Grassroots Advocacy in Action

REDD, Rights, Equality for the Dignity of the Disabled, in which I am a member of this group, is running a grassroots advocacy effort to recruit paratransit riders with disabilities to talk about their transporation issues to a local legal aid entity.

Here are the questions that are being posted in local flyers:

Did a van or cab pass you by then charge you for a no show?

Did a driver fail to call out your stop or bus route when approaching or stopped at a bus stop?

Did you file a complaint; get no response or satisfaction from the *WRTA?

Were you left stranded when the wheelchair lift failed?

Did the WRTA or *PBSI ban you from using the service due to the weight of you and/or your wheelchair?

Do you need help getting out of your front door to reach the curb and does this lack of service prevent you from using paratransit?

(*Worcester Regional Transit Authority and *Para Brokerage Service Inc).

REDD will be doing presentations at Public Housing Complexes; Neighborhood Community Centers; Religious Groups; and with Individuals to educate them on the above issues and to have their voices heard.

It is very concerning that the above issues are happening to persons with disabilities and the bus company has not been proactive in resolving these issues. These issues have been going on since 2002 and one of their typical responses have been "We will correct it and make sure it does not happen again." The administrators and drivers lack empathy when it comes to riders with a mobility impairments being told that "they can't come on the bus due to the lift (on a fixed route) being broken." How humilitating it is for these riders to be denied equal access and steered to use paratransit service instead.

Please note that paratransit service has specific eligibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act to access this service for riders with disabilities who are not able to use the fixed bus route service. Paratransit service requires a one day notice with a 20 minute window of time to pick up a rider to an appointment. The fares are higher and the time slots given for pick-up and drop-off can be up to a hour before a rider's appointment.

Last month, the Chair of REDD appeared on my TV show, Miller Chat to talk about these issues and to recruit people to have their voices heard. Cable Access Television is one avenue to get the word of on important issues affecting people in your community.

I welcome your comments.

Robbin Miller, LMHC
Facilitator
http://www.robbinmiller.vpweb.com/.

P.S. A one hour teleconference will be given on January 15th from 1-2 PM on learning how to produce your own TV show. More information is posted on the above website.