Accessible Charlotte

Charlotte is a new city, which is good for accessibility (the buildings are ADA-era) and bad for it (the distances are long and the transit is thin). This guide is for people with disabilities, their families and the people who plan for them: the transportation, the parks and pools, the programs, the equipment, the home changes and the organizations. It’s a guide to finding help, not medical or legal advice; the practitioners below give that. Everything is in the directory or linked to its source.

Getting around

The LYNX Blue Line and Gold Line are level-boarding with elevators at every station, and they’re the most accessible transportation in the metro; fares are $2.20 a ride with reduced fares for riders with disabilities through CATS (Trifecta Corporate Housing). CATS’s Special Transportation Service is the door-to-door paratransit for eligible riders; register through CATS before the first trip. For private transport, GTB Medical Transportation provides non-emergency medical and elderly transportation with comfortable vehicles, per its site, and Forget Me Not Homecare runs its Beyond the Ride service. Duke Limo‘s fleet includes vans. The parking guide covers the accessible spaces in the decks.

Parks, greenways and pools

The greenways are paved and mostly flat, which makes Mecklenburg County’s 85-plus miles the best accessible outdoor space in the region (Wikipedia, citing the county); the greenway guide lists trailheads with parking. The county’s aquatic centers have lifts and zero-entry pools, and the swim guide lists them; Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics has a warm-water therapy pool. Ramsey Creek Beach charges reduced per-car entry for seniors and persons with a disability, $2 on weekdays for county residents (Mecklenburg County). The Carolina Raptor Center‘s trail is graded for wheelchairs. Nevin Park is wheelchair accessible with its trails and fields (Komoot).

Therapeutic riding and adaptive sport

Victory Farm in Gastonia offers therapeutic riding and driving for people with cerebral palsy, stroke, autism and other challenges, per its site. Wings of Eagles Ranch in Concord is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center with volunteer and donor programs. Canine Companions trains rescued dogs as service companions. The YMCAs run adaptive aquatics and sports, and Charlotte Independence Soccer Club and the rec departments in the youth sports guide run TOPSoccer and buddy leagues.

Autism and developmental disabilities

Success on the Spectrum in Cornelius provides one-on-one ABA, speech and occupational therapy for children with autism. Adaptive Pediatrics does ABA in Mooresville and Statesville and accepts NC Medicaid and major insurers, per its site. Lively Therapy Services and Magical Milestones do pediatric occupational therapy. S.T.E.P.’s Developmental Academy provides child care and advocacy. The John Crosland School serves kids with ADHD and learning differences. For adults, Union Diversified Industries (since 1970), MaxAbilities of York County, Gaston Residential Services, Holy Angels in Belmont, Ryan’s Place in Kannapolis and Piedmont Residential Development Center provide day programs, vocational training and residential care. Signposts Ministries, all-volunteer, connects families of children with special healthcare needs to equipment. Lake Wylie Pediatric Dentistry and Denver Pediatric Dentistry list special-needs dental care.

Deaf, blind and low vision

Nita’s Silent Hands bridges the Deaf and hearing communities through its GEAR method and teaches Deaf culture, per its site. Mary Carmel’s Light supports people with low vision or blindness affected by Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Beltone Hearing Center and the eye practices in the doctor guide cover the clinical side. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s branches offer accessible collections and assistive technology, and ImaginOn’s programs are inclusive; the literacy guide has the branches.

Equipment and the home

Assist M.E. provides free mobility equipment to people with low incomes and little or no insurance, helping them move from hospital to home, per its site; it’s the first call after a discharge. Universal DME and TLC Group in Gastonia supply durable medical equipment. Liftology of Charlotte sells and installs stairlifts and mobility products for each home’s layout. Gaitway of Charlotte does aging-in-place consulting alongside therapy. For the ramp, the roll-in shower and the widened door, the remodelers in the home services directory; HELT Design lists adaptive design among its capabilities.

Legal, financial and benefits

The Sasser Law Firm handles long-term disability, Social Security disability and insurance disputes. Harman Law covers disability and employment law. Willett Legal and McIntyre Elder Law do special-needs and long-term-care planning. Policyline Insurance writes disability income coverage. Frank Summers plans for families including adoption and surrogacy. And the free clinics in the doctor guide serve the uninsured.

Events and the arts

The county’s theaters and the Blumenthal venues offer accessible seating, assistive listening and sensory-friendly performances; the community theaters in the museums guide increasingly do. The county’s parks run adaptive programs, and Ramsey Creek Beach’s rules require Coast Guard-approved flotation, which includes adaptive devices (Mecklenburg County). KindCare in Monroe is Union County’s first adult day and health center.

The honest map

Uptown, South End and the rail corridor are the accessible Charlotte: level transit, new buildings, curb cuts. The ring towns’ downtowns are older and hillier, Davidson and Belmont especially, and the subdivisions require a car. The greenways are the great equalizer. The organizations above are where the knowledge lives, and community listings are free, so if yours isn’t here, list it. Use a wheelchair, a cane or a service dog in Charlotte and know what this page missed? Tell us; we’d rather learn it from you than guess.