Pearl Harbor tour websites use the word accessible loosely and mean different things by it, since most of them did not actually verify what they are claiming.
If you have mobility needs or hearing loss or chronic pain that limits standing or other access considerations, you need specifics instead of just the word accessible repeated on a website.
What Pearl Harbor Sites Actually Are
USS Arizona Memorial sits at ground level with a paved walkway and accessible entrance, but there is no seating on the memorial itself and no railings, which means you have weather exposure from sun and wind and rain. The boat ride to reach it involves a small step up and down that is not ideal for canes or crutches. Tour operators will tell you what this involves if you ask them directly.
Battleship Missouri is a multi-level ship with narrow doorways and stairs, with ramps to some areas but not all. You cannot access the gun turrets or the engine room, and about thirty percent of the ship is accessible overall. Tours that mention the battleship do not always clarify what you can actually see.
Pacific Aviation Museum has ground level main hangars with ramps between buildings and accessible restrooms, but two hangars require stairs and some exhibits are upstairs only. Tours that mention the aviation museum do not always clarify which exhibits you will actually see.
USS Bowfin Submarine is not accessible because it sits below ground and is a submarine, and the ladder access alone disqualifies this site for most people with mobility barriers. Some tour operators put Bowfin in their descriptions without noting this fact.
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is fully accessible with restrooms and seating and ramp access to all exhibits, which makes this the one site that does not require negotiation.
What Tour Operators Won't Tell You
Here is what accessible usually means when a tour operator uses it. They have a vehicle with a wheelchair lift, which is usually good. They can pick you up from your hotel and drop you off at USS Arizona Memorial, and they cannot guarantee you will actually feel comfortable or safe once you are there.
What it does not necessarily mean is that the vehicle has accessible seating inside because it usually does but some operators just lower the lift and point to a standard seat. The driver might not know how to secure a wheelchair or scooter safely because they might just hand you a rope. The pace might not account for pain or fatigue because most tours move fast between sites. The guide probably is not trained on accessibility needs because they usually are not. The group might be too large to wait for you because on a thirty-person tour, you will get left behind if you move slowly.
What You Actually Need to Ask
Call a tour operator directly and ask what kind of vehicle they use and what its wheelchair access is like, so they can describe the lift and interior layout and seating options. Ask how they secure a wheelchair or mobility device in the vehicle, and expect honest answers like we use a four-point system or vague answers like we take care of it. Ask what the pace of your tour is and how much standing or walking is required at each site, since most tours move one to two miles between sites on foot. Ask whether restrooms are available at each stop because the answer should be yes but some tours skip restrooms. Ask how many people are in a typical group since group size matters because ten people move faster than forty-five people and staff cannot help forty-five people with access needs. Ask whether they have worked with clients who have your specific need before, because if yes they can probably answer specific questions and if no they are guessing.
The Honest Answer About Pearl Harbor Access
Pearl Harbor is partially accessible rather than fully accessible, and the sites themselves have barriers and the pace is fast and most tour groups do not slow down for access needs.
If you have significant mobility barriers, Pearl Harbor is doable but requires planning and a small-group or private tour and advance communication with your guide and willingness to skip some sites or move at your own pace.
If you have hearing loss, most tours offer no captioning or real-time information, and you will get narration over a speaker in a moving vehicle which is hard to hear, and you will get group activities you cannot fully participate in.
None of this is a reason to skip Pearl Harbor entirely, but it is a reason to ask specific questions before booking and work with an operator who treats access as logistics and not as an afterthought.