When it comes to providing opportunities to people with disabilities, Westchester County is committed to doing everything it can. The Office for the Disabled is here to answer your questions, provide assistance or direct you to resources. The office maintains an online, comprehensive Disability Resource Guide to provide people with disabilities, their families and caregivers a convenient and accessible means of finding services throughout Westchester County.

Bee-Line Taxi pilot program to start April 2
The anticipated changes to the county's popular paratransit system, which provides transportation for those unable to use regular bus service due to disabilities, are expected to start April 2. The pilot program will run for one year. Also, new fuel-efficient vehicles are being incorporated into the county's paratransit fleet.

ParaTransit
A ParaTransit system is available by reservation for those who cannot use the regular buses. The county offers a travel training program that teaches people with developmental disabilities to use the regular Bee-Line buses along with a reduced fare fee structure for those who qualify. The hours of operation run weekly.

In June, the Office for the Disabled received Westchester Arc's 2011 Public Partnership Award for professionalism in running the county's ParaTransit system. ParaTransit is key in making Westchester accessible to so many of our citizens with disabilities.

Special Needs Registry
If you, or someone you know, might require additional assistance to leave home during an emergency, consider registering with the Special Needs Registry. The registry is for individuals with physical or mental disabilities who live on their own. The database will be provided to local municipalities to use in their emergency planning efforts.

The Office for the Disabled arranges for sign language interpreters, works with municipalities to provide handicapped parking stickers, and hosts various events such as the Annual Achievement Awards Breakfast and Annual Day at Playland in June.

The county’s first baseball field, designed specifically for kids with disabilities, is located at Ridge Road Park in Hartsdale. The field is the result of a partnership between Westchester County and the Miracle League, a national non-profit organization, which aims to make baseball accessible to every child, regardless of disability. Additionally, 500 plus adults are able to play on the special, rubberized turf field in the Miracle Adult League.

The office also ensures that the county is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act that guarantees basic civil rights to everyone.