BART celebrates Disability Pride Month: How BART builds access into every ride

July is Disability Pride Month, marking the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. ADA law gives people with disabilities the ability to live, work, and move through the world with dignity and independence. For a transit agency, that mission is not abstract. Accessibility isn't an add-on at BART; it's foundational to how the system is built, operated, and improved.

This July marks 36 years since the ADA became law, and BART continues to invest in the features, training, and community partnerships that make the system usable for everyone.

A history rooted in advocacy

Harold Willson is pictured on a BART train. Photo courtesy of Kaiser Permanente Heritage Resources.

The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. BART's commitment to accessibility predates the federal law.

BART became the first major U.S. transit system to build elevator access into every station before the system opened in 1972. Elevators at every station was not in the original planning documents, but incorporated thanks to the work of pioneering disability rights advocate Harold Willson. His activism and direct collaboration with system directors led to mandatory accessibility upgrades across the system, including the requirement that every station have an elevator. Read more about Wilson's contributions to BART here.

Hale Zukas pictured at Ashby Station in July 2020.

Another name central to BART's accessibility history is disability rights legend Hale Zukas, a key figure in the passage of the ADA itself. Zukas consulted directly with BART since the 1970s, and even helped design the button placement inside BART elevators so they'd be easy to reach for wheelchair users. Read more about Zukas in this article.

Zukas cofounded the BART Accessibility Task Force (BATF) in 1975 and served as a member for 47 years. He passed away on November 30, 2022.

About the BART Accessibility Task Force

Photo caption: BART recently visited 19th St. Oakland Station with members of the Accessibility Task Force, including Chair Herb Hastings (far left), Roland Wong (second from left), and Sam Buman (far right) to walk through and take photos with the station's accessibility features. They were joined by Elena Van Loo (second from right), BART Sr. Admin. Analyst and liaison to the BATF in the Customer Access and Accessibility Department.

The BATF meets monthly to advise the BART Board of Directors and staff on disability-related issues and advocates on behalf of people with disabilities and seniors to make the BART system accessible to people regardless of disability or age.

One of the recent contributions of the BATF, along with other disability organizations, was endorsing a floor plan for BART's new train cars designed to meet the diverse needs of people with disabilities. Their consultations led to the modification of the cars' floor plan so that passengers with more than one wheelchair user in their group could sit together, with both wheelchair areas relocated to the center door of each car and floor-to-ceiling poles removed to maximize accessible paths. Other resulting features include the third door per car, wider aisles, and intercoms positioned at wheelchair-accessible height.

BATF members include Janice Armigo Brown, Hillary Brown (2nd Vice Chair), Sam Buman, Catherine Callahan, Clarence R. Fischer, Herb Hastings (Chair), Danny Kodmur, Daveed Mandell, Ryan Manriquez, Anita Ortega, Shana Ray, Joshua Saunders (Vice Chair), Esther Waltz, Roland Wong, and Bruce Yow.

We thank the BATF for their contributions to making BART a system that is accessible for all.

The BATF is actively recruiting new members. If you are interested or have questions email [email protected].

Did you know?

• In March 2026, BART rolled out new fare gate tones that are more pleasing and audible over station background noise, making stations more welcoming and simpler to navigate, especially for blind and low-vision riders.
• BART has hosted sensory orientations to help riders who are blind or have low vision navigate the system, most recently in March 2026.
• Every new and current BART Station Agent goes through Disability Awareness and Sensitivity Training.

Disability Pride Month is a reminder of how far accessible transit has come and a recommitment to the work still ahead. Learn more about BART's accessibility features and resources at bart.gov/accessibility.