My name is Zaakirah Nayyar Muhammad. My first name is Arabic for “the afterlife,” and my middle name means “bright light.” I am a retinoblastoma survivor, having lost vision in my right eye and wearing a prosthetic there since I was nine months old. As an adult, I live with glaucoma and cataracts in my left eye. The radiation treatment that saved my life also took most of my hearing, requiring me to use a hearing aid, primarily in my right ear.
My mother, a native New Yorker, moved to Atlanta, where she met my dad. But it was back in NYC, at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where she sought the second opinion that confirmed my cancer diagnosis. I’ve visited the City several times, always surrounded by family and friends. My most recent trip was different: my first post-pandemic solo journey to the City that holds so much of our family’s history.
I intentionally planned this trip to revisit places I’d shared with my late maternal aunt, to follow in my mother’s teenage footsteps and to explore new destinations, all through the lens of a disability advocate.
West Fourth Street Subway Station. Photo: Gabby Jones
Subway map on the C train. Photo: Gabby Jones
Between the MTA app, Google Maps and the large, easy-to-read signs, I could easily navigate independently throughout New York City. The new buses are equipped with LED signs that clearly list upcoming stops. For someone with hearing loss, this feature is a game changer. It saved me the energy-draining task of asking for directions and repeatedly requesting clarification, as well as the anxiety of constantly looking around to avoid missing my stop.
While Google Maps was a vital tool in navigating, its walking directions weren’t always clear. Initially, it didn’t specify that I could transfer between subway lines without having to leave a station (such as Port Authority or Moynihan Train Hall). I got a lot of extra exercise and some unexpected sightseeing before I figured that out!
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Photo: Zaakirah Muhammad
Day 1
My first destination was the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem to see their centennial exhibit. On my train, I was impressed by the modern map that lit up to show current and upcoming stops, an LED marquee announcing the next station and green-colored lights to inform you of which side to exit.
Photo: Gabby Jones
When the train wasn’t too loud, I could even hear automated announcements about which stations had elevators. Not all stations are equipped with elevators, and when they are, sometimes they’re located at the opposite end of the platform from where you want to exit.
100: A Century of Collections, Community and Creativity, Schomburg Center. Photo: Zaakirah Muhammad
At the Schomburg Center, I was fascinated to discover that Langston Hughes’ ashes are interred in a book-style urn beneath the basement-level floor. I appreciated how easily accessible it was to walk through the exhibits. I also appreciated the large-print booklets of the exhibits that also had image descriptions.
Mind's Eye experience, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Photo: Gabby Jones
I walked a few blocks to take the M1 bus to the Guggenheim Museum for their monthly Mind’s Eye experience. There, I joined an audio tour of Rashid Johnson’s work, which was very interactive. The exhibit (which closed in January) spanned all five floors of the museum’s iconic spiral ramp. The guides provided foldable chairs for us to use on each level, allowing us to rest and engage with the art comfortably. I made sure to sit close enough to lip-read the guide. I also appreciated that many museums now use QR codes that link to transcripts or descriptions of the artwork. I hope more institutions commit to transcribing all their audio content.
Photo: Gabby Jones
Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, Guggenheim Museum. Photo: Gabby Jones
Day 2
My NYC adventure continued the next day as I journeyed to a reflective afternoon at Washington Square Park. I found a familiar bench, a spot where my aunt and I once enjoyed a takeaway lunch. I remembered how often the pigeons would walk by during my casual conversations with my aunt while we were watching people at the dog park.
Washington Square Park. Photo: Gabby Jones
I then took the train to East Harlem’s 110th Street, also called Central Park North and home to the Frederick Douglass Memorial. This landmark holds deep significance for me as a descendant of Douglass’s half-brother, Stephen Bailey. Seeing the mural of Frederick Douglass at Amy Ruth’s restaurant also felt like a powerful connection to my heritage. I ate with photographer and professor Laylah Amatullah Barrayn. We savored delicious soul food and enjoyed the perfectly volumed ambient R&B music.
Photo: Gabby Jones
Zaakirah Muhammad (left) and Laylah Amatullah Barrayn at Amy Ruth's. Photo: Gabby Jones
Laylah then invited me to a captivating book signing at the NYU Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life. There, I used a captioning app on my Samsung phone to listen to the guest speakers.
The evening shifted to Dizzy’s Jazz Club at Lincoln Center, where I met up with entrepreneur Imani Garner of Ethos Sync. Witnessing the salsa jazz performance there was a wonderful experience. Later, my uncle, cousins and I caught a limited-edition Mary J. Blige concert movie at the Magic Johnson AMC Theaters in Harlem. She made a surprise appearance! Afterward, we celebrated with delicious burgers at Harlem Shake.
Dizzy's Club. Photo: Zaakirah Muhammad
Dizzy's Club. Photo: Zaakirah Muhammad
Day 3
On my final day, I stayed in Brooklyn to explore another borough. My mom’s high school friend graciously picked me up, giving me a personal tour of the streets of the three apartments she once called home in Flatbush, Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy. We then drove across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge to the apartment complex where my mom and her siblings grew up in Midtown, and where my grandfather had once managed the building at the intersection of Spring Street and Thompson Street down in Soho.
Brooklyn streetscapes. Photos: Zaakirah Muhammad
For lunch, we ate at Famous Ben’s Pizza. I had a delicious, generous slice of Margherita pizza. The chalkboard menu was large and clear, making it easy to read. I noticed that the restrooms were not accessible. I observed another diner in a wheelchair whose family member had to manually open a separate door from the top lock to provide access.
Famous Ben's Pizza. Photo: Zaakirah Muhammad
That evening, I got the opportunity to have a delicious dinner at The Green Room, a Black-owned restaurant and lounge in Brooklyn. I had a nonalcoholic drink called the Amalfi Lavender Spritz, truffle fries with a lime aioli dip to start and pan-seared salmon as the main dish, with arugula salad on the side. The customer service was impeccable.
The Green Room. Photos: Zaakirah Muhammad
When I travel, I see the continued need for establishments to prioritize universal design and create an environment where every patron is accommodated. This solo trip to NYC was an affirmative journey of reconnecting with my family’s past and charting my own path with the City’s ever-evolving accessibility.
Photo: Gabby Jones
Find more stories and resources in our Accessible NYC guide.
Zaakirah Nayyar Muhammad is a storyteller, healer and advocate who helps Black, Muslim and disabled creatives build brands rooted in authenticity. She founded See Life Different—a multimedia podcast and platform dedicated to helping underrepresented voices reclaim their stories—and is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and Atlanta, Georgia.