ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL TRAVEL TIPS & IDEAS How to Navigate Minnesota with a Disability By Baya Clare Minnesota welcomes people of all abilities. TRANSPORTATION & GETTING AROUND One of the pillars of access is being able to get where you want to go. Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure is among the nation’s best in terms of accessibility. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) offers assistance for wheelchair users, electric cart service to distant gates, web and phone-based interpreting services at information booths, hearing loop technology and paging by text for deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers. For blind and low-vision travelers, the airport has Aira, which uses artifi cial intelligence and augmented reality to help people navigate the airport. Many therapy dogs and cats are part of MSP’s popular Animal Ambassador program, and a partnership with the Hidden Disabilities Sunfl ower Organization allows people to quietly indicate to airport staff, via a sunfl ower lanyard, that they may need more assistance. All bus, light rail and commuter rail transit provided by the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation is accessible. In addition, Metro Mobility — a shared ride public transportation service for certifi ed riders who are unable to use other transit options due to a disability — is available in much 24 | EXPLORE MINNESOTA .COM of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Trips can be booked online, by phone or by a teletypewriter. Other parts of the state are served by paratransit providers, including Dial-a-Ride in the St. Cloud area, STRIDE in Duluth , and Smart Bus in Albert Lea, Owatonna and Austin. SHOPPING & ATTRACTIONS As the largest mall in the country, Mall of America® in Bloomington has hundreds of stores and restaurants on four levels plus an entire amusement park (Nickelodeon Universe). It offers wheelchair access throughout and a service animal relief area. MOA® is also a Certifi ed Autism Center. Other venues with sensory-friendly spaces and events or times include the Minnesota Children’s Museum , the Walker Art Center , Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre , the Minnesota Orchestra and a number of movie theaters throughout the state. MUSEUMS & THEATER The Minneapolis Institute of Art showcases nearly 100,000 pieces of art from around the world, including a renowned collection of Asian art. It’s all accessible, from wheelchair access to captioned videos, ASL and Protacile interpreters to audio descriptions of artwork. Other accessible-friendly museums include the Science Museum of Minnesota in downtown St. Paul and
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