New Yorker Milagros Franco has had a disability since birth. She works for an NGO in Brooklyn that supports people with disabilities. Her journey to work is a daily challenge. We find out what hurdles she faces every day.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00New York City, one of the most expensive cities worldwide.
00:05People living here don't always have it easy.
00:08Like Milagros Franco, a New Yorker born and bred.
00:12She's just finished work and is now shopping.
00:14You too, thank you.
00:16So we're going to go to Borough Hall and take the elevator and take the train.
00:28Milagros Franco has been disabled since birth.
00:32She studied in New York and works for an NGO in Brooklyn that supports people with disabilities.
00:38She lives on the other side of the East River in Manhattan and relies on the subway.
00:45It's faster for me to get home from my office.
00:50We wheeled a couple of blocks just to get here from my office.
00:55Even though the right to travel freely is recognized under US law,
00:59only one in three subway stations has an elevator.
01:03Usually when I come into the elevator, if I'm by myself,
01:06I like to face towards the wall so nobody can get behind me, just for safety reasons.
01:13Sometimes passengers are harassed by drug users or other people.
01:17Milagros Franco is no exception.
01:20For a person with a disability, I think it's smart to get on the train
01:24where the conductor is at.
01:26That way, if anything happens, he knows that I'm there.
01:30The New York subway is set to become largely barrier-free, but not till 2055.
01:36In the meantime, little is changing.
01:38The city says it lacks the money.
01:42I have problems with directions.
01:44So I always forget which direction the doors are going to open.
01:48And sometimes the train can be so crowded that if you put yourself in a corner,
01:53you won't be let out and you'll miss your stop.
01:56So I think it's better to stay in the middle of the way
01:59and let the rest of them deal with it.
02:02Milagros Franco needs a wheelchair because she has cerebral palsy,
02:07a condition that affects movement and posture.
02:10Both her nervous system and muscle function are affected.
02:15Getting out of the train isn't always easy.
02:21On her way home, she stops off to buy food for her pet cat.
02:26This is a relatively newly constructed building, or newly renovated building.
02:31There should be a button for the doors to open.
02:39With U.S. law prohibiting discrimination,
02:42being able to access stores is not a privilege.
02:46This isn't a specialist store, as her feline friend needs to lose a few pounds.
02:51I'm looking for the cat science diet.
02:56Maybe it's on the other side.
02:59She often gets chatting to people.
03:02Yes, I love doggies. Don't tell my cat that. What's his name?
03:07Almond.
03:08Thank you so much. I'm a sucker for animals. Yeah.
03:13She can't jump the line at the checkout because of her disability,
03:17but wants to be treated like other customers.
03:20When it comes to politics, she's a typical New Yorker and votes Democrat.
03:25And in the recent election, supported Kamala Harris.
03:28So I like to make sure people see that I vote.
03:32And I'm a proud Democratic, and although she didn't win,
03:37I'm a little nervous what Trump is going to do
03:41with the policies for people with disabilities.
03:44Something that many New Yorkers are concerned about.
03:48If President Trump cuts welfare programs, that could affect social housing.
03:53People with disabilities depend on getting affordable housing.
03:58It's New York City, so housing is a huge issue,
04:02especially if you have a mobility disability.
04:04Finding accessible housing is very difficult.
04:10Donald Trump could also cut health care programs.
04:14That's especially worrying to people with disabilities.
04:18Sharon McLennan-Weir is a high-profile activist and is herself blind.
04:23I would say that hopefully he'll have advisors,
04:28and the advisors will look at the actual costs
04:32and look at the actual spending of programs
04:35and realize that what we're spending on trying to keep people with disabilities
04:41as independent as possible is not what's causing the high costs of the debt.
04:48As yet, it's not clear what the next government will prioritize.
04:53Still, a lot has been achieved for people with disabilities in New York in recent years.
04:58Taxis, for example, now have to be barrier-free.
05:06Milagros Franco is now off to the Christmas market.
05:11Accessibility for all is a civil right, in theory.
05:15I normally don't shop in these little booths because it's really not accessible.
05:21Unless the person is willing to come out to me with the product and to get my money,
05:27I normally will not shop in things like this.
05:30But a stall selling truffle salami is too good to miss.
05:34I love salami.
05:36Take a try.
05:37Is it spicy?
05:39No, no, no.
05:41Thank you for your assistance. I appreciate it.
05:45She treats herself to a pair of socks, with cats on, of course.
05:50Isn't this adorable?
05:52Then she happens to meet a friend.
05:55Both are happy that it's not snowing.
05:58While others may long for a white Christmas,
06:01snow presents an additional obstacle for wheelchair users in New York.
06:07Christmas is not my favorite time of the year, believe it or not.
06:12Christmas is, to me, it's all about family and giving, not receiving.
06:18But we Americans are too greedy and we're all about,
06:23what can we get for me, rather than giving to someone
06:26that really needs something to be given to.
06:29And it's all about family, and I don't really, I'm not connected to my family,
06:34so it's kind of depressing.
06:36I have a family of friends, and they count, but it's not the same thing.
06:42It's time to head home, where her four-legged roommate is waiting.
06:46Milagros Franco plans to stay in New York.
06:49This is her home, and she has purpose too.
06:52Through her work, she's helping others with disabilities.
06:55And that's one in 11 people in this city of over 8 million.
07:00Life is never easy, but you just have to keep going.
07:03No matter what happens, you just have to keep going
07:06and learn to think outside of the box to solve your problems.
07:10Keep going, and where necessary, help yourself to get ahead.
07:15Perhaps a good approach for survival in the Big Apple.