Martha's Vineyard & Ferry Accessibility Review - Off Season (December) - Christmas Drive Through

This vlog takes us on a 4K tour of Martha's Vineyard and the Steamship Authority Ferry from Woods Hole in Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard.

We get off at Vineyard Haven and take the bus to Edgartown. The bus ride takes us through Oaks Bluff (we passed a few "gingerbread houses"), so I kept the camera rolling to give some insight into what the island looks like. The Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority was actually free when we were there (it was the off season - I believe until March), but otherwise it is usually $8 for an unlimited day pass.

The shuttles from the ferry parking and the shuttles on the island were both accessible with ramps, and the staff were very helpful.

Edgartown is the main tourist area, and I was shocked with how empty it was in the off season! There were Christmas decorations all around (it was the second weekend in December), and a parade was the weekend prior, so I was surprised that many stores had already closed. Many of these places are still listed as open online, so make sure to do your research during the off season. If you'd like to explore the island itself and don't care about shopping or dining, the off season is the perfect time to go without crowds. A few of the main stores like Backwater Trading Company, the Black Dog Store, and Vineyard Vines were all open though.

Since more people live in Vineyard Haven, more stores and dining were open. We stopped at a world craft market and french bakery and got a few goodies!

Overall, I was very disappointed by the accessibility in Edgartown. So many stores were inaccessible to enter, and the main sidewalks had cinderblock decorations blocking them. For a major tourist destination (in the summer), they should really do better.

The accessibility in Vineyard Haven seemed better, which was reassuring since many people live there year round.

My main accessibility notes are that the transportation (ferry and buses) were accessible, but the island itself isn't the most accessible. If you are a wheelchair user, you would likely run into multiple obstacles if you "winged" your trip.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments! Also, if you know of any accessible gems on the island, let us know in the comments.