What Services Are Disabled Travelers In Las Vegas Offered?
Most Businesses Are Handicap Equipped
Yes! The Las Vegas Strip is Disabled Friendly with handicap access for tourists everywhere in Las Vegas. The ADA – American Disability Act went into effect for properties built, remodeled, or renovated after 1990. Most of the Las Vegas Strip has been built or renovated since 1990; therefore, it has built-in access everywhere. Architects hired ADA Specialists 30+ years ago. Today, the Las Vegas hotel building standards exceed most ADA guidelines.
Las Vegas is a disabled-friendly city for most disabilities. The Las Vegas Strip is one of the most accommodating places for people with disabilities and mobility issues on the planet. Businesses on the Strip plan for handicapped guests and are well-equipped to provide assistance for many types of disabilities.
Wheelchair ramps will be everywhere stairs are, except in fire stairwells. McCarran Airport and many hotels have stair chairs nearby or inside their stairwells in case of emergencies. There are strobe fire alarms that are SUPER loud in commercial businesses. TTY facilities are available in hotels.
Best Hotel For Disabled Tourists
Many hotels have pools with beach-front entries. Others have lift apparatus on their hotel room ceilings in some rooms. Many have roll-in showers and bathtubs with seats. Lower towel and clothes racks are in the rooms, as well as numerous grab bars. The finer hotels provide accordion-mounted mirrors on the bathroom walls.
Hotels usually don’t advertise their hotel rooms with handicap features, so ASK. Aria at City Center gets our vote for being the best handicap accessible hotel on the Strip. I would still like to see improvement in the features for disabled adults, and we will continue to work towards improving the system.
Flying Into LAS – McCarran Airport
Welcome to Las Vegas! When you land at McCarren International Airport, handicap facilities for disabled travelers are everywhere. McCarran has an information number, so call them if you need help or have any questions. Travelers may dial 7874 on any white courtesy phone in the airport or 702.261.7874 on your own phone.
Wheel Chairs –
All airlines offer wheelchair services free of charge from the airplane to your baggage claim and then to the parking lot or transportation areas. We recommend that you request a wheelchair when buying your tickets or at your departing airline ticket counter. Gates are far away from baggage claim and transportation.
Bathrooms –
There are large handicap-accessible stalls in all bathrooms, small changing tables, and sinks that are wheelchair accessible. There are also Companion Care Unisex Private Bathrooms. Breastfeeding rooms are available as well as animal bathrooms and facilities.
Baggage –
Wheelchair attendants will assist with baggage. Most of the newer airport wheelchairs have a luggage rack under them. There are also inexpensive baggage cart rentals in the baggage claim area. Another option is utilizing the baggage attendants who assist you for a fee.
Seeing and Hearing Impaired –
Hearing-impaired will be able to use the abundant signage. Sight impaired may want to utilize the free wheelchair services. The airport is quite large, and the attendants are perfect tour guides. They even stop at bathrooms and wait while you are inside. All elevators in the city have braille on the control panels.
Transportation To Hotels –
Ask the hotel reservation clerk if your hotel offers transportation to and from the airport. If not, shuttle busses are very reasonable to and from every hotel on the Strip. Ask the clerk which service visits their hotel most often. The more frequently they stop there, the less time you have to wait for a ride.
RTC, shuttle buses, limousines, and ground transportation are all located on the ZERO Level or to the left out of Baggage Claim – follow the signs. Passenger pickup is on Level 1. Exit the doors, cross the street, and use the moving walkway to benches.
NOTE: At McCarran International Airport, there is a new Uber and Lyft pickup area. It is on Level 2. The elevators or escalators have awful signage. Once you are at the Level 2 area with 5 elevators by the escalators, follow the signs. You’ll exit through the doors and cross the bridge to the parking garage area.
For a full list of services, see the McCarran Airport Special Assistance Information Page.
Hotel Services Offered For Special Needs
Hotel Rooms –
Most hotels in Las Vegas have basic handicapped rooms with grab bars in the bathrooms and a location by the elevator. When asked for, there are “Special Needs” rooms. Rooms vary in their accommodations. You’ll find roll-in showers, transfer showers, bathtubs with a built-in seat and portable seats. Lower sinks, closet rods, and wider doors are other features.
Your reservation operator will assist you with basic “specific needs” rooms. If you require additional services, ask the reservation operator for the Hotel’s ADA Specialist. At hotels, there are doormen who will assist you into a taxi, automatic touchless doors, and electronic check-in if desired. Bellmen take your bags to your room and the parking valet will park your car. TIP- Call ahead when leaving and your car can be waiting.
Most hotels stay away from equipment and oxygen tanks onsite as rentals. Desert Medical Supply is the provider of choice to the hotels. They provide scooters, air, and other needed equipment that your hotel does not provide. TIP- Book equipment at least 3 days in advance.
Restaurants and Showrooms –
Showrooms in most hotels have assistive listening devices for hearing-impaired persons. Some venues have personal speakers built into their chairs. These are available at the showroom or lounge entrance. Wheelchair seating is also available at most showrooms, lounges, and restaurants. Call ahead for reservations and details.
When you are at the hotel’s front door or parking entrance, ask an attendant for the best route to the showroom. Some hotels are specifically designed to take guests through the gaming areas to get to the showroom. The hotel’s desired route to a venue is probably not the shortest route. Often there are secret elevators.
Swimming Pools –
Hotel pools that were built or remodeled since 2010 will have beach entrances. If a beach entrance isn’t available, there are lifts. Again, ask your room reservation operator for details. The MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay have the largest number of swimming pools and provide the most variety.
Swimming pools will provide towels to their guest. If you want more than one, just ask. Cabana rentals are available at almost every hotel. Poolside umbrellas are also scattered throughout the pool area. Enjoy your time poolside and utilize the outdoor dining menu and cocktail server who comes to your lounge chair or table.
What Hotels Offer Disabled Friendly Gaming Areas?
Casino entrances have valet parking attendants trained to assist with motorized scooters and wheelchairs. From parking or guest drop-off areas, there will be no steps or ramps. There are very few non-accessible areas in a Las Vegas hotel and casino. TIP- ASK the hotel and the casino host what accommodations they can make for your disability. There are even hidden private bathrooms in most casinos – ASK!
Casino personnel is trained to assist vision and hearing impaired people at their table games. Craps dealers will place bets for you on the tables. Bingo rooms have electronic machines for dexterity issues and with braille. Large printed Bingo cards are also available for the vision impaired. I do not “need” an electronic machine but will only use them- they are so much easier!
Slot machines and table games have movable chairs. If there is a chair where you want to play, ask the dealer or push the service button on a machine for an attendant to relocate the chair. Gaming tables often have lower tabletops. Some hotels have floating blackjack and craps in their pools. High rollers can request private gaming sessions.
During morning hours, many hotels offer free gaming schools to their guests. Sign language interpreters will be provided if planned for in advance. The bottom line is that Las Vegas Hotels want to be known as “disabled-friendly.” If they know ahead of time what your needs are, they will exceed your every expectation.
Las Vegas Transportation That Is Disability Friendly
Wheelchair Van Rentals
Depending on your needs, rental vehicles are available. If you are able to use a normal rental car agency, that’s always the first choice. From McCarran Airport, there are shuttle buses to their offsite rental location. For drivers needing hand controls of lifts into a van, here is the link to the Las Vegas wheelchair accessible van rental agency. Delivery is available to most Las Vegas hotels.
Bus Services –
RTC (Regional Transportation Commission) provides the Las Vegas bus/paratransit system. It is amazing if you have time. Buses pick you up at your door and will take you anywhere in the city. Since there are other riders sharing the bus, it can take time to get where you want to go.
The Paratransit bus runs on the Strip 24/7. Bring certification from home, and you will be granted access without Nevada certification for 21 days. Seniors and disabled riders pay reduced fares. For more info, call CAT-RIDE at 1-702-228-7433. For scheduling rides, call 1-3 days ahead of time at 1-702-228-4800.
All regular RTC buses have wheelchair ramps and chair tie-downs at the bus’s main door. We sold a house last month to a wheelchair-bound person who travels everywhere using the RTC. She only has compliments for the bus drivers and the system. For other disabilities, tell the driver what you need.
Rental Vehicles and Cars –
Rental cars used to be very inexpensive, and Las Vegas possibly had the lowest rates in the United States. 2021 saw sky-high price changes due to companies having fewer cars to rent. Besides having the choice of any type of rental vehicle normally offered, there are exotic rental car rental companies. Harleys are available to rent, scooters, bicycles, and whatever the trend is.
Taxi’s, Uber, and Lyft –
All Las Vegas Taxi companies have wheelchair-specific vans. Tell the dispatcher what your needs are. Uber and Lyft have similar programs. Let them know if you have a mobility device that may need special handling or if you need assistance. Your needs will determine who they assign to your pickup. Allow extra time for arrival.
Use an App on your phone or ask a concierge or doorman to assist you. Often the hotel operator will connect you with necessary services. They are also great resources for transportation to and from the airport.
Limousines –
Limousines are available in every size and shape in Las Vegas. If you want a hot tub, it can be arranged. The most affordable service is Bell Transportation. They have Lincoln Town Cars as well as limousines that charge by the hour and have the best all-around pricing for non-specialty features.
Again, tell the dispatcher what your specific needs are and they will accommodate you if at all possible. In our small city, you can hire a limousine for a one-way trip and not pay for them to wait for you doing nothing. Book a second limousine for X number of hours later for your pickup and to cruise the Strip in style!
Sight-Seeing Tours –
Where do you want to go? Disability-Friendly transportation and tours are available for most attractions. Tours will accommodate many disabilities. Schedule a hotel pickup to go anywhere. Take a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon or a Strip Tour. Walking – wheelchair tours are available. Buses are provided for the Hoover Dam Tour that facilitates disabilities. TIP- Call and ASK and see what’s available.
Handicapped Parking –
Nevada parking allows free parking at parking meters on the street with a disabled parking placard. If you are from out-of-state, bring your parking placard and display your placard prominently in the front window. You can also apply for a temporary disabled parking permit with your doctor’s office statement. International travelers are encouraged to apply. Allow 2-3 weeks for processing with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles plus mail time. Visit the DMV website.
Accessibility For Walking The Las Vegas Strip
There are about 20 disability friendly overhead walkways in all directions at busy intersections on the Las Vegas Strip for your safety. Eliminating pedestrians crossing streets at crosswalks has greatly increased the safety of walking on the Strip.
There are escalators and elevators at the base of each walkway. Most walkways also have access to the resorts at that intersection. Lining the sidewalks on the Strip are car barrier posts every few feet.
The Las Vegas Monorail system has 7 stops and is only on the east side of the Strip. Designed for convention-goers, it loops from the Sahara Hotel down to the MGM Grand. Fares are $5 for a single ride and $13 a day.
Monorail cars are great handicap accessible transportation. However, monorail stations are at the back of the hotel properties, so getting there can be a hike.
Some hotels have private monorail systems connecting their hotels together. MGM Properties on the west side of the Strip has a free private monorail connecting 3 popular destinations. It goes from Park MGM (T-Mobile Arena) to Crystals, the mall at City Center, and to the Bellagio. There is no charge.
Hotels owned by the same company will have bridges connecting them. Examples: The Mandalay Bay and The Luxor. The Venetian and The Encore. There are many moving walkways. The MGM Grand connects with the Signature MGM Towers underground.
If you walk somewhere on the Strip and get tired, take an RTC bus back to your hotel. They constantly run and cost about $2 per person, and are all handicap accessible.
Disability Friendly Homes For Sale In Las Vegas
Las Vegas handicap accessible homes for sale with disability friendly features are all over the city. Most 55+ retirement communities have grab bars, solid surface flooring, level threshold entries, and emergency safety systems. There are over 20 existing communities and 13 neighborhoods offering brand new homes for seniors. Design your own handicap-accessible features in your dream home.
Homes for sale for people under 55 are available in the brand new construction home market. Builders must offer disability friendly features as options. In the resale market, some builders have built homes with removable lower cabinets for wheelchair access as a standard feature. Put us on your team, and let us find you the house you’re looking for. Do you want a lift?r
A home for sale with a casita can provide a more independent lifestyle for an adult child or parent. We can look for homes for sale with ramps or a lift system. Whatever your needs are, let’s talk. Modifications are also easily coordinated.
We have a contractor that creates easy access into and out of swimming pools. Have you considered building a custom home? For a similar cost as a tract home, you can buy land and build a house exactly how you want. We can show you options and possibilities.
With over 225 communities and 1000 floorplans to choose from, let us be your guides and protectors in the new construction home market. As a 25+ year Las Vegas Realtor and former Nevada Building Engineer, I use my skills and knowledge to protect you and your investment.
Call our office today or visit www.HomesForSale.Vegas for our 200-page informative website. Search homes for sale by zip code map or call us to search for disability features for you.
Our granddaughter has Spina Bifida. We now know things we never knew about mobility. We understand, and we are on your team.
Nevada’s TTY Hearing Services are listed below.
Nevada Relay Service
Voice: 1-800-326-6888 or Dial 711
TTY/ASCII/HCO: 1-800-326-6868 or Dial 711
Click here for transportation listings.
