[nfbwatlk] FW: You be the judge of Amtrak's accessibility track record

Sat Apr 5 13:44:42 UTC 2014

Lauren, each train carries either a lift you can request to ride up on, or they have ramps the trains carry. The single story trains have the lift and the double deckers have the ramps. If this has changed the last year or so I don't know. We frequently took a train from Olympia to Pasco. You have to go through Portland to get to Pasco. They never let us stop in Vancouver so we could camp on Mike's doorstep for a couple of hours, grin.

Becky and Jake pawing out a hello 
.  

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lauren Merryfield
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 12:05 AM
To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] FW: You be the judge of Amtrak's accessibility track record

Hi,
It is important for me. The Suisun Amtrak station is not accessible for people with walking issues. There are 2 steps up to the two doors that I am familiar with. When you board the train and get off, there is a high step to get up or down and these are difficult for me with my ankle issues. They don't even offer a stepstool. I've considered bring my folding one to use but I'd have to carry the thing around everywhere. The station in Sacramento has a very long ways for people to walk to get from the train to the station and vice versa. They have a cart that we can ride on and I don't think there are any stairs at that station. 

The conductors are usually good at remembering to help disabled people on and off, if we request it. However, one time, in October, I was forgotten so when I found the door, it had already shut and then I felt the train jerk and I was off to Sacramento when I should have gotten of at Suisun. Since I like riding trains and didn't happen to have a deadline that time, it wasn't too bad an issue for me; but it could have been. 

They also cancel trips without notice and some blind people have been left stranded and their only recourse is to take a cab for a long expensive distance. 

The recording that gives verbal info at Suisun, anyway, cuts in and out so we're not really able to hear much helpful content. We've made this known but I noticed Thursday the problem was still there. Arrival and departure times do change quite often so it is important for this info to be in an accessible method. 

So they do have some work to do!
Thanks
Lauren

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-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nightingale, Noel
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 2:12 PM
To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbwatlk] FW: You be the judge of Amtrak's accessibility track record

Thought some on this list might find this of interest

From: Disability Rights Washington [mailto:info at dr-wa.org]
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 2:06 PM
To: Nightingale, Noel
Subject: You be the judge of Amtrak's accessibility track record

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This week saw employment, housing and transportation improvements for people with disabilities.

Stay connected to what's new in the Galaxy of DisAbility Rights.

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When Congress passed the ADA in 1990, it gave the NPRC a 20-year timetable to make the Amtrak system fully disability accessible. In 2010, the NRPC reported that it had fallen woefully short, with just 10 percent of its stations in compliance.  Read more of this article. <http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=714&qid=30594>

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The Obama Administration’s much-hyped new hiring rules for federal contractors and subcontractors went into effect March 24, potentially leading to a significant expansion of federal disability hiring. Read more of this article.<http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=724&qid=30594>

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In New York, over 4,000 people with disabilities will move to less segregated housing, thanks to an agreement over 10 years in the making. Read more of this article.<http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=725&qid=30594>

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A federal court issued a preliminary injunction March 26 against a set of Idaho Medicaid budget cuts implemented in 2011, temporarily restoring $16 million in assistance to people with developmental disabilities. Read more of this article.<http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=726&qid=30594>

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Take this week's poll about Amtrak.<http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=727&qid=30594>

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