In my first blog I briefly mentioned the challenges I have experienced in regards to transportation. This blog segment will explore that issue more closely. Wheelchair accessible transportation has always been vital, but difficult to find. The main factors that I have noticed are scheduling, uncertainty when it comes to reliability in regards to both drivers and vehicles, and cost.
Throughout my life I have used a combination of public and private transportation. In regards to scheduling public transportation I have had to schedule days ahead of time in the hopes of being able to get a wheelchair accessible vehicle. In addition, I have been told to book for an hour before I actually need to leave. When I use private transportation, which is provided chiefly by my mother, we have to coordinate our schedules days in advance as she is also an entrepreneur with a busy schedule. That said, while she and I have worked out a system that works pretty well for us, I have found the reliability of public transportation to be extremely questionable.
On more than one occasion a public transportation company has scheduled me for pickup and been more than an hour late, citing traffic and several pickups ahead of me. This has never failed to frustrate me due to the fact that I scheduled ahead of time and always had an appointment I was expected to get to on those occasions. Another point is that along with public transportation rarely arriving on time, I have had more than one experience of a vehicle breaking down while I was in it. These experiences were particularly stressful as my disability tends to heighten my anxiety and flight responses which are particularly difficult for me to regulate due to the fact that I can’t physically run. All of the issues together make me none too thrilled about paying the cost for a public transportation round trip.
I can’t remember ever paying less than $40 dollars round trip when using public transportation. I recall one occasion where the bill was around $75. With all of the issues mentioned above combined with high costs, in the last few years I have only used public transportation when I have had no other choice due conflicts with my schedule and my mom’s that couldn’t be resolved, which thankfully, Uhave been few far between. It should be noted, however, that there have been numerous times when I have stayed home when I would have gone to either a business or social event given access to more numerous and reliable transportation options. In addition, while this blog doesn’t cover the cost related to a personal vehicle and an assistant to drive it, if one is unable to drive, such concerns have also factored into my experiences and
may be the topic of a future blog.
Readily available, reliable, and cost effective accessible transportation is vital to people with disabilities. Yet, experience has taught me that just the opposite is the case. In fact, writing this blog segment has made me consider exploring the causes and potential solutions to these issues further through my independent research efforts.