MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) — A paralyzed man in Mattoon says he’s tired of accessibility problems at the train station.

Recently, Amtrak told him the elevator wasn’t working when he needed to get to an appointment… But a good Samaritan made sure he could make it.

The City Manager of Mattoon, Kyle Gill, took quick action to ensure everything was in place so that 48-year-old Christopher Cunningham could travel safely to Chicago. However, this incident highlighted more significant issues that Gill and Cunningham believe need to be addressed.

“We need a wheelchair-friendly infrastructure. It doesn’t have to be on the scale of Chicago’s, but the sidewalks should be accessible to everyone,” expressed Cunningham.

Cunningham said he is tired of seeing a lack of ADA accessibility in the City of Mattoon.

“Make something better for the future. Yeah. Maybe they’ll create a walkway, crosswalk out at Walmart, name it after me,” Cunningham said.

Back in 2006, Cunningham was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, though he retains some movement in his left arm. Recently, he needed to take a train to Chicago for a medical appointment, and the local lack of accessibility made it nearly impossible for him to do so.

The elevator at the Mattoon Train Depot, wasn’t working, and then he was going to have to board either Effingham or Champaign,” Gill said.

Gill said it was Amtrak who sent out the notice. He then went to the station himself to see what exactly the issues were.

“He reached out to me from the train station hours later and informed me that the elevator was operational. He met me at 4:30 in the morning, the next morning, at the boarding platform, to make sure I got there on time,” Cunningham shared.

Cunningham said it was like a breath of fresh air seeing the city manager and first responders reach out and offer to lend a hand.

“We love to help. We try to find solutions, and it’s really just us knowing and being aware of the situation,” Gill said.

And for Cunningham, he couldn’t be more proud to live in a city who’s making strides to become an ADA accessible town.

“Kyle Gill is truly attentive. He discussed numerous details with me regarding upcoming projects and future revenue, details he wasn’t obligated to disclose, which was incredibly reassuring,” said Cunningham.

Cunningham is planning to write a proposal over the lack of accessibility in Mattoon and voice his concerns at the next city council meeting.

The city is currently allocating close to $300,000 for sidewalk replacements throughout the area. As of now, there is no update on potential improvements at the train station.

An Amtrak spokesperson said the company owns the tracks and that the City of Mattoon is in charge of the building and surrounding parking lots.