[nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities around the U.S

Sun Sep 18 23:06:03 UTC 2016

Hi all,

Thank you for the feedback thus far.  I'll try to respond as in order
as possible to the last few messages.

I'm afraid Michigan is completely out as there aren't any other
internship sites that I'm interested in; most are hospice-related and
there is a school system in Detroit, but it requires significant
driving from school to school in each day so it would not be feasible.

As I said in my original message, I am taking a variety of factors
into consideration from the clientelle served, to the knowledge and
expertise of the supervisors, to the amount of driving or travel time
required in a day.  The bottom line is that I could pick an internship
that is a great fit for me, but I won't be able to take it if I don't
have a reliable and affordable way of getting there and back to where
I'm staying, as well as to places like the grocery store or pharmacy I
will need to travel to on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  I also simply
cannot take jobs that require a lot of driving; sometimes MTs or
interns will drive all over a state to see clients, which for me would
just take too much time and reliance upon other people's schedules for
me to have any kind of for sure consistency.  Part of what will make
or break the fit for me will be my ability to navigate the area, no
matter how well the internship site fits into the other categories.
Of course I won't take an internship that won't be such a good fit
just because the city might have some great transportation, but it is
something my professors and I need to pay attention to.  AS for
looking into crime and the decline of some of the cities on the list,
that's the whole reason why some of those sites are there---to serve
under-served people in those areas who don't otherwise have access to
resources provided there.  Many internships either have housing worked
out for a low cost, or they can help by providing resources to get set
up with housing nearby.  If I get my top choice, that internship site
has an agreement with host families who I would pay room and board to,
I think.  I have thought about seeing what my voc rehab agency might
be able to help out with in transportation, but I won't have a ton of
money to be able to hire drivers as much as what a lot of the sites
would require (For example, that's why I'm not taking the ones that
contract out through school districts and require interns to travel
from school to school throughout the day; I'd basically need a driver
to shuttle me to new places every 45 minutes or so the whole work day
for most of the time).

The news about Yonkers is encouraging.  I've also been to Rodchester
before and unless it has changed in the last few years since I have
been there, I remember them having a good system in place, too.  I
might take you up on your offer for more information if I pursue my
sites in those cities.

On 9/18/16, Taylor Arndt via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> The only city that really good in Michigan for transportation is Kalamazoo
> the zoo or grand rapid
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Sep 18, 2016, at 12:51 PM, Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Kaiti,
>>
>> I applaud you for being proactive in your internship placement. However, I
>> think narrowing down your internship selection based solely on
>> transportation is a lot like selecting a college or university based
>> solely on the level of accommodations offered by a disabilities office. I
>> do not believe either one of these approaches work well as there are
>> usually a number of different factors that go into these types of
>> decisions.
>>
>> I noticed some of your selections in your list of possibilities include
>> places that are known for being places of manufacturing that are now in
>> decline. As manufacturing jobs decline, the population of these places
>> decline, and the rates of crime increases. This may be something worth
>> considering that is just as important as transportation.
>>
>> Also, Chicago might be good in terms of transportation, but it has a high
>> homicide rate due to gun violence. However, this is not to say that all
>> parts of Chicago are like this though. But I would imagine that the nicer
>> parts of the city may also be a lot more expensive than your current way
>> of living. I think these are also important things to consider for your
>> internship placement.
>>
>> In terms of providing future opportunities for your career, I would
>> suggest either Minneapolis or Indianapolis. I have heard a lot about how
>> these two cities have grown over the past several years in terms of
>> attracting and retaining young professionals. I do not know anything about
>> Indianapolis beyond what I have heard about it. However, I know
>> Minneapolis has a good transportation system provided you can withstand
>> the frigid cold winters there.
>>
>> In terms of working in a smaller city, especially if it is anywhere in the
>> Midwest, you would most likely need to give up living in a place that has
>> good public transportation. I do not know of any small towns or cities
>> that have much in terms of providing public transportation. However, I do
>> not see why hiring your own driver would not be an option if you are
>> interested in working in a smaller city.
>>
>> I have never been to Greenville before as I do not know of a way to get
>> there using public transportation. However, transportation is not all that
>> great here in Michigan given the reliance and culture of automotive
>> manufacturing. I would imagine this would be the same in other places
>> where automotive manufacturing has been a predominant part of the
>> culture.
>>
>> While I completely understand the need for reliable and affordable
>> transportation, I would focus more on what the internship itself has to
>> offer in terms of providing future possibilities for a career. So I would
>> say that you should narrow down your internship possibilities down to
>> where you could picture yourself living and working five years from now.
>> If you cannot picture yourself working and living there within five years,
>> then it might not necessarily be the best internship placement for you.
>> This is the criteria I would use in determining an internship placement
>> where I have some sort of say in the decision process.
>>
>> Anyway, I hope this helps you in selecting the best place for your
>> internship. I am confident that regardless of where your internship takes
>> place that you will make the best of the circumstances, and gain the most
>> out of your internship.
>>
>> Warm regards,
>> Elizabeth
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
>> via NABS-L
>> Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2016 10:47 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities
>> around the U.S
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm beginning to delve into the pre-application process for my required
>> post-graduation internship, and I could end up anywhere around the
>> country.  My professors thankfully are conscious of my needs and have
>> remarked a few months ago before I even said something, "We'll have to get
>> you something with a bus line."
>>
>> Naturally, a ton of factors are going into my decision-making process.
>> I know I want to work with children and adolescents and the types of
>> settings I would be interested in working in.  I am also considering who
>> the supervisor is and what their background is, the theoretical
>> orientation of the facility (humanistic or behavioral for example), and if
>> they have a stipent or housing available.  However, transportation will
>> play a major role in my decision as well as I will need a way to get to
>> work and to places like the store from wherever I end up living.
>> Unfortunately this means some really good sites might need to be cut from
>> my list simply because they're in rural areas or request students with
>> cars who can drive to multiple locations for sessions during a given day,
>> but such is life.
>>
>> I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and has found a way
>> to research what public transportation options are available in various
>> cities and states.  I do have paratransit where I go to school now, but as
>> the internship is 6 months there I might also need to look into gaining
>> long-term access to those services if they are offered.
>> Naturally, I'm leaning more towards cities that are larger and that I know
>> have well-established public transportation systems like Chicago and
>> Minneapolis-St. Paul, but I'd like to find more information to see if the
>> ones I'm looking at in smaller towns are also doable.  Any strategies or
>> web sites with information would be helpful.
>>
>> In case anyone has experience with transportation in the areas I'm
>> checking out at least for now, here is my list of possible locales.  I
>> still have yet to meet with my professors and get their views on where I
>> should go so the list will dwindle for sure, but I'm trying to be as
>> proactive as possible.
>> Illinois:
>> Oaklawn, Park Ridge, Chicago (I'm assuming downtown based on the
>> information I have), Lisle, Countryside, Evanston.
>> Texas:
>> Dallas.
>> Ohio:
>> Cincinnati (don't need info on that one as that's my hometown).
>> Columbus, Cleveland.
>> Michigan:
>> Greenville.
>> Indiana:
>> Indianapolis, Fishers.
>> Minnesota:
>> Minneapolis.
>> Iowa:
>> Dubuque.
>> New York:
>> Yonkers, Rodchester, Harris.
>> New Jersey:
>> Peapack.
>> Tennessee:
>> Jackson.
>>
>> --
>> Kaiti Shelton
>>
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-- 
Kaiti Shelton