Battling the crowds on the subway can be a challenge for anyone. But for those who are visually impaired, there's a maze of challenges underground. NY1's John Mancini filed the following report.

Nothing like a cookie to take the edge off your first subway ride. Even if Anya, a black Lab training as a guide dog, wasn't too rattled.

"She responded well to my commands. It's a little distracting down there. A lot of noise, a lot of people. So she's checking some of that out. But you know, with further trips down there, she's going to get better," said Jim Gardner of Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Riders with limited sight would like things to get better, too. For all the progress in accessibility and real-time info, the visually impaired community feels left behind. The main problem across 468 stations is said to be inconsistency.

"If it's a station they've never been at, they may assume that there's going to be something there that isn't there. So the fact that it's inconsistent from one station to another is almost worse than not having certain of the helpful features at all," said David De Porte of Guide Dog Users of New York.

Raised warning strips are in many stations, but not all. Electronic displays aren't always accompanied by announcements. There's also the problem of refilling a MetroCard in stations without a clerk.

"Now I have to ask a friend to put money on my MetroCard for me. I shouldn't have to,"
said visually impaired rider Liliette Lopez, a Queens College student who is a long-time client of Lighthouse International.

Even if they have someone as reliable as Anya by their side, riding the subway can be daunting for the visually impaired.

Platform gaps vary. Everyday hazards loom. Even new, airier layouts present challenges in placing Braille signs. And they're not a complete answer, either.

"It just says 'uptown' and 'downtown.' Okay great. They do have the signs in print that do give more details," Lopez said.

Finding a way out can also frustrate. Escalators are too dangerous for dogs. And Xia, De Porte's longhaired shepherd, can't manage high-wheels.

"I don't take my dog into a revolving door, and those are a lot safer. And they're a lot more spacious," De Porte said.

The MTA is focused on making 100 key stations accessible by 2020. And things like raised edges will be at every stop eventually. Down the line, aging will affect the sight of more riders. So fixes will help more and more New Yorkers. And the dog fit for subway duty needs to be a New Yorker, too.

"Usually that's a dog that's very confident, very self-assured, doesn't need a lot of what we call support from the handler," Gardner said.