Planning a vacation can be stressful for anyone, but adding the variables of finding accessible travel destinations, like restrooms, bars, botanical gardens, etc., creates another challenge. While more and more children’s museums and attractions are improving their accessibility options, there tends to be less information about vacation destinations for adults with disabilities who have special needs and interests. To help you plan your next accessible vacation, here are the best Midwest vacation destinations for adults with disabilities.
Pro tip: Check their website and call to get specific availability and accessibility information before you go.
Indy’s flat terrain makes bike paths especially accessible to all types of bikers and wheelchair users.
Courtesy of Visit Indy
Indianapolis
What better way to start your visit to the home of “The Greatest Racecourse in the World” than with a stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum? Hop on board one of the Track Tour Buses, four of which are wheelchair accessible, for a tour of the iconic Indy 500 race track. Visually impaired visitors can take a “touch tour” of select exhibit cars with a museum host. (Advance reservations aren’t required, but they’re a nice touch.) American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is also available upon request with at least 48 hours notice. Printed transcripts of videos shown in the theater and audio narration on the Track Tour Bus are also available.
Indy is one of the flattest cities in the USA, making it perfect for a leisurely bike ride, and several accessible nature spots are dotted along the city’s bike-friendly cultural trails. Pacers Bikeshare also offers an Adaptive Bike Program with four different bikes to rent and will customize your bike to find the model that’s right for you.
Newfields is a cultural campus with diverse experiences including four miles of accessible outdoor trails and the fully accessible Indianapolis Museum of Art. Indoor and outdoor wheelchairs are available free of charge, and electric scooters are available for rent. The museum also offers audio listening devices and ASL interpretation (by reservation). Exhibit labels are displayed in large font, gallery videos are captioned, and the Design Gallery allows visitors to touch and experiment with materials from the design collection. There is also a Touch & Audio Interpretation Tour for guests who are low-vision and visually impaired, allowing them to experience the exhibits through touch and explanatory narration.
Flying into Indianapolis International Airport? Did you know the airport is a Certified Sensory Integration site and supports the disability community by hosting events like Special Olympics Plane Towing and Soaring Night for Autism.
Other great places for adults with disabilities to explore: Indiana Repertory Theatre, Eiteljorg Museum of American and Western Art, Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts), and Garfield Park Conservatory.
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse offers a variety of accessibility features, including wheelchair escorts and sensory rooms.
Courtesy of Destination Cleveland
Cleveland
You might be surprised to learn that Cleveland is home to the largest performing arts center outside of New York City. Playhouse Square offers automatic doors at its main exterior entrance and garage, reserved wheelchair-accessible seating, and wheelchair and chaperone services at no extra charge. Additionally, sensory-friendly performances feature reduced volume and lighting levels and designated calming areas staffed by volunteer professionals.
Art lovers will also want to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art, which hosts a monthly “Sensory Friendly Saturday” where individuals on the autism spectrum, dementia, and intellectual and developmental disabilities can enjoy a more calming museum experience in galleries before the general public. The event is designed to reduce crowds, noise, distractions, and overall stimulation.
Basketball fans who want to catch a Cleveland Cavaliers game can head to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Braille signage is available in public areas, and wheelchair escort services are available at no extra cost. Amplification and hearing aid-accessible equipment are also available. Closed caption information is displayed on the scoreboard (guests can also view it on their mobile devices), and sign language interpretation is available for certain games and performances. Each event also includes a sensory room so guests can recover if they become overstimulated.
Other great places for adults with disabilities to explore: Cleveland Metroparks, which offer a variety of inclusive outdoor experiences, Near West Theatre, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
There are two types of beach wheelchairs available at Bradford Beach.
Courtesy of Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau
Milwaukee
For many visitors, biking is a fun (and maybe the best) way to explore a city. In 2019, Milwaukee introduced adaptive bikes to its Bublr Bikes bike share program, expanding the program in 2022. You’ll need to call to find out the exact location of an adaptive bike and reserve one, but once you get one, it’s a great way to see the city.
Milwaukee’s Weir Nature Center has long had a “Mobility Corner” where visitors can borrow wheelchairs, stools, walkers and canes for free while birdwatching, exploring the grounds and participating in educational programs. A few years ago, the center also introduced “hiking wheelchairs,” powered all-terrain wheelchairs that visitors can use to access the center’s woodland trails or borrow for use off-site.
In the summer, sun- and fun-lovers can head to Bradford Beach, which has two types of beach wheelchairs and an accessible walkway that leads right to the water. Plus, any time of year, service animals and Segways are welcome at the Milwaukee Art Museum (which also provides wheelchairs), and wheelchair users can take a tour of Lakefront Brewery. A truly Milwaukee experience.
Adults with disabilities who need help changing briefs or clothes while traveling have long struggled to find a safe place other than on a public restroom floor. Milwaukee’s General Mitchell Airport has two height-adjustable adult changing tables for adults with disabilities — a rare find in the U.S. — located near Miller Brewhouse in the main terminal and in the family restroom in Concourse D.
Other great places for adults with disabilities to explore: Milwaukee Public Museum, American Family Field (home of the Milwaukee Brewers), Fiserv Forum (home of the Milwaukee Bucks), Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
The Guthrie Theatre offers an inclusive backstage experience for visitors with disabilities.
Courtesy of Guthrie Theatre
Minneapolis
The Minneapolis area is known for its massive Mall of America, but few visitors realize just how accessible the mall is, with wheelchair, motorized cart and shopping cart rentals, two service animal rescue centers, and more. Plus, the entire mall is a certified autism center.
Consistently rated as the most bike-friendly city in the country, Minneapolis has worked to ensure that most of its 250-mile network of on- and off-street bike paths is accessible. The city’s most well-known bike path is the Midtown Greenway, a 5.5-mile stretch of former railroad track in south Minneapolis. The route is completely flat and car-free, with many ramps accessible for wheelchairs and scooters. Outdoor enthusiasts can also head to nearby Fort Snelling State Park (in sister city St. Paul), where you can reserve a free motorized track chair to explore the trail network. It’s one of more than a dozen Minnesota state parks that currently offer track chairs.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts provides wheelchairs and walkers at no extra charge, visually impaired visitors can request audio descriptions, museum videos are subtitled, and hearing impaired visitors can request ASL interpretation (although not all requests can be accommodated, so it’s best to contact them in advance).
If you’re looking to catch a live theatre performance, head to the renowned Guthrie Theater, conveniently located downtown and overlooking the winding Mississippi River (with pedestrian walkways and resting benches along the river). The Guthrie Theater offers complimentary wheelchair access, open captioning and Wi-Fi for assistive listening devices. ASL interpretation is available for select performances (check the schedule in advance), and backstage tours with ASL interpretation can be arranged. Audio descriptions, Braille, large print materials and high-magnification sports glasses make the show accessible to audiences who are blind or have low vision, and “relaxation” performances are designed for guests with neurodevelopmental disabilities and others who would have difficulty sitting still for hours of traditional performances.
Other great places for adults with disabilities to explore: Bell Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, American Swedish Society, Minnesota Orchestra, Target Field (home of the Minnesota Twins)