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Transportation fail
May. 14th, 2019 03:16 pmI was speaking with someone at a party on Saturday and, when I mentioned that I was on a council that is working with Mass Health to improve healthcare for people with disabilities, requested improvements in transportation for PWD as the number one item on her wishlist.
So this morning I was thinking about this while I waited for half an hour outside, in the cold and rain, for a ride which never showed up, even after I called and was told it would arrive in five minutes.
And, because my ironies surpass all others, the ride was supposed to take me to a council meeting, and had been arranged through my health care.
Anyway, after waiting outside for half an hour--because if you are not highly visible the drivers sometimes take off and say you weren't there--I was so cold I called my care manager and asked if she would cancel the ride for me, since I didn't have that number in my new iPhone.
My care manager is a very sweet, upbeat person, but today I got to hear her angry voice when she said she would be glad to call transportation services for me.
Then I came inside and slept for two hours, and Alexx brought me a cannoli that C. bought for me--thanks, C!
Also, one of the council members called just to commiserate with me: I guess everyone got to hear why I wasn't there, including the reps from Mass Health.
So, yes, we're working on that issue of access to transportation for people with disabilities.
I did get a text from The lift though, claiming they have an accessibility service for wheelchair users, and I looked it up, so here is the link with a brief description:
The Lyft app allows passengers with accessibility needs to enable Access Mode. In certain markets, when Access Mode is enabled, passengers may request a vehicle that is specially outfitted to accommodate wheelchairs. In markets where those vehicles are not available, information regarding local services will be sent directly to the passenger via text message when the ride is requested. Market-specific dispatch options, including Access Mode availability, are listed below.
https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013081668-Accessible-vehicle-dispatch
So this morning I was thinking about this while I waited for half an hour outside, in the cold and rain, for a ride which never showed up, even after I called and was told it would arrive in five minutes.
And, because my ironies surpass all others, the ride was supposed to take me to a council meeting, and had been arranged through my health care.
Anyway, after waiting outside for half an hour--because if you are not highly visible the drivers sometimes take off and say you weren't there--I was so cold I called my care manager and asked if she would cancel the ride for me, since I didn't have that number in my new iPhone.
My care manager is a very sweet, upbeat person, but today I got to hear her angry voice when she said she would be glad to call transportation services for me.
Then I came inside and slept for two hours, and Alexx brought me a cannoli that C. bought for me--thanks, C!
Also, one of the council members called just to commiserate with me: I guess everyone got to hear why I wasn't there, including the reps from Mass Health.
So, yes, we're working on that issue of access to transportation for people with disabilities.
I did get a text from The lift though, claiming they have an accessibility service for wheelchair users, and I looked it up, so here is the link with a brief description:
The Lyft app allows passengers with accessibility needs to enable Access Mode. In certain markets, when Access Mode is enabled, passengers may request a vehicle that is specially outfitted to accommodate wheelchairs. In markets where those vehicles are not available, information regarding local services will be sent directly to the passenger via text message when the ride is requested. Market-specific dispatch options, including Access Mode availability, are listed below.
https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013081668-Accessible-vehicle-dispatch
