#transport for disabled

[reasonsforhope]

"This week, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new rule requiring airlines to make bathrooms more accessible for disabled people. All new single-aisle aircraft will be fitted with fully-accessible lavatories.

Most flights inside the United States are single-aisle and as technology has improved, they are used more frequently for long flights, including coast-to-coast trips that can last as long as six hours. Double-aisle plans are already subject to the regulation but are primarily used for international flights.

Out Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the new regulations, saying, “Traveling can be stressful enough without worrying about being able to access a restroom; yet today, millions of wheelchair users are forced to choose between dehydrating themselves before boarding a plane or avoiding air travel altogether.” ...

The secretary has made it a priority to improve service on airlines during his tenure. In 2022, six airlines were forced to pay millions of dollars in refunds to hundreds of thousands of customers and were also fined millions for causing the issues. The department’s firm stance on the side of customers has continued through this year after multiple companies have had meltdowns, stranding thousands of travelers.

All planes delivered to airlines starting in 2026 must include several upgrades. Planes already in service will not need to be retrofitted unless the plane is renovated.

“These aircraft must have at least one lavatory of sufficient size to permit a passenger with a disability (with the help of an assistant, if necessary) to approach, enter, and maneuver within the aircraft lavatory, to use all lavatory facilities, and leave by means of the aircraft’s onboard wheelchair if necessary,” the DOT said in a statement.

Accessible faucets and controls, grab bars, accessible call buttons and door locks, minimum obstruction to the passage of an onboard wheelchair, and an available visual barrier for privacy are also required upgrades."

-via LGBTQ Nation, July 28, 2023

Wayyyyyyy fucking overdue but I'll take it!! Also, very nice curb cut effect: We all get to be less miserable on airplanes, and older people don't have to worry as much about airplane bathroom fall risks.

[golden-reedwolf]

Actual hell country

[tsubaki94]

Phantom Comic Ch.5

Page 17<--> Page 19

Begining

Masterpost

[mousedetective]

Please Help? Minor Emergency!

PAYPAL | AMAZON WISHLIST | KOFI | GOFUNDME |PATREON | HOLIDAY WISHES LIST @ DREAMWIDTH

EDITED 12/13/24 - NEW POST!

I really need help via Venmo or Cashapp. My mom had an ER followup visit this morning and her doctor said her heart rate was so high she's at risk of sudden death, and she's demanding my mom be admitted to the Scripps hospital in Encintas (too far to walk from my apartment, but closer than Tri-City Hospital).

I'm now $434 overdrawn. However, if I can get $171 via PayPal, I can make four trips to the hospital and cover the last of what we owe to PayPal. She needs her charger for her phone tonight, and tomorrow I need to pick up insulin and pain pills for her (I have a way to pick up the meds, I just need a way to the hospital afterwards). I can also do Cashapp or Venmo and put it into my mother's bank account, as I have her bank card with me at the moment. She's $87 overdrawn, so I would need $218 to cover that, I think.

We got the charger to her, I got her meds (or at least the ones from earlier in the week) and I was able to buy a little bit of food to replace what i had to toss when our fridge and freezer died last week. I'm good for Uber trips, so anything else will go towards paying off my mom's PayPal Pay In 4 debts, which would take a huge burden off of us.

[vividstargore]

being physically disabled means the weather gets mildly cold and you lose the ability to stand and none of your joints stay in place

[justabunny]

PSA:

if someone who is using a mobility aid is trying to get on public transit first please just let them.

The other day I was trying to get on the public transit bus for my area, (which is primarily used for university students, but anyone can use it) and I usually stand at the front so I can be one of the first people to get on since I am a mobility aid user and use priority seating.

well, I was trying to get onto the bus and this guy tries to cut in infront of me and in the process bumps into me and makes me lose my balance and almost fall into other people.

if someone has a mobility aid usually it's safe to assume that they aren't the most stable on their feet, give them space and let them go first.

[queer-crip-grows]

It is incredibly difficult to hear so many people in the environmental movement continually lionise trains as the answer to all transport needs.

Being a full time mobility aid user with chronic fatigue and sensory overload makes use of public transport nightmarish.

If *real* efforts were made to make every train and every station fully wheelchair-accessible, *without* having to rely on unreliable or downright abusive station staff to put ramps up and, down, it would be a fantastic *start*. On good days, I *might* be able to use it for certain kinds of journeys.

However, it still wouldn’t solve the issues with sensory overload, or the problems getting to train stations from my home due to severe chronic pain and chronic fatigue.

If overdo it when I’m out, I *crash*. I cannot expend all my resources getting places. I then cannot do anything when I am there, and am unable to get home safely.

This is not that uncommon a problem. My issues are due to hEDS, POTS and autism, but they are incredibly common symptoms of Long COVID and ME/CFS resulting from Long COVID. So, unsurprisingly, folk with these needs are becoming increasingly common as Covid continues to rampage through the population. *Some of us need transportation we have control over*, and we need environmentally sustainable options to do this.

While expanding the public rail network, making it completely affordable (or, realistically, free) and making it fully accessible for wheelchair and other mobility aid users, children travelling alone from about age 8, elderly people with limited eyesight and hearing and parents travelling with infants would be an *incredible* start and massively increase usage of public transport, there are those of us who will always need at least part-time access to vehicles which can come to our homes and that *we* have control over, that are just as affordable as public transport, and the environmental movement needs to acknowledge this, plan for it, and stop treating it as selfishness, laziness and all the other “fun” terms disabled folk face constantly just for trying to live, especially outside our homes.

This is going to be even more the case if you want us to be able to work outside our homes and if you continue to be resistant to providing fully remote jobs that pay a living wage.

[sukibenders]

The way people talk about the south, especially following natural disasters, is so gross. Like why are you constantly making jokes about our plight? Why do you, someone who hardly has been to the south let alone the states heavily affected, think you have more knowledge about those who live here? Why are so void of empathy that you fall on the "Oh, they could have left but didn't," Ignoring the fact that many didn't have the opportunity (or privilege) to be able to leave, especially under such circumstances? A town in NC was wiped off the map, Asheville is underwater and can only be accessed through the air, Appalachia has/is experiencing flooding that they weren't prepared for, and these are just a few examples. Real life people were/are being impacted by Helene, so maybe stop making jokes about their suffering or acting entitled.

[januscorner]

“This is better for the environment” What about disabled people

“This is better for the economy” What about disabled people

“This will make everything better” What about disabled people.

If you’re cool perfect ideology or plan doesn’t consider disabled people it’s total shit. Hope this helps

[beranibear]

👏Your👏 baby👏in👏that👏foldable👏pram👏does👏not👏belong👏in👏the👏reserved👏wheelchair👏spot👏on👏the👏train👏when👏the👏train👏is👏packed👏and 👏people👏in wheelchairs👏are👏forced👏to👏just👏park👏👏their👏wheelchair👏in👏the👏middle👏of👏👏a👏walkway👏

You can literally fold the pram and hold your child.

Those spots are there so we are safe and out of the way. So we are able to get emergency help if needed via the emergency assistance button. So we don’t slide down the middle of the train or slam into people if it comes to a sudden stop.

I can not just fold my chair and get out of it. I don’t have the privilege or ability to do that. It is not a pram parking spot, the symbol on the floor and walls is not of a pram, it’s of the universal symbol for people with disabilities.

Wild how people will still do this when there is literally a sign stating that you will be fined if you don’t give up the spot. If your baby has mobility, if you have mobility; your pram was literally made to be folded and compacted. Please DO IT when the train is full and people with mobility aids are forced into spots that aren’t safe.

Fuck you. I should not have to be unsafe so you don’t have to fold a pram and hold your child.

[alpaca-clouds]

Cars vs Accessible Worlds

Alright, let me talk about one thing in terms of accessibility in science fiction settings - and Solarpunk specifically - that also has more than one side to it: Cars and accessibility. Because it is more complicated than you'd thing.

See: The fact that our world is so car centric really, really hinders accessibility. Wide streets are a hindrance for even normal pedastrians, cyclists and so on. If I want to get from A to B, and the route crosses a street, and there is only a traffic light every like 500 meters, it means tat I usually need either to risk my life or take the long way around to get there. And that is a fucking bother even when you are healthy and can easily take that long way around. And the more car centric a society is, the worse the issue becomes. Here in Germany it is a lot easier still to cross a street than in many places in the US.

And of course this gets a lot worse if you are disabled. Be it that you just cannot walk that far. Or if you are blind and cannot even see in what direction you could go for the next traffic light. Or if you are hard of hearing or deaf, you might be more in danger of being surprised by a car. (And that is without going into how electric cars being so fucking quiet makes stuff even more dangerous.) And, you know, neurodivergent people might also just struggle with the fucking noise that is created by roads and is often inescapable in big cities.

And of course even outside of the environmental issues, the constant presence of cars is also a health risk. Not just because of the risk of accidents, but also due to the pollution and how it interacts. Even if we all were driving electric cars, there would still be all those microplastics created by tires and streets and stuff.

So, really. We do need to move away from car centric infrastructure to make our lives healthier and to make the world more accessible for disabled people too.

BUT...

But there is the issue that some disabled people still might be in need to use some sort of personal transportation device that can cover both short and large distances, because for one reason or another public transport just does not work and cannot work for them.

For example someone with severe anxiety issues, or someone who will be easily suffering from sensory overwhelm. There might be other issues, too. Just some folks will always need something like cars.

And of course there is also the fact that stuff like emergency services will still need streets accessible to cars. Because the emergency services will just not get around using something like cars to get to all the places they might be needed.

And this... makes things complicated. Because infrastructure should not be car centric, no. But it needs to be accessible by cars - and be it just for emergency services.

This is just something that I would love to see more talked about especially within the Solarpunk sphere.

[flowercrowncrip]

Not all disabled people can take public transport!

Access to a car is absolutely necessary for some people. One of the reasons (out of many) for this is how much extra stuff some disabled people have to carry when travelling.

I’m one of those people and this is how much I have to bring for just 3 nights away (not including my carer’s stuff):

(ID: A photo of a pile of bags and equipment in front of a hotel door including a large tall box for a hoist, a tilt in space commode/shower chair and a pillow lifter. In total the pile is half the height of the door and extends over a meter from the door. /end ID)

So that’s two large bag for life’s, a large rucksack, one gym bag, a smaller tote bag, my hoist (folded down in the big black box that’s as tall as I am – and that’s one of the smallest and lightest you can get), my pillow raiser, my tilt in space shower chair/commode (which can’t be folded down) my big pregnancy pillow, and a few extra bits and pieces that didn’t fit in the bags.

Taking all this stuff on a train would be ridiculous, let alone a bus! It took 3 able bodied adults 2 and a half trips to get it all from the van to the hotel room – it would take forever to get it all across the station and onto the train (and where would it all go when we’re on the train?).

Improving public transport is essential and good, just remember that some people will always need cars.

[thestarlightforge]

If you could reblog this @amtrak-official, it would mean a lot. Happens almost every day here in DC, and these are only the 4 train stations I’m even subscribed to alerts for. A daily reminder that our transit is not anywhere near “the most accessible in the nation” (or if it is— Yikes), and it desperately needs to improve

[uncanny-tranny]

I love when people complain about dangerous drivers because... there are some dangerous drivers out there! However, the solution isn't, like, a surveillance state. The solution can be found (in part) in actually investing in free public transportation and a variety of transportation. The fact that we often live in a very hostile world for pedestrians and non-motorists is a travesty, and helps contribute to the mess that is driving.

You don't need to ban certain people from being able to drive. You need to pressure your local and state governments to actually invest in trains, buses, trams, taxis, public bicycles, well-maintained sidewalks and trails, and whatever may be best for your community. Banning certain people from driving isn't going to effectively keep drivers safe.

[mousedetective]

Need Help With Food, Transportation & Bills!

PAYPAL | AMAZON WISHLIST | PATREON | HOLIDAY WISHES LIST @ DREAMWIDTH

12/17/24 - NEW POST!

First off: my mom is back from the hospital! She's still in pain but shes going to have in home physical therapy and doctors visits for a while, so hopefully she'll be on the med soon. Thank you to everyone who helped me visit her in the hospital and get the supplements and vitamins we needed.

We still have one outstanding bills (the internet) which is around $89 total, and we still need food. I'm $421 overdrawn, which I also need to take care of before the 1st of January. So any help covering all that and getting another $100 for food would be amazing.

I also need $50 to get an Uber to pick up my mom's meds that can't be mailed once her doctor submits the pen needles for her insulin to the pharmacy. That I need via the PayPal listed above.

[curiositysavesthecat]

Is it okay for people who have no disability, aren't elderlies or pregnant, to sit on the seats reserved for disabled, elderlies or pregnant passengers on a bus/train. etc?

Answer choices below:

It's fine if they're tired and really have to sit down and there's no other seats or any disabled people or people who are in need on the vehicle, but they should still get up and give up the seat once/if disabled people or people who are in need get on the bus/train

It's fine if they're tired and really have to sit down and there's no other seats or any disabled people on the vehicle, they should not be asked to get up and give up their seat once/if disabled people or people who are in need get on the bus/train either.

It's fine for anybody to sit there even if they're not tired, if there's no other seats or any disabled people on the vehicle, but they should get up and give up their seat once/if disable people or people who are in need get on the bus/train

It's fine for anybody to sit there even if they're not tired, if there's no other seats or any disabled people on the vehicle, and they should not be asked to get up and give up their seat once/if disabled people or people who are in need get on the bus/train either.

It's ALWAYS fine for anybody to sit there even if there're other seats available, as long as there's no disabled people or people who are in need on the vehicle. They should get up and give up the seat once/if disabled people or people who are in need get on the bus/train

It's ALWAYS fine for anybody to sit there. No matter what. They should not give up the seat once/if disabled people or people who are in need get on the bus/train either

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).