New York City is one of the most expensive cities worldwide. People living here don't always have it easy. Like Milagros Franco. A New Yorker born and bred. She has been disabled since birth. After studying in NYC, she got a job working for an NGO in Brooklyn that supports people with disabilities. She lives on the other side of the East River, in Manhattan. And relies on the subway.
New York Subway should be barrier-free by 2055
Even though the right to travel freely is recognized under US law, only one in three subway stations has an elevator. That poses a problem for Milagros. By 2055 at the latest, the New York Subway is supposed to finally be largely barrier-free. The deadline was reached in a court settlement after NGOs took legal action. In the meantime, little is changing. The city says it lacks the money.
Milagros Franco needs a wheelchair because she has cerebral palsy - a condition that affects movement and posture. Both her nervous system and muscle function are impacted.
Every journey poses a challenge. And when she goes shopping, she struggles to open the doors of many stores, for example. The New Yorker is now concerned about what the policies of incoming president Donald Trump could mean for people with disabilities. It’s a concern shared by many in the city. If Trump cuts welfare programs, for example, that could affect social housing. People with disabilities depend on getting affordable housing.
Will Donald Trump cut healthcare programs?
Trump could also cut healthcare programs. That's especially worrying to NGOs that support people with disabilities. Sharon McLennon Weir is a leading activist in this area. She hopes that people with disabilities will still be able to live as independently as possible under the Trump administration.
As yet, it's not clear what the next government will prioritize. Still, a lot has been achieved for people with disabilities in New York in recent years. Taxis, for example, now have to be barrier-free. Milagros Franco has no plans to leave New York. The city is her home. And she has purpose too: Through her work, she's helping others with disabilities. And that's one in eleven people in this city of over 8 million.