[nagdu] paratransit woes

Thu Jul 12 00:58:32 UTC 2012

I find the door to door thing interesting considering our transit service paratransit service in Rockford Illinois is only curb to curb they will not get out of the van/bus unless the person in a wheelchair or blind I can get to the bus itself and if there in a wheelchair dose person in the wheelchair has to get to the basta even get the person out of the van to get the lift you up going so that's what's caused problems for me because because I am in a wheelchair because of my ankle and I can't get up my steep driveway so door-to-door is not always the case

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 10, 2012, at 5:42 PM, "Steven Johnson" <blinddog3 at charter.net> wrote:

> What Is Paratransit? 
> 
> Paratransit is a specialized, door-to-door transport service for people with
> disabilities who are not able to ride fixed-route public transportation.
> This may be due to an inability to: 
> . board, ride or disembark independently from any readily accessible vehicle
> on the regular fixed-route system 
> . access existing accessible fixed-route transportation because that
> transportation is not available at the needed time on that route 
> . get to boarding/alighting locations of regular public transportation. 
> 
> Paratransit has a specialized meaning in the context of transportation
> regulations. The term refers to the complementary paratransit service,
> comparable to public fixed-route systems, which must be provided. Typically,
> paratransit is provided in a demand-responsive mode (i.e., the person with a
> disability must make a telephone call to arrange service). 
> 
> The goal of the paratransit program is to ensure that all Americans have
> access to transit to meet basic mobility needs. The passage of the Americans
> with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 recognized that people with disabilities
> have the same rights as other citizens to access services and facilities
> that are available to the public, including transportation. The U.S.
> Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for the enforcement of
> ADA's transportation requirements. 
> 
> Eligibility Requirements 
> 
> Since most true paratransit services are subsidized by federal, state or
> county governments, or other municipal agencies, users must be able to meet
> one of the following three eligibility requirements. (Note: Individuals may
> be eligible for paratransit on the basis of a permanent or temporary
> disability. The individual must meet one of the three eligibility criteria,
> whether permanently or for a limited period of time.) 
> 
> 
> Category 1: Individuals who are unable, because of a physical or mental
> impairment, to board, ride or disembark independently from any readily
> accessible vehicle on the regular fixed-route system. Among others, this
> category includes people with mental or visual impairments who, as a result
> of their disability, cannot navigate the system. This means that, if an
> individual needs an attendant to board, ride or disembark from an accessible
> fixed-route vehicle (including navigating the system), the individual is
> eligible for paratransit. 
> 
> Category 2: Also eligible are those people with a physical or mental
> impairment who could use accessible fixed-route transportation, but the
> accessible fixed-route transportation is not available at the needed time on
> a particular route (the accessible vehicle is down for maintenance, the lift
> cannot be deployed, etc.). 
> 
> Category 3: Any individual with a specific impairment-related condition that
> prevents that person from traveling to a boarding location or from a
> disembarking location on the system. In this case, the impairment must
> prevent travel to or from a fixed-route stop. Significant inconvenience or
> difficulty does not form a basis for eligibility under this section.
> Further, barriers not under control of the public entity providing the
> fixed-route service (such as distance or weather) do not by themselves form
> a basis for eligibility under this section. These situations are resolved on
> a case-by-case basis, determined by evaluating the interaction between the
> impairment-related condition and the barrier in question. 
> 
> Costs 
> 
> Again, since most true paratransit services are subsidized, the cost to the
> rider can be very low, as opposed, for example, to the cost of an accessible
> commercial taxi or limousine service, which provides door-to-door service
> but does not qualify as a true paratransit service. It should be noted that
> Medicare does not pay for transportation services except in the case of
> emergency. 
> 
> When you contact a paratransit service through one of the methods outlined
> below, you should specifically request information about such things as cost
> per trip, advance notice requirements, scheduling of return transportation,
> etc. 
> 
> To Find Local Public Transportation and Paratransit Services 
> 
> Consult your local telephone book. Most telephone books have a special
> section in the front of the book containing contact information for
> community service organizations. Look under "Disabled" and "Transportation"
> for the names of agencies that provide transportation for special needs. If
> necessary, look under the same headings in the yellow pages. If this proves
> unsuccessful, contact your local transit authority or municipal bus service
> operator for referral to the complementary service they are required by the
> ADA to provide. 
> 
> Contact the Area Agency on Aging's Eldercare Locator. Call their toll-free
> number at 800/677-1116. Locator information is available Monday through
> Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET). For calls made after normal hours of
> operation, a message recorder is available for the caller to leave a name
> and a telephone number. These calls will be returned the next business day.
> The locator staff may provide the phone number of the actual paratransit
> service or may provide the phone numbers for your local and/or state Area
> Agency on Aging or "Help Line," which, in turn, can provide the needed
> paratransit contact information. 
> 
> Contact the National Transit Hotline. This organization can provide the
> names of local transit providers who receive federal money to provide
> transportation to seniors and people with disabilities. Call toll-free at
> 800/527-8279. 
> 
> Contact Easter Seals Project ACTION. If you have Internet access, you can go
> to
> http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ESPA_homepage
> and access the Accessible Travel Database. Through this site, people with
> disabilities can easily assess the availability of accessible transportation
> anywhere in the country. The transportation database allows you to highlight
> the state and city in which you live or where you plan to visit and view the
> addresses and telephone numbers of all transportation services available to
> you there. 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
> Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 10:07 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] paratransit woes
> 
> I always understood a need for paratransit was dependent on if there was a
> time when taking the bus would be unsafe, think bad cold or ear infections,
> icey weather, whatever you and a doctor can agree would be unsafe for you to
> be out and about.  For some people itmay even be during a time when a dog
> couldn't or shouldn't work.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 8:16 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] paratransit woes
> 
> It bugs me that a person has to say they're completely helpless before they
> can get paratransit.  To get it here in NJ, I'd have to say I can't take the
> bus.  That's simply not true.  I can truthfully say I can't take the bus to
> get everywhere I want to go, but that's not good enough.  So far, I've been
> too proud to say I'm helpless. It's demeaning.
> There used to be a person on this list from Washington state who said their
> paratransit was open to anyone who needed it.  All one had to do was say one
> needed it.  That seems better to me.
> Tracy
> 
>> Hi Steven.  I'd definitely be interested in doing something like this.
>> That would be great as I definitely think they are going against the ADA
>>  with this process.
>> --
>> Rebecca and Zeb
>> email: rilniski at gmail.com
>> facebook: facebook.com/rebeccai5
>> Zeb's facebook: facebook.com/zeb.ilniski
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
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