4th In The Nation Goes To This Howard County Town: Best City For People With Disabilities

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Columbia has been recognized as the Best City for People with Disabilities in Maryland by WalletHub, the personal finance outlet, ranking fourth in the nation.

WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: economy, quality of life and health care.

“In recent years, we have made investments so that residents of all ages and abilities can thrive, such as adding 150 additional special education teachers this year, building accessible housing or implementing programs to ensure that vaccines are available to all,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “It is gratifying to receive national recognition for our work and we will continue our efforts to make our playgrounds, trails, transportation system and more the best in the country, for all our residents.”

During the past four years, Howard County has provided resources to building Patuxent Commons, a major housing project that is a national model for housing adults with disabilities; opened Laura’s Place, a first-of-its-kind playground that embraces inclusive activities for all; and upgraded its website to include full content accessibility.

To determine the most livable places for people with disabilities, WalletHub compared more than 180 most populated cities across 34 indicators of disability-friendliness. The “economy” category included factors such as housing affordability and the poverty rate of people with disabilities. The “quality-of-life” ranking included measurements of wheelchair access for restaurants, stores, and trails, as well as number of special education teachers and other factors. “Health care” rankings included COVID vaccination rates and numbers of occupational therapists.

Columbia ranked in the top 10 nationally in both the economy and quality of life categories.

“Howard County has made great strides to enhance accessibility throughout the community, offering employment, recreational, health and wellness opportunities for individuals living with disabilities,” said Jacqueline Scott, Director, Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services. “It is great to be recognized for these accomplishments, as we continue to make Howard County more accessible to all, regardless of age or ability.”