For those of us who navigate the CTA without physical limitations, the transit agency's shortcomings might be annoying, but bearable. But a recent experiment by a student from the Adler School of Professional Psychology demonstrates that for some riders, mass transit might be mission impossible.

In April, 23-year-old Michael Brennan, a Rogers Park resident, decided to delve into the world of a wheelchair user for a school assignment. Brennan, who described himself as "athletic," rented a manual wheelchair and, on a Sunday in April, attempted to take the Red Line from Loyola to Belmont.

"You see elevators and the turnstiles catered toward wheelchair users," Brennan said. "You figure that accessibility is an important aspect of public transportation."

Over the next three hours, Brennan had difficulty navigating the lift on a No.155-Devon bus that took him to the Loyola stop; his front wheels became stuck several times between the "L" platform and the train; and he discovered too late that—at the time of his trip—there was not an elevator at the Howard stop.

The south entrance at the Howard Station has since been equipped with four elevators, according to CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor, who said they were added in June.

Ninety-one of the144 CTA stations will be wheelchair accessible when the Brown Line capacity expansion is complete by the end of 2009, according to CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor. Currently, all CTA buses and 84 stations are accessible, Taylor said. The CTA will add more stations to that list as funds become available, she said.

But other issues convinced Brennan that the CTA needs to be more accessible. "I kept looking around for a customer assistant on the platform but never saw one," Brennan said of his sticky situation at Loyola. "After that train left and a second train came, I had to ask some guy to help me board. He looked kind of embarrassed, but he helped me out."

Lack of sufficient CTA assistance is an everyday reality for riders in wheelchairs, said Ayo Maat, a spokeswoman for locally based Independent Movement of Paratransit Riders for Unity, Vehicles, Equality.

Maat, a motorized wheelchair user, says she often hears from members who have trouble getting CTA employees to assist them during their trips or are waylaid by broken elevators at "L" stops.

"One in three rail operators will not help members if they need help on or off a car," Maat said.

Taylor also said that assistance for riders in wheelchairs should be a touch away, via call buttons on platforms and in "L" cars. Customer assistants also can ask if riders need assistance, according to Taylor.

Well, that didn't happen in Brennan's case.

But riders who need help getting on or off the train or bus may have someone new to count on.

"If anyone even remotely looks like they're having physical difficulties, I'm right there, like 'do you need help?' " Brennan said. "I'd lift people up on the 'L' if I could."