[NFBMI-Talk] Inquiry about Amtrak

[Sam Rau]

Sanho gives a great articulation of the experience in how to successfully
navigated, and I want to sincerely appreciate him providing this kind of
advice for someone. Makes me think perhaps we should have a list
specifically designed for this purpose (or something like a mobility
ChatGPT)… This is good knowledge transmission. Looking forward to a great
convention for everyone!

On Tue, Oct 8, 2024 at 7:01 AM Sanho Steele-Louchart via NFBMI-Talk <
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Good morning,
>
> First, thank you so much for asking. It's my preference that we feel safe
> and supported to ask rather than stress quietly by ourselves, or worse,
> decide not to go at all because it's easier that way. It's also likely that
> many others are wondering the same thing. Truly, thank you.
>
> I buy my tickets online, then make sure to get to the station early enough
> to be comfortable, then will do one of several things depending on station
> setup. If there's a staffperson on duty, I might find them and ask if
> they'd help orient me to which door on the train I should use when it gets
> there. Staff should be in a position to help if needed. If there's no
> staffperson, or if I'm comfortable doing it on my own, I will go to the
> doors leading to the platform so I know where I'm headed. They'll either
> make announcements over the loudspeakers before your train arrives or you
> can ask someone once it does to confirm it's the correct train and the
> correct door. At that point, train staff will exit the train, lay down some
> steps outside the train door, and help guide you up onto the train itself.
> They'll tell you (or you can ask) whether your car is to the left or right
> once you're up the stairs. My experience is that it's usually to the left.
> Once aboard, you can find seats wherever you'd like. The seats will have
> windows, outlets, footrests, tray-tables, and wifi, as are standard. The
> comfort of the seats will vary from train to train, and are often better in
> business class for a few dollars more. Anyway, you can stow your luggage on
> you, at your feet, or in the metal racks above your seats. Once everyone's
> aboard, train staff will come to check everyone's tickets. They'll scan
> either your paper copy or the image you have on your phone. That's another
> opportunity to ask about anything you might want to know such as the
> direction of restrooms, snack car, and so on. Keep in mind that the
> direction of travel does not indicate forward and backward. That is, you
> might be facing one direction, but moving the other. You could ask to sit
> elsewhere if that bothers you.
>
> If you go somewhere and need to return to your seat, I recommend either
> marking your space in some way, such as the rail above your seat or the
> armrest closest to the aisle, or else being comfortable moving your cane in
> such a way that you can count the seats as you go. Confined spaces like
> these mean typically the best cane technique is one where you hold the cane
> nearly vertically and gently move it from side to side like a pendulum.
> This stops it from getting caught under anything. The same is also true in
> crowds. And of course you can always ask staff and fellow passengers if
> you're not quite sure which row is yours.
>
> Finally, when you hear your stop coming up, they will typically announce
> which doors to go to and even offer you a hand getting there if needed.
> This isn't entirely reliable, however, as they often get busy or have a
> change of staff partway through the journey. You can simply follow the
> people disembarking or ask around for more information about where to go.
> The doors in the breezeway will open, the steps will be added, and staff
> will help you disembark. You can then ask either where the doors to the
> station are or if someone could guide you to where you need to be for
> whatever mode of transportation you're taking to the hotel.
>
> Please let us know if you have any additional questions. I know this can
> sound like a lot before you're actually doing it. Just keep in mind that it
> only gets easier with practice.
>
> Warmth,
> Sanho
>
> > On Oct 8, 2024, at 6:32 AM, Deborah Wellington via NFBMI-Talk <
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> >
> >
> > I've never ridden with Amtrak by myself and with my child so can someone
> > tell me how they accommodate blind people? I'm really nervous, because
> it's
> > new to me. I'm planning on booking my reservations for state convention
> > today or tomorrow.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> >
> >
> > Debbie
> >
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