[Colorado-Talk] public comment for Access on demand tonight

[Gail Hamilton]

Hi NFB members

The great thing about democracy, is, we all can voice our opinions. Below is what I submitted to the Access on Demand board.

Dear RTD Board Members,

I am a blind rider and a regular user of Access on Demand. This service is not a luxury-it is a lifeline. It provides me, and others like me, with something priceless: dignity, flexibility, reliability, and affordability.

1. Dignity.
Access-a-Ride may get me from point A to point B, but too often it has left me feeling invisible, dismissed, or treated as a burden. Imagine being ignored or spoken down to every day until you begin to doubt your own worth. Access on Demand is different-it treats me like any other member of the public. I ride with Lyft or Uber, interact with drivers as equals, and am met with respect. Dignity cannot be measured in dollars, yet it changes everything.

2. Flexibility.
Sighted people can jump in their cars and go anywhere at any time. Why should blindness strip me of that basic freedom? With Access on Demand, I can request a ride within minutes, on any day, at any time, and to any destination. Taking this flexibility away would trap us in isolation, forcing us to live by someone else's clock instead of our own.

3. Reliability.
Access-a-Ride requires me to plan hours ahead, sit through long waits, and often endure mistakes, missed pickups, or detours across town. For blind people-70% of whom are unemployed-reliability can mean the difference between keeping or losing a job. Access on Demand gets me where I need to be, on time, with peace of mind. That reliability protects employment, health, and human connection.

4. Affordability.
Right now, the cost of Access on Demand is fair. But proposals to raise fares to $4.50 or even $6.50 per trip would devastate riders living on Social Security or fixed incomes. For many of us, it would mean choosing between food and transportation. At the current structure-first $25 free, then modest charges-we can afford to stay connected to work, worship, health care, and community. Raise fares too high, and riders will disappear. When riders disappear, revenue disappears too.

I urge you to step into our shoes.
Imagine not being able to drive, depending entirely on others for mobility. Imagine arriving late to work again and again, through no fault of your own. Imagine choosing between groceries and a doctor's visit. Wouldn't you want dignity, flexibility, reliability, and affordability?

That is what's at stake.

Your vote will determine whether blind people in Denver live with independence and equality-or isolation and despair. Please choose the option that preserves Access on Demand in its current, affordable form (#6 of your proposals is the best choice).

Do the right thing. Vote for a system that empowers, includes, and uplifts. Denver can and should be a leader in accessible, equitable transportation.

You hold the power to protect dignity. Please, use it wisely.

Respectfully,

Gail Hamilton
International Speaker
Soaring Into Greatness
Unstoppable, Unforgettable, Unbelievable
gail at soaringintogreatness.com<mailto:gail at soaringintogreatness.com>
(720)-377-7682
[Facebook]<https://facebook.com/gail.hamilton.9231> [LinkedIn] <https://linkedin.com/in/gaillhamilton>  [YouTube] <https://youtube.com/channel/UC2ETmkavYKd75Gz9NKBgPhw>  [Instagram] <https://instagram.com/soaring.into.greatness>
[Soaring Into Greatness Logo with gold wings on a green background.]<http://soaringintogreatness.com/>

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: winmail.dat
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 42053 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/colorado-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250910/94ab928b/attachment.bin>