prefer to ride the subway for various reasons and instead chose other modes of transportation. One interlocutor explained that having an elevator is helpful in moving from the street level to platform level, but obstacles to subway travel do not end there: the gap between the platform and train was a concern, as well as the elevator status at the destination station. After conducting my interviews, I reconsidered my previously held notions and realized that while the subway system is used by many daily travelers, this is not representative of all travel experiences

2025 marked the 35th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark legislation prompted critical changes to the built environment and catalyzed significant medical and scientific research around disability. Unfortunately, 35 years later, accessible transportation for all remains out of reach, hindered by high costs and construction delays. My project highlights how transportation equity, especially in regards to the subway system, is more than just a design issue; inequity

is ingrained into socio-political systems. Furthermore, my project explores how disability experiences are more complex than the dominant medical model and, therefore, are best understood beyond the language of design codes.