MOST COMMON ISSUES
Many times, Uber or Lyft vehicles are inaccessible to those with disabilities. Even for accessible buses, sometimes transportation is late, which if chronic, could adversely affect employment. Other times, they may not show up at all. One young man in a wheelchair sat outside for two hours where his doctor's office used to be, until his return ride showed up. No one had told him the office moved, and the bus driver didn't make sure he got to his destination, just dropped him off. Another young woman with asthma waited outside for two hours in winter for transportation. When she had breathing issues, she called transportation and they told her to call 911 and hung up on her.
NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT
In some states, Medicaid covers transportation for medical reasons, such as doctor visits and other non-emergency situations. Unfortunately, some of the same issues occur, as with public transportation. One woman with a disability was depending on transportation to an oncologist to strategize on the treatment plan of her newly diagnosed stage 3 cancer, but Medicaid transport didn't show up. Another example is a woman with MS missed her neurology appointment due to being hospitalized. So she set up an appointment when she got home, which took three months to get. Medical transport was so late that the doctor cancelled her appointment – she is still without MS medications, as of this writing.
WHAT CAN SELF-ADVOCATES DO?
There are many things that families and self-advocates can do to address these issues:
- Keep calling the transportation company for updates if the ride is late.
- Request door-to-door transportation to get to the right place (and not be stuck outside).
- Contact your Center for Independent Living, as many have transportation initiatives.
- If reliability is a chronic problem, get a direct contact in customer service.
- Carry a cellphone at all times in case there is a need to followup with a call, or need medical help.
- Testify (either in person or send written testimony) at public hearings and new legislation on transportation.
- Contact your state's ombudsman, disability office, or Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Please note that the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires equity in transportation, whether by bus, train, subway, or plane etc.•
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lauren Agoratus, M.A. is the NJ Coordinator for Family Voices, NJ Regional Coordinator for the Family-to-Family Health Information Center, and Product Development Coordinator for RAISE (Resources for Advocacy, Independence, Self-Determination, and Employment). She also serves as NJ representative for the Caregiver Community Action Network as a volunteer. Nationally, Lauren has served on the Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities transplant committee (antidiscrimination), Center for Health Care Strategies Medicaid Workgroup on Family Engagement, Family Advisor for Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs National Research Network, National Quality Forum-Pediatric Measures Steering Committee, and Population Health for Children with Medical Complexity Project-UCLA. She has written blogs and articles nationally, including publications in 2 academic journals (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=agoratus+l). Lauren was named a Hero Advocate by Exceptional Parent Magazine (epmagazine.com Archives June 2022).
GETTING THERE : RESOURCES FOR EQUITY IN TRANSPORTATION
UBER
LYFT
help.lyft.com/hc/e/all/articles/360045782413-Lyft-s-commitment-to-accessibility
Note: Uber and Lyft now have some accessible vehicles. WAV provides affordable rides in wheelchair-accessible vehicles, where available for both Uber and Lyft. Lyft also has vehicles for people with vision impairment, or those with service animals.
Another issue with Uber and Lyft that they are working to address is not being able to access the same driver. This is an issue for those who may have anxiety or an ASD. The ability to request a repeat driver who you've established a relationship with can make the difference for some people.
CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
ilru.org/projects/cil-net/cil-center-and-association-directory
STATE OMBUDSMAN/STATE OFFICE ON HUMAN SERVICES OR DISABILITY
usa.gov/states-and-territories
COUNCILS ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/state-councils-developmental-disabilities
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
(also where to file a complaint) Public Transit