BART is committed to complying with all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations as well as State of California accessibility requirements. If you have questions or concerns about accessibility issues or would like to request information on this website in an alternative format, please contact the Customer Access and Accessibility Department.
To learn more about how to use BART as a senior and/or person with disabilities, check out our BART Accessibility Guide and comic-book style LEARN BART! Your Guide to Ride.
Features for those with wheelchairs & limited mobility
- Elevators/escalators: All BART stations have escalators and accessible elevators.
- Accessible fare gates: All BART stations have wider fare gates to accommodate those in wheelchairs. These fare gates are typically located nearest to the elevators.
- Level boarding: All BART trains have level boarding. Please be mindful of the gap between the train and the platform.
- Priority seats: All train cars have green priority seats to the left of the door on all train cars. All trains can accommodate wheelchair users to the right of the doorway.
- Accessible parking: All stations with parking have specially designated disabled person parking spaces. Users must pay daily parking fees when in effect. Visit the parking section for more details.
Features for blind & low vision riders
- Many BART stations have tactile guideways that indicate routes to bus bays, fare gates, and platform stairs.
- Textured tiles with truncated domes along the length of BART train platforms mark the platform edge. These tiles can be detected with a cane or foot. An extra row of tiles with three rows of directional bars are used to mark guaranteed boarding areas, regardless of train length.
- Train announcements state the name of the next station and instructions for transfers on every train.
- The public address system announces train arrivals and other information on the station platform.
- All stations have Braille and large-print signs marking exits and other important locations.
- Clipper card vending machines located in stations have audio and Braille features.
Features for deaf & hard of hearing riders
- Overhead signs on the platform display the destination of each arriving train and other important information.
- Digital displays within the train cars show the location of the train and the next stop.
- Hearing loops are available at all Station Agent booths and in the center third of all train cars.
Calling for help
All BART stations have call boxes and/or courtesy telephones at all levels that connect to a BART Station Agent or connect to the BART’s Operations Control Center.
If you need to communicate with the Station Agent while inside the elevator, use the emergency telephone, which are inside all BART elevators. If the Station Agent does not answer within seconds, your call will be answered by BART Central Dispatch. If the emergency telephone is off the hook for at least two minutes but there is no voice communication, BART will treat this as a call for assistance. This ensures that help is available to elevator passengers even if they are unable to speak.
Emergency evacuations
Please visit BART’s Injury Prevention & Evacuations page to learn about procedures for emergency evacuation for those with disabilities.
Service animals/pets
Passengers with disabilities may ride with their trained service animals. Service animals must be leashed and kept on the floor and out of the aisles as much as possible and must be under the control of their owners at all times. View BART's service animals and pet policies.
Personal Care Attendants (PCA)
Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) who accompany disabled passengers on BART are eligible for the discount fare if the use of a PCA is indicated on the RTC Discount Card.
Restrooms
Clean and safe restrooms are an essential amenity to provide for our riders. Information about restrooms can be found here.
Reasonable modification requests
BART is committed to making reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that BART services are accessible to everyone. To make a request, contact the Customer Access and Accessibility Department. Reasonable modifications may also be made by printing and submitting this form: BART Reasonable Modification Request Form. If you are not satisfied with BART’s response to your reasonable modification request, you may file an appeal to request a hearing. Please fill out this form: Appeals Process and Form.
ADA violation complaint procedure
Any person who wishes to file a complaint regarding a request for reasonable modifications or alleging any action by BART prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations found at 49 CFR Parts 27, 37, 38, and 39, may file a written complaint with the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART). Complaint Form: Complaint Form.
If you need assistance in making the request or completing the request form, BART staff will provide assistance. If requested, BART will provide a language or ASL interpreter. Please contact the Customer Access and Accessibility Department for assistance.
BART website
The BART website incorporates numerous accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, including guidelines from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). BART will provide alternative media to access information about BART programs and services.
If you have suggestions for improving BART website accessibility, please let us know by contacting the BART website manager.
ADA mobility device relocation
In the event a rider is separated from their mobility device due to a train or station evacuation, they should call 510-464-7777 or email [email protected] and provide their contact information. Staff will coordinate the return of the device.
Improved access settlement agreement
A settlement agreement has been reached regarding improved access to BART facilities for people with mobility disabilities. The settlement notice is available here.