Getting There: Accessible Transportation

Ask any 10 people who are experiencing a significant disability what their greatest concern or need might be. It is highly probable that at least seven of them will list transportation as their number one issue. Urban or rural, it makes no difference: having available, accessible transportation ranks high on the list of needs for a person with a disability. The Blanche Fischer Foundation has acknowledged this need for Oregonians with disabilities and has been very supportive of efforts to find solutions.

BFF has provided support in two important areas. A first step in a search for solutions is to understand what the laws pertaining to disability-specific transportation say and how the law can be used. A national training took place in New Mexico in the spring of 2003 put on by Easter Seals Project Action (ESPA). BFF sent two persons to this training, which proved to be an excellent resource. A thorough review of the ADA was offered by two longtime advocates of accessible transportation. People who attended came away with a much greater knowledge of what the ADA says, what it does not say and a look at some of the decisions that have been reached in connection with the ADA. Knowing the law is an important first step in advocacy.

The next step is to look at what is available, how to make resources available and how to partner. BFF helped support attendance at a meeting held in Anchorage, Alaska, by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Present representing the FTA was Michael Winters, head of the department that deals with ADA issues. Also attending were transportation providers as well as representatives from disability organizations and direct service agencies. The meeting was one of a handful that took place around the country with a goal of setting priorities for transportation funding. But in the background numerous discussions took place on creative ways to increase transportation resources.

BFF also supported the attendance of a person at the national wrap-up of the various regional dialogs such as the one held in Alaska. This final meeting took place in Washington, D.C., and coincided with a celebration of the 12th anniversary of the ADA.

The Blanche Fischer Foundation has also supported a presence at the national conventions of two major IL — independent living — organizations, NCIL [the National Council for Independent Living] and APRIL. The latter, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living, has rural transportation as its top priority. Breakout sessions at their national conference specifically dealt with transportation issues. Although it is not their top priority, the National Council for Independent Living is also committed to improving transportation resources for persons with disabilities. The executive director of BFF has accepted the position of regional representative to NCIL. Surely this will mean a voice at the table supporting the need to maintain transportation resources, both urban and rural, as a focus.

The results of BFF's support may be slow to appear, but the challenge is considerable and solutions are not easy to come by. Within the state more folks are carrying the IL message to where the powers lie and where decisions are being made. IL is present at the table or at least, in some cases, looking over the shoulders of decisionmakers. With Oregonians lending support to a national chorus, progress is coming about. Transportation for persons with disabilities has been listed as a White House priority. One promising result is the establishment, by President Bush, of the Interagency Transportation Coordination Council on Access and Mobility within the Department of Transportation.

The challenge is considerable and the Blanche Fischer Foundation is lending its support to finding solutions.