The City of Philadelphia believes that access to City services should be available to all. The City supports efforts to better assist people with a disability through laws, policies, services, and programs.
Jump to:
- Accessible spaces
- Disability characteristics in Philadelphia
- Systems navigation video project
- COVID-19 resources
- Documents and policies
Accessible spaces
The City of Philadelphia supports accessible spaces. New building and renovation projects may require that accommodations be made to better serve people with disabilities. For more information about accessible construction, visit the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Disability characteristics in Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, roughly 17% of residents have a disability. However, the Office for People with Disabilities believes that disability data is more than numbers. This data tells the story of our city and its people.
Explore the map
You can use our map to learn more about the disability representation in your neighborhood, district, and city. You can add layers within the map, including neighborhoods, City Council districts, and more to see specific disability data of those geographic areas.
You can also view additional map layers of age, race, and ethnicity. See our training guide to learn more before you explore.
Map of disability data in Philadelphia
About the map
This map was created in partnership with the Managing Director’s Office and Philly Counts. It is a valuable resource for City departments, City Council, and other community partners.
The map data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Systems navigation video project
These videos are for Philadelphia residents with disabilities and their families. They’re designed to help people with disabilities navigate different systems. We partnered with the Department of Public Health‘s Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health to create these resources.
Through this project, we hoped to increase accessibility and awareness of resources. We also prioritized accessibility through the project. We provided interpretation in American Sign Language and closed captions in English and Spanish. We’ve also provided downloadable resource guides in English and Spanish.
This project received funding from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP).
COVID-19 resources
As the impact of COVID-19 continues to expand across the Philadelphia area, low-income residents and people with disabilities may be disproportionately impacted by business closures and other disruptions. The City of Philadelphia and its partners have a number of resources available to support residents.
Visit the City’s COVID-19 website for more information on how to:
- Locate free food.
- Get tested for COVID-19.
- Access mental and behavioral health services.
- Get help with housing and utilities.
- Apply for unemployment and other benefits.
In partnership with the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in May 2021 launched the Homebound Vaccination Program. This program helps people who are homebound and their families to schedule in-home vaccination services through different vaccine providers. It is available for any individual who is homebound or for anyone who would have difficulty being vaccinated at a clinic due to a disability.
Documents and policies
Laws and policies
The City of Philadelphia establishes policies to support accessibility. The mayor’s Master Language Access Plan helps govern access to braille and sign language. To better access City buildings and services, individuals can also submit a reasonable modification request.
ADA Transition Plan
The ADA Transition Plan will guide the removal of barriers to accessibility throughout the City.