Lima - Post Report Question and Answers
Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Accessibility is rather random. - Jul 2022
Yes, mostly due to uneven/broken sidewalks. Cobblestone parking lots were difficult to walk on without any physical disabilities. They do have designated handicap parking areas along with elevator/ramp access to most buildings. Outside of Lima would be more difficult. - Mar 2018
Lima is a relatively flat city and areas such as Miraflores and San Isidro usually have side walks with ramps at most intersections. Challenges would be constantly encountered, but the city is better equipped than many others in Latin America. - Jul 2016
They are trying to improve access, but there are parts of town without great sidewalks and you have to walk in the road sometimes. - Sep 2015
Despite what someone previously wrote, there are Peruvian laws protecting the rights of the disabled. Most noticeable is the law that elderly, small children (under 3 years of age), pregnant women, and disabled folks are all allowed priority queuing anywhere in the country---although they must self-identify as such. For example, there are special check-out queues for these categories in supermarkets here. Disabled parking spots are usually readily available and are rarely abused. Sidewalks in San Isidro are wide, clean, and have ramps. The same cannot be said for sidewalks in Camacho & La Molina (where they are non-existent) or in Miraflores (the sidewalks are narrower and dirtier in Miraflores than in San Isidro). If there was a wheelchair-bound person or someone with a mobility issue coming to Lima, I would recommend living in San Isidro, but in a one-storey house due to frequent-enough electricity and elevator outages that would make someone housebound in a multi-storey apartment building. Most buildings in Lima have wheelchair/pram ramps. - Sep 2015
Yes and no. There is no such thing as ADA here, but many of the newer buildings have made accommodations with ramps and elevators to assist the less-abled. Still, may places can be difficult as this is a country of much antiquity and limited access. - May 2015
Yes. Sidewalks are rare. - Apr 2015
No, I think it's generally pretty accessible. - Sep 2014
Yes. Sidewalks exist in some places but are rarely well-maintained. However, you can hire a driver for a reasonable cost to get around public transportation. - Apr 2014
Peru is getting better at providing appropriate access for disabled persons but services and basic access can still be limited in Lima. Outside of Lima, options are even more limited or non-existent. - Mar 2014
Roads and sidewalks are poorly maintained. I think it would be quite challenging to get around. Cars also go very fast and pay little attention to pedestrians, so I think there could be a safety factor as well in crossing streets. - Aug 2013
Sidewalks can be difficult to manage outside of Miraflores. Many buildings do not have good access for those with disabilities. - Jul 2013
There is some accommodation made from persons with disabilities, but it is not up to developed-country standards. Once you have left LIma there is very little accommodation for the disabled. - Jul 2013
There are absolutely no accommodations made for people with disabilities. - Jun 2013
Many. There are minimal accommodations for handicapped people. - Jan 2012
Depends on where you live in Lima and what you can afford. There are many school opportunities here. The embassy is in a new building and meets a lot of the ADA requirements. Most of Miraflores and San Isidro is ok for someone with needs. The rest of the area is hit or miss. - Jan 2012
They would have some difficulties. The newer structures would have elevators and some ramps, but Lima is an old city and there are stairs and uneven sidewalks everywhere. - Aug 2011
Public transportation is horrible, so you will need to have your own car or hire a special van that can be costly. Most sidewalks are fine for using wheelchairs, and all apartment bulding have elevators. - Jul 2010
There is a half-hearted attempt at catering to the disabled but nothing one can rely on. Yesterday on a walk near the Embassy I noticed someone had broken a hole in the concrete sidewalk wheelchair ramp and planted a tree. I wasn't surprised. - Jun 2010
A lot, it is not a city with sidewalks or ramps for wheelchairs. - Jul 2008
There are surprisingly good accommodations for disabled persons in many places in Lima. Outside of Lima, it would be much more difficult, though not impossible, to get around. - Apr 2008
