The Monthly MATAplus run down
By Bobbie Fields
The members of the Memphis Specialized Transportation Advisory Committee met with representatives of MATAplus regarding their performance rate and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically the ADA rule of communication and supplying materials in an alternate format for MATA riders. Ms. LaBarbara Houston and Ms. Glenda Wade said MATA now has the Rider’s Guide in braille, large print, and audio available upon request. You can find it on the MATA website as well. MATAplus is teaming up with MTAC to work on how the application process is being handle when it comes to a professional signing off on it.
The application on-line asks potential MATAplus riders if they can “climb three ten-foot steps.” The confusion is because the application question is abbreviated: 10’ when they intended to write 10” the abbreviation for ten inches. But the real frustration is that this simple mistake was pointed out to MATA over a year ago. The additional irony is that the application asks, in all caps and highlighted: DO NOT USE ABBREVIATIONS OR CODES. See the MATAplus application for yourself at: http://www.matatransit.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/MATAplus%20Application%202014.pdf
Ms. Wade made the comment that MATAplus is operating at a 90% on time rate and booking about 700 trips a day. If you are a rider of MATAplus and you are late for your appointment, you can call dispatch and ask to be put on “Will Call.” Will call simply means that you will call MATA when you’re ready to be picked up. You should also know that it might take at least an hour or more before you are picked up.
Ms. Houston said as of November 1, 2016 they have started to offer travel training to anyone who asks for it. They are also in the process of getting some more buses and hiring new drivers.
Even though MATA is trying to make changes in the way they handle business; the MATAplus riders feel they are still not meeting the needs of the disabled community. Buses are still “running down,” MATA terminology for running late for the names on their manifest, more than an hour. Some riders MATAplus doesn't pick-up at all. Despite all the problems with MATA they are still the best paratransit system that Memphis has to offer. If you want to know more about MATAplus just visit their website: www.matatransit.com.
The MCIL Essay Contest winning entry.
By Savannah Morris
If there is ever going to be a place for people with disabilities in Memphis Tennessee, Memphis has to think more than one way. Right now it’s only thinking able body. Memphis has to include all people, all races, because it will never be a city without people with disabilities, no state will, because babies are being born everyday with a disability.
So when it comes to having the city accessible, Memphis has to think out of the box. Memphis has to be ready for the unexpected. What I mean by this is:
- Have an architect to do a blueprint for accessible housing for the future.
- Go to other cities or states to see how they keep their transportation up and running and don’t be afraid to spend money for something that will benefit people with disabilities in the present and future.
- Get helpful hints from people with disabilities.
Memphis has come a long way, but falling behind when it comes to people with disabilities and the accessibility that will help them be more independent. Let’s make this a better Memphis by working together with one another. Everyone has a dream, let’s make the dream come true for people with disabilities.
Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children & Judge Rotenberg Center
By Allison Donald
Two hundred members of National ADAPT traveled to Canton, Massachusetts on Halloween to visit the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and the Judge Rotenberg Center. Both facilities have much in common. Both facilities are surrounded by picturesque neighborhoods.
The Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and the Judge Rotenberg Center are isolated and controlled. In the case of the Judge Rotenberg Center allegations of abuse have been made for years and they have used electric shock on people. The children locked away are out of sight, out of mind. These young children and adults are seemingly forgotten because they are in a “safe” environment with professionals who could watch them so the neighbors can sleep at night.
The administrations of both facilities were caught off guard by ADAPT’s visit. The Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children was more receptive to National ADAPT when they were informed that all we wanted was to bring the kids some candy for Halloween. It gave members of Massachusetts ADAPT an opportunity continue to put pressure on the state to adopt budget policies that would make it possible for institutionalized children to be at home with their families.
This was in stark contrast to the reception National ADAPT received at the Judge Rotenberg Center. As members of National ADAPT ascended onto the front steps and packed the entrance the staff looked confused about who we were and why we didn’t line the road and protest like other groups had. The tension between Judge Rotenberg Center employees ratcheted up once the police arrived and they realized we were not going anywhere.
ADAPT kept up constant chants. We wanted the administration and residents alike to know that the torture of people with disabilities is egregious and should not and would be tolerated in any circumstance.
National ADAPT put the Pappas Rehabilitation School for Children and Judge Rotenberg Center on notice. ADAPT and disability rights activists are watching and they will be held accountable for the treatment of people with disabilities. FREE OUR PEOPLE!
Pedestrian dangers for people who use wheelchairs
By Tim Redd
It should come as no surprise to learn that pedestrians are being hit at an alarming rate by motorists here in Memphis. This morning, the top story on FOX13 Memphis, was a person that was struck by car on Mud Island, bringing total of pedestrians hit by cars to 7 in the last 24 hours.
Here are few of the news stories being reported:
- A car hit a child who was leaving a church festival on Halloween night, according to Memphis Police Department. The child was taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in critical condition after being hit on South Parkway near Bloomfield Baptist Church.
- A pedestrian was struck and killed On I-40 eastbound at Hollywood. Police spokesman Louis Brownlee said a pedestrian was pronounced dead on the scene after being hit by a truck.
- On October 31st, three people were reportedly hit by a car in front of the Memphis Funeral Home on Germantown Parkway.
Here in midtown, wheelchair users are out daily breezing up and down the streets in bike lanes. Unfortunately we have been affected by this growing issue too. On October 3rd a bent bumper and a mangled wheelchair were visible at the scene where a man using the wheelchair was hit by a car at Windover Road and Highland Street. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
"We do have an uptick in pedestrian crashes," Memphis Police Department Lieutenant Colonel Eddie Bass said. "We don't know what's bringing all this about. We're asking drivers to use additional caution when they are driving."
In May, a 39-year-old woman was arrested after police said her car hit and killed a man in a wheelchair Sunday night on E.H. Crump Boulevard near Danny Thomas.
The National Complete Streets Coalition in 2014 ranked Memphis as the nation's fifth-most-dangerous place for pedestrians, trailing only the Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Miami, Florida metro areas. Last year, more than 360 pedestrians were hit by cars in sometimes deadly accidents. Drivers are not paying attention and many pedestrians are not using crosswalks. Here are some safety tips to keep you safe.
Be Safe and Be Seen: Make yourself visible to drivers:
- Wear bright and light colored clothing and reflective materials.
- Carry a flashlight when walking at night.
- Cross the street in a well-lit area at night.
- Stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars, or other obstacles before crossing so drivers can see you.
Be smart and alert: Avoid dangerous behaviors:
- Always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
- Stay sober; walking while impaired increases your chance of being struck.
- Don't assume vehicles will stop. Make eye contact with drivers, don't just look at the vehicle. If a driver is on a cell phone, he or she may not be paying enough attention to drive safely.
- Don't rely solely on pedestrian signals. Look before you cross the road.
Be Careful at Crossings: Look before you step:
- Cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections, if possible.
- Obey traffic signals such as WALK and DON'T WALK signs.
- Look left, right, and left again before crossing a street.
- Watch for turning vehicles. Make sure the driver sees you and will stop for you.
- Look across ALL lanes you must cross and visually clear each lane before proceeding. Even if one motorist stops, do not presume drivers in other lanes can see you and will stop for you.
- Don't wear headphones or talk on a cell phone while crossing.
