General Travel Tips

Below are helpful travel tips for getting to and around Austin, Texas, for this year’s National Convention and beyond.

Air Travel

Below are air travel tips for white cane users and service animal users.

White Cane Users

Under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 121.589, air passengers may store white canes in an overhead compartment or storage closet. Section 121.589(g) also permits the following additional stowage options for travel canes:

  1. Under any series of connected passenger seats in the same row, if the cane does not protrude into an aisle and if the cane is flat on the floor.
  2. Between a nonemergency exit window seat and the fuselage, if the cane is flat on the floor.
  3. Beneath any two nonemergency exit window seats, if the cane is flat on the floor.

Service Animal Users

Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines may require passengers traveling with a service animal to complete a U.S. Department of Transportation attestation form when flying with a guide dog. Most airlines currently require this form. While the official form can be downloaded directly from the DOT, airlines often provide their own versions on company letterhead.

Some airlines require you to email the form, others require you to upload it to their website, and still others ask you to bring a printed copy. To reduce the risk of being denied boarding, follow your airline’s specific procedures and deadlines for submitting service animal attestation forms.

If you have internet access, you should be able to find your airline’s procedures and deadlines by searching for "service animals" along with the airline’s name. You may also be able to get this information by calling the airline’s reservation line. If you still have difficulty after trying those options, you may call NAGDU at 346-439-7444 or email the NAGDU board at [email protected].

To complete the attestation form, you will need the name and phone number of your guide dog’s veterinarian, the date of your guide dog’s most recent rabies vaccination and its expiration date, and the name and phone number of your guide dog’s training program or individual trainer.

If airline staff at the gate give you any difficulty, ask for a Conflict Resolution Officer (CRO), which all airlines are required to have.

Rideshare Services

Rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft are required under the Americans with Disabilities Act to transport service animals. If you or someone traveling with you is denied a ride and you believe it is because of a service animal, take these three steps:

  1. File a complaint with the rideshare company, giving them as many details as possible about the ride in question and the denial.
  2. Visit the Rideshare Discrimination Survey that the National Federation of the Blind developed.
  3. File a complaint with the Department of Justice, providing as many details as possible about the rideshare denial. Complaints to the Department of Justice should be filed at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

If you are interested, both Uber and Lyft offer optional self-identification features that you can set up in the accessibility settings of their apps. You can enable the feature for specific rides or keep it on all the time, and it may help reduce the likelihood of denials.

Uber Setup

Go to Account, tap Settings, and then tap Accessibility. Once that screen opens, swipe right until you reach the Service Animal option. Tap it and follow the prompts. After setup, you can toggle the feature on or off.

Lyft Setup

Go to your account settings, then swipe down to Help. Tap Help, then select Accessibility. From there, go to Disclose My Service Animal and follow the prompts. You can toggle this feature on or off in the settings. One potential benefit of using this optional self-identification feature is that it may reduce the likelihood of denials if you travel with a service animal.

If the feature is enabled when you schedule a ride, the driver will be notified that you are traveling with a service animal after you have been matched. If a driver still denies the ride, the feature may also make reporting the denial to Uber or Lyft easier by auto-generating some of the information the company requests.

Amtrak

Austin has an Amtrak station for those who wish to travel to the National Convention by train. The Austin Amtrak station is located at 250 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78703. It is approximately an eight-minute drive from the station to the convention headquarters hotel.

Public Transit Assistance

If you would like to use public transit in Austin and need assistance, you may call CapMetro at 512-852-7272. You will be presented with a menu of options. First, select your preferred language by pressing 1 for English or 2 for Spanish. After that, choose option 2 for buses. You will then be transferred to a customer service representative who can assist with your inquiry.

Paratransit Services

Traveling in Austin Using Paratransit

CapMetro Access is the ADA paratransit service provider in the Austin area. Visitors who wish to use CapMetro Access while in Austin must first contact their home-city paratransit provider and request visitor eligibility documentation. The home-city provider must email that documentation to [email protected] so it can be processed appropriately.

To allow enough time, it is strongly recommended that the home-city provider send the documentation at least one week before travel to the Austin area. If you would like to confirm that the information was received, you may call the CapMetro Access Eligibility team at 512-852-7272. First, select your preferred language by pressing 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then press 6 for the Eligibility team.

After you have been approved to use the service, you may begin booking rides. Visitors to the Austin area may book rides by calling 512-852-7272. After selecting the appropriate language option, press 1 and then press 2 to book a ride with an agent.

Riders may call between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends. Rides may be scheduled one to three days in advance. The fare is 1.75 dollars each way, and riders may place a credit card on file with Spare Pay by speaking with a reservation agent.

Know Your Rights: Traveling to the 2026 NFB National Convention

Considering increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presence at airports, bus stops, train stations, and other public spaces around the country, this section offers some quick tips and resources to guide your decision-making. This information may be helpful whether you are an immigrant or not—the know your rights information presented below can apply to any encounter with law enforcement, whether you are a citizen or noncitizen. 

Please note that this section is not intended to serve as legal advice and is not a substitute for seeking advice from a qualified attorney or other legal professional. If you have had prior contact with immigration authorities or the police, we especially encourage you to seek legal advice before making your travel plans. This section was created by a volunteer attorney for use by National Federation of the Blind (NFB) National Convention participants. It does not reflect the advice of the NFB. 

Before You Travel 

Weigh the risks and benefits of traveling: This risk tolerance will be different for everyone. Inform yourself about reported levels of law enforcement in your home community (including the airports, train stations, bus stations, or other transport areas you will use to travel) and in your destination location. Ask yourself, “Is the current risk of being stopped/detained by immigration authorities worth what I might gain from this particular trip?” There is no wrong answer to this question—it is a matter of your comfort and the comfort of any impacted loved ones. 

Airports are considered ports of entry, which means that immigration authorities will be present in all airports. In recent weeks, due to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), there has been increased ICE presence in certain airports. Be sure to consult local news and any information being put out by local advocacy organizations so you are informed about conditions in your home airport. Traveling by plane now requires the presentation of Real ID at airports. If you do not have a Real ID, you may need to travel with your foreign passport. 

Train and bus stations within 100 miles of the border are also more likely to have greater immigration enforcement presence, which might come with increased risk both in your home or destination location. Buses and trains do not require the presentation of Real ID. 

Create a safety preparedness plan: This written plan might include a list of emergency contacts; instructions regarding the care of your children if you are separated from them; a plan to make sure you have access to any medications and/or other healthcare needs, etc. (See below for a sample safety plan). 

Consider traveling with an accommodations card: This card details any accommodations you may need during a possible law enforcement encounter (e.g., reading aloud any written documents that you are served, the need to maintain physical possession of your white cane, etc.). Here’s a sample accommodations card created by Disability Rights California. 

Connect with an immigration legal services provider in your home location: It is helpful to  have a pre-existing relationship with a lawyer in your home community who is willing to be “on call” in case you are detained by immigration authorities or if you need legal support while traveling. Here is a list of immigration legal services providers nationwide created by the Immigration Advocates Network. 

During Your Trip 

Know Your Rights: If you encounter federal, state, or local law enforcement while in Austin. 

  • You have the right to remain silent. 
  • You have the right to contact an attorney. 
  • You have the right to ask if you are free to leave. 
  • You have the right to refuse searches without a warrant. 
  • You have the right to request accommodations. (Including the right to maintain physical contact with your white cane throughout the law enforcement encounter) 

Plan for Support: Identify a local (Austin-based) immigration legal services organization that you and/or your loved ones can contact in the event you are arrested, detained, or otherwise encounter immigration enforcement and need assistance. See above for a nationwide directory of immigration legal services providers from the Immigration Advocates Network, and see below for a possible local contact. 

Additional Resources