Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series

Paratransit gives me an important way to get around and maintain my independence, but there are times when I can’t use it.

Sometimes the rides are full.

Sometimes I’m going somewhere outside of the service district.

Sometimes I get a last-minute appointment and there isn’t enough time to schedule a ride.

When that happens, I have to go to my backup plan:

I ask someone.

It might be one of my PCAs, a friend, or a family member.

I am fortunate that when I give the people in my support system enough notice, they will usually help me get where I need to go.

But even having people willing to help doesn’t mean I can simply get up and go.

My Schedule Becomes Someone Else’s Schedule Too

When I ask someone for a ride, I have to think about their life too.

Are they working?

Do they already have plans?

What time can they take me?

Can they bring me home too?

How much notice can I give them?

I don’t want to assume that because someone is willing to help me, they are always available.

That’s why planning ahead continues to be such an important part of my life.

Asking for Help Is Part of My Independence

There was a time when I might have looked at asking someone for a ride as being dependent.

As I’ve gotten older, my understanding of independence has changed.

Independence doesn’t mean I have to do everything by myself.

Sometimes independence means knowing what I need, figuring out my options, and asking for help when one option doesn’t work.

If paratransit is available, I can use it.

If it isn’t, I can reach out to my PCAs, friends, or family.

The important thing is that I find a way to keep living my life.

I Still Want Choices

Having a disability means transportation may require more planning, but I don’t want transportation to determine everything I can and cannot do.

I don’t only need rides for doctor’s appointments.

Sometimes I want to go shopping.

Sometimes I want to see a friend.

Sometimes I want to go somewhere fun.

And sometimes something comes up unexpectedly.

That’s life.

People with disabilities have unexpected things happen too. We have last-minute appointments, changes in plans, and days when we simply decide we’d like to do something.

I may not always be able to say, “I’m getting in my car and going.”

Instead, I might have to say, “Let me figure out how I’m going to get there.”

That’s a very different kind of freedom.

But with planning, accessible transportation, and the people who support me, I continue finding ways to get where I want and need to go.

Because sometimes independence isn’t having only one way to get there.

It’s knowing you have people and options to help you find another way.

— Marie W.O.W.C.P.
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