Disability Transportation Crisis In America: Affects More Than Just Providers by Jason Hahr
I hope you are having a satisfying Saturday. Although we have made great strides, significant work remains to be done. Yesterday, I posted a blog about Patrice: The Movie. If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, be sure to click the link at the bottom of this post. On the surface, one may think the movie is just about one disabled couple’s journey to get married, but it is about much more than that.
While telling the story of
Patrice and Gary, it also highlights the transportation crisis that disabled
people face. For most people who have a disability, the inability to access
affordable and reliable transportation is a barrier they have to overcome daily.
I am lucky to have a support system that can provide me with my vehicle. While
I do have to keep up with regular maintenance, I am very lucky because I didn’t
have to buy it myself. I am eternally grateful to my parents for their
generosity, but I also know what it is like to rely on the paratransit system
because I used it when I was younger. The rest of this post will highlight the
struggle the majority of people with disabilities, including my girlfriend,
face every day.
My girlfriend lives in Tampa.
She has her driver’s license but does not yet have a car. She is one of a few who
has been lucky enough to find full-time work. However, she has transportation
issues as well. In order to be at work by 8 a.m. her day has to start at 4:30
a.m. This is not because she has a long commute, rather, it is because the
paratransit system is poorly designed and managed. Indeed, she lives about 20
minutes away from where she works. The paratransit system she uses is so
understaffed that they often have to pick her up multiple hours before her
shift starts because they have to pick up others along the way. Even when they
do pick up others, she is often dropped off at work hours ahead of time, but
because accessible vehicles are so expensive, she is forced to rely on public
transportation.
The
following statement from the Florida chapter of The Arc presents the provider’s
perspective on the issue taken from the “in the know” newsletter.
“Transportation
Crisis. Small and medium providers who deliver transportation services
for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially in
rural areas, often face financial challenges due to inadequate reimbursement
rates. The challenges are even more problematic due to their lack of alternative
transportation services such as Uber. Data on current operational costs,
including vehicle maintenance, fuel, and driver compensation, often demonstrate
a financial gap. Regular maintenance and unexpected repairs on vehicles can
strain budgets, especially when reimbursement rates do not cover these
expenses. Providing transportation for medical trips and other essential
services, also without reimbursement, can lead to financial losses and
potential service cutbacks. Possible solutions? Allow
providers to "piggyback" on Department of Transportation (DOT)
contracts leading to cost savings and reducing the need for the Agency for
Persons with Disabilities (APD) to negotiate separate contracts. This would
involve using existing contracts established by other entities and enable
providers to benefit from negotiated terms and pricing. Utilize the
Transportation Disadvantaged rates already agreed upon in each county to
standardize reimbursement and ensure consistent funding.“
I argue that
the transportation crisis facing the disability community and its allies is an
all-encompassing one. Some will read this article and say it all comes down to
money and not having enough to go around. To those individuals, I say that you
are partly right. It does come down to money, but it also comes down to where
you stand on helping others. If we cannot reduce the cost of accessible
vehicles, which can cost up to $40,000 used, we should redesign public transportation
to be more efficient and user-friendly. It almost seems as if society dangles
the carrot of “inclusion” but then puts it up on a high shelf where you need a
ladder to get to it, making it nearly impossible to find a ladder.
I know this
was an extremely long post, but hopefully, it will get you, the reader,
thinking. As I sit here writing it, I am rethinking some things. Anyway, until
next time, your friendly neighborhood super advocate, Jay.
Link to Patrice
The Movie Makes Me Wonder If Marriage Equality Will Ever Exist for All
People, Including Those with Disabilities. By: Jason Hahr
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