Accessibility in the world / AMERICA

Just my travel impression. Different big cities and villages. Not so seriously. Please read easygoing.

Argentina 2003	Not bad accessibility, but only shape and lack of users view. Well developed intercity bus route, but no accessibly. Reserve a seat downstairs near the door. Intercity bus are luxurious. Good seat and drink food service are available. Many non-step bus in Buenos Aires. Many wheelchair and blind people were seen in city. Accessible toilet in bus terminal and public space, but many were locked. It means not useful.
Belize 2009	English speaking small country. Many tourist from USA. Some tourist place like USA. Local place is not so much good.
Bolivia 2007	Not good. Almost nothing accessibility, but we can see people with disability in town. People are kind. Many highland cities in Andes are so tough because of few oxygen. Capital La Pas is in mountains, so impossible to move around for wheelchair.
Brazil 2003	Well developed heart barrier free. Not much racial and disabled discrimination. Well maintained road. Good to walk by wheelchair. I just visited 2 country side town only and airport. I felt they made a city thinking about accessibility. I saw some accessible toilet more than my expectation, but sometimes be locked.
Canada 2002, 2007	Perfect accessibility. It is the right to refuse the help. At airport I did transit by myself without help. Many bus has a lift for wheelchair. Not special toilet for disabled.. Accessible toilet in all of the normal toilet. Every toilet has one and more accessible toilet.
Chile 2007	I think Chile accessibility is much developed than any other south America countries. Many curb cut on road. New train and subway has a lot of accessible facility.
Colombia 2007	Not bad. Many bicycle in city. It means good for wheelchair. The Capital Bogota new transportation " Trans Milenio " is well designed accessible. The stations are full accessible and no steps. The building cost seems cheap. Many accessible large toilet in normal toilet.
Costa Rica 2009	Good accessibility. Good country. Model case of developing country. Some bus with lift for wheelchair but many are out of order. Front seat of long-distance bus are for disabled, elder, pregnant, and baby. Many walking way and ramp on the street. Some hotel have a wheelchair accessible room. Unbelievable accessible equipment. People are also very kind.
Cuba 1999	Good social welfare because of communism. Wheelchair toilet existed at airport, but no aisle chair. I sat a front seat. In town, easy to walk by wheelchair. One of the reason was not many cars on road. Walking road were made a lot. Simple accessible toilet existed many place. I was surprised to see a simple accessible toilet in a shopping center.
El Salvador 2009	Not so bad. Many ramp on the street, shopping center, and fast food shop. That is it. No any other equipment. Local bus is so busy, of course many steps on bus. Not so many tourist.
Guatemala 2009	Most famous tourist point, Tikal pyramid in jangle. Tough nature hilly road for wheelchair, but one bus take us to pyramid. Social service. Very helpful for disabled and elder person. I used two airports. Perfect accessibility like USA. One toilet is big. Old capital, historical city Antigua is difficult for wheelchair users because of tough stone roads. Many foreign tourist bus between city to city.
Guyana 2001	The end of the earth. English speaking country only in South America. Few traffic. Few signal. Few tourist. Good to walk. Basically western toilet. To Guyana highland by light airplane. To eco resort in rain forest by speed boat. No accessibility.
Honduras 2009	Not so bad. Some ramp on building. Same as other Central America.
Mexico 1999, 2003, 2010	I visited American resort Cancun in 1999. Cancun is almost same as USA because of many American tourist. Good accessibility and natural equipment. One of the nice accessible resort. Enjoy a vacation. Latest visit 2010, the accessibility is getting better. Many ramp in town and street. Some equipment. But no accessible local bus. New bus metro transportation of New Mexico is accessible but not all. Metro of Mexico city is still difficult to use because of many stairs.
Nicaragua 2009	Many ramp in town. Mobility society. Always car first, walking person is next. Not so bad accessibility though bad economy. They are much influenced by USA. Shared taxi, normally Toyota van, are very popular. It is easy to get in for wheelchair users compared than bus.
Panama 2003	Government is rich because of Panama canal, but the accessibility was too bad. Panama city is the worst to walk by wheelchair. Many step, not paved, bumpy and crazy car drive. No wheelchair in town. Accessible toilet at airport, hotel and American first food restaurant.
Paraguay 2003	Nothing about accessibility. Paraguay is left behind development in South Africa. No public peace, police, infrastructure, social security and economy. Almost broken bus. Very dirty paper money. Not paved soil road. Many problem before accessibility.
Trinidad 2002, 2003	They think accessibility. Some equipment and consideration for disability. Some accessible toilet and many ramp in town. Not perfect, but people are so kind. Big ditch on road because of a lot of rain. Also big gap between car road and walking road.
Uruguay 1999	Only visited the capital Montevideo. I used a speed boat from Monte Video to Buenos Aires. No problem for wheelchair, but no accessible toilet.
USA 1993, 2001, 2002 2003, 2008, 2009	Ideal accessible country. #1 in the world. They have the right of access by ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) in 1990. We can refuse assistance because we can do by ourselves. Easy to move around alone. All the toilet have at least one accessible toilet. It designed not for only wheelchair. Everybody use it. Buildings are designed non step from the beginning. Many wheelchair parking space. Ramp is so natural universal design.
Venezuela 2003	Almost nothing about accessibility. I was so disappointed. Some accessible equipment at airport and public space. Venezuela is big oil country. Good high way network and low price of gas. Caracas subway is accessible with escalator.