[Ohio-Talk] transportation as a legislative topic

Thu Feb 27 18:50:28 UTC 2025

Richard. I agree with all of you, and I think there are aspects of the transportation issue that transcend the local chapters. While I think local chapters are the most knowledgeable when it comes to funding and services for local paratransit and fixed root, there is a lot the Affiliate can do as well.

We could be advocating for funding for intercity transportation services so that our members can attend state and national events and participate in the legislative process. There are also some other areas on a systems level where I think we could have an impact.

For example, transportation is a huge issue when it comes to accessing health care. When I had a relative in the hospital for open heart surgery and was the responsible party in charge of her care, I found the information I needed to navigate to the unit where she was hospitalized was impossible to find without O & M or advanced travel training. The building was on a major hospital campus and did not have its own address, and of course, the staff at the hospital didn’t know thing 1 about Blindness and competent travel. They didn’t know what a white cane even was, and that was immediately after our Cincinnati Chapter Blindness Equality Achievement Month event which was on two different TV news stations with something like 100 white canes marching on Union Terminal. The appointment was with one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the entire nation. Of course, my issue wasn’t work related, so BSVI would not have been of any use.

So I think there is a lot we can do in terms of legislation and advocacy and the Federation should be partnering with other disability and health care organizations to improve transportation in the Blind community.

Just my thoughts.

Chris
From: Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Richard Payne via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2025 11:12 AM
To: 'NFB of Ohio Announcement List' <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Richard Payne <rchpay7 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ohio-Talk] transportation as a legislative topic

I agree with this post and a better understanding and policy will be some of the ways for us to deal with our concerns.

Richard Payne, President National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com<mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com>

www.nfbohio.org<http://www.nfbohio.org/>

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

From: Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of Eric Duffy via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2025 7:57 AM
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement List <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: Eric Duffy <peduffy63 at gmail.com<mailto:peduffy63 at gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [Ohio-Talk] transportation as a legislative topic

I think we all agree this is an important topic for us as individuals and as an organization. However, We don’t have clear policies around this issue. Mostly we don’t have a good understanding of how various systems are funded

Ood Director Miller touched on this issue in his budget testimony yesterday We should all gather enough information to help shape organizational policy. But at this point we are not prepared to include this in the Columbus Seminar. That doesn’t mean we have to wait two more years to begin addressing this issue.

Eric

On Feb 27, 2025, at 7:04 AM, Kelsey Nicolay via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

I also agree that transportation is an issue that needs to be addressed and the Browns stadium should not be a top priority in the governor's budget. Here in Medina, we have paratransit, but it is extremely unreliable and if I were to use it, I would end up being late to work every day and they don't even operate on evenings or weekends, so if a family member can't drive me, I don't go. I think there needs to be particular focus on intercounty transportation, not just within the county where you live.
Sent from Kelsey Nicolay’s iPhone

On Feb 26, 2025, at 11:53 PM, Christopher Sabine via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

Ryan.

I must agree with you that transportation is a significant issue that we need to address, even if it is just collaborating with other organizations in the community to come up with transportation solutions for our members.

I have had to network with members of other disability communities to secure transportation to State Convention for me and other members of our Chapter in the past, even reaching out to ONH and Autism families in a few cases.

I agree that if we had train service between Cincinnati and Cleveland, it would lessen the burden for us a lot, and I find it difficult to swallow that I cannot be involved in the legislative process as much as I would like for lack of available transportation to Columbus, for example.

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of ryan sima via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 11:06 PM
To: ohio-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: ryan sima <ryansima at att.net<mailto:ryansima at att.net>>
Subject: [Ohio-Talk] transportation as a legislative topic

Dear NFB family,
I am happy there will be a Columbus seminar which has not happened in a while. I am however saddened that transportation is yet again not one of the topics. I agree whole heartitly that prescriptions and the current topics are great. However, in the 10 years I have been in the NFB, it appears transportation like paratransit has never been a concern or issue brought up. Uber and Lyft was more towards discrimination of service animals rather than actual transportation. So I am asking people on the legislative committee and the affiliate to consider how we can address the issues of transportation, particularly paratransit. One thing for sure is part of the governors budget can go more towards paratransit as apposed to the Browns Statium.

Thank you,
Ryan Sima,
Secretary,
Cuyahoga County chapter

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