S.M.A.R.T. issues the report card issued representing people with disabilities on the current state of service by Metro Transit.
Who: People with disabilities organizing as the STL Metropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit (S.M.A.R.T.), convened by Paraquad, one of Missouri’s 22 independent living centers. Speakers include –
Robyn Wallen: Transportation Chair for the Missouri Council of the Blind. Retired from the travel industry. Served on the Transportation Committee of the American Council of the Blind and the Metro Access Advisory Group. Presently a member of Metro’s ADA Advisory Committee.
Etefia Umana: President and CEO of umana consulting LLC, a firm that specializes in nonprofit organizational startups, legal analysis, organizational mapping, and educational consulting. Born in St. Louis, MO, and educated in both public and Catholic schools, Umana became blind 10 years ago.
Seyoon Choi: A Master of Social Work student at St. Louis University, with a concentration in Community and Organizations. Choi is presently an intern in the Public Policy and Advocacy Department at Paraquad, one of Missouri’s 22 centers for independent living. He is a daily user of Metro Transit.
Barbara Sheinbein: Retired as a federal employee after 32-plus years of employment.
Barbara is a member of the Metro St. Louis League of Women Voters, Missouri Council of the Blind, and the Society for American Baseball Research in addition to volunteering at the Animal Protective Association socializing cats.
Duane Gruis: A former Independent Living Specialist at Paraquad, Gruis assisted many individuals in moving out of nursing homes and back into the community. Gruis serves as a Family Navigator at UCP Heartland where he previously worked as an Employment Specialist. He is a member of the Metro ADA Advisory Committee and a daily Call-A-Ride user.
When: Thursday, March 7, 2024, 9 a.m.
Where: Conference Room, STL Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired
8770 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63144 (at Brentwood)
What: S.M.A.R.T. will issue the first of a series of periodic “Report Cards” to Metro Transit regarding:
- Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Meaningful Engagement with People with Disabilities
- Keeping Promises
- The Customer Experience
Background: Problems with public transportation for people with disabilities were thoroughly documented by STL and statewide media in 2023.In January 2023, 18,000 requested rides were denied on Call-A-Ride, and nearly 7,000 rides were still denied by November 2023, according to Operations Reports from Bi-State Development.
S.M.A.R.T. formed and began to meet weekly. Official complaints were filed to the Federal Transit Administration and to the U.S. Department of Justice. Those investigations have been conducted or are ongoing, but public reports have not yet been issued.
Public promises were made by Bi-State CEO Taulby Roach on November 7. The March 7 Report Card marks four months since those promises were made – and also one year since a public meeting was held at UMSL to discuss route cuts that have made life much harder for people with disabilities in the STL Region.
Personally impacted people will share their experiences and their commitment to remain engaged with Metro until we receive the affordable, accessible, safe, and reliable transportation that we deserve.
For More Information:
Jeanette Mott Oxford
314-289-4303
#DisabilityRights, #PublicTransportation, #AccessibilityServices