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Everyone deserves to be able to move around this country without mobility restrictions — this is not only a courtesy, it’s the law.

However, not all cities are as accessible as others. Some are less accessible due to their climate, others are less accessible due to a lack of services available, and others are considered less accessible due to their transit systems.

We did some research to learn what some of the most wheelchair-friendly cities in the US are. The first thing we discovered was this list put together by the Christoper Reeve Foundation of the top 20 most wheelchair-friendly cities in America.

The Christopher Reeve study provides a list of the cities in the Unites States considered to be the most wheelchair-friendly. While the study doesn’t state the specific reasons why each city is wheelchair-friendly, it does explain the criteria used to rank these cities.

The study looks at two things in particular:

• Transportation: How accessible the city’s public transportation is to individuals in wheelchairs.
• Housing: A set of standards called Universal Design exists with guidelines on how to make housing accessible for everyone. The study looks at how much of a city’s housing developers abide by Universal Design.

The study set out to find the most “livable” cities for those in wheelchairs, and this is what it concluded they are:

1. Seattle, Wash.
2. Albuquerque, N.M.
3. Reno, Nev.
4. Denver, Colo.
5. Portland, Ore.
6. Chicago, Ill.
7. Birmingham, Ala.
8. Winston-Salem, N.C.
9. Orlando, Fla.
10. Lubbock, Texas

For top 20 please see the full list.

Unfortunately, New Jersey did not rank anywhere on their top 20 list. We will continue to do our part to make NJ one of the most wheelchair-accessible cities one ramp and stairlift at a time!

Is that list written in stone? Absolutely not. There’s plenty of information out there about wheelchair-friendly cities, and after looking combing through a lot of it certain trends start to be noticed.

A Few of the Top Wheelchair-friendly Cities

One of the cities that comes up often in people’s lists is Seattle. Although listed first in the Christopher Reeve Study, Seattle is listed third in this brilliant infographic from Living Spinal about wheelchair-friendly cities. Seattle is credited with great transportation and innovative services for disabled individuals.

The two studies also agree on the wheelchair-friendliness of Portland, Oregon. Portland is credited with having hundreds of options for adaptive recreation facilities and programs.

In this report on the wheelchair-friendliness of some of the top cities in the world, Washington DC was the only US city mentioned. It was credited for having tremendous transportation options for disabled individuals.

“In Washington DC, in contrast, the whole network is wheelchair accessible. There are lifts at every station. A wheelchair-bound person in DC can travel around with the same level of ease as an able-bodied person.”

We just glossed over a few of the most wheelchair-friendly cities in this list. For more information check out some of the resources we presented in this article.

For more about how to make your home wheelchair-friendly, browse some of the products we have available for NJ residents.

Let me know if this situation sounds familiar to you. You hear about a great restaurant either through a friend or a great online review. You prepare yourself for an enjoyable evening out, only to get to the restaurant and realize you can’t eat there because it’s not wheelchair accessible.

If it were up to us, there would be nothing but wheelchair accessible restaurants in NJ. Unfortunately, there are still some establishments out there that aren’t so accommodating.

How can you tell the wheelchair accessible restaurants in NJ from the non-accessible restaurants? The best way to check, unless you’ve heard it from someone you know, is to visit their website.

Usually, wheelchair accessible restaurants will make a point of telling you somewhere on their website that they’re accessible.

If the restaurant doesn’t mention anything about its accessibility, it may be safe to leave it off your list of wheelchair accessible restaurants. Or you can follow the second step below.

Another way to find out for sure if a restaurant is wheelchair accessible is to hear it directly from them. Pick up the phone and give them a call. They should be able to tell you immediately whether or not a wheelchair equipped individual can access their dining room.

We have taken it upon ourselves to help you identify wheelchair accessible restaurants by creating a list of wheelchair accessible restaurants in NJ. These are restaurants we either know to be accessible through experience, or because they have mentioned it on their website.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of wheelchair accessible restaurants in NJ, but it should at least give you something to choose from. If you know of any wheelchair accessible restaurants that you’d recommend, please add a comment at the end of this post.

A Brief List of Wheelchair Accessible Restaurants in NJ

Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen — Morristown, NJ
Jockey Hollow offers regional fare and farm-to-table fine dining. In addition to the main dining room, Jockey Hollow also offers The Wine Vault with 400 selections of wine to choose from.

La Couronne Restaurant — Montclair, NJ
La Couronne is considered one of the finest Italian restaurants in NJ. In addition to Italian fare, this restaurant’s signature dishes include roasted duck with plum sauce and Veal La Couronne.

The Mill — Spring Lake Heights, NJ
The Mill calls itself the “ultimate” lakeside restaurant in New Jersey, and has earned a 2015 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. The Mill offers american cuisine featuring great steaks and fresh seafood from the Jersey Shore.

Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar — Morristown, NJ
When it opened, Blue Morel was named among the top 10 new restaurants in the world by Gayot.com. It has also won a Diner’s Choice award from OpenTable.com. Blue Morel offers local, organic North American cuisine and a raw seafood bar.

And Many More

Help add to our list by leaving a comment with your favorite accessible restaurant in NJ.

You may have heard the phrase “wheelchair yoga” but, to be honest, it’s not so much yoga designed for individuals in wheelchairs as it is yoga poses you can do from a seated position.

That’s right- wheelchair yoga is technically no different from any other form of yoga, the term just refers to a certain set of poses you can do while sitting.

Yoga offers many benefits, but we understand how it can be intimidating for individuals in wheelchairs. You may feel as though your flexibility and mobility keep you from getting the full benefits of a yoga workout, but wheelchair yoga incorporates all the breathing and mind-body benefits of a traditional yoga workout.

The following wheelchair yoga exercises mentioned below can be a great addition to your daily routine, but before you begin any new routine of physical activity, you should consult with your healthcare provider. These poses are suitable for most people, including seniors, people living with chronic pain, and those who use a wheelchair.

Top 3 Wheelchair Yoga Poses for Beginners

If you’re new to wheelchair yoga, the following poses are a great introduction that you should be able to accomplish regardless of your level of experience.

Seated Neck Rolls
This warm-up pose relieves tension from the neck. This pose should be avoided if you have any issues or injuries to the neck or cervical spine.

• Begin by sitting up straight in a chair. Look up to the ceiling, and extend your neck.
• Bring your left ear down towards your left shoulder and hold. Roll your head down towards the ground and bring your chin to your chest.
• Roll your head to the right and bring that ear to your right shoulder.
• Inhale and exhale through the nose in a slow and controlled manner. Repeat twice.
• Repeat five times on each side — remember to take long, slow, even breaths through your nose.

Seated Mountain Pose
This wheelchair yoga pose is sometimes called “samasthiti” or equal standing. Usually done at the beginning of a yoga routine, this pose acts as a way to reset and balance the body.

• Begin by sitting up straight in a chair. Roll your shoulder blades back and down, arms relaxed at your sides.
• Pull your bellybutton in to your spine to engage your abs.
• Inhale through the nose and raise your arms overhead.
• Keep your arms shoulder width apart, and relax your shoulders.  Keep the belly strong, and gaze in between your hands, to the ceiling.
• Stay here for five breaths.

Seated Eagle Arms
This wheelchair yoga pose is an arm and shoulder stretch that targets the wrists and the space in between the shoulder blades, a difficult area to stretch.

• Begin by sitting up straight in a chair. Roll your shoulder blades back and down, arms relaxed at your sides.
• Pull your bellybutton in to your spine to engage your abs.
• Extend your arms out in front of you at 90-degree angles, palms facing each other.
• Place your right arm under your left and press the backs of your palms together.
• Inhale and sit tall, then exhale and tuck your chin to your chest to stretch the back of the neck.
• Hold the pose for five breaths, then switch arms and stay another five breaths.

Once you are comfortable with these wheelchair yoga poses, you may be ready to move on to something more advanced, but always remember to consult with your healthcare provider first.