Those in disabled community say getting rides can be tough

The clock is often left ticking when those in Ohio’s disabled community are waiting for transportation services, a recent state government study concluded.

The survey by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine and the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council found that transportation is the No. 1 unmet need of disabled people in Ohio. More than half of the 534 disabled respondents said they routinely wait 30 minutes or more for service.

“People want transportation so they can have full lives in the community,” said Mark Seifarth, chairman of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.

At the crux of the study is the desire of the disabled to become full participants in their communities, an issue Seifarth said has become seminal.

Other top concerns, according to the study, are the timeliness of public transit, access to the stops and the safety of the ride. More than half the respondents said they arrived to their destination more than 15 minutes late at least some of the time. The vast majority of disabled respondents have no access to a vehicle, and 54 percent said they regularly rely on rides from family or friends.

The study surveyed more than 2,200 Ohioans across 63 counties.

Seifarth said the secondlargest concern among disabled people is affordable, accessible housing. The intersection of transportation and housing touches on the larger issue of participation in community, Seifarth said.

Among the solutions that the study provided are the authorization of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft for disabled people, further education for reading and accessing transit schedules, and incentivizing punctual transit.

The Central Ohio Transit Authority offers its Mainstream service for eligible disabled people, according to spokeswoman Lisa Myers. She said the doorto-door transportation service provided more than 275,000 trips last year.

The Mainstream service isn’t free. It can range from $3.50 to $5 per ride, depending on where the person is traveling. Myers did note that anyone eligible for the Mainstream service is able to ride fixed-route buses for free, provided they can get to a bus stop.

Although disabled people face myriad issues in their communities, Seifarth said he’s seen progress in accessibility. He’s a lifelong advocate, and has worked with dedicated public servants who want to make sure systems are working well to provide benefits to the community.

“I am quite hopeful because we have good bipartisan discussions and get down to brass tacks and solve the problems,” Seifarth said.