Self-Advocacy Report: A Focus on Accessible Transportation
Self-Advocacy Report: A Focus on Accessible Transportation
On May 25th, 2022, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted an online listening session to discuss transportation issues around the country and what plans are being put forward to address them. The ultimate goal of the DOT is to find where the most services are needed and address those issues in alignment with President Biden’s goal to promote and ensure equity.
One of the goals discussed was to grant more funding to smaller, underserved communities to support small businesses, bringing them to various communities, as well as creating ways for people to get to them. This will give everyone who is underserved in their communities a chance to participate equally. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated: “Everyone is deserving [of equity] in their lives,” and that equal access, particularly to transit, helps change lives.
Secretary Buttigieg continued to discuss how the original intent of public transportation was to be equal and how it needs to work to provide equal access to everyone for connection to work, medical care, and life, in general.
Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg spoke specifically about supporting [the Americans with Disabilities Act] and that $22 billion would allow for more accessibility with emphasis on building safer streets. This would include easier sidewalk access, accessible transit stations, and better access to Amtrak and other rail solutions.
Due to a higher cost of living in a lot of areas, more people are moving from metropolitan regions to more rural locations. Discussions have focused on increasing paratransit access to rural areas to help with the influx of more people to these communities. Secretary Buttigieg has discussed increasing funding by up to 44% for rural paratransit expansion. This would greatly help rural areas by creating more inclusion and providing affordable transportation options to more people in more areas.
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Originally published in The Arc of Snohomish County: Leadership Collective Newsletter, Issue 2 - 2022.
Leigh Spruce is a Self-Advocacy Coordinator at The Arc of Snohomish County. In this role, she supports engagement activities and leadership and advocacy training for adults with disabilities in Snohomish County and across the Puget Sound region. She serves on numerous community boards and committees and is an engaged activist for disability rights. Contact Leigh Spruce at leigh@arcsno.org.