Comments on: The Mythical Wheelchair Passenger http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/ the art of intermittent disability Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:07:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rebecca http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/comment-page-1/#comment-7086 Rebecca Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:09:50 +0000 http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/#comment-7086 Well, I'm a wheelchair user, I grew up in London and if I lived there now I'd use the buses daily. I could probably name 10 people (and that's just out of this 20-year-old's friendship group) who I know use the London buses on a regular basis. I could probably make a list of 20 if I thought about it. What's happened is that anyone much older than me and my friends who's a wheelchair user or otherwise steps-impaired has had a whole lifetime of public transport being barred to them. They've learned to go about daily life using taxis and cars and those 'orrible electric scooters, and why should they swap to noisy, overcrowded buses now? The skeptics need to wait and watch as new generations of wheelchair users grow up able to take for granted that they can get to where they're going by bus. Well, I’m a wheelchair user, I grew up in London and if I lived there now I’d use the buses daily. I could probably name 10 people (and that’s just out of this 20-year-old’s friendship group) who I know use the London buses on a regular basis. I could probably make a list of 20 if I thought about it.

What’s happened is that anyone much older than me and my friends who’s a wheelchair user or otherwise steps-impaired has had a whole lifetime of public transport being barred to them. They’ve learned to go about daily life using taxis and cars and those ‘orrible electric scooters, and why should they swap to noisy, overcrowded buses now? The skeptics need to wait and watch as new generations of wheelchair users grow up able to take for granted that they can get to where they’re going by bus.

]]> By: mdmhvonpa http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/comment-page-1/#comment-7069 mdmhvonpa Thu, 22 Dec 2005 13:55:21 +0000 http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/#comment-7069 You know, since Holocost Denial is in fashion now (vis-a-vis Iran), why not Handicap Denial? You know, since Holocost Denial is in fashion now (vis-a-vis Iran), why not Handicap Denial?

]]> By: Fritz http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/comment-page-1/#comment-7068 Fritz Thu, 22 Dec 2005 04:52:31 +0000 http://journal.brokenclay.org/wp_archives/2005/12/21/the-mythical-wheelchair-passenger/#comment-7068 I have a friend living in the UK with a wheelchair using child. I'll ask her to come to this page and comment. This is completely anecdotal, but I don't believe I've ever seen a wheelchair user ride on RTD, but of course that's no reason to not accomodate them. Of course here in the Denver/Boulder area we have Access-a-Ride. In other areas I've used public transit (San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Paris) I've seen wheelchair users ride. You can try calling your RTD representative, Lee Kemp. His phone number is 303.465.4046. Lee is completely unresponsive and kind of a jerk and I hope he loses when he comes up for re-election in 2008, but it can't hurt to try asking him for ridership statistics. Post his response here if my some miracle he does happen to get in touch with you. I have a friend living in the UK with a wheelchair using child. I’ll ask her to come to this page and comment.

This is completely anecdotal, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a wheelchair user ride on RTD, but of course that’s no reason to not accomodate them. Of course here in the Denver/Boulder area we have Access-a-Ride. In other areas I’ve used public transit (San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Paris) I’ve seen wheelchair users ride.

You can try calling your RTD representative, Lee Kemp. His phone number is 303.465.4046. Lee is completely unresponsive and kind of a jerk and I hope he loses when he comes up for re-election in 2008, but it can’t hurt to try asking him for ridership statistics. Post his response here if my some miracle he does happen to get in touch with you.

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